La Porte residents and Union Pacific Railroad spar over proposed industrial railyard

LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) -- On Monday evening, Union Pacific Railroad gave a presentation to the La Porte City Council, soliciting support as it pushes forward with plans to develop more than 200 acres of land.

If council members approve zoning changes necessary for the project, it will transform greenspace bordering neighborhoods off of State Highway 225 into a busy industrial yard.

Residents packed City Hall, requesting the council deny the zoning changes.

"I'm concerned about a saturation point. I think we're there. How many trucks can we handle?" resident Cliff Willson, who has watched industry transform his neighborhood for decades, asked.

Union Pacific Railroad has owned the lot since the 1960s. However, it has been zoned as "large lot residential" for decades.

The designation regulates the minimum lot size for houses. It preserves open space and limits housing density, keeping the area rural and residential. ABC13 spoke with neighbors who say this is part of what drew them here.

The lot sits in the shadow of the Port of Houston, the largest petrochemical complex in the United States. Many residents who spoke with ABC13 opposed the project and said they had made their living off of the industry.

"(The proposed industrial yard) is just a little too close," Willson said. "We're not anti-industry; we know where we live."

With Port of Houston Container traffic up about 20% this year from last, the railroad is now asking the city to make a zoning change to meet demand.

"I understood that it is about profit and it is about money," resident Terri Hayes said. "How would you feel if you had your life savings and you built a home right here to raise your children? All of a sudden, you woke up one morning, and this was facing you."

If zoning changes are approved, UPRR will be able to transform the green space bordering Hayes' home and dozens of others into the La Porte Rail Yard.

"We love it here. It's sad they're choking us out," Hayes, who told ABC13 she would have never invested in building her family's dream home on the land had she known the zoning changes were possible, said.

That change would allow them to develop the La Porte Rail Yard, which Union Pacific says will be a "best-in-class rail-served industrial yard." Renderings show warehouses, storage, truck, and rail yards.

Residents told ABC13 they're worried about increased rail and truck traffic, noise pollution, loss of habitat for wildlife, and even possible industrial accidents.

"We realize we're up against a formidable foe. We realize UPRR is a large organization. This is not personal. We're not trying to shut anybody down. We appreciate what UPRR does for our community, our country, and our state. We appreciate what the truckers do bringing our goods and so forth," Willson said. "Again, we don't think it needs to be this close, endangering our lifestyle as well as our safety."

Union Pacific, which declined an interview and questions, said in a statement that it will address resident concerns through noise barriers and drainage systems.

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