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Court approves Sagebrush amendment to major thoroughfare plan after TxDOT coordination
Summary
The Commissioners Court approved a map amendment to the county Major Thoroughfare Plan for the Sagebrush subdivision, including removal and realignment of proposed corridors and coordination with TxDOT on 1488 realignment; commissioners debated floodplain crossings, private streets and future city coordination.
Waller County Commissioners Court approved a Major Thoroughfare Plan map amendment for the Sagebrush subdivision (agenda items 25–26), following a public hearing and staff presentations describing corridor removals and realignments.
County planners and Jennifer Curtis of consultant META described the changes: several proposed north–south corridor segments were to be removed and replaced with alignments that follow existing roads (shown as purple-dotted alternatives in plan graphics), and a realignment of Farm-to-Market 1488 was proposed along a southern boundary to reduce impacts on private property. Ross, the county staff presenter, said the purple-dotted replacement alignment matches schematics recently received from the Texas Department of Transportation for future 1488 plans.
During the public hearing and ensuing discussion, commissioners raised multiple planning considerations: coordination with TxDOT, floodplain crossings, and the effect on existing private communities such as Skymac Ranch. One commissioner said their primary concern was avoiding cutting new thoroughfares through gated private streets and existing homeowners’ properties; staff said the amendment avoids punching a corridor through Skymac Ranch and instead follows existing public streets where feasible.
A commissioner noted that TxDOT’s construction budget and schematic work for the 1488 realignment has an estimated early-construction timeline in 2037; staff said the county’s purple-dot alignment matches TxDOT’s schematic. Commissioners discussed the need to update the countywide thoroughfare plan (last updated about six years ago) and whether future updates should include a more detailed, closer-in review to avoid leaving small unbuildable parcels or “triangles.”
After discussion, the court voted to approve the map amendment. The minutes record a voice vote: “26 is approved.” The minutes do not record a roll-call tally.
Ending: Staff and commissioners said the county will continue coordination with TxDOT and municipal partners and suggested a future, more detailed update of the Major Thoroughfare Plan to reduce uncertainty for property owners.
