Pattison City Council approved the purchase of the old Waller County Precinct 4 Annex at 3410 First Street to use as a city office during its Aug. 3 meeting. Council members also received a draft of the city’s comprehensive plan from Chris Brown, a consultant who has been helping the city work on the document since February of this year.

“This serves as a basis for discussion on the future of the city,” Pattison Mayor Joe Garcia said of the draft plan.

The document is not finalized and Garcia emphasized that the plan would require fine-tuning by council members, the city’s planning commission and through feedback from residents. The plan will help the city address infrastructure needs and ensure the growth that is expected to come to the Pattison area is managed in a way that is beneficial to current and future residents.

The purchase of the new city office was approved by council members unanimously, but Garcia said the sale of the building to the city will also need to be approved by the Waller County Commissioners Court at one of that body’s upcoming meetings. The cost is set at just under $67,000 for the building and associated land. Garcia said the building is structurally sound and could be adapted to the city’s needs.

Randall Flowers, a member of the city’s planning commission, said the location for the building was ideal.

“Provided all those plans (for city improvements) get through as designed, that building sits right smack dab in the middle of where the epicenter of all this improvement is,” Flowers said. “And the city needs a landmark there (such as) an administration building or something.”

Council also approved a lighting ordinance intended to prevent excessive light pollution in the area. The new ordinance allows exceptions for properties within city limits that have already been developed, freeing residents, businesses and other property owners from having to bring their properties in compliance with the new city rule. However, all future development or redeveloped properties will need to comply, Garcia said.

Council denied the application for a hardship permit by Octavio Ramirez, who had requested council allow the permit so he and his wife could live in a mobile home on his property for one year while a permanent house was being built. Ramirez had already installed the trailer on his property on Royal Road and claimed he later found out that he’d been given incorrect information by the county.

Council members noted that the county does not have the right to overrule city ordinances related to zoning or building rules and Ramirez should have known that his property was within city limits. They also noted that, due to his experience in construction, Ramirez should have been aware of the need for proper permitting before moving the mobile home onto the property. Council gave him 30 days to remove the trailer from the property.

Garcia also nominated Lya Coulter and Debra M. Reyes to serve two-year terms on the city’s planning commission. Both nominations were approved unanimously, and Coulter and Reyes said they looked forward to serving on the commission and helping to fine-tune the comprehensive plan.

“I’m glad, and I appreciate your willingness to step up,” Garcia said to the two new commissioners.

Correction: The new building is the old Precinct 4 Annex. This correction has been appended above.