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w'tlXiity City of Sol) I tarvos Builtling o11 our Downtown 111411 Parking One of the major constraints to new development in Downtown San Marcos is the problem of parking. This topic came up in every stakeholder interview we conducted. As a result of past studies, a Parking Advisory Committee was established. Suggestions of past studies to solve the parking problem included a "parking bank" that publicized where parking is available for lease, a downtown parking structure, employee parking in a central location, parking meters and increased enforcement efforts To date, the city has not chosen which if any of these solutions will be implemented. The frustration of inefficiently managed parking in downtown has led to parking requirements that make new development infeasible. The city has required higher parking standards for multi -unit housing, anticipating multiple students in single units. This requirement and the necessity for each project to fulfill all parking on -site, makes it extremely difficult to plan for a walkable environment or achieve future goals for the Activity Center because of the physical facts of parking placement, volumes and cost. To implement the vision of the Downtown Plan, a coordinated parking strategy must be developed. It will include the following elements: • Allow new development to satisfy requirements with off -site parking such as long term leases, or in -lieu fees • Negotiate with owners of lots in the area to allow sharing of parking and leasing of underused parking in order to increase the efficiency of what is there right now. • Find a location for an employee parking lot or dedicate space in a structure to employees • Find locations for pocket parking structures in the downtown that can be built and lined with retail or other uses at the street • Increase parking enforcement to free up spaces downtown used by students when the University is in session Stormwater Management As with the parking requirements, storm water management, and tree conservation are required on -site. The City must develop a regional approach to such issues since they often cannot be accommodated on typical downtown sites under 113 of an acre. Water quality is an important issue to San Marcos as it identifies with the River. However, this issue must be dealt with on a regional basis, to allow a concentration of uses in the Activity Center and downtown that reduces the need for development in more sensitive, yet undeveloped areas outside the City. DISVOVER 1100 AT WWW ,C'01)INC#SAnrtnttc °00.c *c3•t 13