VOLUME 103, ISSUE 43
www.UniversityStar.com
WEDNESDAY
JANUARY 15, 2014
Defending the First Amendment since 1911
VIDEO | UniversityStar.com
SPORTS | Page 5
Diaz Martial Arts is a local gym that teaches selfdefense and fitness classes to people of all ages.
Rival match: The UT–Arlington Mavericks travel to San Marcos Wednesday to take on the Bobcats with an overall 1–14 record.
PLANNING & ZONING
Decision on proposed development postponed to allow for public input By Taylor Tompkins News Editor
A proposal for a nine-story mixed use development that some say will determine the future of development in San Marcos was postponed by Planning and Zoning commissioners for the second time to allow for more resident input.
development will “enhance the urban fabric” of San Marcos with its “highly efficient use of land that prevents sprawl.” The decision on the project’s height, which is four stories above city regulations, was delayed previously so engineers could upgrade the materials being used for the building.
Austin Humphreys | Photo Editor College Inn residents were evacuated at around 2 a.m. Tuesday after university police discovered two suspicious devices in the car of Clayton Warren. Residents were allowed to return at approximately 6 a.m.
CRIME
Austin Humphreys | Photo Editor A proposal for a nine-story development near downtown has been postponed to allow for more resident input on the project.
The Hutchison Mixed Use Redevelopment project proposed by Carson Properties would house 4,000 square feet of retail, two levels of parking, a community center and 79 living units containing 282 beds. The development would sit on land currently occupied by Triple Crown, Eskimo Hut and Cedars Mediterranean Restaurant. City staff recommended the approval of the development during the Jan. 14 P&Z meeting. The development would aim to create a “car free lifestyle” for its residents, John David Carson of Carson Properties said the
During the meeting, staff discussed concerns from fire department officials who said they could not adequately protect buildings above six stories tall in the event of a fire Carson said his company has worked to ensure residents would be able to exit the building and firefighters would have access in case of an emergency. Three sets of internal stairs are expected to be accessible to residents, as well as ventilated corridors and a sprinkler system, Carson said. Some residents voiced concerns during the public
See DOWNTOWN, Page 2
Suspect arrested in connection with campus bomb hoax Tuesday morning By Taylor Tompkins News Editor
E
arly morning bomb threat on campus spurs evacuation, situation diffused A San Marcos man is facing three criminal charges in connection with a bomb threat that prompted the evacuation of about 300 students from College Inn Tuesday morning. Clayton Garland Warren, 24, is in custody at the Hays County Jail and has been charged with two counts of a bomb hoax and one count of evading arrest, according to jail records. The incident began around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when an officer on patrol for the University Police Department saw Warren smoking near the LBJ Student Center—a violation of Texas State’s smoke-free policy. Jayme Blaschke, university spokesperson, said Warren fled on foot
from the officer but was taken into custody. Blaschke said the Warren is not a student despite early morning reports from UPD. During an inspection of Warren’s car, officers discovered what appeared to be a potentially explosive device with an ignition mechanism attached, according to a press release from University News Service. The Austin Bomb Squad arrived on the scene at 3 a.m. and determined by 4 a.m. that the device was not explosive, but discovered another suspicious package in the vehicle. After X-rays proved inconclusive, the package was detonated by the bomb squad at 5:46 a.m. as a precautionary measure, according to the press release. “Obviously with the history here on campus we take any potential bomb threat very, very seriously,” Blaschke said. Olivia Wukasch, theater fresh-
man and College Inn resident, was one of about 300 students who awoke to the sound of alarms in the dorm early Tuesday Clayton Warren morning. “I went to bed at 1, and I was trying to sleep, but lucky for me I didn’t sleep. Next thing I know all the alarms are going off,” Wukasch said. Many students in College Inn thought the alarms were part of a drill and were told to evacuate to the Student Recreation Center without being told why, Wukasch said. Fire trucks drove past the students as they were walking to the recre-
See BOMB, Page 2
OUTLET MALLS
Mexican sales tax hike brings influx of shoppers to San Marcos outlet malls By Rebecca Banks News Reporter
The San Marcos outlet malls may see a surge in shoppers from Mexico this year due to a hike in the Mexican sales tax that began Jan. 1. Other stores, such as Target and Walmart, are expected to see an increase in purchases of necessity items such as cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoo and vitamins, according to Rebecca Ybarra-Ramirez, executive director at San
Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau. “(Mexican residents have done) more spending here than in the past, because they know that they will have to pay more when they go back to Mexico,” YbarraRamirez said. San Marcos collected about $1.7 million in sales tax in December 2012, Ybarra-Ramirez said. In 2013, 45 percent of total sales tax collected in San Marcos came from the Tanger Outlet Mall and the San Marcos Premium Outlet Mall, Rebecca
Ybarra-Ramirez said. Mexican residents are accountable for at least 30 percent of all sales at the outlet malls, she said. Visitor Brenda Gonzalez traveled from Vera Cruz, Mexico with her family last week to shop at the outlet malls. She said she went to the Houston and McAllister outlets as well, but liked shopping at the San Marcos malls more. “Before it was cheaper to shop at the border, but now it’s more expensive,”
See SHOPPING, Page 2
Danielle Charles | Staff Photographer The San Marcos outlet malls are expected to see an increase of shoppers from Mexico due to a sales tax increase.
TRANSPORTATION
City transit system partners with consultants for new five-year plan By Kristen Smith News Reporter
The San Marcos Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) is expected to revamp its structure in the near future to better accommodate bus riders and residents. CARTS staff members held multiple meetings open to the public this week to discuss potential changes for the public transit system. The San Marcos transit department is working
with Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates to create a new fiveyear plan and a solid course of action that may be more sustainable for future growth. The existing service route has not been changed or updated since 1996, said James Gamez, senior associate of Nelson\ Nygaard. The city has grown “dramatically” over that time period, so creating a new plan is an opportunity to redesign the system to fit the community’s needs today, Gamez said.
The consulting associates are in the “existing conditions phase” of the study, which means a plan has not yet been created, said Hazel Scher, associate planner of Nelson\Nygaard. “We’re still trying to go through the phases of collecting data and doing community outreach,” Scher said. Scher said officials from Nelson\Nygaard measured CARTS ridership based on each stop along the bus routes. Consultants gathered the data
and stored the numbers in a database to create materials, such as graphs showing the areas of high ridership and areas where the system is underutilized, Scher said. “The system has 11 routes, and they kind of serve a lot of different parts of the city,” Scher said. “With the city growing and looking at developing certain areas within the city or possibly new destinations, we want to take a look at where transit needs to go.” Scott Chapman, senior associate of Nelson\Nygaard, said con-
sultants will also conduct an environmental scan and gather public input as well as recommendations from individual stakeholders. “It’s a public amenity, a public service, and it should serve the public,” Chapman said. “And the university is a big part of the public.” Part of the data-gathering phase was an online survey, Scher said. The survey received many responses from Texas State stu-
See BUSES, Page 2