There could be potential changes to the city of San Marcos' multifamily design standards. The San Marcos Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the standards at its regularly scheduled meeting Feb. 25. San Marcos Planning Manager Jon Foreman said the examination of the city's standards is still in a very early phase. Discussions about the city's multifamily design standards were spurred in December when the commission postponed a decision on whether to approve a proposed development on Yarrington known as the Yarrington Commons. The development would include up to 900 units on a 50-acre tract. At the time, Commissioner Angie Ramirez said she felt the city's current multifamily design standards were too weak, and the final decision on the development should be postponed until new standards are in place. "[The site of Yarrington Commons] was identified as an appropriate location for that type of development, but the products that we're getting are not meeting the expectations of the comprehensive plan, the commission and the community," Foreman said. Foreman said the revisions to the design standards will be aimed at ensuring multifamily development is visually appealing and is compatible with the rest of the community. Design details such as building orientation, bicycle parking, detention pond design and sidewalk connectivity are a few points Foreman said could be addressed in the design standards. Commissioner Carter Morris said "large, sprawling complexes" are having negative impacts on the city of San Marcos. Morris recommended city staff and commissioners examine landscaping, lighting and parking guidelines in the design standards. "To put a multifamily project on existing property zoned 'multifamily' in the city of San Marcos today under this code is the worst thing we can do for the environment, for traffic and for the aesthetics of this town," Morris said. Commissioner Travis Kelsey also directed staff to continue looking into rent-by-the-bedroom versus rent-by-the-unit policies. Kelsey likened the developments created by rent-by-the-bedroom policies to dorm rooms. "The impact of the way they rent that property on that particular piece of property is significant," Kelsey said. "When you rent by the room, you don't have two friends with their three friends. You have four friends with their three friends each."