To Annex Or Not To Annex The Woodlands

[pineda]

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03/28/2005

Bill gives The Woodlands a choice in annexation

By: Burton Speakman , Courier Staff

THE WOODLANDS - A bill awaiting a vote in a state House of Representatives committee would allow residents of The Woodlands to decide whether they want to be annexed by Houston.

House Bill 323 would require voter approval from the city as well as the area proposed to be annexed. The area also could be annexed if the majority of registered voters in the area petition to be annexed or no qualified voters reside in the area.

State Rep. Anna Mowry, R-Fort Worth, filed the bill. It would directly affect The Woodlands, which resides in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston. A moratorium with Houston expires in 2011 that would allow the city to begin annexation procedures for The Woodlands. Under current state law, The Woodlands cannot avoid annexation without the permission of Houston.

"This bill would make the annexation process more of a marriage and less of a kidnapping," state Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, said.

A city would have to sell the residents of an unincorporated area on the process instead of just forcing the issue on them, Eissler said.

"It puts the will of the annexed area into the equation," he said.

Many representatives who aren't from large cities are supportive of the bill.

The Woodlands originally was created by George Mitchell with the intention of becoming part of Houston.

"But I don't think most of the people who have moved there since are on that wavelength," Eissler said.

The calendar chairman is part of the Houston delegation that opposes the bill, Eissler said.

The Woodlands Association and the Woodlands Community Association, which govern portions of The Woodlands, have hired Bob Stout to provide lobbying services in regard to the bill during the current session.

A Future Governance Committee also has been set up within The Woodlands to deal with the issue of future governance. It has set a goal of two to three years to come to a conclusion on the issue. The committee will meet at 4 p.m. today at the Community Associations of The Woodlands, located on Lake Woodlands Drive. The meeting is open to the public.

If the bill passes, it would eliminate the concern to get something done before the moratorium agreement deadline, Future Governance Committee Chairman Bruce Tough said.

The bill is the only current legislative option that would give The Woodlands an option to determine its own future, he said.

"I hope it passes and then gets a companion bill in the Senate so that we have the freedom of determining our own governance," Tough said.

This is the same bill that was proposed two years ago. State Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, filed the companion bill, Tough said.

When the Future Governance Committee first started meeting, it identified up to 11 future options for the future governance of The Woodlands, along with positives and negatives of each option.

Other options for The Woodlands that have been identified by the Future Governance Committee are status quo, current structure with improvement/special districts, current structure with district elected, annexation by existing municipality, expansion of non-annexation agreements, incorporation, incorporation with development agreement, nontraditional municipal incorporation, limited annexation, staged incorporation or a hybrid structure created by the committee.

"We'll probably focus on four or five," Tough said.

He did not elaborate on what the options might be.

Burton Speakman can be reached at bspeakman@mail.hcnonline.net.

[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

The Woodlands will be annexed.

[Parrothead]

Why can't they just become a city, like Bellaire or West U? I hope they don't go the way of Kingwood.

Besides, how can Houston annex them when they aren't even in the same county? Or does that not matter, I guess?

[HOUCAJUN]

what would this mean for houston?

[yall_are_nutty]

the woodlands will never be annexed. willing to bet any amount of money on it.

[houstonsemipro]

They already said Woodlands will be annexed anyway in 2011. So whats the problem?

[kzseattle]

They already said Woodlands will be annexed anyway in 2011. So whats the problem?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, Houston can't annex Woodlands before 2011. This vote would determine whether Houston would be able to do that after 2011.

[The Great Hizzy!]

A moratorium with Houston expires in 2011 that would allow the city to begin annexation procedures for The Woodlands.

The way I interpret this is that the moratorium expires in 2011, and such an expiration would open the door for the COH to begin annexation if it so desires.

[kzseattle]

The way I interpret this is that the moratorium expires in 2011, and such an expiration would open the door for the COH to begin annexation if it so desires.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yup, thats what I think too. I read it some place else too, that is, COH cannot annex Woodlands before 2011.

[LTAWACS]

Annex them. That will teach them a lesson.

[kjb434]

From what i remember, the woodlands operating company told me that they do not want to be annexed, but they have no choice since they are in the ETJ. The bill would just give the people living there the ability to get involved versus it just happening without there input.

The Woodlands would have to get special permission from the state to try to incorporate themselves. They would have to develope a charter and have it approved in Austin.

Also, they will have to cite why it would be better for them to do it alone instead having an existing incorporated area handle it.

The one good thing is that the property taxes in the woodlands may go down.

The weird thing is that a large part the woodlands does not follow all of the city of Houston building codes. I specifically know the for their storm sewer lines. It is more a preference than something technical, but i guess the city sees the potential revenue and don't care.

[GovernorAggie]

The only difference to me is that Houston will add 100,000 people to its population. The Woodlands can just become a TIRZ and keep its deed restrictions and remain just as it is.

[kzseattle]

Annex them. That will teach them a lesson.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You make it sounds like becoming part of Houston would be a punishment. Yet, you complain why aren't they part of Houston!

[The Great Hizzy!]

I could be wrong, but I think LTAWACS is saying something along the lines of, "They chose The Woodlands over the city, to avoid the city, and now they face being in the city anyway. Next time, choose the city first."

I could be wrong, though.

[kjb434]

The same thing happend to Kingwood. Was recently that they became part of the city of Houston.

[Lowbrow]

I could be wrong, but I think LTAWACS is saying something along the lines of, "They chose The Woodlands over the city, to avoid the city, and now they face being in the city anyway. Next time, choose the city first."

I could be wrong, though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't pretend to ever know what he means.

[kjb434]

hehe, (LOL)

[Parrothead]

WTF?! Annex to teach them a lesson?

Yeah...uh, I'm sure that would teach them whatever it is you think they ought to learn.

I grew up in Kingwood and know a lot of folks that are still seething due to the annexation. I don't blame 'em. The last time I was there the medians and grass looked like crap. But, ultimately it isn't the City of Houston's fault that Kingwood decided to chop down all their trees in the front and ruin their image....I cringe whenever I think about it.

[kjb434]

I always look at maps of Houston's ETJ and wonder if they could ever truly support that large of an area. Many of the MUD districts do ok managing their water, garbage and sewage; but i don't know if Houston can handle the Police coverage out there.

[kzseattle]

WTF?!  Annex to teach them a lesson?

Yeah...uh, I'm sure that would teach them whatever it is you think they ought to learn. 

I grew up in Kingwood and know a lot of folks that are still seething due to the annexation.  I don't blame 'em.  The last time I was there the medians and grass looked like crap.  But, ultimately it isn't the City of Houston's fault that Kingwood decided to chop down all their trees in the front and ruin their image....I cringe whenever I think about it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isn

[kzseattle]

Well, they'd do it just the same way they do it in Kingwood, Clearlake, Blue Ridge (Fondren south of the Belt in FB county), IAH, & Willowbrook.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So what is Houston's track record with regards to annexation? Did the areas they annexed detoriated, stayed the same or improved?

[kzseattle]

Well, you have Kingwood, Clearlake & Willowbrook as the last 3 major unincorporated areas that were annexed. They seem to be doing well. They might not be doing as well before, but they aren't ghetto either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Keywords : They might not be doing as well before. If this is the case, then it would be hard to convince those in Woodlands to become part of Houston. While COA would add 100,000 tax payers, what would Woodlands "gain" by being annexed? I wonder what would annexation would do to property values.

[Parrothead]

kz, that's exactly right. Property owners don't want to see their value or their amenities reduced at all. "not doing as well as before" doesn't cut the mustard.

I'm not sure about your answer to the HOA maintenance issues. The Villages all maintain seperate HOA's so I don't know who is responsible for what. Before Clear Lake City was annexed, they were doing their own esplanade/median/curb detail through a private company, but after the annexation the city of Houston did the common areas and they did a real crappy job, letting too much time go between cuttings. I remember the complaints resurfacing when the Kingwood annexation began.

Part of the HOA dues when we lived there was private garbage pick-up. It was quite nice; little golf-cart-truck looking things would scurry up your driveway, dump your garbage in the back and put your cans right back where they were. You never had to drag your cans to the curb. I haven't seen that anywhere since and wonder if they still do it.

[kzseattle]

kz, that's exactly right.  Property owners don't want to see their value or their amenities reduced at all.  "not doing as well as before" doesn't cut the mustard.

I'm not sure about your answer to the HOA maintenance issues.  The Villages all maintain seperate HOA's so I don't know who is responsible for what.  Before Clear Lake City was annexed, they were doing their own esplanade/median/curb detail through a private company, but after the annexation the city of Houston did the common areas and they did a real crappy job, letting too much time go between cuttings.  I remember the complaints resurfacing when the Kingwood annexation began.

Part of the HOA dues when we lived there was private garbage pick-up.  It was quite nice; little golf-cart-truck looking things would scurry up your driveway, dump your garbage in the back and put your cans right back where they were.  You never had to drag your cans to the curb.  I haven't seen that anywhere since and wonder if they still do it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

See? And then folks complain why do people choose to live outside the limits of COA. Given the prospect of reduction in property values and possibility of deterioration of public services, it seems highly unlikely that Woodlands would choose to become part of Houston.

It is unclear to me, however, how would the responsibilities for public services be split between COH and Woodlands Association. Would its schools become part of HISD? Police and fire departments would certainly be responsibilities of COH. What about roads, medians, parks and other public amenities? I know that currently residents of Woodlands pay about %0.5 of the values of their properties to Woodlands association to maintain those amenities. If those responsibilities stay with Woodlands association, then perhaps it may not see much change after annexation. Otherwise, the quality of those services could go downhill.

[Trophy Property]

I don't know about Police, but for Fire & EMS, it would be a small mess to transfer. The problem is that unlike Kingwood or Clearlake, the Woodlands has a paid fire department that is also Unioned. I don't see how you could just go in there and cut them all loose without some sort of lawsuit. Besides, COH & the WL fire depts. both belong to the international Union. I think it would be a mess to try and intigrate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are there any non-union firefighters out there. I just figured it was part of the deal, you had to be in a union.

[kjb434]

The Woodlands schools would stay in the Conroe ISD. School districst are independant of the cities and counties. That's why they are called Idependant School Districts. The city of Houston has several school districts within its limits.

HISD, Aldin ISD, Spring Branch ISD, Katy ISD, Klein ISD, Cy-Fair ISD, Each of these have portions in the city and out.

Also, as long as the MUDs stay intact and become in-city MUDs, the city wouldn't really change too much unless the MUD gives up the responsibility to the city.

[GovernorAggie]

Yeah, those ISD's have powers that school systems in other states lie awake at night wishing they had. They are almost like their own cities.

[pineda]

Heard that Hinijosa from Spring ISD is interviewing with the Dallas ISD. I don't think he's even been there 2 years. He replaced Dr. Folks who also wasn't there even 2 or 3 years. What gives with these superintendents coming in, screwing up a district with some "master plan" and jumping ship right afterwards? Is this just the way it is these days with superintendents all over the country or just in Texas?

[TX_AGGIES_00]

I'm from The Woodlands and from what I've heard, Houston can't annex The Woodlands until 2011. However, Houston currently has no interest in annexing. Another possibility is The Woodlands can be annex by Conroe.

[The Great Hizzy!]

As I said, a couple of weeks ago, I was in The Woodlands and I noticed that Conroe has extended its incorporated limits further south along I-45 to below SH 1488 (only a mile or so north of The Woodlands management area). Not only that, but their incorporated limits go a couple miles west and east of I-45 alonng SH 1488.

So it is very conceivable that The Woodlands could incorporate itself or be annexed by Conroe if not by the COH.

I would imagine that the annexation of The Woodlands along with its own natural growth would cause Conroe to give Sugarland a run for its money for the area's third largest municipality in the next decade (assuming annexation occurs in the next decade).