Council reviews development moratorium appeal and several MUD/WCID annexation consents

City staff briefed the Conroe City Council on July 23 about a development appeal seeking release from a temporary moratorium and several requests to consent to additions of territory to local municipal utility and water-control districts.

Stewart's Creek Reserve appeal: City staff (Mr. McGuire) told council the developer seeking release from the moratorium had not completed final platting, had not built or had city acceptance of required public infrastructure, and had ongoing bonding and conformance issues dating back several years. "If I had it all today, I still wouldn't give them that 1 drop of water," McGuire said, recommending denial of the appeal because the development is unimproved and not ready for water service. Later in citizen participation, a representative for a separate 132-acre development asked staff for a meeting to clarify utility requirements and permitting steps.

Annexation and district consents: Staff presented three related, largely procedural items consenting to the addition of territory into utility governance districts for subdivisions in the Woodson Reserve and Fairwater areas: - Consent to add approximately 32.36 acres to Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 152A (Woodson Reserve master area); - Consent to add approximately 7.081 acres to Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 166 (Fairwater); and - Consent to add approximately 32.36 acres to Montgomery County Water Control and Improvement District No. 205 (Woodson Reserve water-control district).

Staff said the properties lie in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and that the additions are part of a coordinated development plan for Woodson Reserve (developer names cited included Toll Brothers and Tri Point Homes Partnership) and for Fairwater (Castle Rock and D.R. Horton named). Staff provided lot counts, approximate average sale prices and the configuration of the districts for council review.

Implications and next steps: The items were presented as consents required by state law for district boundary adjustments or annexations; staff reviewed maps and background detail and offered to answer council questions. Mr. McGuire recommended denial of the Stewart's Creek Reserve appeal based on incomplete infrastructure and lack of final platting; the council discussed but did not record a final vote in the transcript. A developer representative later asked to meet with staff to discuss permitting and outstanding items.

Ending: Staff will continue to work with developers on compliance, platting, and district processes; council discussion was informational and no final recorded votes were found in the transcript.