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Commission recommends approval for Texas Water Company's equipment enclosure on Blanco Road
Summary
Planning staff and company representatives said the proposed enclosure would formalize a long-standing booster station use and house a safer sodium hypochlorite disinfection system; the commission voted to recommend approval to city council after asking about off-gassing and siting constraints.
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend that City Council approve a special-use permit for an equipment storage enclosure at a Texas Water Company booster pump station on Blanco Road.
Rachel Tackett, identified in the agenda and during remarks as representing Texas Water Company, said the site has functioned as a water utility since 2015 and the proposed 10-by-15-foot stone enclosure (about 12 feet high) would formally align the zoning designation with the existing utility use. "The purpose of this special use permit request is to formally align the zoning designation with the existing and historically permitted use of the property," Tackett said.
Company representative Ted Bryant explained the facility is switching to a sodium hypochlorite disinfection system, which staff characterized as a safer storage option than the prior chemical. Commissioners asked whether the new chemical would cause off-gassing and whether off‑gassing currently occurs; company representatives said any off‑gassing would vent at height and that both disinfection types meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements. Staff and the company also said underground utilities and site constraints limited where the enclosure could be placed and that tree trimming or removal might be necessary to meet security and regulatory requirements.
After questions about siting, ventilation and compliance with TCEQ rules, a commissioner moved to recommend approval to City Council; the motion passed.
The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action.
