H-E-B Director of Real Estate Ben Scott described the proposed H-E-B location as a medium-sized store and said it is not meant to replace the “little H-E-B” near Hopkins and Comanche streets. That location will remain open through at least the end of the store's lease, which Scott said still has nine years remaining.
“We see this as a neighborhood store,” Scott said. “It is about twice the size of the downtown store and two-thirds the size of the Thorpe store.”
The proposed site of San Marcos' third HEB is at Wonder World Drive and Hunter Road.[/caption]Commissioners expressed concern that the site is located in a flood-prone area. One corner of the property is within the 100-year-flood plain.
A 2-D analysis was performed to study how the development would affect the surrounding area during floods. That analysis found the store would not cause a rise in the flood plain for downstream properties.
San Marcos Engineering Director Laurie Moyer said right now much of the analysis of the property’s affect on flooding is based on “supposition.” How the development affects actual flood events will not be known until the site is fully designed, she said.
Moyer said the important thing is that the grocer has committed to causing no increase in the flood plain for downstream property owners.
Moyer referenced last year’s Memorial Day weekend flood, which was worsened in one area by an apartment complex, saying the city is “extremely sensitive” to ensuring engineers perform their duties.
“We’ve lived through that, and we don’t want citizens to go through that again,” Moyer said. “To that end we had a third party help us review [the 2-D analysis], and there was quite a bit of back and forth, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Commissioners raised concerns about the level of traffic the new store might bring to the area near Wonder World and Hunter, which Commissioner Angie Ramirez described as a “horrific” intersection. Ramirez said pedestrians, cyclists and those using wheelchairs to cross the intersection have a hard enough time getting through the area. Adding a major development at the intersection would add to her safety concerns, she said.
"I'm not so concerned about congestion," Ramirez said. "There are a lot of people in San Marcos and we have a lot of cars. ... But that [Wonder World and Hunter] intersection design is horrific. I'm so disappointed with the design of that. While I don't think H-E-B should be penalized for that, it is hard in good conscience to put more things there and make it less accessible for people to make it through that intersection intact."
The company will add a traffic signal at the northernmost entrance to the development on Hunter Road to help alleviate traffic and safety concerns. The signal will be synced with the existing signal at Wonder World and Hunter.
Scott said he believes the proposed store will help ease traffic in other areas of town.
“We have two locations on what I’ll call the north side of town and very close together,” Scott said. “If we can get closer to people’s homes and take those trips off the road, that will help to overall aid or not put a burden on the traffic system.”
The company has also considered plans to build a new store near McCarty Lane and I-35 in south San Marcos.
Commissioner Kate McCarty said it seems that building the McCarty lane store before the proposed store at the intersection of Wonder World and Hunter makes more sense. Scott said the growth in that area of town does not justify a store yet.
“If we can get closer to people’s homes and take those trips off the road, that will help to overall aid or not put a burden on the traffic system.”
—Ben Scott, H-E-B director of real estate on potential for the company's third San Marcos store to relieve traffic
“I think [the growth] will be there at some point and that intersection is designed a lot better for a big store, and that’s why we’re considering that site for that,” Scott said. “In the future it fits that.”
Commissioner Travis Kelsey succeeded in passing two amendments to the site plan before the commission ultimately gave its recommendation for approval of the proposal.
The first amendment will require the company to publish the results of its water filtration and drainage system maintenance annually as a way to ensure the company is mindful of its on-site drainage system and is working to mitigate potential flooding.
The second amendment will allow one of the exits from the site to be used for right- and left-turns instead of right-turns-only, as had been proposed.
Kelsey’s third amendment, proposing the use of pervious pavers—pavement material that allows the passage of water—throughout the parking lot fell flat, as Scott said cars with leaky oil pans or gas tanks could spill contaminants onto the pavers, which could pollute the city’s water system.
The grocer has not given the city a timeline for when construction would begin if council approves the proposal.
