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<br />--modem
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<br />Background
<br />Sector I includes some of the
<br />oldest neighborhoods in the city as
<br />well as some of the newest com-
<br />mercial development. It contains
<br />quiet, tree- shaded neighborhood
<br />streets and some of the oldest
<br />homes in San Marcos. The Belvin
<br />Street, San Antonio Street, Dunbar
<br />Historic Districts as well as the
<br />recently created Burleson and
<br />Lindsey- Rogers Historic Districts.
<br />Sector I includes Wonder World
<br />Park, one of San Marcos's better
<br />known tourist attractions.
<br />Sector I stretches from a few
<br />blocks west of the Courthouse
<br />Square to Wonder World Drive.,
<br />occupying 1.4 square miles in
<br />southwest San Marcos (about 5%
<br />of the City's total land area). The
<br />sector encompasses the Heritage
<br />and Dunbar neighborhoods as well
<br />as portions of the West over
<br />neighborhood.
<br />Sector I is traversed by the
<br />Balcones Escarpment, which cre-
<br />ates limestone outcrops and hills
<br />leading to impressive views. The
<br />area on the Escarpment is charac-
<br />terized by rocky, shallow soil. The
<br />southeast and southern portions of
<br />the sector lie in the Blackland
<br />Prairie, an erodable chalk and clay -
<br />shale base generally covered by
<br />thick clay soils. This area is char-
<br />acterized by flatter land with many
<br />large trees and open space. Topog-
<br />raphy ranges from 570 feet to 750
<br />feet. The western portion of the
<br />sector lies in the Edwards Aquifer
<br />Recharge Zone with the remainder
<br />in the Transition Zone. Portions of
<br />Sector I are located in the Purga-
<br />tory Creek and Willow Springs
<br />Creek Watersheds. Approximately
<br />38% of the land in Sector I is
<br />located in identified floodways or
<br />floodplains.
<br />Major Changes and Accomplishments
<br />The City adopted a new Land
<br />Development Code in 2004, which
<br />contained several new policies
<br />inspired by goals listed in the Sec-
<br />tor I Plan as well as other sectors.
<br />The standards providing significant
<br />impact to Sector I in furthering its
<br />goals include residential landscap-
<br />ing requirements, lighting standards
<br />and screening between incompati-
<br />ble land uses.
<br />2006 saw the end to a city -wide
<br />rezoning process following adop-
<br />tion of the new Land Development
<br />Code in 2004, better synchronizing
<br />the Zoning Map with the Future
<br />Land Use Map. Implementation of
<br />the Future Land Use Map appears
<br />most notably on the zoning map
<br />through establishment of open
<br />space in the Future Development
<br />District and Community Commer-
<br />cial beginning to develop near
<br />Hunter Road and Purgatory Creek.
<br />The one marked difference be-
<br />tween the two maps pertains to
<br />the Carson Tract, shown as indus-
<br />trial on the Zoning Map and mixed
<br />use on the Future Land Use Map.
<br />In general, the northern por-
<br />tions of the sector contain zoning
<br />districts consistent with a more
<br />traditional single - family neighbor-
<br />hood, with some incidence of
<br />mixed use, multi - family and light
<br />commercial uses. The southern
<br />portion has a different character,
<br />oriented more toward commercial
<br />and industrial uses as a result of
<br />large thoroughfares and railroad
<br />availability The largely single - family
<br />character and lack of institutional
<br />zoning further exemplify the lower
<br />impact of the university on the
<br />Sector
<br />Many of the concerns over
<br />design in Sector I were addressed
<br />through creation of the Burleson
<br />and Lindsey- Rogers Historic Dis-
<br />tricts in 2005. Burleson contains
<br />many homes from the late 1800s
<br />and early 1900s, while the Lindsey -
<br />Rogers District features houses
<br />from the late 1940s following
<br />World War 11. These districts will
<br />further the Sector's goals regarding
<br />preservation of neighborhood
<br />character, design, quality and heri-
<br />Queen Anne Victorian house in
<br />one of Sector I's many historic
<br />districts
<br />Sector I is not as heavily influ-
<br />enced by the university, with
<br />higher percentages of family house-
<br />holds, single - family dwellings,
<br />owner- occupied units, and a higher
<br />median age and household size.
<br />Work continues on the Wonder
<br />World Drive overpass over the
<br />railroad
<br />tage preservation.
<br />Though much of the neighbor-
<br />hood is built, there has been in-
<br />creased interest in renovation in
<br />the historic districts. In addition,
<br />some new construction has taken
<br />place on vacant lots, all of which
<br />were designed to blend with the
<br />existing neighborhood.
<br />Wonder World Drive improve-
<br />ments are being implemented as
<br />work nears completion on the
<br />railroad overpass. Some sidewalks
<br />have been added to portions of
<br />MILK Drive near Mitchell Drive as
<br />well as San Antonio Street.
<br />5ector 1
<br />Tecknical UP date
<br />May 1, 2007
<br />Navigating the Sector I
<br />Update:
<br />Future Land Use
<br />Existing Zoning
<br />Sector Demographics
<br />Thoroughfare Plan
<br />Future Implementation
<br />Sector Goals:
<br />• "Walkable ", pedestrian - friendly
<br />neighborhoods
<br />• Safe, well connected bicycling
<br />routes on all major streets
<br />• Traffic calming to reduce "Cut -
<br />through" traffic
<br />• Improved internal circulation in
<br />new commercial development to
<br />prevent traffic problems common
<br />in "strip" commercial develop-
<br />ment
<br />• Context - sensitive street design
<br />giving equal value to vehicular
<br />movement, community aesthetics,
<br />pedestrian and cyclist safety, and
<br />streets should not sacrifice safety
<br />of neighborhood residents for
<br />additional traffic and higher
<br />speeds.
<br />• Historic /traditional neighborhood
<br />character be maintained while
<br />accommodating infill
<br />• "Neighborhood friendly" develop-
<br />ment mitigating negative impacts
<br />of higher intensity uses.
<br />• Preserve & enhance visual charac-
<br />ter through variety of design
<br />requirements.
<br />• Promote high quality, attractive
<br />development along Wonder
<br />World Drive and Hopkins /Hunter
<br />Road as community gateways.
<br />t � •r-
<br />City of San Marcos, Texas
<br />Planning & Development Services
<br />_ 1
<br />Queen Anne Victorian house in
<br />one of Sector I's many historic
<br />districts
<br />Sector I is not as heavily influ-
<br />enced by the university, with
<br />higher percentages of family house-
<br />holds, single - family dwellings,
<br />owner- occupied units, and a higher
<br />median age and household size.
<br />Work continues on the Wonder
<br />World Drive overpass over the
<br />railroad
<br />tage preservation.
<br />Though much of the neighbor-
<br />hood is built, there has been in-
<br />creased interest in renovation in
<br />the historic districts. In addition,
<br />some new construction has taken
<br />place on vacant lots, all of which
<br />were designed to blend with the
<br />existing neighborhood.
<br />Wonder World Drive improve-
<br />ments are being implemented as
<br />work nears completion on the
<br />railroad overpass. Some sidewalks
<br />have been added to portions of
<br />MILK Drive near Mitchell Drive as
<br />well as San Antonio Street.
<br />5ector 1
<br />Tecknical UP date
<br />May 1, 2007
<br />Navigating the Sector I
<br />Update:
<br />Future Land Use
<br />Existing Zoning
<br />Sector Demographics
<br />Thoroughfare Plan
<br />Future Implementation
<br />Sector Goals:
<br />• "Walkable ", pedestrian - friendly
<br />neighborhoods
<br />• Safe, well connected bicycling
<br />routes on all major streets
<br />• Traffic calming to reduce "Cut -
<br />through" traffic
<br />• Improved internal circulation in
<br />new commercial development to
<br />prevent traffic problems common
<br />in "strip" commercial develop-
<br />ment
<br />• Context - sensitive street design
<br />giving equal value to vehicular
<br />movement, community aesthetics,
<br />pedestrian and cyclist safety, and
<br />streets should not sacrifice safety
<br />of neighborhood residents for
<br />additional traffic and higher
<br />speeds.
<br />• Historic /traditional neighborhood
<br />character be maintained while
<br />accommodating infill
<br />• "Neighborhood friendly" develop-
<br />ment mitigating negative impacts
<br />of higher intensity uses.
<br />• Preserve & enhance visual charac-
<br />ter through variety of design
<br />requirements.
<br />• Promote high quality, attractive
<br />development along Wonder
<br />World Drive and Hopkins /Hunter
<br />Road as community gateways.
<br />t � •r-
<br />City of San Marcos, Texas
<br />Planning & Development Services
<br />
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