City celebrates the completion of the San Marcos Creek Project

Earlier today, the City of San Marcos held a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of the San Marcos Creek project, its largest capital improvements project to date. San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, Deputy Mayor Sharon Jenkins, City Councilmembers Ed Musgrove, María Nuñez and Mike Sannella, Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Jay Franklin, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, Caltrans District 11 North Coast Corridor Director Victor Mercado and the offices of U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, State Senator Brian Jones, Congressman Scott Peters and Assemblymember Brian Maienschein, joined the San Marcos community to celebrate this major milestone.

The approximately $100 million San Marcos Creek Project started construction in March 2020, and was planned, funded and developed to relieve historical long-standing flooding issues through new infrastructure, preserve and restore 1.5 miles of the Creek habitat, improve multimodal transportation accessibility and create additional outdoor gathering spaces, including a neighborhood park and 1.2 trail, for the San Marcos community. To minimize any financial impact on San Marcos residents, the City applied for multiple state and federal grants for project funding. After submitting numerous grant applications, the project received funding from 13 agencies which allowed the City to bring the vision of the project to reality, without a new tax measure or impact to the City's general fund.

"Completion of the San Marcos Creek project is a major milestone for the City, as the project brings new life to the community and the Creek area. This achievement is the result of decades of planning and collaboration with local, state and federal partners, and the San Marcos community. Together, we overcame the challenges of construction to bring this vision to life," said Mayor Rebecca Jones. "Thank you for everyone, past and present, who contributed to this project - your efforts will enhance the quality of life for San Marcos for years to come. A special thanks goes to our community members for your patience and collaboration throughout construction. We couldn't have done it with you."

The completed project provides a variety of benefits to the San Marcos community including:

• 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 over 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 16^th neighborhood park, featuring new lighting, picnic tables and playground equipment
• New bike lanes, sidewalks and street lighting throughout project area

"The San Marcos Creek project is a testament to years of planning and dedication, and I'm proud to have been involved in this project in its early stages during my time as mayor of San Marcos," said Supervisor Jim Desmond. "This project showcases how smart infrastructure investments can transform a community, enhancing flood control, mobility and public spaces. I want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life. The collaboration between all levels of government and the community was key to its success. I'm excited to see the long-term benefits it will bring to San Marcos and the region."

For information on the Creek project, please visit san-marcos.net/creek.