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Sugar Land council approves Ry Hill agreement amendments and raises connection fee to $12,700
Summary
On March 17 the Sugar Land City Council approved amendments to development and utility agreements for the Ry Hill project, voted to authorize a water-well permit for MUD 269 and approved joining the city's groundwater reduction plan; council also advanced an ordinance to set a $12,700 connection fee per connection.
The Sugar Land City Council on March 17 approved a package of changes tied to the Ry Hill residential development, including amendments to the development agreement and utility services contract, authorization of a well-drilling permit for Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 269, and a first reading to increase the city's connection fee to $12,700 per connection.
"Based on the contracts that were awarded, the updated connection fee amount is totaling now $12,700 per connection," Lisa Kosich Meyer, director of Planning and Development Services, told the council during a joint presentation on the Ry Hill items. Meyer said the increase reflects higher-than-expected construction bids for the regional water and wastewater treatment facilities; the original fee had been calculated at $11,500 per connection.
Meyer said the Ry Hill developer has platted about 433 lots to date and that the amended fee would apply retroactively, obligating those already-platted lots to pay the difference between the prior and revised amounts. The council voted 7''0 to approve the second amendments to the amended and restated development agreement and the associated utility-service contract with PY Homes of Texas LP and to advance Ordinance 2401 (first reading) to update the code's connection charges.
Margot Williams, the city's water-resources manager, described a related well permit application from Fort Bend County MUD 269 as an interim supply to fill amenity lakes and irrigate; once the city's reclaimed-water facility is operating the well would serve as a backup. "This well ... is going to be an interim supply to fill the amenity lakes and irrigate. Once the reclaim facility is built and operational, that will then become the primary water supply," Williams said during the presentation.
Council members pressed staff on compliance with the Fort Bend subsidence district and on timing. Meyer said the subsidence district had reviewed permits and that staff considers the applications compliant with current district requirements. The council also confirmed that the developer requested and received approval to build 15 model homes earlier than typical for marketing and sales; those model-home approvals were incorporated in the administrative amendments the city formalized.
On schedule, staff said the regional wastewater plant construction is expected to take about 18 to 24 months and that interim services will be used while the plant is built. The council voted unanimously to authorize the well-drilling permit (mover: Watley; second: Single), to approve the agreement amendments (mover: Miller; second: Vandar), and to approve the GRP participation agreement allowing MUD 269 to join Sugar Land's Groundwater Reduction Plan (mover: Miller; second: Wattley).
The package of approvals is intended to keep Ry Hill moving while aligning developer responsibilities to the updated capital costs for water and wastewater capacity. The city manager thanked staff and PY Homes for their partnership on the complex project; the council moved to a series of separate agenda items after the Ry Hill votes.
Next steps: Ordinance 2401 will proceed on first reading to amend the fee schedule; staff will present any additional implementing documents and return to council as required for subsequent readings or ministerial approvals.
