Developer seeks city help to widen 12th Street for 175,000-sq-ft warehouse; residents warn of traffic, drainage and light impacts

Jack Smith, representing Bryant Stacy Group, told the Brookshire City Council at a May 14 town hall that the developer has the 12th Street site under contract and plans a 175,000-square-foot Class A industrial building, but said the project depends on reconstructing the existing 18-foot road to roughly 30 feet so 18-wheelers can access the site.

Why it matters: The proposed road work would change traffic patterns on a residential street, and residents who live along 12th Street told the council they fear increased truck traffic, nighttime lighting, and new stormwater flows onto neighboring properties. The city did not take formal action at the town hall; council members and staff said design and study work would be needed before any commitments are made.

Smith said contractors have estimated the road reconstruction would take about four to six months and gave a developer estimate for the road work of roughly $1.66 million. "Without construction of the road, 12 Street, this project is tough for us to deliver," Smith said, adding his team could discuss financing or payback arrangements with the city.

The developer also presented a baseline property-tax projection tied to the site, saying the building could generate about $338,000 a year in property-tax revenue on the valuation assumptions shown to the council.

Residents pushed back. Elton Foster, who identified himself as a 12th Street resident and property owner, said: "We already have some issues with getting from 12th Street to 359," and warned that 18-wheelers turning onto 359 would need larger turning radii and could require widening 359 itself. He also said a proposed detention pond and lighting for a warehouse would affect neighbors.

Cara Oliver, a graduate research assistant at Prairie View A&M University, asked whether the developers had completed a downstream impact analysis for runoff and urged the council to wait until zoning and engineering studies are finished. "Runoff is going to be a big issue, especially with all the concrete going down," she said.

Staff and the developer acknowledged those concerns and repeatedly described the cost and timing figures as preliminary. Smith said the site contains on-site detention and that engineers had discussed directing stormwater toward Brookshire Creek; he and staff said no drainage engineer had been engaged for a final design and encouraged the city to ask LJA (an engineering firm referenced in the meeting) to model drainage and turning radii so impacts could be assessed.

The transcript shows staff told residents that the City of Brookshire does not currently have zoning, which residents said complicates how the area will transition from residential to commercial uses.

No formal motion, vote or contractual commitment occurred at the meeting. Council members said the town hall was intended to inform residents and that zoning, design studies and developer proposals will need further review before the council can authorize any municipal expenditures or easements. The town hall portion closed at 6:38 p.m.; the council adjourned at 6:49 p.m.

Next steps: Staff and the developer suggested the city consider engaging LJA or similar engineers to produce traffic and drainage analyses and to provide engineered cost estimates before the council decides whether to authorize city participation in road reconstruction.