Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
La Porte residents urge council to protect Lomax large‑lot homes from proposed Union Pacific industrial park
Summary
Residents and a neighborhood coalition told the La Porte City Council they oppose a reported Union Pacific/Trammell Crow plan to rezone roughly 269 acres in Lomax for rail‑served warehouses and light industrial uses, citing noise, truck traffic, air quality, flood risk and habitat loss.
Cliff Wilson and a group of Lomax residents told the La Porte City Council they want the city to keep large‑lot residential zoning in place and resist any rezoning that would allow Union Pacific to develop a 269‑acre site in northwest Lomax into rail‑served light industrial space.
Wilson said recent local reporting indicates the project could include four large warehouses totaling about 2,300,000 square feet and involve repackaging, refrigeration and manufacturing tenants. He warned that repackaging operations can use high‑capacity blowers, that refrigeration facilities sometimes rely on ammonia refrigerant, and that such uses could raise concerns about noise, truck movements and chemical risk for nearby neighborhoods.
"We're simply asking when is enough enough? When is too close too close?" Wilson said, urging council members to preserve the area's large‑lot residential designation rather than pre‑emptively approve rezoning.
Several residents who live near the site described repeated truck incursions, damaged neighborhood infrastructure and flooding problems tied to an existing drainage ditch. One longtime resident said the property is currently used for livestock and that Union Pacific has given the tenant 60 days to clear equipment and animals, heightening urgency for neighbors.
City staff and council members did not take immediate action on rezoning; staff noted no formal application had been filed at the time of the presentation. Councilmembers thanked the presenters and acknowledged the scale of the developer they would be opposing if a rezoning request were filed.
The presentation asked the council to consider traffic impacts on regional truck routes (State Highway 225 and SH‑146), possible increases in truck traffic on local streets such as Underwood and Fairmont Parkway, and potential effects on wetlands, hawk habitat and localized flooding. Speakers asked the city to ensure any future proposals include enforceable protections, monitoring for hazardous materials, and appropriate drainage mitigation if development proceeds.
The council accepted the presentation and heard numerous public comments; no rezoning vote or formal planning action occurred during the meeting. The city manager's office and planning staff will be the next points of contact if a formal rezoning application is submitted.
