EDC discusses long-term strategy to spur development on White House's south side

At the Nov. 13 meeting the EDC discussed long-term strategies to encourage development in the city's southern section. Speaker 2 introduced the item by asking what would spur growth to the south, noting that some areas appear to be a dividing line for development and that in times of rain some roads ‘‘go south because it's underwater.''

Board members said a visible anchor or destination could catalyze additional development. Speaker 3 suggested that if a single successful business were established on the south side, others might follow; Speaker 3 and others pointed to retail clusters and refurbished warehouse districts in other communities as models. "All we have to do is convince Costco," Speaker 3 said, illustrating the board's view that a major anchor could change development patterns.

Members flagged regulatory and jurisdictional constraints. Speaker 1 and others noted much of the land to the south is zoned residential and that parts lie in the Tyler extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which limits annexation and growth unless property owners petition for removal from the ETJ. Speaker 5 referenced a recently enacted law that allows petitioning to be removed from an ETJ, calling the process "pretty straightforward" though it requires property owners to initiate the request.

The board did not take formal action but agreed to keep southern growth in mind in longer-term planning and to monitor available parcels and developer plans. Speaker 4 suggested maintaining a long-range (10–15 year) view rather than near-term expectations for major southern expansion.