To Our San Marcos City Councilmembers and City Managers,
I am writing this with concerns about the La Cima development proposal. As a resident of over seven years, a student studying sustainability and avid outdoor recreationist who has worked directly on the San Marcos River, I am concerned about the actual potential harm this development could bring to our community. The discussion amongst most Texans as of late has been of complaint, disdain and frustration over the push for unfettered growth across Texas, especially throughout the Hill Country where our resources are not unlimited, and growth does not always bring the best for our communities (see Austin, New Braunfels, etc.). The talk amongst everyone is increasingly negative about these developments. The State of the Hill Country 2022 report explicitly outlines the alarming problems in our Hill Country communities that are and will continue to be brought on by sprawl, development and growth.
As someone who understands the importance of our government not over-regulating our economy, I am beginning to ask more and more: when is too much? When is under-regulation actually harmful to our existing communities? And my answer is increasingly becoming clearer as we see the negative impacts of these developments and sprawl on our communities.
It is very difficult for me to see this expensive housing development and film production studio as beneficial to most of our residents. College students are continuously borrowing more money, residents are paying higher rent and property taxes and the income disparity is continuing to grow. The disparity will surely increase even more with the addition of La Cima, where the average cost of homes starts at 400k. What local residents will flock here? I can guarantee very few — only outsiders looking to move into our communities without even considering what their impact will be.
We do not want more population growth in the forms of filmmakers, directors and actors with more wealth than most of our community members moving here, increasing property values and creating more impervious ground coverage on the recharge zone where our water is reliant on for staying replenished. The negative impact of Texas trying to expand economically for the supposed “benefit” of all Texans has been proven time and time again as futile. The environment becomes increasingly degraded by urban sprawl, property taxes rise, traffic increases and overall infrastructure is increasingly needed to accommodate for this growth. If anything, please consider putting off this development until thorough research and data can prove it will not cause more potential harm than good or placing it somewhere other than our recharge zone. The best outcome would be to not allow it at all.
The drastic change this development could bring to San Marcos would destroy its attraction as a smaller city with a pristine river that has been fought for decades. This proposed “growth” is beginning to feel like decay. We do not want to change the whole nature of our town just to build a cookie-cutter community that would harm our water supply and degrade the quality of our river.
This all begs the question: When is the line going to be drawn? Texans are already living in fear of their needs being ignored by the government and being trampled on for outsiders’ benefit. This is our line in the sand. A line that protects the environment, economy and lives of our local residents who should have priority consideration over outsiders coming in and changing our worlds indefinitely.
Please consider the facts, opinions, and thoughts of your constituents who are entrusting you to protect and uphold the culture, community, environment and economy of our town we cherish and wish to protect.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Please consider protecting our community.
“When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.” -Alanis Obomsawin
Submitted by Anonymous
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