San Marcos considers buying land in recharge zone for $4.4 M

Diane Wassenich, program manager for the San Marcos River Foundation, uses several blown-up topographical and area maps to show what land the foundation already protects and what land it’s hoping to acquisition with the help of the city. She began working with the foundation in 1985 as a volunteer. Photo: Elizabeth Parrish

The San Marcos River Foundation is asking for the city’s help to protect undeveloped land in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone.

The city council discussed a proposition to apply for a $4.4 million loan to purchase the land Sept. 19 at the city council meeting.

Opponents say the city doesn’t have the cash but Dianne Wassenich, program manager for the River Foundation, says the potential environmental costs outweigh the multi-million dollar price tag.

“We have a lot of hills above our town and these hills, when it rains, runoff water very quickly,” said Wassenich. “If there’s enough vegetation in place, it’ll kind of slow it down and suture it...instead of running into town and flooding the people who live in town.”

At the meeting, many residents expressed concerns that developing environmentally sensitive land would increase flooding in some neighborhoods. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened. In 2015, development of The Woods Apartment Complex increased flooding by nearly three feet in some areas, devastating the nearby Blanco Gardens neighborhood.

San Marcos is no stranger to major floods. Most recently, the city was ravaged by extensive flooding in 2013 and again in 2015. Damage from those floods still lingers and cost the city millions in repairs.

Still, opponents argue that acquiring the land isn’t worth an additional $4 million in debt to the city. Josh Simpson, a San Marcos resident of four years and a candidate for city council, asked the city to vote no on the loan.

“Any individual person who is in debt and has a substantial amount of debt would not go out of their way to put themselves in more debt,” Simpson said.

The city accrued $200 million of debt as of 2015. Flood damages caused by The Woods Apartment Complex alone cost the city $7 million.

Some residents also fear the loan would act as a “bailout” for the San Marcos River Foundation, who first purchased the land in question four years ago with the help of loans. Wassenich says the River Foundation’s concern has never been about money.

“We needed some kind of a commitment-type step or letter or something from the city in order to go talk to the people about [grants],” Wassenich said. “They’re not going to give grants to a small environmental group. They’ll give grants to the city.”

The River Foundation’s topographical map of part of the San Marcos area. The sections outlined in red indicate land already protected by the foundation. Photo: Elizabeth Parrish

This isn’t the first time the San Marcos River Foundation protected land in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. In June, they were able to secure a conservation easement for the privately owned Dreamcatcher Ranch, just northeast of San Marcos, with the help of grants. Their longterm goal is to turn protected lands into parks.

“We have been hoping that we could put this overall project together that would complete a trail system from Spring Lake Preserve over to Purgatory Preserve,” said Wassenich. “This [land] is heavily used by the community even in its disjointed, separate state.”

The city council meeting voted 5-1 to move forward with the loan application, with Mayor John Thomaides being the only ‘no’ vote. City Council Member Jane Hughson recused herself from the discussion and the vote due to past involvement with SMRF.

“I couldn’t do that,” Mayor Thomaides said at the city council meeting. “I just couldn’t do that to our budget, to our financial situation. I’m a conservative person when it comes to money.”

Thomaides later added that the city has already borrowed $67 million and raised taxes by $0.08. San Marcos also acquired 250 acres of greenspace so far for 2017 and is in negotiations for 350 additional acres.

The council’s agreement to move forward with the loan application process is under the condition that the River Foundation updates them on how they plan to obtain grants for the

project before the city finalizes the application. The deadline to submit the loan application is Oct. 3.