At its Dec. 21 special meeting, the Magnolia City Council approved an ordinance enacting a temporary development moratorium for 120 days. After the 120 days, the City Council can choose to renew or extend the moratorium, according to the ordinance.

The city’s water facilities are at capacity and "are inadequate and insufficient to adequately serve new development,” according to the ordinance. The ordinance also asserts that there is no more water capacity available to commit to the development of lots.

In effect for property within city limits and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, the temporary development moratorium does not affect projects that do not impact the city’s water capacity, projects that are in progress and have city permits that are not expired as of Dec. 16 or projects that are grandfathered under as provided by state law, according to the ordinance.

To identify if a project is considered an exception to the moratorium, property owners can apply for an exception while property owners who would like to continue with the development permitting process during the temporary moratorium can request a waiver, according to the ordinance.

The city is working to bring two new water wells online in 2023, according to the ordinance.

Meanwhile, a temporary water system is underway for the east side of Magnolia, where the Magnolia Place and Magnolia Village developments are located, after the council approved the Magnolia Economic Development Corp.’s 4A project list at a special meeting Nov. 29, Community Impact previously reported.

The city is also under a Stage 2 drought with water restrictions, which was enacted in early October, Community Impact previously reported.

View the temporary development moratorium ordinance below.