Developers outline decade-long Brown Tract plan; council authorizes mayor to negotiate partnership

Brookshire City Council on Monday heard a presentation from developers proposing a mixed‑use project on the 460‑acre “Brown Tract” in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and voted to authorize the mayor to negotiate a strategic partnership agreement, including a municipal utility district (MUD) structure and potential future annexation.

The proposal was introduced by Aaron Carpenter, an attorney at Allen Boone Humphreys Robinson, who told the council the group “are under contract to acquire a 460 acre site in the ETJ of the city known as the Brown Tract.” Representatives from IDV, D.R. Horton and 4 Star described plans that would add retail, residential and light‑industrial space, new public roads, a water well and a wastewater treatment plant.

Why it matters: Developers said the plan would build infrastructure with private financing initially and limit immediate cost to the city while creating taxable value long term. Council approval to open negotiations does not bind the city to annexation, but it allows staff and the mayor to pursue binding documents that would set terms for reimbursement, service sharing and the option to annex after infrastructure reimbursement is complete.

Developers’ pitch and timeline Tim Harrington, a principal with IDV, described road, water and wastewater improvements, water wells, traffic signal work on FM 1489 and a mix of uses: roughly 14–20 acres planned for retail and commercial, over 170 acres for residential (more than 651 home sites referenced in the presentation) and about 110 acres for industrial uses. Harrington said the project would likely be “a decade” long and that a MUD would be used so taxable value created could first support bonds to reimburse infrastructure costs.

D.R. Horton’s Cade Bridal said the company’s interest is primarily in the residential portion and emphasized the demand for rooftops to support retail and industrial users. Fahad Benawar of 4 Star described the firm’s role building horizontal infrastructure and lot development.

Key council questions and developer clarifications Council members pressed for detail on annexation, timing and who would collect tax revenue during the project. Developers said that, while portions are in the ETJ and county now, the MUD would issue bonds and be repaid from the value it helps create; during that repayment period Waller County and the school district would receive tax revenue until annexation occurs. Developers said the strategic partnership agreement would include terms that limit petition rights and create “ground rules” about annexation timing tied to reimbursement.

The developers also said they were working with the local water district and that the district currently lacks capacity to serve much of the tract; a new water well would likely be required and the team said they were working to coordinate with the water district on potential surplus capacity for the city.

Council action Councilmember motioned to authorize the mayor, city attorneys and designated staff to negotiate terms for a strategic partnership agreement and other documents with IDV Development Fund; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

What was not decided Council granted only negotiation authority; no final pact, annexation ordinance, MUD creation, or abatement was approved at the meeting. Developers and staff said they hoped to have binding documents in draft by mid‑April, but any formal annexation, tax or bond actions would come back to the council for separate approvals.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the council meeting transcript and include direct remarks recorded at the meeting.

Ending: The council’s vote lets the city enter formal talks with the developer group. The next steps are staff review of draft documents and a future council presentation before any binding commitments are made.