Res 2024-045 approving the 2024 City of San Marcos Hazards Mitigation Action Plan (“HMAP”)

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SECTION 3: CITY PROFILE Insects Monarch Butterfly Comal Springs Dryopid Insects Beetle Comal Springs Riffle Insects Beetle Mammals Tricolored Bat Danaus plexippus Stygoparnus comalensis Heterelmis comalensis Perimyotis subflavus Candidate Endangered Endangered Proposed Endangered The City of San Marcos has a rich history that is preserved through its designated historic districts and landmarks. Throughout the city there are seven Historic Districts and nine Historic Landmarks designated by the City of San Marcos. The City is home to famous landmark trees including the Kissing Oak, and the Log Cabin Oaks10. In 1993, San Marcos' Downtown District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are also 40 buildings and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historic buildings are vulnerable to natural hazards as their construction pre -dates modern building codes. There are also historic preservation considerations and requirements for historic structures when they are included in mitigation or recovery projects. ECONOMIC IMPACT Building and maintaining infrastructure depends on the economy, and therefore, protecting infrastructure from risk due to natural hazards in the planning area is important to the City of San Marcos. The City of San Marcos is a central economy of Hays County — the fastest growing county in Texas and the fastest growing county with over 100,000 residents in the United States. The region has been called "The Next Great Metropolis" by Forbes.11 Much of this growth is due to San Marcos' location on the IH -35 corridor, 15 miles south of Austin and 30 miles north of San Antonio, as both of those cities are among the fastest growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in the country. The area's high quality of life, proximity to major highways and international airports, and diverse and talented workforce make it an ideal place for industry. In 2021, Amazon employed 5,000 people in the City of San Marcos, making it the top employer in the city. That same year, Amazon announced an additional investment in the City of San Marcos, creating hundreds of part-time and full-time jobs with an industrial facility of over 1 million square feet. 12 Tourism is also a key generator of jobs and growth within the San Marcos community. Over 14 million people visit the city annually to see attractions like the San Marcos River and one of the nation's largest outdoor outlet shopping centers. As a major component of travel and tourism, San Marcos' hotel and hospitality industry is also closely tied to the economic development in the area. 10 Source: https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMZFKH_Log_Cabin_Oaks_San_Marcos_TX 11 Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2016/10/13/the-next-great-american-metropolis-is-taking-shape-in- texas/?sh=9ebc6471 e2fb 12 Source: https://www.sanmarcostx.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/544 City of San Marcos I Hazard Mitigation Action Plan Update 2024 1 Page 7