At its regular city council meeting Nov. 8, the City of Magnolia approved a petition from Magnolia 1138, Ltd. or Legacy Trust, requesting inclusion of its property into Magnolia’s extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ).

The 1,150 acres are east of the Magnolia city limits extending nearly to FM 149 on the south side of FM 1488.

The size of the property doubles the city’s current ETJ size, according to Economic Development Coordinator Deborah Rose Miller. She added that this is the first time Magnolia has extended its ETJ in 10 years.

City Administrator Paul Mendes said the city has been working with Legacy Trust for some time. Part of the property already resided in Magnolia’s ETJ. Mendes said normally an incorporated city’s ETJ can only extend a half of a mile at a time, unless a property owner voluntarily petitions the city to become a part of its ETJ.

Although the property is not annexed into the city, Mendes said this will protect the property owners from being annexed by another incorporated entity. In addition, the property owners do not risk being a part of multiple ETJs.

Representative of Legacy Trust, Roger Galatas said the partnership is in the best interest of the city and the landowners.

Legacy Trust plans to develop the wooded property into possible subdivisions and areas for businesses.

In light of expanding its ETJ, the City of Magnolia also approved entering into a FM 1488 Beautification Coalition with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to target the area from FM 149 to the city limits.

Conroe District Engineer Richard Brown explained that TxDOT plans to widen the portion of FM 1488 from Mostyn Manor to the city limits. The roadway would be four lanes with a continuous center turn lane.

However, since Magnolia has expanded its ETJ to include FM 1488 to FM 149, Mendes and Miller, along with other city board members, suggested a raised median with trees be in the middle of the roadway creating a corridor to the city, instead of a continuous center turn lane.

Galatas also echoed similar ideas, since the property owners of Legacy Trust are planning to develop the area into a pristine subdivision area.

Brown said funding for the widening portion of FM 1488 from Mostyn Manor to the city limits was not predicted to be available until 2015, but he would be willing to follow any design the city submitted for the roadway.

The city plans to work with Legacy Trust to promote development of the area.

Miller said the city is also working with other property owners along FM 1488 to possibly become part of the city’s ETJ. She said the city’s goal is for the ETJ to reach Gable Road which is near the Thousand Oaks subdivision.

Conroe’s ETJ reaches Gable Road from the west. Magnolia aims to meet Conroe’s ETJ in order to protect the city and promote future growth.

Once part of Magnolia’s ETJ, Mendes explained that annexation could occur in the future, but as of right now the city is simply looking to expand its ETJ first.

“Everything takes time,” he said.

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