Title
Consider and take action on a resolution appealing the decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission to affirm the denial of a plat, Reyes Estates (PLAT-25-0091), due to the plat not meeting the minimum requirements of Chapter 125 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of League City (Director of Planning)
The Planning and Zoning Commission denied the request, 1-5-2 on November 3, 2025.
Background:
Approval of this item will reverse the decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission to deny a plat for not meeting the minimum requirements of the Code of Ordinances.
Project Summary:
The applicant is appealing the decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Planning Director to deny the minor plat for “Reyes Estates”.
The purpose of this plat is to establish a single residential lot on the existing tract. This property has been subject to three separate plat applications since January 2023. The first submittal (Reyes Estates, PLAT-23-0062) was reviewed once by the Development Review Committee (DRC) but was determined to be incomplete. The second submittal (Hewitt Estate, PLAT-24-0068) was approved by staff but later voluntarily withdrawn by the applicant prior to recordation. The current submittal (Reyes Estates, PLAT-25-0091) was denied by the Planning Director and the decision was subsequently upheld by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The primary outstanding issue concerns the dedication of a drainage easement. Staff identified an open drainage channel that traverses the site from the southern boundary toward the northeast corner. This drainage feature conveys runoff from both the subject property and the surrounding area, serving as an outfall within the local drainage network connected to the Benson Bayou and Robinson Bayou watersheds. City standards require that such drainage features be protected through a dedicated easement to preserve flow, provide maintenance access, and ensure system capacity. The requested easement dedication aligns with the City’s adopted drainage design and construction standards and with the requirements of the Unified Development Code (UDC) regarding infrastructure and easement dedications.Specifically, the omission of the drainage easement results in noncompliance with Sections 5.4.2, 5.5.1(b), and 5.9.3.h.10 of the UDC. These provisions collectively require the dedication of easements for drainage infrastructure to protect public facilities and ensure lawful drainage conveyance. The property owners dispute the need for the drainage easement and assert that the plat otherwise complies with applicable subdivision regulations. A letter from the owners’ attorney has been provided within the Planning and Zoning Commission Staff Report expressing this position. The applicant has not provided any drainage analysis indicating that the ditch is not necessary.
Staff and City officials have met with the owners several times since 2023 to explore options, including relocating the drainage channel, providing an independent drainage study, or submitting a variance request to the easement requirement. None of these options have been pursued, and the applicant instead requested that the Planning and Zoning Commission review the denial and take action on the plat as currently presented. The Commission denied the request, and the applicant is now appealing the decision to City Council.
Historical aerial imagery (circa 1944) and multiple drainage studies have shown that the open ditch crossing the Reyes property has been part of the area’s drainage network for decades. Several drainage studies have been done that identify this ditch, including the City’s 1990 Master Drainage Plan where the ditch as identified as part of the Robinson Bayou Watershed, the 2011 Master Drainage Plan which refined watershed boundaries and reclassified this ditch in the Benson Bayou Watershed, and the 2021 Master Drainage Plan and 2-D Tributary Study which again placed the ditch within the Robinson Bayou Watershed. These studies show the ditch conveys both local runoff and off-site flow through the property. Removing or obstructing this ditch could reduce local conveyance and increase flooding risk to properties nearby and along Hewitt Street. There are no currently planned CIP projects for this ditch, and the requested drainage easement would simply preserve the existing drainage function and allow the City access for inspection or maintenance if needed.
The requested easement represents the minimum area necessary to preserve drainage function and maintenance access, and the request is based on the uniform application of City standards rather than any project-specific or discretionary condition. Additional comments related to technical corrections are detailed in the DRC Project Status Report within the Planning and Zoning Commission Staff Report.
On November 3, 2025, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to affirm the Planning Director's denial of the plat by a vote of 5-1, with commissioners Maaz and Mertens abstaining.
Attachments:
1. Proposed Resolution
2. Planning and Zoning Commission Staff Report
3. Excerpt Minutes from November 3, 2025, P&Z Commission Meeting
CONTRACT ORIGINATION:
Planning Department
Applicant: Johnson and Associates
FUNDING
{X} NOT APPLICABLE
STRATEGIC PLANNING
{X} NOT APPLICABLE