Brookshire Council Agrees to Variance, to Revisit Thoroughfare Plan for 13th and 12th Streets
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Summary
Developers and property owners told council that a proposed 15-foot widening on each side of 13th Street would eliminate buildable area; LJA staff explained the thoroughfare-plan basis and options. Council granted a variance for a pending permit and directed staff to place a thoroughfare-plan review on a future agenda.
Developers and property owners raised immediate construction and permitting risks tied to the city's major thoroughfare plan, and the Brookshire City Council agreed to grant a variance for a pending project while directing staff to revisit the plan.
Applicant Henry Thompson told the council that his team has completed required predevelopment steps with other jurisdictions but was held up by recent engineering review and messaging from LJA that 13th Street would require a 15-foot right-of-way on each side. "If you remove 15 feet from our property, it's basically taking, like, 32,100 square feet of work in our business," Thompson said, asking for a variance so his planned coffee shop could proceed.
LJA Engineering and city staff explained the background: the city's major thoroughfare plan, adopted earlier, identifies roads where right-of-way may be needed for future widening. Staff said the plan is used in permit reviews to identify necessary right-of-way and that TxDOT could still acquire right-of-way if the state later builds or widens a highway. LJA recommended two near-term options: grant a permit-specific variance to allow the applicant to proceed, or place an amendment to the thoroughfare plan on a future council agenda to remove or modify 13th Street's designation.
Council members seconded and approved a motion to grant a variance so the developer could move ahead with permit finalization. Council also directed staff and LJA to bring the thoroughfare-plan discussion back at a future regular meeting so the council could consider broader changes to the plan'for example, removing 13th Street from the thoroughfare map or modifying right-of-way assumptions. Staff emphasized drainage and grading clarifications are still required to finalize permit conditions.
Separately, James, speaking for a family that owns property at 3807 12th Street, asked whether the city could work with owners and the EDC to expand 12th Street to support future development. LJA described typical local-road right-of-way dimensions, drainage needs and possible funding approaches including developer-funded work or EDC participation, and suggested council identify members to shepherd follow-up discussions with staff and stakeholders.