The Georgetown City Council approved the first reading regarding the annexation and rezoning of 52.48 acres at its Oct. 25 meeting.

The property, located at 3360 Westinghouse Road, Georgetown, has housed the Gateway College Preparatory School headquarters since 1995.

The site is also located in the Georgetown extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ, and is reserved for mixed density neighborhood and community center zoning, but with an official second reading, it will be rezoned for public facility.

Ethan Harwell, a planning analyst at Kimley Horn, said the annexation is necessary to adhere to Georgetown’s unified development code and waste water standards.

Additionally, Harwell said Gateway’s managing partner, Orenda Education, plans to develop a new high school annex, a new elementary/middle school building, additional parking and an improved pickup/drop-off route on the property.

According to Orenda Education CEO Richard Rickey, Gateway has more than 1,500 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade and expects more in the coming years.

A second reading will need to be approved before development begins.