League City City Council denied an ordinance at its March 24 meeting to rezone nearly 8 acres of land along the north side of West League City Parkway and west of Cones Lane to general commercial.
The motion, which was denied in a 0-8 vote, would have rezoned the land from a residential single-family zone to commercial, according to city documents.
What you need to know
Council member Chad Tressler said the general commercial zoning was not appropriate to put directly next to a residential subdivision.
Mayor Pro Tem Sean Saunders also noted that allowing general commercial zoning would allow a future buyer to build something entirely different, such as a hotel.
“The problem is the fact that ... if property does sell or ownership does change or management does change, it's a general commercial piece of property and we have no control over it after that point," he said at the meeting.
The land would have commenced in two phases, with the first including office condos, retail and a convenience store. The second phase would include fast-food restaurants, a Montessori school and a car wash.
What the residents are saying
Cones Lane homeowner Robert Osborne said he was open to smaller-scale businesses, such as coffee shops and professional offices, but drew the line at high-intensity uses like gas stations and car washes.
"We're not asking for you to stop development,” he said at the meeting. “We're asking for balance, for compatibility, and for the city to uphold the expectations that homeowners have relied on when making one of the biggest investments of their lives. Neighborhood commercial zoning achieves that balance."
What’s next
With both residents and council members open to neighborhood commercial zoning, the developer will need to start the process over by submitting a new rezoning application specifically requesting "neighborhood commercial" status.
The city must issue new legal notices to the surrounding residents outlining the revised neighborhood commercial request before any new votes can take place. However, city staff said they would try to expedite this process as much as possible.
