In an interesting turn of events at last Monday’s Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) meeting, the industrial property, purchased by the MDD several years ago, needs to be zoned as either residential or commercial. When the property was purchased there was a definite plan to use it as an industrial site and all of the utilities such as water, electricity and sewer were already in place.
The acreage doesn’t have an official address yet but is located near 946 FM 487, a little past the Rockdale Regional Juvenile Justice Center.
According to Economic Development Director Jim Gibson, “There are pros and cons for both residential and commercial zoning. I wish I had a rock solid reason why we should go one way or another, but unfortunately there isn’t one,” he told the MDD board of directors.
Pros for industrial zoning
• The property is already set up and zoned for industrial use.
• All utilities are sized for industrial use.
• Adjoining land uses support industrial.
• Up to 300 megawatts of electricity can be delivered.
• The city needs more industrial value on tax rolls to achieve fiscal balance and bring the tax rate down. • The city could use a
• The city could use a large volume water customer because profit margins could reduce pressure to raise utility rates.
Cons for industrial zoning
• The MDD can’t guarantee that they could quickly get an industrial tenant.
• Truck access from the property to US 79 is not ideal. An industrial site on US 77 would be a better location.
Pros for residential zoning • The city desperately
• The city desperately needs housing stock to meet existing needs as well as future growth should the American Statesman Glove Co. (or any other company with a high number of employees) choose Rockdale as its location.
• Will enhance the city’s demographics through higher valued housing.
• Would help the city to land other employers.
• Will help local employers retain employees.
• Could spur more commercial development with more retailers which would expand the city’s sales tax base.
• Could move faster with a sale. • Could probably move
• Could probably move residential property quickly.
Cons for residential zoning
• The location is a bit removed for a large subdivision. It is far from schools and employment locations.
• Sewer infrastructure will initially support residential development but would need to be upgraded as more homes are built.
• The city has over 720 meter connections before the current permit is exceeded, so residential develop-ment would trigger a utility expansion project.
If the property is zoned commercial it would need to be documented so that it could be advertised as available. The MDD would need to devote resources to identify and document other areas for potential commercial and residential areas.
Or, the MDD could sell the entire property, pay off debt and use the remainder to help buy a new industrial park at a better location.
The board decided to look into the practically and rationality of residential zoning.
In other MDD news, the board voted Allan Miller as president, Nathan Bland as vice president and renewed the terms of Denise Holmes Wallace and Ricky Coppedge as secretary and treasurer.
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