Magnolia City Council will consider extending its temporary development moratorium for 120 days at its Aug. 8 meeting, according to the meeting agenda.
Zooming out
Originally enacted last December, the temporary development moratorium was put in place because the city’s water facilities are at capacity and “are inadequate and insufficient to adequately serve new development,” according to the ordinance.
Around 11,000 new connections are expected to be needed from new developments over the next five years, Community Impact previously reported.
The details
This will be the second extension for the moratorium, which was first extended in April, Community Impact previously reported.
The moratorium applies to all property within city limits and its extraterritorial jurisdiction unless it falls within an exception. According to the ordinance, exceptions include:
- Projects that do not impact the city’s water capacity
- Ongoing projects
- Projects that are grandfathered under state law
- Property owners who have a negotiated approval granted by City Council
Well progress report
Since putting the moratorium in place, the city has begun the construction of two water wells with Well No. 7 and Well No. 8 expected to be completed this year, Community Impact previously reported. Another well, Well No. 9, is anticipated to be completed in late fall 2024.
In an Aug. 2 memo, Magnolia City Engineer Tim Robertson said Well No. 7 has temporary pumping equipment that will soon be replaced with permanent equipment. Robertson also said the city has increased its water capacity by 850 gallons per minute, allowing Magnolia to begin issuing meters for new connections.
“Once the permanent equipment is installed in Well No. 7, the city will have a total well capacity of approximately 3,800 [gallons per minute],” Robertson said in the memo. “Completion of Well No. 8 will bring the total firm well capacity across the water system to approximately 4,300 [gallons per minute]. This 4,300[-gallon-per-minute] capacity is scheduled to be available before the end of the year.”
Stay tuned
Magnolia City Council will meet Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. at Magnolia City Hall, 18111 Buddy Riley Blvd., Magnolia.
Read Robertson’s Aug. 2 memo below.
Read the temporary development moratorium ordinance below.
