Survey: Help plan the future of San Marcos

Vision SMTX is a policy document intended to guide the growth and evolution of the City for the next 20-30 years. The plan will include the community's vision for topics such as housing, transportation, arts and culture, land use, economic development, parks, community character, etc. Vision SMTX is an important project because it guides the long-term decision making for topics which affect the community now and in the future. Learn more at  www.visionsmtx.com .

This survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete and works best on a desktop or tablet. In this survey you will find 14 short questions and a mapping exercise. Provide your email at the end of the survey for a chance to win a $50 HEB gift card. For questions or a hard copy of the survey, email planninginfo@sanmarcostx.gov or call 512.393.8230.  Responde la encuesta en español. 

San Marcos is growing. With an estimated 42,000-54,000 new housing units and 51,000 new jobs projected in San Marcos by 2050, one of the key phases of Vision SMTX is to develop a city-wide plan for how to manage our growth. By participating in this survey, we want you to help establish San Marcos' Preferred Growth Scenario.

One key component to creating San Marcos' Preferred Growth Scenario is to map the location of different types of development. Development Types are categories of different kinds of buildings and land uses and the streets, parks, and trails necessary to support those types of places. A community is made up of a mix of different Development Types which make a community unique.

For example photos and descriptions, click through the slideshow below.

We know that San Marcos' historic, cultural, and environmental assets are extremely important. Prior to drafting any detailed growth scenarios for San Marcos, it was important to identify and protect these important assets by creating three overlays: 1) Historic Resources, 2) Cultural Resources, and 3) Environmental. Overlays are tools to better define where growth should or shouldn't go. Overlays can also serve as a starting point for better defining the vision and goals for key areas.

The below maps show what San Marcos might look like if we keep growing the way we are now, or how our "Trend" suggests.

Our "Trend Scenario" is characterized as auto-oriented businesses along major roads, new traditional single-family subdivisions and apartments, and more suburban style expansion east of IH-35.

This Trend Scenario also includes reliance on key roadways resulting in increased traffic congestion. Walkable areas exist only in downtown or specific subdivisions. Many residents have to drive to access grocery stores, parks, schools, or a coffee shop. The piecemeal growth may impact environmentally sensitive areas. Housing demand is outpacing employment growth.

Two Alternative Growth Scenarios have been created which deviate from the Trend Scenario and better manage our future growth.

This scenario includes the creation of a large mixed-use center east of I-35 which:

1. Creates an intentional location for higher intensity employment and housing development;
2. Reduces development pressure on existing neighborhoods and environmentally sensitive areas; and
3. Improves access to goods and services east in new areas of the community.

This Scenario emphasizes the creation of mixed use corridors with the intent of:

1. Retaining Downtown as the only large mixed use center;
2. Focusing medium density neighborhoods and small activity centers along major arterials; and
3. Improving access to goods and services throughout the entire community with improved connections to major roadways.

Compare the Scenario A and B side-by-side. Provide your input by answering the questions underneath. Your input will help create the Preferred Growth Scenario.

Explore the maps to see where different Development Types are located and how they differ between Scenarios.

1. Drag the center arrows left and right to compare scenarios.
2. Zoom in and out and use your cursor to move around the maps.
3. Answer the questions below.

Here you'll notice a projection of new jobs. Vacant and underutilized parcels were identified and then assumed to have a density of jobs determined by different Development Types. For areas with an overlay, new jobs were limited or prohibited as discussed in the overlays section. Scenario A has a capacity to provide more jobs (91,241 jobs) than Scenario B (85,546). Scenario A will provide more jobs in the City Limits than Scenario B.

Explore the maps to see where new jobs are proposed and how they differ between Scenarios. Dark blue areas indicate the highest concentration of new jobs.

1. Drag the center arrows left and right to compare scenarios.
2. Zoom in and out and use your cursor to move around the maps.
3. Answer the questions below.

Here you'll notice a projection of new housing. Vacant and underutilized parcels were identified and then assigned a number of housing units determined by different Development Types. For areas with an overlay, new housing was limited or prohibited as discussed in the overlays section. Scenario A has a capacity to provide more housing units (95,603) than Scenario B (91,252). Scenario A will provide more housing in the City Limits than Scenario B.

Explore the maps to see where new housing is projected and how they differ between Scenarios. Dark orange areas indicate the highest concentration of new housing.

1. Drag the center arrows left and right to compare scenarios.
2. Zoom in and out and use your cursor to move around the maps.
3. Answer the questions below.

Each Alternative Scenario accomplishes different goals. Compare what goals are accomplished in each scenario for topics that are most important to you.

1.  Click HERE to compare the Goals. 
2. Answer the questions below.

As a Preferred Growth Scenario takes shape, attention will turn to refining goals and developing policies for 10 Plan Elements which are important to the community.

What would you like to see accomplished for the topics that are most important to you? Click on the comment map below to show us where you'd like to implement your ideas!