AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Hold discussion regarding the Convention and Visitor Bureau Advisory Board and the Main Street Advisory Board Recommendation Resolutions, recommending the official naming of seven downtown alleys; and provide direction to the City Manager.
Body
Meeting date: November 6, 2024
Department: Requested by Mayor Hughson
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: n/a
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Fiscal Note:
Prior Council Action: Prior Council Action: October 18, 2022, held discussion and directed staff to initiate the process of naming selected alleys for movies filmed primarily in San Marcos, such as “The Getaway”. The intent of this discussion item was to determine if council was agreeable to the concept. Boards to be included in the process: Main Street board for downtown alleys (likely for most if not all of those to be renamed) and the Convention and Visitor Board.
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Background Information:
Background
• First meeting was held March 2023.
• City of San Marcos does not have a process to name alleys.
o Researched area city’s processes of alley naming.
o Next steps collaboration with Planning and Development to create a mechanism.
• Researched list of movies and television productions filmed in San Marcos - 75 plus titles.
o Considered movies and television productions with iconic scenes in downtown or downtown alleys.
• Worked with Sarah Simpson, who prepared the Green Alleys Initiative Project toolkit.
o Pages 14 and 15 include a map of existing downtown alleys - assigned letters and descriptives. Sixteen alleys included in the project.
o Two have names officially approved by City Council:
§ Alley E - Kissing Alley (2017)
§ Alley O - Boyhood Alley* (2023) (*this was named after the tool kit was prepared)
o Four alleys have widely used names but are not official:
§ Alley F - Jack’s Alley (Jack the dog of the City downtown fire station who died on December 27, 1922. The sign remains today at what is now TXST’s Fire Station Studio on Guadalupe St.)
§ Alley I - Feltner Alley North (there are City Street signs on this alley)
§ Alley M - Feltner Alley South (there are City Street signs on this alley)
§ Alley N - Telephone Alley (alley adjacent to former CenturyLink telephone company building)
o Suggestion to create a public process in naming alleys.
• Considered numerous ideas of names or how to go about naming alleys
Selection of Names
• Naming after a movie with an iconic scene filmed in downtown. This alley is located within the same block as the iconic bank robbery scene of the 1972 movie The Getaway.
o Alley D - “The Getaway Alley”
• Officially naming the three alleys with widely used names.
o Alley F - Jack’s Alley
o Alley I - Feltner Alley North
o Alley M - Feltner Alley South
• Naming an alley recognizing two telephone company buildings. 1.the first San Marcos Telephone Company building recently demolished and 2. The former San Marcos Telephone Company/Centurytel/CenturyLink building cater-corner from the alley.
o Alley J instead of Alley N - naming it “Old Telephone Alley”
• Naming an alley to acknowledge our Texas Music Friendly Certified Community designation.
o Alley K -over the years, hundreds of musical acts have performed in a multitude of cafes, restaurants and bars located on this section of LBJ Drive adjacent to this alley - The Coffee Bar, Café on the Square/Café de Corte, Mayloo’s/Rocky LaRue’s, Green Parrot, Hill Country Humidor/Cigar Vault, and Valentino’s. Six of ten buildings on this block.
• Since 2014, With permission, a group of artists/muralists paint the walls of multiple buildings along Alley P and an adjacent private drive. The private drive was commonly known as Imagine Alley. Since it is a private drive, the committee decided to recognize Alley P as Imagine Alley.
Working Group Members
Alleys Without Names working group included Anita Collins (Main Street Board/Hays County/Film Maker/Screenwriter), Vic Patel (CVB/Hotel owner), Linda Coker (CVB/Heritage), Jennifer Rogers (GSMP/Historic Commission), Josie Falletta (Staff), Jared Stratemann (Staff), and Rebecca Ybarra (Staff).
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
Unanimously approved on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, by the Advisory Boards of the San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau Advisory Board and Main Street.
Alternatives:
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Recommendation:
To officially name five downtown alleys unofficially known as “Jack’s Alley”, “Feltner Alley North”, “Feltner Alley South”, “Old Telephone Alley”, and “Imagine Alley”; naming one “The Getaway Alley” in honor of the iconic movie scene shots near the alley; naming one in celebration of our music scene “Music Alley”; leaving seven alleys unnamed; and
creating a naming convention to provide an identity to the remaining alleys for purposes of both
wayfinding and placemaking.