Development
Development
BY JAMIE MOORE
BY JAMIE MOORE
A proposed data center on Francis Harris Lane returned to the San Marcos Planning and Zoning, or P&Z Commission, on March 25. P&Z recommended the denial of two items related to the project—one to amend the city’s Preferred Scenario Map and the other to rezone the land. The project now moves to City Council and will require a supermajority vote to pass. What’s happening? The proposed data center would include two parcels: Tract 1, a 125.91-acre parcel already annexed into San Marcos, and Tract 2, a 63.68-acre unzoned parcel. San Marcos data center denied by P&Z Commission
P&Z denies student apartment proposal
Michael Whellan, representing the data center applicants, stated that the project would yield a tax revenue of nearly $3.02 million for the city and $5.08 million for San Marcos CISD. After the presentation of both items, applicant John Maberry requested a postponement to prepare a restrictive covenant related to residents’ concerns. What the commissioners are saying P&Z Chair David Case moved to postpone the items, seconded by Commissioner Grin Spell. However, the motion failed 8-1, with only Case voting in favor of the postponement. “The applicants knew that the meeting was going to be tonight, and this is the time that they need to put their best foot forward,” Commissioner Rodney van Oudekerke said. “This is the night that they should’ve had it all together.” Following the failure of the motion, Case moved to recommend approval of the rst item—the Preferred Scenario Map amendment—to the City Council. However, commissioners raised concerns about water usage, electricity demand, noise pollution and accessibility to the cemetery located
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A new student apartment complex may still be in San Marcos’ future, pending a nal decision by the City Council. At its March 25 meeting, the San Marcos Plan- ning and Zoning, or P&Z, Commission denied two requests 8-1, with only Chair David Case dissenting, related to a proposed purpose-built student housing development on multiple lots near the West Hopkins H¡E¡B. The two items denied included: • A request for alternative compliance to exceed the city’s maximum building height, increas- ing the limit from ve to seven stories • A request for a conditional use permit, or CUP, to allow a purpose-built student housing development The proposed development spans approx- imately 2.2 acres and currently consists of multiple lots with six di¦erent property owners, including the parking lot of the First United
Methodist Church and the nancial rm Don Graham & Associates. About the project Shannon Mattingly, director of land use and entitlements at real estate law rm Drenner Group PC, said the apartment would not be exclusively for students but open to anyone interested in a rent-by-the-bed arrangement. The applicant proposed a mix of one- to ve-bedroom units to accommodate a range of living arrangements and three §oors of structured parking, and justied the need for the project by citing Texas State University’s continued growth and the resulting demand for student housing near campus. Commissioner Amy Meeks said she doesn’t like the developer’s reasoning to make it stu- dent housing and have four- to ve- bedroom apartments. “You’re saying to us tonight, ‘Oh, that will
GRANT HARRIS RD.
Proposed student apartments
Tract 1
Cemetery
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help bring down the cost, then everybody that lives in that unit has to pay less’—that doesn’t §y,” Meeks said. “We know what that means is the developer’s just getting more money—the students aren’t paying less, it’s just more money for the developer.” What's next? San Marcos City Council will discuss the proposed apartment complex during a regular meeting on April 15.
in the middle of the property. “I don’t mind taking risks with my personal assets, but the San Marcos river doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to all of us, and we don’t get do-overs if we mess it up,” Oudekerke said. “I’m not willing to support this if there’s even the slightest chance of harming that river.” The item was slated to go before the San Marcos City Council on April 15 but was postponed at the request of the applicant, according to Nadine Cesak, communications and intergovernmental relations manager.
SAN MARCOS 510 Barnes Dr (512) 392-0366
CREEKSIDE TOWN CENTER 263 Creekside Crossing (830) 608-1969
SOUTHPARK MEADOWS 9900 IH-35 Service Rd S (512) 280-7400
NEW BRAUNFELS 1671 IH-35 S (830) 629-0434
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