San Marcos takes on record number of capital improvement projects

While city officials said the project will accommodate future growth and provide a facelift to the aging downtown, Shell acknowledged that shopkeepers and restaurant owners have suffered since the project began in August. Blocked traffic and a lack of parking have deterred consumers from the area, and Shell said most businesses have reported lost sales of about 50 percent.

"I have lost 80 percent of my business," said Ruben Becerra, owner of Gil's Broiler, the oldest restaurant in San Marcos. "It's been a huge, huge impact on our business. We've had drastically diminished sales, and it's been a very painful transition. Nevertheless, I still support the project."

Once construction is complete, Becerra said, downtown streets will be more vibrant and more accessible—hopefully drawing more business.

"We've been here since the '40s," he said. "Once the hurdles are removed, then people will begin to flow again."

Fewer new projects in the works

Though construction crews are busy with capital improvement projects throughout San Marcos in 2013, Shell said 2014 could be quieter.

She said her office is slowing down its plans for new projects until City Council has approved a spate of new goals for San Marcos, beginning with a citywide comprehensive plan and followed by master plans for water, wastewater and transportation.

"The master plan will give us their view for what we want San Marcos to be in the next 25 years," Shell said.

Funding is also an issue, she added.

"We've really scaled back our [project] spending and new bond sales," Shell said. "Our new funding is limited, so we don't have a lot of new projects, and we won't next year, either. In a couple of years we won't have anything under construction, and we'll have to start over."

Assistant Finance Director Heather Hurlbert said the city has cut back on future capital improvement plans in an effort to limit new debt. Reducing the debt will take pressure off future utility rates and reduce debt service requirements on the general fund, she said.

Aquarena Springs overpass

San Marcos' biggest capital improvement project scheduled to begin in 2013 is the long-awaited Aquarena Springs Drive/Loop 82 railroad overpass. Slated for completion in late 2015, the four-lane bridge will put an end to frequent train delays for nearly 30,000 drivers per day, according to Mark Borenstein, a project manager for HDR, a consulting firm.

The $38.3 million Texas Department of Transportation project incorporates a design that is inspired by the San Marcos River and Bobcat Stadium, Borenstein said during a City Council presentation last summer.

"This is the gateway into San Marcos, a gateway into the university, so we've been very sensitive to those aesthetics," he said.