Commission approves Spencer Highway industrial site plan with six buildings totaling ~120,000 sq ft

The La Porte Planning & Zoning Commission on Aug. 27 approved a major development site plan (SP20260009) for a proposed industrial development along Spencer Highway, a staff presentation said. Planning staff described the development as six buildings totaling "approximately 120,000 square feet," with one access drive from Spencer Highway, internal private drives, a detention pond in Reserve 3, and extensive landscaping where the applicant proposes 43% landscaped area compared with the 10% minimum required by code.

John M. Matthews, Planning and Development Services, told the commission the property falls within a planned unit development (PUD) with underlying business-industrial and general commercial zoning and that the proposal conforms to the PUD’s use table where applicable. He said staff reviewed the plan against zoning regulations, the approved SCUP, and county reviews and recommended approval, noting civil permits and fire review remain in progress. Matthews said the development "is proposed as a single non phase project" and, because the site is over 10 acres, the commission must approve the major site plan.

During questioning commissioners focused on site access, landscape buffers and whether certain roll-up doors should be classified as truck bays. Matthews explained the front yard buffer along Bay Area Boulevard is 25 feet and side buffers are 4 feet; he said the SCUP and the city ordinance lack a definitive dimensional standard to classify some roll-up openings as truck bays. Developer Larry Sloan of Trident Real Estate Partners said the doors "do go all the way to grade on on the floor versus elevated truck docks" and that, based on prior reviews, staff and the applicant concurred the openings are not elevated truck bays.

A nearby resident, Mercy Estrada, urged caution about truck traffic, saying, "they're gonna allow 10 per trucks 10 trucks per day. I would be concerned with that if I was a resident living in that area." Commissioners and staff said Harris County flood-control and county engineering approvals had been received and that the site’s location in the flood plain is being addressed as part of civil-permit reviews. After discussion a motion to approve the site plan (mover recorded by the chair as Commissioner Fallas; second Commissioner Landin) carried by voice vote as the chair declared the motion carried.

The commission’s approval is a recommendation-level final action for the major site plan under local code; separate civil and building permits remain required before construction can begin.