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City council directs staff to deny pump-detention option for Presidio project
Summary
After extensive questioning about hydraulics, proximity to homes and Highway 6, Manvel council voted to direct staff not to allow pump-detention systems for the Presidio development, first passing a restrictive motion and then reaffirming it on reconsideration.
Manvel — The City Council directed staff to deny requests to use a pump-detention system for the Presidio development, citing concerns about nearby residences, hydraulic connections through Highway 6 and the risk of pump failure during intense storms.
City Manager Dan told council that the city's Design Criteria Manual allows pump detention only “on a case by case basis” and listed five criteria including that systems be for nonresidential developments, have no residences within 1,000 feet, include a backup natural‑gas generator, achieve at least 50% of required detention by gravity, and have approval from the corresponding drainage district. Dan said the Presidio proposal does not meet those requirements because the PUD contains residential components and homes sit within the 1,000‑foot buffer.
Council members debated the policy and practical risks. Councilman Albert asked directly, “Why 1,000 feet?” and said he was open to considering exceptions if technical evidence showed no practical risk to nearby homes. Mayor Pro Tem Bonner urged caution, saying backup generators “can fail too” and expressed worries about impacts to Highway 6 if a pump system were to fail.
After discussion the mayor moved “to provide direction to staff to not allow the use of pump detention for the Presidio project,” a motion that passed initially by 4–2. A subsequent motion to reconsider produced a unanimous 6–0 affirmation of the direction.
Manager Dan told council the developer previously took related materials to Brazoria Drainage District No. 4 in 2003 but the city’s PUD and current design standards must control whether pump detention is permitted. He also said the developer had indicated the project might be unviable without pump detention, making the decision a potential pivot point for the proposal.
The council’s direction is procedural, not a change to engineering standards: staff will treat the decision as clear guidance in ongoing negotiations with the applicant. If the developer seeks to change the city’s Design Criteria Manual or to rework the PUD, council members said those would be separate policy discussions.
The applicant may return with revisions or technical analyses; for now staff will not advance approvals that rely on pump‑detention for Presidio.
