Laserfiche WebLink
VACANT BUILDING PROMOTION <br />FINDINGS <br />4 <br />1. The 2023 Downtown Area Plan noted that high <br />vacancy rates can threaten historic buildings. <br />2. Anecdotal data suggests that high vacancy <br />rates in historic buildings and/or in <br />downtown San Marcos are not prevalent. <br />3. Based on data from DowntownTX.org, San <br />Marcos has a slightly higher percentage of <br />inventoried properties currently listed as <br />available than other similarly sized cities in <br />the database; however, many of the data <br />entries are outdated. <br />4. San Marcos City Code of Ordinances <br />Section 14.061 requires owners maintain <br />all vacant buildings in a locked or closed <br />condition and post a no -trespassing sign on <br />the property. The code states that buildings <br />vacant for more than six months can be <br />re -occupied by a conforming use. <br />5. Policies targeting vacant buildings can <br />complement historic preservation objectives. <br />SOLUTIONS <br />1. Create educational materials to inform <br />residents about mothballing and its best <br />practices for preservation. <br />2. Promote awareness of the Artistic Board -Up <br />Ordinance by publishing it on the City <br />website, developing and distributing <br />informational brochures, and hosting <br />outreach meetings with property owners to <br />encourage understanding and compliance. <br />3. Confirm that data on available properties <br />in San Marcos listed on DowntownTX.org is <br />up to date to better understand trends. <br />4. Consider establishing a Vacant Building <br />Registration Program to identify and <br />monitor unoccupied historic and older <br />buildings, requiring owners to register, <br />maintain, and share plans for future use. Pair <br />this with policies, funding, and incentives, <br />such as rehabilitation grants, adaptive <br />reuse programs, or partnerships, to return <br />buildings to active use, preserve historic <br />resources, and support community vitality. <br />The THC developed an online downtown building inventory, Downtowntx.ora, featuring <br />historic property listings. This site is hosted by the Texas Main Street Program and local programs <br />manage their individual listings. Although the site may not reflect all current listings, it provides a <br />tool to compare San Marcos to similarly sized cities. Based on this data, San Marcos has a slightly <br />higher percentage of inventoried properties currently listed as available. <br />Table 5. Buildings inventoried on DowntownTX.org in similarly sized cities September 2025. <br />Victoria <br />62,592 <br />290 <br />10 <br />3% <br />Harlingen <br />65,022 <br />200 <br />8 <br />4% <br />San Marcos <br />71,569 <br />192 <br />7 <br />4% <br />Mansfield <br />75,697 <br />189 <br />6 <br />3% <br />Georgetown <br />79,604 <br />236 <br />0 <br />0% <br />Longview <br />81,728 <br />147 <br />0 <br />0% <br />SAN MARCOS HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN (2026) <br />