Brittany Point, LLC’s petition to annex 55 acres on the north side of Hwy 30 into the City of Gonzales was approved by a 3-2 vote of the City Council on Monday, following a 4-1 recommendation by the Planning Commission last month. Planning’s decision was a reversal of its 2024 recommendation to deny Brittany Point’s (represented by developers Doug and Beau Diez) petition. The decision puts to wrest an issue on various of the city’s council and planning agendas going back a year-and-a-half.
The former city council wanted no part of the annexation during last year’s campaign season, so back to Planning it went earlier this year. On Monday the council, with three new members since January, voted to adopt an ordinance annexing the acreage into the city.
In a strange twist there were more public speakers in support of the Diez petition (10), than those in opposition (4). That fact than support came almost uniformly from individuals residing outside the city limits did not derail the vote.
Smaller in number, and notably less vocal, a contingent of neighboring residents showed up again in opposition. Little of the issues impeding annexation were prominently discussed on Monday.
To recap, the development team failed to convince the Planning Commission on January 3, 2024 when that five-member appointed panel recommended denial of its petition. Planning minutes for that Public Hearing summarize commissioner concerns:
- Adverse impact on drainage, with corresponding increase in flood insurance premiums.
- Increased fire insurance premiums due to diminished fire rating, due to longer response times.
- Potential negative impact on localized property values.
Planning’s recommendation to the Council was…
“To deny the petition of annexation…because of the negative impacts on fire and flood insurance and insufficient information on the quality of the product, including square footage, cost issues.”
After a contentious February 19 (2024) council meeting the elective governing authority, by a 3-2 vote, sent the annexation petition back to the Planning Commission where it languished for a year.
The Diezes, along with their engineer, argued that the concerns expressed 17 months ago have been addressed. Promising to mitigate, if not improve local drainage, the Brittany Point team satisfied a council majority.
Initial plans to build a residential subdivision having been scrapped in favor of a commercial development…
The case for Brittany Point’s annexation into the City of Gonzales | Pelican Post – Online Newspaper
Good enough for Council members Eddie Williams, Kirk Boudreaux and Terri Lambert. Councilwoman Cynthia Gray James and Councilman Tyler Turner formed Monday’s minority.
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