The 249 Partnership—a group dedicated to the development of Hwy. 249 in Tomball, Magnolia and Navasota—took another step toward establishing tangible objectives and a list of stakeholders in a meeting at Magnolia City Hall Feb. 22.

John Fishero, chair of the partnership's interim board and chair of the Tomball transportation committee, said he came up with a list of 238 stakeholders in the Tomball area—ranging from land owners and developers to residents—who expressed interest in the project. He asked officials in Magnolia and Navasota to do the same in hopes of getting as many people involved as possible.

"A project like this really takes a lot of people and a long-lasting concerted effort," he said.

The board intends to set up an email campaign to keep all stakeholders in the loop and also discussed the possibility of setting up a website where users can leave comments.

The partnership identified its major goals: expanding Hwy. 249 from Spring Cypress to FM 1774, advocating economic development and mobility and keeping the public educated.

"We need to be a conduit for what's going on and get the facts and information out there in a timely manner," said Paul Mendes, vice chair of the interim board and Magnolia's city manager.

Fishero noted that some opposition to the project was based on misinformation, namely that, once built, the toll road would replace the current road and would be the only option.

"If (people) don't want to pay the toll, they can drive on the same road that they already do," he said.

A long-term vision for the partnership involves connecting Magnolia to both Navasota and College Station by linking FM 1774 to Hwy. 6.

The interim board consists of three representatives each from Magnolia, Tomball and Navasota. The board believes the project is crucial in dealing with traffic issues and preparing for future population increases.

"We're going to see a wave of people coming to Texas in the next 20–30 years," said Lamar Casparis, chair-elect for the Tomball Chamber of Commerce. "We're going to have growth—there's no way around that."

City administrators for each city were tasked with developing nomination committees to appoint members to a permanent board. Proposals for how to select board members will be presented at the partnership's next meeting.

Fishero said he hopes to wrap up the partnership's organization phase at the next meeting and start addressing their goals. The next meeting will take place March 20 at Magnolia City Hall, located at 18111 Buddy Riley Blvd.