Commissioners debate adding Highway 36A alignment to county thoroughfare plan; ask staff to study options

Waller County Commissioners Court spent extensive time on April 2 debating whether to include a possible Highway 36A north–south alignment on the county’s major thoroughfare plan. Commissioners, staff and a Texas Department of Transportation representative discussed the tradeoffs of labeling a corridor on the county map, what reservation or dedication of right‑of‑way would mean for current landowners and how the county should coordinate with regional partners for a more detailed study.

Commissioners emphasized competing pressures: developers already seeking plats and permits in the county want clarity about potential corridors, but requiring large right‑of‑way reservations (TxDOT’s conceptual corridor widths approach can reach several hundred feet) could impose significant costs or constraints on landowners and developers if the county demanded participation before a final alignment is selected. County staff noted a 400‑foot corridor had been discussed at the regional level and that asking developers to set aside such wide swaths of land without a clear, engineered alignment would be difficult.

Representatives from TxDOT and regional planning bodies told the court the appropriate next step is a targeted planning update: a modernized thoroughfare plan and corridor assessment that would analyze feasible alignments, environmental constraints, floodplains, rail crossings and utility impacts, and then produce a recommended route and right‑of‑way needs. Staff suggested the county seek technical assistance or funding support from the Houston‑Galveston Area Council (HGAC) or TxDOT and consider a phased study — first updating the county thoroughfare plan, then conducting corridor engineering where needed.

Commissioners did not adopt any definitive alignment on April 2. Instead they asked staff to bring back options and a scope/cost estimate for a thoroughfare‑plan update and potential corridor study. The court discussed placing a map‑labeling or plan‑update item on a future agenda to clarify the county’s position for developers and regional partners.

Why this matters: Waller County is experiencing significant residential development and rising traffic volumes. Commissioners framed the discussion as proactive planning to avoid future bottlenecks and safety issues: without a coordinated north–south facility, traffic and heavy trucks may overload existing county roads and rail crossings, commissioners said.

What the court recorded (direction): Commissioners requested staff prepare a proposal for a thoroughfare plan update, investigate HGAC or TxDOT assistance and return with options and a cost estimate for the court’s consideration. No corridor adoption vote was taken on April 2.

Ending note: The court signaled interest in moving forward with a formalized planning effort rather than a piecemeal or developer‑driven approach, and instructed staff to scope next steps for formal consideration at a future meeting.