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Lake Jackson authorizes up to $24,350 for emergency abatement at unfinished Garland Drive site
Summary
Council approved emergency abatement work — mowing, debris removal, grading and backfilling of a stagnant detention pond near a daycare at 401 Garland Drive — with the city to bill the owner and place a lien if costs are not recovered.
The City of Lake Jackson authorized staff on Nov. 17 to spend up to $24,350 to abate an unfinished development at 401 Garland Drive where a detention pond is holding stagnant water next to a daycare.
Staff described a partially built townhouse project where the contractor abandoned the site after clearing, grading and installing a single foundation; the unfinished detention pond has no outlet and is retaining water that staff said creates a public‑health concern. "It is a great concern to the daycare," staff said.
City staff said the owner has been sent certified letters and property postings and has not responded; staff presented three competitive bids and proposed using Matula Contractors for mowing, debris removal, grading and backfilling. Staff said the city will bill the owner for the costs and may place a lien to recover the expenditure. Council members asked about collection options and were told recovery can be slow if the owner does not pay taxes and that liens are the standard remedy.
A motion to authorize the emergency abatement not to exceed $24,350 passed unanimously.
What happens next: staff will contract the abatement work, perform the remediation to make the site safe, and file for cost recovery against the property owner.
