Conroe council continues temporary development moratorium after heated water-supply discussion

The Conroe City Council on Thursday denied an exemption request to the city’s temporary moratorium on development and voted to continue the moratorium while directing staff to provide additional information and schedule further meetings when ready.

The action came after several residents, area stakeholders and builders urged the council to balance protecting water supplies with honoring existing contracts and development plans. Kevin Lacy, president of the Lake Conroe Association, told the council the association had reviewed “a worse case caused by a developer in terms of damages” and asked the city to support Blue Heron Bay and press the San Jacinto River Authority for infrastructure help. Lacy also said the association had presented a complaint to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality alleging "2,500,000,000 gallons of water for flood mitigation was wasted in 2024 and falsely reported as municipal use" and estimated the loss could be worth "6 to $14,000,000 depending on the water rate."

Amy Bertrand, representing the Greater Houston Builders Association, urged the council to include builders in solutions…