Private Park, a San Marcos venue for music, markets and memory-making, faces potential closure due to a recent cease and desist order. However, its five-year legacy of bringing people together continues to echo through the community it helped shape.
The city of San Marcos wrote in an email to The Star that Private Park was issued a “Notice of Land Violation Code” by Code Compliance. It listed the reported concerns included large gatherings without liability insurance, inadequate security and parking, noise complaints, no access for emergency response and reports of safety concerns related to fights and weapons. However, Laura Benavides, the owner of Private Park, said she was only made aware of parking violations and noise complaints. She has the option to address the issues with Code Compliance or request a rezoning of the property that permits Special Event Facility use. Ultimately, city council has the final say on whether an area will be rezoned, according to the city.
Benavides created Private Park on 313 Nicola Alley to have a private space where she could host birthday parties and other events for her daughter. She also wanted a safe and comfortable place where people could relax and enjoy one another’s company.
Benavides said the people who walked into Private Park deeply impacted her life, and she hopes it left a lasting impression on theirs too.
“[Park visitors] have been a part of my life as well, and I’m so grateful for everybody that’s come to Private Park and have made it their temporary home,” Benavides said.
Benavides had been in contact with the city regarding parking issues and noise complaints. She said she worked with the city to change the parking arrangements prior to the cease and desist order. Benavides received the cease-and-desist order on Sept. 16, after several interactions with the city. The order listed that Private Park was operating as a “special events facility,” which is not permitted based on the existing zoning of Character District-4, and the corrective measure is to schedule a meeting with Neighborhood Enhancement.
When Benavides announced the cease-and-desist order, community members stepped up and asked how they could help, including creating petitions and GoFundMe accounts for legal fees. As of Oct. 12, the petition gained close to 600 signatures.
Charlize Fedele, communications senior and FMA event coordinator, said the order affected the organization’s most recent event “FMACL FEST.” Inspired by Austin City Limits, the event was an opportunity to enjoy music while hanging out with friends. Though this was FMA’s first time utilizing Private Park’s space, Fedele said FMACL was a newer endeavor for the club, and there aren’t many spaces that fit the organization’s particular needs.
Fedele said the cease and desist order affects students, especially as Private Park offers some of the most affordable prices and welcoming environments for club socials, events and concerts.
“There isn’t a venue space that is easily accessible and also low cost for struggling students for them to hold their events,” Fedele said.
Amma Selestial is the founder of Community Centered and Squared, a San Marcos organization built on leftist political beliefs to connect the community through mutual aid, horizontal structures and a focus on low-barrier, accessible events. She said that as long-time users of Private Park, many of the organization’s events to help the community can’t happen at the same level without the low-cost space that doesn’t discriminate based on political beliefs.
“Private Park is exactly what San Marcos needs to be different from our siblings like New Braunfels and Wimberley; a place not just there to be cute and make as much money as possible,” Selestial said. “I’m supporting not just someone’s paycheck but my entire community’s access to what, for some, can be a lifeline.”
Benavides believes Private Park is worth fighting for, and the community involved will be there to support the cause, as they have already shown so far.
“It’s about the people, all of us gathering together, and there’s so many restrictions now that are going up on how people can gather, why people can gather and when they can gather,” Benavides said. “Private Park doesn’t put people in that box.”
Benavides is currently holding movie nights to come together as a community and writing letters to city council about why Private Park is so important to her and others.
