The Courier of Montgomery County reports that waivers for a Nevada-based developer with two residential subdivisions were denied due to the City of Conroe taking a firm stand on their current building moratorium.
On the north side of Conroe, Tri Pointe Homes is developing Westridge Cove and Clopton Farms.
Tri Pointe Land Development’s Daniel Gillham passed along at the council’s July 11th Workshop, “We do not agree that our developments cause a health and safety risk to the city.” He said, the city’s decision “is not only causing significant damage to us as a developer but also causing damage to Conroe residents by increasing (homeowners association) dues and prolonged high (municipal utility district) taxes.”
Coats Rose Law Firm’s Tim Green, representing Municipal District No. 147, said the city entered into an agreement with the district in 2020 to provide water, including the Tri Pointe Homes developments.
He said it’s obvious that the city is not in compliance with that obligation. He said damage is being caused by the decision to the developer, the residents and the district.
Assistant City Administrator and Director of Public Works Norm McGuire said the city has undergone “unprecedented growth” over the past decade. He said past city councils, in spite of the growth, failed to make water infrastructure projects a priority, which created “major operational” issues for the city.
Looking back to August, the council okayed a 120-day moratorium on all new residential and commercial development on the north side of the city. It extended it again in December.
The only councilmember to vote in favor of the waiver, Howard Wood, was worried about a lawsuit otherwise. The larger issue, however, according to City Administrator Gary Scott is the health and safety of current residents.
To ensure the city was making the right decision, Scott said a half-dozen engineers had looked over the data the city gathered on the water infrastructure concerns.
Jason Miller said there are several projects underway to supply more water to the north, which includes a new water well near Moran Ranch. That is set to come online in September.
Miller added that the staff will reevaluate the water situation once those projects are complete.
