SAN PATRICIO COUNTY, Tx — A plan designed to guide future industrial development in San Patricio County faced scrutiny and debate during a Commissioner's Court meeting Monday.
The San Patricio County Industrial Growth Plan aims to balance large-scale industrial investment with the protection of community character.
The plan identifies over 100,000 acres it deems advantageous for heavy industrial use while establishing "Municipal Growth Areas" around the county's nine cities where such development would be discouraged.
A central recommendation of the plan is to revise the county's Tax Abatement Incentive Policy to prohibit tax breaks for heavy industrial projects that choose to locate within these designated municipal growth areas.
The plan defines heavy industrial operations as those meeting the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's definition of a "major source" for air emissions, such as oil refineries, chemical plants, and steel mills.
However, during Monday's court meeting, several commissioners voiced strong objections.
William Zagorski, Precinct 1 Commissioner, expressed that the plan felt like a "back door" approach to zoning, which is not permitted for counties in Texas. "Attaching the abatements to that land [is] opening up the county for lawsuits," Zagorski said. "I can't see supporting back doors zoning."
Howard Gillespie, Precinct 4 Commissioner, agreed. "I don't think we should put a marker on certain lands and not other lands. It does smack of zoning and Texas counties don't zone."
They also raised concerns that agricultural stakeholders, whom they called the "backbone" of the county, were not adequately included in the planning process.
In defense of the plan, Thomas Yardley of Precinct 2 argued that it is a legal and intentional use of the county's existing tax abatement powers, not zoning.
"The goal is not to give away land to industry. That goal in this plan is to prevent industry from locating in areas that our cities have identified as areas that we do not want heavy industrial growth to occur," the commissioner said. "It's that simple."
A member of the public who spoke at the meeting expressed disappointment that newer commissioners were unfamiliar with the plan, noting it had been in development for years with the support of city mayors and previous court members.
"They were the ones that were supporting it when the county needed the additional money to fund this program," the resident said. "And it's something that is going to be beneficial for all the cities and all the residents."
The debate also extended to the plan's funding.
Questions were raised about the transparency of Yardley accepting a $150,000 contribution from the San Patricio County Economic Development Corporation, which had collected funds from industrial partners and the Port of Corpus Christi to help finance the study.
Gillespie added that such a donation should have been formally approved by the court.
The Industrial Growth Plan itself highlights that San Patricio County has attracted over $37 billion in capital investment since 2010 but notes that rapid industrial expansion has raised community concerns about impacts on quality of life, infrastructure, and public services.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
