San Marcos celebrates creek project completion
San Marcos celebrates creek project completion
The $100 million San Marcos Creek Project took years but is finally complete; addresses flooding, adds bridges, trails, a park and more in the city’s most ambitious project ever
SAN MARCOS — The city unveiled its largest-ever project as the San Marcos Creek project was christened by elected, city and other officials on Oct. 16.
The $100 million project is critical to the city’s future as it addresses flooding and restores 1.5 miles of habitat, improves multimodal transportation accessibility and adds more outdoor spaces, according to City Manager Michelle Bender. The project, which runs from Bent Avenue west to Via Vera Cruz, is a culmination of funding from 13 sources from several agencies and tackles longtime issues with the area.
The project was 40 years in the making, Bender said, evolving over the years as the city transitioned from a rural agriculture area to a more urban city. The project ramped up in 2010, but still had to navigate many hurdles, such as funding sources, new developments and a growing city.
“The nugget was definitely germinated a long time ago,” Bender said. “You got all these practical applications for this project and then you’ve got this beautiful area that’s been restored where … already you can see birds that were previously disturbed returning. You got this natural flow of the creek and we’ve restored the natural environment. I think we’re going to have a part of San Marcos come back to life.”
Issac Etchamendy, the city’s director of development services, city engineer and project manager, said the original plans for the creek had a different land use. He said the area was mostly farms and San Marcos Boulevard was just coming into its own.
When the city adopted the San Marcos Creek Specific Plan in the 2000s, it galvanized what the 214-acre area would look like, Etchamendy said. The plan laid out the roadmap, specifically with how to attack flooding and turn it into an asset for residents.
Additionally, the city acquired some land needed for the project and then went into design, permitting and funding, he said. Etchamendy said the bulk of the money is from grants, infrastructure funds from regional sources and developer impact fees to name a few.
The funding, though, was a challenge as Etchamendy said the city had to ensure each source was aligned with specific requirements. Some sources had restrictions of how the funds could be spent and for specific components of the project.
Another challenge were the developments by Kaiser for a new complex, more than 100 residential units built by Lennar Homes and North City, he said. Etchamendy said the project had to make sure the infrastructure was continuous, integrated and flowed as the new developments came online.
“It was very hard to do,” Etchamendy added. “It was one of the most complex financial funding sources we’ve ever undertaking. It’s very large (the project), so it’s not surprising we would have the need for a variety of funding sources. We didn’t let that get in our way.”
Once those elements were in place, construction broke ground in 2020. However, the city still faced roadblocks as delays from the pandemic, supply chains, severe rains and a nesting bird attributed to a longer timeline, Mayor Rebecca Jones said.
“It will be able to handle a 100-year flood event,” she added. “It’s so much safer and the connectivity is so much better than it ever was. We’ve had some rain, and nothing has happened.”
However, the project paid immediate dividends this year when the region was pounded with rain from January through March, Bender said. The rehabilitated creek, roads and bridges eliminated flooding, thus taking stress and pressure off the San Marcos Fire Department in having to perform swift-water operations for motorists who attempt to cross flood waters, she said.
The project, though, features many new features from widening roads and sidewalks, bridges, pedestrian access, trails, more habitat and the return of wildlife to the creek, Bender said. Another feature of the bridges is a separate pedestrian walkway going under the bridge, so pedestrians and others don’t have to walk near traffic, Etchamendy said.
Jones, Bender and Etchamendy also said they appreciated residents being so patient with the project and delay.
“While the project took a very long time, it was very well thought out,” she explained. “Yes, we need to stop plucking people out of Bent (Avenue) every time it rained. But we’ve created this new community feel in this area. We’ve connected one side of the city to another and we’re creating a pot for people to travel around the city that isn’t just San Marcos Boulevard.”
The completed project has the following:
Two new bridges at Bent Avenue and Via Vera Cruz; Via Vera Cruz widened from two to four lanes.
Discovery Street widened from two to four lanes with an extension to Twin Oaks Valley Road.
1.5 miles of restored Creek habitat with more than 105,000 newly planted trees and plants.
Storm drains to treat water entering the creek habitat.
A 1.2-mile loop trail system with three access points on Bent Avenue, Discovery Street and Via Vera Cruz.
Paseo del Arroyo Park, the city’s 16th neighborhood park with new lighting, picnic tables and playground equipment.
New bike lanes, sidewalks and street lighting throughout project area.
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