San Marcos Downtown Area Plan

CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS

PARK ACCESS IN NORTHWEST DOWNTOWN With the Riverfront Parks, the

Yellow dashed area = not within 1/4 mile of park

Courthouse Square, and Eddie Durham Park, people in Downtown San Marcos have good access to parks within a 5-minute walk. Studies have found that people are more willing to walk to a destination if it is within 1/4-mile, which is the typical distance a person can walk in 5 minutes. The only area without walkable park access is the northwestern corner of the Greater Downtown Area. This area is also where many multi-family residential units exist, indicating a high density of residents without private yards. This section of Downtown also includes several parcels that are indicated as “underutilized” based on City data. To improve equitable park access for all Downtown residents, development of a new public park should be explored in this area. Since there is no publicly-owned, undeveloped land in this area, land purchase, land swap, or a land donation to the City would need to be explored.

The parcels outlined in red with a light red fill are the best potential location options, given their underutilization and lack of buildings. The underutilized parcels that do have buildings, outlined in red with no fill color, are the next best potential options. Elements of a new park or parks in this area should include a dog park, passive gathering/recreation space, and potentially a community garden.

SAN MARCOS DOWNTOWN AREA PLAN

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