San Marcos Design Manual (March 16, 2021)

A A PP E ND I X

Design Guidelines

D. Step 3. With even more time, the neighborhood is getting more complete. Thorpe Lane will function better as the neighborhood center as more buildings begin to shape both sides of the street. Not all proper ties will change. Some businesses and apar tment buildings will remain. As the new network of streets connect, the new east-west connections will take some of the traffic pressure off of Thorpe Lane. With the proximity to Texas State University, it will be a place attractive to students and faculty who prefer to walk and bike and use transit, whether they own a car or not. Many businesses will also be suppor ted by the spill-over effect of various spor ting events that take place on campus just to the western edge of Midtown. E. Future Prospects. Midtown eventually becomes a complete neighborhood. Thorpe Lane, up and down its length, offers a place for shops, banks, offices, and upper floor residences. It will still have its parking but will also suppor t transit usage. This western area has a lot of potential with its proximity to Downtown and the Texas State campus and it is aging, ready to be redeveloped since many of the buildings have outlived their design lifespan. The other areas of Midtown, east of I-35 will likely redevelop in a similar manner. The shopping area along

Hwy 80 is still thriving and it may take longer to see changes there. The area east of I-35 and on both sides of Aquarena Springs Drive will take the longest since many of the apar tment complexes here are fairly new and occupied. The middle area east of I-35 has potential because it has easy access on and off of I-35, more undeveloped parcels than in the other areas of Midtown, and a drainage problem that should really be solved with a neighborhood-wide solution that also creates park space.

A:59

Amended: March 16, 2021 San Marcos Design Manual