On Feb. 20, San Marcos City Council members voted to postpone a decision that would have given them the power to expedite the city's zoning process as an economic development incentive.
City staff members had recommended the waiver as a temporary measure while they work to create a long-term program to lure businesses that would be economic "game changers" for San Marcos and the city's tax base.
"Some of these major companies come through and make their decision, and we may not even know we're in the hunt," City Manager Jim Nuse said. "We could be in and out of an opportunity whether or not we know about it."
Nuse said his staff began to consider the waiver last fall after online retailer Amazon chose to build a regional distribution center in Schertz rather than San Marcos because San Marcos' four-month zoning process was too time-consuming. Council members also questioned whether technology company AMD and manufacturing company Caterpillar had bypassed San Marcos in recent years because of its zoning process.
Councilman Ryan Thomason said the waiver would be a tool to "break cycles of poverty" by bringing jobs to San Marcos.
"This should have been done five or six years ago," he said. "These companies, a lot of them might have some time, but a lot of them just don't."
Community opposition
Thomason, Nuse and other city leaders acknowledged that community members and some council members had concerns about vague wording in the proposed ordinance. During a public hearing Feb. 19, several residents spoke against the waiver, arguing it would circumvent checks and balances in the city's land-use process, potentially harming the environment and quality of life for residents.
"There are some potentially unintended consequences here, and having a good dialogue could be very helpful," Nuse said.
If council members had approved the provision, the zoning waiver would have bypassed the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and required one vote by City Council to take effect.
Zoning waiver limits
At its meeting Feb. 12, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the waiver to City Council. P&Z commissioners added wording to the proposed ordinance saying that zoning approval would require support from at least six of the seven City Council members, a super majority. In addition, the waiver could have only been used for land already zoned for commercial or industrial use.
City Council members discussed limiting the waiver to areas along I-35 and near the San Marcos Municipal Airport. City officials said a long-term incentive program would be developed six to eight months after City Council's adoption of a new comprehensive master plan this spring, which would identify preferred areas of the city for industrial and commercial growth.
"It was never about multifamily [developments]," Thomason said. "It was never about planting a small business in a neighborhood. It's about game changers that take place along Interstate 35."
