AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Ordinance 2021-16, on the second of two readings, amending Chapters 3 and 4 of the San Marcos Development Code and Appendix A, Article 1 of the Design Manual, by, among other things, updating provisions concerning nonconforming streetscapes, the Character District 5 Downtown description, the minimum two story building height in downtown, and the downtown architectural design standards and guidelines related to varied massing, transparency, blank wall area, expression elements, building elements, and contextual height stepdown; providing a savings clause; providing for the repeal of any conflicting provisions; and providing an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: March 16, 2021
Department: Planning and Development Services
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: n/a
Account Number: n/a
Funds Available: n/a
Account Name: n/a
Fiscal Note:
Prior Council Action: n/a
City Council Strategic Initiative:
N/A
Comprehensive Plan Element (s):
☐ Economic Development - Choose an item.
☐ Environment & Resource Protection - Choose an item.
☐ Land Use - Choose an item.
☐ Neighborhoods & Housing - Choose an item.
☐ Parks, Public Spaces & Facilities - Choose an item.
☐ Transportation - Choose an item.
☐ Core Services
☒ Not Applicable
Master Plan:
Vision San Marcos - A River Runs Through Us
Background Information:
Project Background
In 2012, the City contracted with Winter & Company to develop and adopt Downtown Design Guidelines and Architectural Standards to regulate the look and feel of new buildings in the downtown area. The standards and guidelines adopted in 2012 were carried over into the new San Marcos Development Code and into Appendix A of the San Marcos Design Manual in 2018. Both standards and guidelines are utilized when reviewing new development in the downtown area.
In January, 2020, the San Marcos City Council provided direction to update the design standards and guidelines using the guidance of the previous consultants, Winter & Company. The update to the design standards and guidelines is intended to include new standards to address design issues, new graphics to clearly illustrate the standards and guidelines, and be tailored to various contexts within downtown. Key topics to be addressed included:
• Massing of larger buildings to promote compatibility with traditional scale of downtown;
• Variety in articulation of facades to be more in scale with design traditions;
• Treatment of building materials;
• Street level design to provide sense of place and activate the public realm; and
• Transitions from higher density zones to abutting sensitive edges.
Past Events
City staff and Winter and Company have hosted several events in order to better understand community feedback on downtown design. These events were broken up into two phases of the project: the initial project development and the public draft review. Events included three focus group meetings and a joint focus group meeting, a Community Kickoff survey, two Virtual Community Workshops, two Joint Planning and Zoning Commission/City Council Workshops, and a final follow-up survey.
Final Draft Formulation
Following the public review period of the Public Draft, all City Council, Planning Commission, Focus Group, and community input has been compiled and reviewed for additional potential changes to the proposed standards and guidelines. A Final Draft incorporating this input is included in this packet.
Section 2.4.1.3 of the San Marcos Development Code requires the Planning & Zoning Commission make a recommendation regarding the text amendment(s) to the City Council.
Below is a summary of the process and key dates:
• Joint Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council Workshop #1 (June 25, 2020)
• Joint Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council Workshop #2 (December 10, 2020)
• Planning & Zoning Commission consideration and recommendation (February 9, 2021)
• City Council discusses amendments during a Work Session (February 16, 2021)
• City Council holds a public hearing and first reading of ordinance (March 2, 2021)
• City Council holds second reading of ordinance (March 16, 2021)
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
Planning and Zoning Commission:
At their regular Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on February 9, 2021, the Commission recommended approval of the revisions to the Design standards and guidelines with an 8-0 vote with the following amendments: All Planning Commission amendments are indicated in the redlines with green highlight.
1. Amendment to update the description of “The Approach” on page A:7 of the design guidelines to state that it is between “IH-35 and the Transit Neighborhood”.
2. Amendment to Table 4.13 of the Development Code to add in “Awning / Canopy” as a fourth horizontal element in the table.
3. Amendment to add a definition for “Design Context” to Chapter 8, Definitions, of the Development Code. “Design Context” should be capitalized.
4. Amendment to add a condensed version of Table 4.15 to the bottom of Option 1, 2, and 3 images to enhance readability.
5. Amendment to add a definition for “Street Wall” to Chapter 8, Definitions, of the Development Code.
Staff also updated the Development Code and Design Manual to fix minor typos identified by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
City Council:
At the March 3, 2021 City Council Meeting, the City Council approved the design standards and guidelines with the following amendments. All City Council amendments are indicated in the redlines with yellow highlight.
1. Development Code: Section 4.3.6.2.(C)(1), Contextual Height Stepdown Purpose
Amendment to add a definition for sensitive edge as follows:
1. Purpose. The purpose of a contextual height stepdown is to reduce the mass and height of proposed buildings in and around a sensitive site. The location at which the sensitive site and the property that requires a contextual height stepdown is referred to as the “sensitive edge”.
2. Design Manual: Figure 1.1
To amend the title of Figure 1.1 in the design guidelines to state “Downtown and Midtown Entertainment District Design Context Map”
3. Design Manual: Section A.1.4.5(B)(1)(b), Views
To amend the text as follows:
b. View targets to consider may include, but are not limited to:
- Hays County Courthouse
- Old Main at Texas State University
- First United Methodist Church
4. Development Code: Section 4.3.5.6(D)
To remove “A combination of glass and steel framework” as a secondary material in the Residential Transition Edge and the Downtown Core.
Staff Note: Staff also updated Table 1.8 (page A:7) of the Design Manual to reflect this change to ensure the language was consistent throughout the documents.
5. To amend the Design Standards and Design Guidelines in accordance with the Planning and Zoning Commission recommendations.
Please see the Planning and Zoning Commission Memo for a detailed explanation of the Commission amendments and the associated text changes that were approved by City Council. The Planning and Zoning Commission Amendments are highlighted in the redlines with green highlight.
Alternatives:
n/a
Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the proposed Development Code and Design Manual with the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council amendments.