The San Marcos City Council postponed a decision to move forward on two affordable housing projects and appointed city council members to committee vacancies.
City council members met Nov. 19 to discuss the Redwood Multifamily Housing project, located at 1600 block of Redwood Road, and Bastrop Multifamily Housing project, located at the intersection of South Old Bastrop Highway and Rattler Road, that would add approximately 600 units to the city.
City council voiced their questions and concerns for the two affordable housing projects. Place 6 Councilwoman Melissa Derrick, Affordable Workforce Housing Committee member, said there has been a necessity for senior living units. Only 156 apartment units of 1,000 have been approved in 2019 are age-restricted.
“I’m not comfortable approving anymore (affordable housing units) unless they’re age-restricted or they are condos, townhomes or something like that,” Derrick said.
Place 5 Councilwoman Jocabed Marquez strongly objected moving forward with both housing projects. Marquez said she lived in harsh living conditions while living at Encino Pointe apartments, located near the proposed Redwood Multifamily Housing project.
“Please do not be fooled with the picture that these people paint because it is definitely false,” Marquez said.
City council will make a decision by Dec. 3 for the Bastrop Multifamily Housing Project and by June 2020 for the Redwood Multifamily Housing project.
City council also appointed new members for committees left with vacancies after the departure of former Place 2 councilwoman Lisa Prewitt.
Mayor Jane Hughson was voted to serve a two-year term on the Hays Central Appraisal District Board of Directors beginning January 1, 2020. Place 4 Councilman Mark Rockymoore was appointed to be an alternate member to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Newly elected Place 2 Councilman Maxfield Baker was appointed to the Convention and Visitor Bureau Board, the Economic Development San Marcos Board, the Workforce Housing Committee, the Multimodal Transit Committee and the Sustainability Committee.
William Agnew, San Marcos resident, has been appointed to fill Baker’s place on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Marquez was appointed to the Greater San Marcos Partnership Board of Directors and the Criminal Justice Reform Committee. Derrick was appointed to the Main Street Advisory Board. Rockymoore was appointed to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #4 – Paso Robles, also known as Kissing Tree.
Place 3 Councilman Ed Mihalkanin was appointed to the Parking Advisory Board and the La Cima Committee.
San Marcos City Council meets every first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. The agenda can be accessed through the Agenda Center on the San Marcos website.