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Council approves Katy Court amendment with larger-lot alternative, removes 3 acres from proposed commercial area
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Summary
After extended public comment and a developer presentation, council amended the Katy Court Planned Development District to replace proposed 30/34‑foot lots with 55‑foot lots for the Morton tract, and voted to remove a contested 3‑acre parcel from the PDD; council also required staff follow-up on drainage and traffic commitments.
Council debated a proposed amendment to the Katy Court Planned Development District that would add about 33 acres (the Morton tract) and had initially included 30‑ and 34‑foot lot options. After extensive public comment from neighborhood residents who cited flooding, impervious cover, and neighborhood character concerns, Parkside Capital (Brett Walker) presented an alternative concept that would use the same lot mix as existing Katy Court (55‑foot lots), reduce the number of homes from the originally proposed ~153 to roughly 67, and retain a 54‑acre detention basin (which staff and the developer said is already designed and approved to city/MUD standards).
Brett Walker told council that the developer has an approved drainage study and that detention would be built to MUD/TCEQ standards; he said the detention is roughly a 7‑acre pond sized originally for the smaller‑lot concept and that the developer plans not to reduce that detention even if lot sizes increase. Walker said the project includes a planned Legacy Park (54 acres) and that Parkside has committed about $4 million to park infrastructure.
Several councilmembers pressed for assurances that the developer would not begin construction before necessary road improvements are in place; the developer and staff said traffic impact analyses will be used and that some road work (e.g., signals and other Morton improvements) is already planned with county partners. Concerns about a small 3‑acre parcel adjacent to Morton prompted a council amendment to remove that parcel from the PDD; council voted to delete the 3‑acre area from the PDD and then voted to approve the overall amendment with 55‑foot lots in accordance with existing PDD standards.
Votes and outcomes: council amended the proposed lot sizes to require 55‑foot minimum lots in the Morton tract, and removed the 3‑acre parcel from the PDD; the final motions passed with recorded votes (motions carried by 4–1 in the recorded roll-call where noted; Councilmember Robertson recorded a no vote on final actions). Council directed staff to return with the formal ordinance language reflecting the amended lot sizes and the deletion of the 3‑acre parcel, and to continue coordination on drainage and traffic mitigation before any building permits are issued.
Quotable: resident Steven Leggett said, “That kind of density is not good for the city,” citing flooding and neighborhood character; developer Brett Walker said the drainage study was approved and characterized the drainage and MUD structure as a durable solution to regional flooding pressures.
Next steps: staff will prepare the final ordinance text reflecting the 55‑foot‑lot amendment and the deleted tract, continue coordination on required traffic improvements and detention implementation, and return to council for final adoption and implementation details.
