SAN MARCOS CITY COUNCIL
San Marcos City Council will consider an incentive agreement with H-E-B for a store to be located at McCarty Lane and Interstate 35, give final approval to the Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan and approve two gateway monuments within the I-35 right of way at the regularly scheduled meeting tonight.
The council is set to consider an Economic Development Incentive Agreement with H-E-B for a new store to be located at McCarty Lane and I-35. The store, if approved, would be set to open its doors by Dec. 31, 2026. The incentives will be in the form of refunds of a percentage of additional property and sales taxes generated by the new store over five years. On May 7, council voted to adopt a resolution supporting tax incentives for grocery store development. In August, H-E-B submitted a request for incentives citing this resolution as having a direct and material impact on their decision to construct another store in San Marcos. H-E-B is now looking to construct an approximately 100,000 square foot grocery store with an additional 10,000 square foot convenience store with fuel pumps and a car wash at the southeast corner of I-35 and E Mc-Carty Lane. H-E-B will receive a percentage of annual property and sales tax collections over five years based on the following schedule: 80% in year 1, 80% in year 2, 60% in year 3, 50% in year 4 and 25% in year 5 with a minimum capital investment of $53 million.
Alson on the agenda is the final approval to the Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan and Preferred Scenario Map, which would replace the previous Comprehensive Plan — Vision San Marcos: A River Runs Through Us and its associated Preferred Scenario Map. The plan covers economic development, environment and resource protection, land use, neighborhoods and housing, parks, public spaces and facilities, transportation and core services. According to city documents, the plan is intended to “guide the growth and evolution of the city for the next 20 to 30 years.” The previous Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2013. In 2020, council directed staff to rewrite the Comprehensive Plan, and on Oct. 17, 2023, council approved the Comprehensive Plan on the first of two readings. The council held its final public hearing on the plan at the last council meeting on Oct. 2. The city stated that while developing the new Comprehensive Plan, there was “significant engagement from the public,” including 6,100 community comments and over 100 meetings and engagement events. The plan can be found at this link visionsmtx. com/ comprehensive- plan. (Editor’s Note: Read about the updates that have been made to the plan since its inception at this link: sanmarcosrecord. com/news/ days-left-fill-out-surveycomp- plan.)
The council is set to consider the design and location of two Gateway Monuments along I-35 within Texas Department of Transportation rightsof- way, which is estimated to cost $350,000. During council visioning sessions in Jan. 2022, council members indicated a desire for the city to install gateway signs. In Nov. 2022, staff gave a presentation with various possible designs, but the council requested alternative designs. In April 2023, new designs were presented to council, and the council provided feedback and direction to staff to update two of the designs — a simple hill country image and an image of a heron. Council requested both designs have a river flowing at the bottom, stones stacked across the bottom in a more organic manner and no established date. In Aug. 2023, a design contract with MWM Preliminary Concepts was executed. City staff reviewed the preliminary concepts and provided feedback. In addition, the staff provided concepts to TxDOT for review and approval. In Jan. 2024, these final concepts were presented to council and final direction was provided to proceed with the simple hill country concept. The final monument design is set to be approved at tonight’s meeting. Once approved, staff will work with TxDOT to finalize a Gateway Monument Agreement and begin construction shortly after approval by TxDOT. Construction is expected to start in Spring 2025.
The meeting can be viewed in person at City Hall or online at sanmarcos- tx.granicus.com/ ViewPublisher.php?view_ id=9.
