Magnolia halts permit applications
While the city of Magnolia has made efforts to address a water shortage for new development, officials have extended a delay on new applications for commercial and residential projects for a fifth time.
Since 2022, officials have had suspensions on applications for new building permits, with the exception of ongoing projects as well as developers that have waivers. This was to address a water capacity shortage caused by growth in the community.
Water well projects
To address the shortage, two water wells were planned to be built in 2023, with one well — Water Well No. 7 — being built in the summer that year. In a letter sent March 21, City Engineer Tim Robertson said the well would be operational while the remaining infrastructure of a water plant, Water Plant No. 3, continued to be built. The other water well, Water Well No. 8, is expected to be fully operational within April.
During a City Council meeting Tuesday, officials voted unanimously to extend the moratorium again for an additional 120 days.
“While the above noted improvements are clear evidence that progress is being made, they cannot meet the ultimate needs of the city’s given the current growth rate and the related demand for water,” Robertson said in his letter to officials, noting that the city has committed to more than 11,000 water connections. “I fully expect that growth will continue beyond this amount and the city will need to continue to add more capacity after completing the improvements currently under construction.”
Robertson also noted that three new water plants were being built and were in various stages of progress. The new plants include wells, storage tanks and booster pumps, the letter states. Two more water wells are expected to be built by 2025, according to the city ordinance.
Growth took off
“While it is vital for progress to continue and end the current moratorium, it is just as important to end it at the appropriate time,” Robertson said.
Robertson previously said that while it is ultimately up to City Council, he expects the moratorium to be lifted between late 2024 and early 2025.
When the city first enacted the moratorium, Mayor Todd Kana said officials were aware that water would be an issue in the future for the city with a population of more than 2,800 residents and had made plans for growth — but the growth got ahead of officials.
The city is expected to continue to issue new connections at a “reasonable rate” in efforts to meet obligations under existing development agreements.