Conroe city leaders to take new vote on temporary moratorium on new development

CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- The city of Conroe is growing too quickly, nearly doubling since 2010.

That's according to council members, who have banned new development in the northern part of the city, saying there's simply not enough water to serve the growing population.

Those city leaders are taking up the issue again this week, and there is a lot at stake, especially with the city's water problems in the news lately.

Calfee Middle School is scheduled to open to students Wednesday. But, it almost wasn't.

Just last week, Willis ISD sued the city for more than a million dollars due to a tense dispute over the school's water service.

Residents are so angry, council members even held a special weekend meeting.

"This will never happen again with the way we are working together from now on," Gary Scott, Conroe's city administrator, said in a video statement.

But, even as Scott promises progress, the overriding issue here, water capacity, hasn't been fixed.

As of last August, the city has stopped issuing building permits for the northern part of Conroe.

City leaders have said in meetings that the city is currently out of compliance with state water capacity requirements and needs more than a dozen new water wells, only some of which are being built right now.

"It's a giant city so it impacts so many people," said Cody Miller, the director of government affairs for the Greater Houston Builder's Association, said.

Miller said builders have already moved their plans to neighboring cities.

On Thursday, city council members will vote on whether to keep the development ban going, do away with it, or even whether to expand it.

The answers, the city administrator said last week, likely will come down to money.

Who will pay for new infrastructure?

"We had a disabled vet who came in who had a doctor's note who just wanted a pool in his backyard. We had to tell him no," said Scott. "We had hotels and small hotels that wanted pools for their investors. They wanted water for their hotels. We had to tell them no."

"If the developer commits $20 million of raw land or infrastructure improvements, that $20 million will be passed on to the builders who buy the lots and that will be passed on to the homeowners, all of which exacerbates the home affordability issue," Miller said.

Councilmembers are expected to hear from several residents and developers Thursday at 6 p.m.

For more on this story, follow Pooja Lodhia on Facebook,X and Instagram.