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Waller County approves letter and due diligence to pursue 1,400-acre purchase from City of Houston
Summary
The commissioners court accepted a letter of intent and authorized due diligence studies for a proposed purchase of roughly 1,400 acres the City of Houston bought decades ago, moving to use a $25 million state grant toward the land purchase and preliminary design for regional detention and park amenities.
Waller County commissioners on June 11 voted to accept a letter outlining a proposed purchase-sale agreement with the City of Houston for about 1,400 acres and separately approved a contract to perform due-diligence studies on the property.
The land, purchased by Houston in the early 1990s as a potential secondary airport site and later used in part for wetlands mitigation, has been idle for decades, county staff said. County officials said state legislators secured $25 million in grant funding to help acquire the property. The county indicated the purchase price is just under $19 million, leaving roughly $5 million to $6 million available for initial studies and design work.
Why it matters: County officials described the site as flat and outside the immediate floodplain; they said it could be used for regional stormwater detention to help mitigate future flooding and as a large public park with recreational amenities. County leaders said the transaction would reduce the likelihood that the land is developed into dense residential subdivisions and allow the county to plan regional infrastructure.
Details of the action: The court approved two agenda items: acceptance of the proposed purchase letter and authorization to contract for environmental and related due-diligence work. County staff said some acreage has ongoing Army Corps or mitigation-use restrictions that would limit certain uses on parts of the property; the due-diligence studies will identify constraints and environmental liabilities.
Funding and next steps: Commissioners said the $25 million state grant would cover the land purchase and leave a multi-million-dollar balance to fund preliminary studies for detention, design and potential park amenities. The court authorized staff to engage preapproved vendors or solicit bids for studies and to return with findings before finalizing a purchase agreement.
Court remarks: The county judge said the acquisition could yield a park and regional detention solution "that anybody can use" and stressed the need to evaluate restrictions tied to wetlands mitigation. Staff placed the property near the county recycling center on maps shown to the court.
Ending: The court voted in favor of both the letter of intent and the due-diligence authorization. Staff will proceed with environmental and engineering studies and report back to commissioners before the county completes a purchase agreement.
