City Council approved CCCC’s planned unit development in June to build on the land off FM 528, known locally as the Whitcomb Property.
The PUD proposed about 35 acres for a church with the remaining land zoned for commercial use.
Morad Kabiri, Friendswood assistant city manager, said CCCC filed the tax exemption application soon after acquiring the land in late May. Although this was during the church’s zone-change request process with the city, CCCC withheld its pending tax exemption application, city officials said.“In the midst of that [rezoning] discussion, the church had submitted a tax exemption application to [the] Harris County Appraisal District long before the PUD application was ever approved for the entire 135 acres,” Kabiri said. “When [city] staff was made aware of this [after] the PUD approval, we met with the [HCAD] and were basically denied any procedural [options] or any opportunity to contest the tax-exempt status granted for the property.”
In late March, Kabiri and City Attorney Arnold Polanco appeared before the HCAD review board, which upheld its decision on the property.
Polanco said that process exhausted all administrative remedies, and the city would need to take legal action to overturn the ruling.
Council members Patrick McGinnis and Steve Rockey expressed disappointment at the regular meeting April 4.
“I can’t tell you how my heart sank when I read about this [decision],” McGinnis said.
The council voted unanimously to file a notice of appeal against CCCC.
“When the leaders of [CCCC] spoke to council, told us what great citizens they would be and asked us to consider that rezoning for them, I had the impression they were going to have a good partnership with the city and our citizens because of their great enthusiasm [about] coming to Friendswood,” McGinnis said. “I was very, very disheartened when I read this was their action.”
