City of Katy City Administrator Byron Hebert described “decades of efforts” between the city and commercial developers at a forum sponsored by the West Houston Association on Friday, July 28.  Joining Hebert on the stage were Brett Walker, president of Parkside Capital and developer of Cane Island Parkway; Russell Bynum, general manager for Hillwood Communities in Manvel; and Dan Davis, Manvel mayor.

Hebert cited his 23 years of experience in working with developers and described the key role they play in growth of a city.  “They know the pulse of what is happening now,” he said.  “Growth is coming – if you don’t embrace it, it will run you over.” 

He described the successful partnership with Walker and Parkside Capital in the development of Cane Island Parkway and subsequently the Cane Island subdivision.  Walker explained how the partnership started in 2013 and how his company worked not only with the city of Katy but also with TxDOT the Federal Highway Administration in the 3.5-year process to build the thoroughfare.  The interest for Buccee’s, he said, added another year to the approval process and resulted in moving the exit in order to accommodate the increased traffic flow.

The presenters also discussed the concerns of developers and of cities in determining appropriate lot sizes for new residential developments.  Moderator Alia Vinson of Allen Boone Humphries Robinson said that cities want larger lots with high value homes but that residential developers need smaller lots in order for residential projects to be economically feasible and that consumers need smaller lots which can make homes more affordable. Mayor Davis said that smaller lot sizes increase population density which in turn puts extra demand on city services such as police, water and roadways.  Bynum described how Hillwood Communities had created two MUD districts and helped to create the necessary infrastructure that the city of Manvel didn’t have to do.

Vinson also asked the panelists what is driving people to the “rural frontier” in areas such as Katy and Manvel.  Hebert said that when he moved to Katy, it was truly rural – he could see pasture land, and that Katy wants to keep that small town charm. But he said that the number one reason people move to the city of Katy is public safety.  “As the population moves west, people have come in and captured our city,” Hebert said.  “They just keep coming.”