SUBJECT: Petition for the City’s consent to the addition of two (2) tracts of land totaling 146.97 acres to Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 540.
RECOMMENDATION: Petition for the City’s consent to the addition of two (2) tracts of land totaling 146.97 acres to Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 540 be approved.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION: Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 540 (the “District”) was created through an act of Texas Legislature in 2015, and currently consists of 396.40 acres within Harris County. The District is within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston (the “City”) and has petitioned the City for consent to add two (2) tracts of land totaling 146.97 acres of vacant land, proposed be developed as single family residential, commercial, institutional, green space, and ROW property, to the District. The proposed annexation tract is located in the vicinity of Stockdick School Road, Porter Road, Beckendorf Road, and Peek Road. The addition of land to the District does not release it from the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
The Utility District Review Committee has evaluated the application with respect to wastewater collection and treatment, potable water distribution, storm water conveyance, and other public services.
The District wastewater collection system and treatment facility is currently under design. Potable water will be provided by the District.
The nearest major drainage facility for Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 540 is South Mayde Creek, which flows into Langham Creek, then to Buffalo Bayou, and finally into the Houston Ship Channel. South Mayde Creek is within the Addicks Reservoir watershed. The proposed annexation tract is partially within the 100 year floodplain (50%), and within the 500 year floodplain (22%).
The application for annexation was submitted to the city on February 19, 2020. The master drainage plan for the proposed annexed land and the western portion of the existing Harris County MUD 540 was approved by Harris County Flood Control District on July 29, 2020. The approved drainage plan consists of five (5) interconnecting basins adjacent to the north bank of South Mayde Creek and two (2) interconnecting basins adjacent to the south bank. To date six (6) of the basins are constructed with the remaining basin 75% constructed. Located within the proposed annex tract is the Aurora Community where the utility and paving improvements have been constructed for Section1. Section 2 of the community infrastructure is scheduled to start construction middle of November 2021. Lots within the neighborhood are approximately 4-5 feet above the regulatory 100 year flood elevation. Located within the western tract of the existing Harris County MUD 540 is the Katy Legacy Community where utility and paving infrastructure has been constructed for Section1- Stage 1.
By executing the Petition for Consent, the District has acknowledged that all plans for the construction of water conveyance, wastewater collection, and storm water collection systems within the District must be approved by the City prior to their construction.
The Utility District Review Committee recommends that the subject petition be approved.
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Carol Ellinger Haddock, P. E.
Director
Houston Public Works