Manville planning panel recommends special-use permit for proposed Morris Avenue family clinic

The Manville Planning, Development & Zoning Commission on a 5-0 vote recommended that City Council approve a zoning amendment and a specific-use permit to allow a family practice and outpatient diagnostic clinic on a 0.547-acre parcel at 19200 Morris Avenue (Highway 6).

Planning staff told commissioners the application seeks to change the property’s classification from Light Commercial District with State Highway 6 Overlay to Light Commercial with the same overlay plus a specific-use permit to authorize NAICS 621111 (offices of physicians, except mental health specialists). Planning staff recommended approval "with conditions outlined in the report," noting the site is vacant, adjacent to an under-construction car wash and the Twin Lakes Parkway, and that TxDOT has approved a dry driveway connection to Highway 6.

The recommendation matters because the proposal would allow a clinic providing general family medicine, preventive care, chronic disease management and in-house diagnostic services such as ultrasound imaging and X-rays — services the applicants said aim to reduce residents’ need to travel to Houston for basic primary and diagnostic care.

Staff emphasized several required conditions before final permitting. The site must be platted; the applicant must show sidewalk extension and a public access easement along Highway 6; the site-plan must meet city code for parking, ADA access, lighting and landscaping; and enhanced buffering and fencing along the RV-park boundary are required. On stormwater, staff said the current drainage pattern directs runoff partly to an adjacent RV park and partly toward Highway 6, and that the applicant must either provide a revised drainage plan with detention or submit documentation showing the RV park’s written consent and capacity to accept runoff. Staff repeatedly characterized drainage as unresolved and said approval would be conditioned on resolving it.

Applicant representatives said they are working with architects, civil engineers, TxDOT and the adjacent RV park. Charles Huang, an applicant representative, said the team is "likely gonna be putting it towards the ... drainage system, right, in the sewer," and that the developers are assessing options including tying into the TxDOT sewer/storm system. Applicant Johnny Huang said the clinic would be a stand‑alone building with at least one doctor on-site and the capacity to add a second. Judy Romero, speaking for the applicant, described the clinic’s services and said the applicants plan for same-day or next-day appointments and to offer testing and certain work- or school-related physicals. Myra Gonzales described intent to provide multi‑lingual services and said the applicants aim to operate seven days a week if demand supports it.

Commission discussion focused on drainage capacity and precedent for future development tapping the same systems. Commissioners asked whether the RV park had provided written consent and whether a capacity study had been filed; staff said no written agreement had been supplied with the SUP application and that the site plan must be revised to resolve detention and drainage questions before final permitting. Staff also confirmed that some design details (parking layout, landscaping, exact detention approach) will be reviewed and approved during platting and permitting.

After the presentation and questions, a commissioner moved to forward a recommendation of approval with the staff conditions from the staff report; the motion passed unanimously, 5 to 0. Commissioners noted the recommendation goes next to City Council, which must hold another public hearing and take final action; staff said the council meeting is scheduled for next week.

The commission’s action was procedural: it forwarded a recommendation, not the final ordinance. Final zoning and the special‑use permit will be subject to City Council action, required platting, and completion of the drainage and site‑plan conditions specified by staff.

For more details, staff said the full staff report (which lists 13 conditions) and exhibits are posted with the City of Manville agenda materials and can also be requested from planning staff after the meeting.