Neighbors press council to delay rezoning at Wildbriar Drive over floodplain questions; council postpones

Lufkin City Council paused consideration of a zone-change request for 1313 Wildbriar Drive after multiple residents raised floodplain and drainage concerns during the public hearing.

Melody Rose, who lives on Turtle Creek Drive adjacent to the property, told council the area is "a major flood zone" and described repeated driveway and neighborhood flooding. Tom Dornstutter, a longtime resident, said the parcel lies in a special flood hazard area and reminded the council the city previously purchased nearby parcels through a FEMA repetitive-loss buyout program, dedicating them to green space in perpetuity.

City staff and the city planner confirmed the property is in the developable portion of the floodplain but not in the floodway. Staff said engineering work would be required before any development and that base flood elevation (BFE) and site grading would be determined during that process. An on-the-record exchange noted that the city owns some adjacent lots that were acquired for hazard mitigation.

Councilmembers flagged the practical problem of approving rezoning without a site plan or engineering analysis. One councilmember moved to postpone the request to give staff and the petitioner time to produce a site plan and floodplain study; another seconded. The motion to postpone carried on a voice vote.

Next steps: the council directed staff to request a site plan and floodplain/engineering information from the applicant and to return the item for consideration at a future meeting.