The Missouri City City Council approved a land rezoning proposal, a tax break, and council members also agreed on a proposed property tax rate for fiscal year 2017-18 to be voted on next month.

 

Residents speak against rezoning

After a heated debate, the City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 30 acres of land on the city’s north side to make way for an industrial business park.

A number of residents of Colony Crossing subdivision—located along South Gessner Road between the Fort Bend Tollway and Cravens Road—spoke against the proposed rezoning of the land, which lies about 2 miles south of the subdivision.

Those residents told council members the existing industrial businesses near their subdivision create traffic and noise. Some residents asked the council to build sound walls to reduce noise while others spoke against increasing industrial development in their area.

“We have a lot of noise,” Raymond Fontenot said. “We have traffic galore. If I knew that area was going to look like it is now, I wouldn’t have moved there. Please have some feeling for us.”

Speaking in defense of those residents, Council Member Yolanda Ford said, “We’re concentrating industrial in only one area of the city. You don’t do that.”

 

Property tax break approved for industrial development on first reading

The council voted to create a tax increment reinvestment zone that will reduce property taxes on future improvements to a parcel of property on the north side of the city.

The approved ordinance creating the zone did not specify the amount of the tax break. It passed unanimously. The zone and the tax reduction that goes with it will exist for five years, as stipulated in the approved ordinance. However, the ordinance also states the life of the zone and abatement can be extended.

The tax break was requested by a company looking to build a distribution warehouse facility on the site, according to meeting documents. City officials did not reveal the identity of the company.

The parcel of land is located at the northern corner of the intersection of Hwy. 90 and Cravens Road. The land is vacant.

The action was the first of two required readings.

 

Proposed tax rate set

The council voted unanimously to set the proposed property tax rate for the fiscal year 2017-18 budget at $0.60062 per $100 valuation. The property tax rate for FY 2016-17 is $0.56010 per $100 valuation.

This proposed rate will be voted on at a City Council meeting in October.