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Goodell Ranch final plat motion fails after dispute over groundwater-study waiver
Summary
A proposed final plat to divide Goodell Ranch into three large lots stalled when commissioners expressed concern about granting a waiver of the county27s groundwater-availability study requirement; a motion to accept the plat for filing purposes died for lack of a second.
The Henderson County Commissioners Court considered the final plat for Goodell Ranch, a proposal to divide a tract into three lots (the applicant27s paperwork described each as about 83.5 acres). The applicant requested a variance from the county27s subdivision rule that requires a groundwater-availability study; the county attorney outlined the statutory exemption and the standard the court must apply.
The County Attorney described the waiver process and said there are statutory elements to consider. The attorney summarized that the county has historically set standards stricter than the statute and that a waiver can be applied under certain circumstances. "Waiver of the groundwater study," the attorney stated when describing the request.
Several commissioners pushed back on approving a waiver without study. Commissioner McCann cited recent water concerns and warned against creating a precedent. "I don't wanna set a precedence," Commissioner McCann said, and urged due diligence and that the developer should perform the groundwater study.
Commissioner Tooley moved to accept the final plat of Goodell Ranch for filing purposes only; the motion failed for lack of a second, so the court did not approve the plat. The County Attorney noted that subdivision regulations generally require compliance with TCEQ rules unless a statutory exemption applies; the court did not exercise a waiver at this meeting.
Because the motion died for lack of a second, no conditions or approvals were added; commissioners indicated that the applicant may return with additional materials or pursue the formal variance procedure.
