City Council discussed road expansions and public safety projects during their May 29 meeting.
Running for four hours Tuesday night, the council received an update on city facilities and the 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan discussed in last week’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
Council members proposed two extensions to northwest San Marcos roads during the meeting. One proposed extension was a loop around San Marcos to begin north of Five Mile Dam Park and end at IH-35 south of the city. The other was a lengthening of Craddock Avenue. This idea has been circulating since 2004 but never passed. Neither propositions were voted on.
Many citizens voiced their opposition to the road extensions for fear of the environmental impacts. They don’t feel the need to compensate San Marcos roads for residents outside the city.
According to a study cited during the city council presentation, the city population is expected to double over the next 17 years. In an effort to accommodate the growth, Laurie Moyer, director of the Capital Improvement Program, believes more roads are needed to compensate for road overuse and increased traffic.
Many roads, like Sessom Drive, are expected to have up to a 78 percent increase in traffic without the proposed road additions, according to a study cited during the city council meeting.
Multiple bond propositions were discussed. Proposition 1 and 2 include remodeling and expanding the San Marcos Police Department and moving and building a new San Marcos Fire Department. Additionally, the propositions included building a fire training facility, a public and community services maintenance facility and remodeling and expanding the San Marcos Library.
The next City Council meeting will be at 6 p.m. June 5.