Georgetown council approves annexation, zoning change for Payne’s Depot Road amid public concern over fire service and impact fees

The Georgetown City Council on May 12 voted 5-3 to annex roughly 182.44 acres at 1367 Payne’s Depot Road and approved a zoning change that would allow community commercial and medium-density residential uses after the property is added to city limits.

The votes followed public comment urging the council to delay action until the city finalizes impact fees, affordable-housing policy and public hearings. Jerry Bergenhagen, whose home backs up to the parcel, told the council the city’s fire department cannot meet a four-minute response time to that site and urged the council to require the developer to pay for any added fire infrastructure through an impact assessment before annexation. “As a taxpayer, why should I have to pay for a new fire station and a new fire truck?” Bergenhagen said during public comments.