Waller County leaders: County poised to become regional center of growth

By George Slaughter, News Editor
Posted 10/6/22

Waller County can expect rapid and substantial growth over the next few years, two county leaders said Thursday.

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Waller County leaders: County poised to become regional center of growth

Posted

Waller County can expect rapid and substantial growth over the next few years, two county leaders said Thursday.

Kendric Jones is a former Prairie View city council member now serving as Waller County Pct. 3 commissioner. Robert Pechukas is director of policy and administration for the Waller County Commissioners Court. Both spoke at the Sept. 29 Katy Area Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Those driving along I-10 between Katy and Brookshire—part of which is southern Waller County, or Pct. 4 Commissioner Justin Beckendorff’s precinct—see the commercial development. But Jones’s Pct. 3 covers the eastern portion of Waller County from Prairie View to Morton Road, and Pechukas said it is seeing its share of development.

“There’s a lot going on right now,” Pechukas said. “Pct. 3 is the busiest precinct at this point. I see all the projects, and I deal with him (Jones) more than anyone else at this point.”

At the low end, Pechukas said, the county expects to see about 7,000 new rooftops over the next couple of years. But that’s the low end of the estimate, he said. The high end of the range is about 30,000 rooftops. He said the growth would eventually double Waller County’s population.

The growth is also measured through investment. Pechukas said a couple of years ago, Waller County and $700 million in economic growth. Last year, what he described as a slow year in part due to the pandemic, the county had $500 million in economic growth.

“It shows you what’s going on in Waller County,” Pechukas said.

In describing Waller County’s economic growth potential, Jones compared the county to a little brother or a newborn baby. He said in Waller County, people could look at what Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery counties had done right and wrong in developing their respective economies.

“I do like the growth,” Jones said, adding that he also likes that the county wants to economically shape itself to what its residents want it to look like. He said the county’s needs today were different than what they were five years ago. He said the county’s needs five years from now will be different than what they are today.

In addition to roads and other infrastructure needs, the county is also developing a parks system. Pechukas said the county adopted a master park plan in April 2021, the goal of which is to provide guidance in the development of those parks.

The county is also developing a county courthouse. Jones said the county is looking for temporary space for its workers so that the old courthouse, built in 1955, can be torn down. The building has structural issues and is too expensive to renovate.

Jones said the new courthouse would be built in the same location as the current courthouse, 936 Austin St. in Hempstead.

Waller County, Katy Area Chamber of Commerce