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Council denies request to allow beer/wine sales within 300 feet of Tomball ISD property
Summary
Council voted 2–3 against a variance that would have permitted beer and wine sales at a commercially zoned convenience/gas site within the 300‑foot buffer of Tomball ISD property. The ISD provided a letter of no objection, but several council members objected to the applicant’s prior zoning statements and the site's proximity to planned school property.
Council considered a TABC variance request to permit beer and wine sales at a proposed convenience/gas site on Huff Smith Road that lies within the 300‑foot buffer of a Tomball ISD property. Staff noted the parcel is commercially zoned and that Tomball ISD had supplied a letter stating no objection to the permit application.
The discussion focused on prior zoning testimony and neighborhood context. One council member who said they had voted against the earlier commercial zoning for the site explained their dissent: "I voted against the zoning... I am voting no because he lied to us," the member said, citing earlier assurances that a gas station would not be developed. Police staff said the department does not expect a significant increase in calls for service tied to a convenience store that sells alcohol, but council members weighing neighborhood impact and precedent opposed the variance. The motion to permit alcohol sales within the 300‑foot zone failed on a 2–3 vote.
