All Forum Posts by: Jamie Hora

Are you in City limits? County Limits? Is the street frontage against a state owned highway?  These would be the factors that determine if a permit is needed before building a driveway, and with who.  The simplest way to know for certain is call the City or County planning or building department. 

What type of vehicles will be accessing the site? If it is going to be some type of development, I would reach out to a geotechnical engineer for recommendations on the best type of pavement sections. 

That is a good list to start with.  Most of these have sub-tasks as well.  But my one addition that I would add at the top is to meet with the City Planning staff. Have them explain the full permitting process and ask open ended questions so you can be aware of everything you'll need. 

Regarding the zoning, even though it is zoned commercial, confirm that storage units of your type are an approved use. 

I dont have a exact number to directly answer your question, but I would suggest it be paid out to them with a "Fee per Lot" , that is paid upon each lot receiving permit.

I agree with your point about an hourly basis. When you pay a fee only once the lot is permitted, that is providing them the incentive to assist in getting you all the way to that point. I have worked on projects before where my client (the property owner) was paying someone (their development consultant) in this structure to manage the project through permitting.  

I have experience on the civil side of development and permitting.  I have worked on several strip centers and warehouse/industrial type projects in Texas.  I can assist in answering any questions you may have regarding the development of a site around the building.  

I work on civil only though, so wouldnt be able to answer any questions about architecturally about a building like that. 

If you have more specific questions around civil I could give you a better answer. 

Hi Shelton.  I've have designed and permitted sites in San Marcos for clients of mine. One thing to be aware of is the location, if the site is in the San Marcos River Corridor and the location for which region of the Edwards Aquifer it is in.  These greatly affect permitting timeline and need to be accounted for in the site design. 

For the "use", is the lot already zoned commercial? If yes, I would make sure your intended use does not require Special/Conditional Use Permits or a variance. 

I have not had to rezone in San Marcos, but if you are needing to do that, I would suggest having a meeting with Planning & Zoning staff first prior to submitting a rezoning application. You really want the staff on your side before a public hearing. 

Actually Deciding which use is "best", would incorporate all these items, plus budget considerations.   

The pricing from surveyors seems high, but I am basing that on my experience in Texas.  However, if you've gotten multiple bids, that may be the price in your area. 

"Parcel Mapping" is also different lingo that I'm used to.  Are you requesting a surveyor to replat this into 3 different lots?  You may be past this step, but if that is a yes, verify each of the lots meet the zoning standards. Not only the minimum SF of the lot, but also front/side/rear setbacks, etc. 

If you're breaking it in to 3 lots, each lot will require new water meter taps and sanitary sewer connections. New water meters can have substantial tap/impact fees if this is something you've not considered. I recommend further discussing these questions with the City Planning or Development department. 

The Zoning Code will tell you if a duplex is allowed within the A4 Zoning. If would be wise to call the City Planning Department to confirm, especially if this is something new to you. If it is allowed within the zoning, you would then want to check with the building department.  Different cities have different requirements for which types and when permits are needed.  Just based on your comment, it definitely sounds like this scope of work would require a permit.  

How many quotes have you received? If you've received 3+ and there are similar prices between the quotes, that may mean that is the market price is for those professional services.  My engineering firm has had to increase our fees each of the last 2 years to keep up with growing wages, so prices from a couple years ago could be 20% less if that is what you were expecting. 

I would advise getting an engineer involved for due-diligence to determine the viability of the land (utilities, grading, zoning, preliminary site plan, etc).  It would be up front cost but is important for you to understand scope for what may be needed to develop the land.  Best of luck on the project. 

I agree with the points that @Wayne Brooks made.

I'll add. Rezoning could add value. There is a time and effort associated with rezoning that would be beneficial for a developer to have the land already zoned accordingly.  You likely need to reference City zoning maps and/or the surrounding areas to see what this can be rezoned to.  It has to align with what the City wants or you will be facing an uphill battle to gain approvals. 

On the well water, it depends on where this land is located.  For example, is this in a rural area where it is possible well water may not be available?  If that is the case, it could be valuable to have a test well drilled to KNOW that the site will have sufficient water supply.  If everyone has water in this area and thats not a concern, I dont think drilling a well adds any value up front.