City of San Marcos Horizons Master Plan and City "Sector" Plan Master Plan
Sewel Park, San Marcos, TX
During his tenure at the City of San Marcos, Mr. Frie served as Project Manager for the San Marcos Horizons Master Plan which was produced in-house over a two-year period with a relatively small staff and budget. From the beginning, San Marcos residents were vital to the process. The San Marcos City Council appointed a 55-member Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The committee represented a broad spectrum of community interests including business, industry, education, neighborhood organizations, environmental interests, various ethnic groups, historic preservationists, the civic association and other citizens interested in the future of their community.
The San Marcos Horizons Master Plan was an innovative approach to the traditional comprehensive plan. It included a San Marcos Today, San Marcos Trends, San Marcos Tomorrow (future land use, thoroughfare, annexation, community facilities and downtown plans) and a San Marcos Action plan which gives specific steps by which the community anticipates turning their vision into reality. The CAC participated in a series of workshops and were divided into six focus groups to explore transportation, land use and urban design standards, economic development, natural and cultural resources, community facilities and the town center. Each focus group developed goals and objectives for issues specific to its focus and made presentations to the other focus groups. Out of the deliberations was drawn a vision statement for San Marcos. The CAC participated in another series of workshops to review the work of the focus groups and to reach consensus on the San Marcos Horizons Master Plan. The plan was adopted unanimously by the CAC, Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council. The strength of the San Marcos Horizons Master Plan is in the community consensus that was built through the planning process. San Marcos Horizons represents a thorough, people-oriented approach to planning that deeply engaged the community, explored the unique resources and heritage of San Marcos, utilized existing staff resources and talents, and evolved a comprehensive and inclusive vision of the future. The San Marcos Horizons Master Plan was awarded “Comprehensive Plan of the Year” from both the Central Texas Chapter and Texas State Chapter of the American Planning Association. Upon completion of the San Marcos Horizons Master Plan, Mr. Frie divided the city into eight sectors and completed master plans for the eight distinct areas of town. Mr. Frie was also instrumental in rejuvenating the dominant Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) to assist in the public's participation of the sector plans master planning efforts.
