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<br />+ PROJECT BACKGROUND <br /> <br />The City of San Marcos purchased the Purgatory Creek Park site with the desire to <br />create a park that would act as a "nature preserve and center for environmental <br />education." The charge of the park designers is to preserve the sensitive habitat, <br />geologic and recharge features of the site while providing public access for recreation <br />and environmental education. Elements of the park will include a vehicular entrance <br />accessed from the future Wonderworld Drive, on-site parking, a main building/gathering <br />area and an integrated multi-use trail system. <br /> <br />The Purgatory Creek Park Master Plan and Design Guidelines will assist future design <br />consultants in the construction document phase of the project to maintain the vision and <br />character desired for this park. <br /> <br />.:. SITE DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />The Purgatory Creek Park Site is located in the southwestern part of the City of San <br />Marcos, Texas and within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. The 502-acre site is <br />former ranch land and open space preserved for flood control. The site is rich in <br />geologic features and native vegetation important for wildlife habitat. Its location, <br />adjacent to Purgatory Creek and within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, makes this <br />open space important for preserving and improving storm water quality. Purgatory Creek <br />parallels most of the southern boundary of the park. On the eastern side of the site a <br />flood control dam and spillway constructed across Purgatory Creek bisect the site. The <br />Site also includes Prospect Park, a small informal neighborhood park located at the <br />northeast corner. Prospect Park includes a small trail system constructed with volunteer <br />labor from the adjacent neighborhood. Any significant changes proposed for this park <br />should involve the surrounding neighbors, who have a significant pride of ownership for <br />this park. The surrounding land uses to the south and east are residential with some <br />ranchland. The areas to the north and east are currently planned for very low density <br />residential. See Map 1 - "Existing Conditions" and Map 2 - "Existing Conditions <br />Photographs" . <br /> <br />· Topography and Drainage <br /> <br />The site topography is typical of the Texas Hill Country area. The topography varies <br />from 760 feet at the north property boundary to 590 feet at the eastern edge. The site <br />contains a few open flat areas but is comprised mostly of rolling hills. In addition there <br />are small steep canyons within several tributaries crisscrossing the site. Drainage of the <br />site occurs quickly through these tributaries that lead to Purgatory Creek. The creek and <br />its associated tributaries run dry for most of the year due to aquifer recharge. These <br />drainage ways however do direct significant flows during heavy rains as indicated by <br />bent juniper trees and debris located high within these trees. <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />Page 4 of 77 <br /> <br />Carter;; Burgess <br />Hatch Partnership, LLP <br />Jankedesign <br />