Lake Jackson council agrees to remove most school-zone signage around Elizabeth Ney after school stops using site

Lake Jackson city staff and council members discussed removing school-zone signage around the Elizabeth Ney property after the school indicated it will no longer use the site.

City Manager Modesto Mundo told the council staff had made field changes to signs but discovered the council had adopted only a first reading of the related ordinance and never completed a required second reading, so the field changes had not been formalized in the city code. "We made changes in the field, but we didn't formalize it," Modesto said, and he asked whether council agreed to remove the remaining school-zone signs and allow staff to return with an ordinance to complete the process.

Council members said the portions of signage immediately around the closed school should be removed. The council and staff discussed leaving a portion of the school zone on North Yaupon where it meets Oyster Creek Drive to provide a crossing area for LJI students. The police chief and staff will determine the specific start and end points for the remaining school-zone segment on Yaupon and advise staff drafting the ordinance. One council member also requested that a flashing school-zone light on Oyster Creek Drive be rotated 10–15 degrees so eastbound drivers can see it more clearly; staff agreed to inspect and, if appropriate, reposition the fixture.

There was no formal vote to remove signs during the meeting. Council provided consensus direction to staff to prepare a corrected ordinance to formalize the removal of school-zone signage around Elizabeth Ney and to coordinate with the police department on precise placement or retention of any segment needed for student crossings.

Clarifying details noted by staff and council

- Staff found that a first reading of the ordinance to alter school-zone signage had been adopted, but the second reading was never completed; modifications were made in the field without formal ordinance adoption (Modesto Mundo).

- Elizabeth Ney is no longer being used as a school; the building had a temporary use last year for some high-school students (Modesto Mundo).

- Council asked staff and the police chief to identify the specific length of any school-zone segment to be left on North Yaupon approaching Oyster Creek Drive to accommodate LJI student crossings.

Next steps

Staff will prepare a revised ordinance formalizing the removal of school-zone signs around Elizabeth Ney and will bring that ordinance back to council for consideration. The police department and public works will inspect the flashing light on Oyster Creek Drive and reposition it if necessary.