February 11th, 2012
Public input website to go offline as city gears for master plan revision

STAFF REPORT

The Dream San Marcos website will be temporarily offline for new comments as the City of San Marcos gears up for its master plan update kickoff.

All voting and commenting on the website will be closed Feb. 14. Previous comments will remain online in summary form. City officials have stated they will likely continue to use the Dream San Marcos website as a tool to receive input from residents after the master plan is updated.

Using information gathered through citizen participation, the Dream San Marcos website, recent Level of Service Open Houses, and other planned outreach activities, the city will initiate an extensive overhaul of its Horizons Master Plan this spring.

The new master plan, also referred to as the comprehensive plan, will incorporate transportation master planning, infrastructure recommendations and economic development, as well as future land use recommendations. The process is anticipated to take approximately 18 months.

“A key part of ensuring the plan will be a true community plan will be participation from our residents, businesses, organizations and institutions,” San Marcos Mayor Daniel Guerrero said. “San Marcos enjoys a high level of citizen involvement, and we will have many opportunities for citizens to stay involved throughout the creation and drafting of the Comprehensive Plan.”

According to City Manager’s Office, the new master plan will incorporate much of the recommendations and background information from the current Horizons Master Plan, while bringing it up to date to reflect both San Marcos now and where the community wants to go in the next ten years. Sector Plans will be incorporated into “preferred growth areas and “corridors” as well as the overall plan.

In coming weeks, city staff will launch the public participation process of the master plan update, said Matthew Lewis, director of the city’s Development Services Department.

“The new comprehensive plan will guide the city’s growth for the next ten years,” Lewis said. “It will include recommendations on preserving our natural and built environment, enhancing culture and tourism, expanding business opportunities, and ensuring that growth occurs in a responsible and appropriate manner.”

The master plan is intended to be a document the city council, planning and zoning commission and city staff use to make recommendations and decisions that will shape the city. According to the City Manager’s Office, citizen input will be critical in helping create the document and ensuring that it is truly a community document. The document will be created mostly in-house, with assistance from local consultants, according to the City Manager’s Office.