A long-awaited Costco Wholesale took the first step toward opening when the city of Houston’s planning commission approved the land-use plan in late August for an 18-acre tract off Hwy. 290 near Mueschke Road, where the company plans to build. Several readers reached out to us wondering why the city of Houston needs to approve land use in unincorporated Cypress.

The tract in question does not fall within Houston city limits. However, the land does fall within its extraterritorial jurisdiction, meaning the land has to be approved for how it will be subdivided.

Although Houston does not enforce zoning ordinances, the planning commission is tasked with checking how far set back the building is from the property line and if there is adequate right of way between the building and the street. The city engineer also checks with the Harris County Flood Control District if detention is required.