SAN MARCOS
considered channelizing the creek to create neighborhoods and shopping centers. In 2012, the city received permits for that work, but is reconsidering the mix of housing and retail in the area. In the meantime, however, it is launching the plan for flood control and infrastructure upgrades, which is expected to be completed in 2021.
In addition, the city saw the growth of its “North City” neighborhood near Cal State San Marcos. Union Co-work, which provides shared office space, opened off Barham Drive, and last month, the university opened a six-story, extended learning building and a pedestrian bridge connecting it to the campus.
Rebecca Jones wraps up her first year as mayor this month, presiding over the council as the city’s first female mayor. The council also welcomed three new faces, with the election of Maria Nunez and Randy Walton, and the appointment of Jay Petrek.
Upcoming developments include a planned Karl Strauss Brewery on Las Posas Road, and Area-ofthe-arts, a project to convert 9 acres at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Linda Vista Drive into an arts and entertainment village, featuring artists, makers, craft brewers and distillers.
In October, the city took a step toward automating service online with the San Marcos City App, which allows residents to quickly report non-emergency problems with streets, parks or
other facilities. Residents or visitors can use the app to send descriptions and photos of issues that need city attention, ranging from potholes to park maintenance. The app employs cellphone GPS data to pinpoint the location, and provides updates on resolution of the problem.
“Thanks to years of thoughtful city planning and economic development, San Marcos is no longer a drive-through community. We are a drive-to destination,” Jones wrote in an endof-year address.
San Marcos also lost two of its elder statesmen this year, with the deaths of two former mayors. Former Mayors Corky Smith and Lee B. Thibadeau spent decades on the City Council, and helped shepherd the city from its rural roots through its current development.
Smith died in February, at age 88, after more than a quarter-century on the San Marcos City Council. He served first as a council member for 14 years, starting in 1980, and then for three mayoral terms, until 2006. During that time, he played a key role in transforming the city from a rural community to a bustling center of business and education.
In October, Thibadeau died at age 74. A 45-year resident of San Marcos, Thibadeau served two terms on the City Council, from 1980 to 1986, and then as mayor from 1986 to 1995. He returned to the council for another term, serving from 2000 to 2004. During those years, the city’s population more than quadrupled, its business corridor expanded and Cal State San Marcos became a hub of higher education for North County.
deborah.brennan@ sduniontribune.com