BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL APPROVES 170-ACRE ANNEXATION & REZONING
After a three-hour meeting, Brenham City Councilmembers voted today (Thursday) to approve the first reading of items to annex and assign special zoning for roughly 170 acres on the northwest side of town.
The subject 171.79 acres being annexed includes 169.42 acres south and west of Dixie Road and north of Sunset Road, 1.6 acres of right-of-way developed as Dixie Road, and an associated 0.778-acre tract. The annexation is needed to rezone the land as a planned development district (PDD) to accommodate Stylecraft Builders’ plans to extend the Vintage Farms subdivision with a mixture of over 600 lots of new residential development, slated for multiple phases over the course of at least 12 years.
The council voted 5-2 on the annexation, with Councilmembers Leah Cook and Adonna Saunders voting against. The council was unanimous in approving the PDD, as well as a municipal service agreement outlining the city services provided to property owners through the annexation.
(City of Brenham)
The presence of 15 acres of multifamily space in the development was a major discussion point leading up to the meeting, which drew numerous residents for comments. However, City Planner Shauna Laauwe announced before the opening of the public hearing that the developer met with residents who spoke at last week’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and decided to replace the multifamily piece with “dense residential”, which can include townhomes, twin homes and cluster housing, but no multifamily dwellings.
Additionally, plans of the developer include connecting Westwood Lane to Dixie Road at the north end of the tract, developing Westwood Lane with a roundabout, putting in sidewalks and trails within the residential area, constructing sidewalks in the greenspace/common areas and along Westwood Lane, and installing perimeter fencing and landscaping along Dixie Road, Vintage Farms Way and Westwood Lane.
The “dense residential” encourages alleys but does not allow driveway access to Westwood Lane or Vintage Farms Way. A minimum 35-foot bufferyard will be in place from the property line of the existing Vintage Farms single-family homes.
Stephen Grove, Vice President of Development and Acquisition at Stylecraft, said the company understands that Brenham needs multiple options for attainably-priced housing, and is happy to work with the city and residents to achieve an agreeable solution.
While most residents who spoke indicated they were appreciative of the adjustment to remove the multifamily piece, several of them urged the council to remain cognizant of how large development projects like this will change the community as a whole and to not lose touch with Brenham’s identity.
Councilmembers had mixed feelings about the development. Councilmember Cook said she is not against Stylecraft, but she felt more things needed to be negotiated with this project and that she could not get behind it right now. Councilmember Saunders had concerns about the financial impact to the city for what it will need to implement; while the developer will take on the cost of Westwood Lane improvements within the development, the roundabout, Vintage Farms Way and all local subdivision streets, the city will be responsible for Westwood Lane within the current city limits and for Dixie Road from the future Westwood Lane to Highway 36.
Mayor Pro Tem Clint Kolby said the city will always struggle between choosing growth and keeping Brenham the same, but he feels this project provides a balance and a positive impact for the community by alleviating many concerns with available housing. Mayor Atwood Kenjura said other communities have had to stop growing because they could not afford the infrastructure costs, and that while Brenham has impact fees now to mitigate those costs, he understands the concerns of being able to afford the capital needs that come with an influx in population. Councilmember Steve Soman gave a reminder that this meeting was just for the first of two readings on the issue, the second reading being expected at the council’s September 18th meeting, and he encouraged further dialogue to hash out any concerns that might remain from the council or the public.
Budget & Tax Rate
Today’s meeting also included public hearings and votes on the 2025-26 budget and tax rate, both of which were adopted unanimously. The budget of $116,262,861 raises an additional $855,418 in property tax revenue, or 7.81 percent, when compared to the past year’s budget. Of that amount, the property tax revenue coming from new property on the tax roll this year is $191,678.
The new tax rate of $0.4676 per $100 valuation is higher than the previous rate of $0.4584, but it is lower than the no-new-revenue rate of $0.4691. It consists of $0.3256 for maintenance and operations, up $0.0092, and $0.1420 for interest and sinking, no difference from the old rate.
With the new tax rate, combined with an increase in property values, the tax on the average homestead is projected to rise by $90.99, or 7.3 percent.
In other business today, the council:
- Approved a resolution amending the city’s financial policies, raising the competitive procurement threshold from $50,000 to $100,000. With the change, three vendor quotes, or purchase from a cooperative program, will be required for all purchases between $3,000 and $99,999. Any purchases of $100,000 or greater will require a formal bid process. All purchases greater than $50,000 will still require city council authorization.
- Approved a resolution adopting a policy in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Non-Discrimination for City of Brenham facilities and public services. The city is required to publish a public notice of the organization’s adopted non-discrimination policy, establish a formal complaint process and designate an ADA coordinator to process grievances received.
Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.
