AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Receive a presentation from Staff and project consultants, Winter and Company, on the update to the downtown design standards and guidelines; and provide direction to Staff.
Body
Meeting date: December 10, 2020
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:
Downtown Vitality
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 shall be tailored to various contexts within downtown. Key topics to be addressed include:
? Massing of larger buildings to promote compatibility with traditional scale of downtown;
? Variety in articulation of facades to be more in scale with design traditi...
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