Ord 2002-043 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

PDD Introduction -his introductory supplement to the PDD document that follows is included to provide a narrative for use in understanding the context of the PDD. This document and project exist due to the guidance and support of several individuals. To them I offer my heartfelt thanks and the acknowledgement that this project is the result of our joint efforts. The land governed by the PDD has been in the Holt family for over 40 years. A portion of the land has been used for agriculture for the entire time of possession. Little remains of the historic blackland prairie that became farmland other than soil, soil organisms, and perhaps a few seeds that remain dormant in the soil. The agricultural portion contains no trees other than a small grove of native trees at the south property boundary that is specifically protected by the PDD. The only intensive development proposed in the PDD is located on this degraded farm plot. Property between the farmland and the Blarico River was once blackland prairie "bottomland;' where wildfires seldom burned. Cattle, grazing over the last 40 years, have degraded this area. There remain among the grass, however, groves of heritage pecan trees-some of which are old enough to have shared the land with the herds of buffalo that passed through the area until the mid-1800's. These areas are designated for usage as parks. We have also added language to protect what remains of an earlier time. The river, wetlands, and immediately adjacent land have provided homes, during my family's ownership, ~o numerous speCies of mammals, birds, insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians. Among the speCies I had :een in the 1960's are fox, ri ngtai I cat, and beaver. I do not know how much of what was once there ;till remains, but the PDD is designed to provide an opportunity for those that do remain to continue to exist. The portion of the property east of the river is currently outside the city. This area was grazed at times in the past, but was less intensiVely used. This portion has retained more ofthe character that once existed in more profusion. Areas were used for mining gravel, but some portion remains intact having escaped high levels of human impact. Only the most degraded land is used in the PDD for high-density development. The remainder of the property should remain undeveloped except for park, habitat, or transportation usage. With the restrictions this document places on the property developer and the City of San Marcos, I have attempted to maintain a bit of the environmental heritage of the San Marcos area. It is my wish that individuals hundreds of years from today can have a place to connect with what once existed along the Blanco River for recreational enjoyment, educational enrichment, or "merely" a place to recharge their spirit. Alan L. Holt May 30, 2002 EXHIBIT C Blanco Shoals Planned Development District Pg. 2 o'f 1 Z P age s