City approves three voluntary annexations spurred by residential development

SEGUIN, Texas – In the past six months, the City Council has approved three voluntary annexations of land located in the city’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). Each of the annexations were requested by the property owners who planned to develop the land into single-family residential subdivisions.

“Voluntary annexation benefits both the city and the developers. By annexing the land before improvements are made, the city can ensure that the property is developed in line with the ordinances enforceable within the city limits including zoning regulations, building inspections, and code enforcement. Being within the city limits also benefits the developer by allowing them to offer public services to their future residents; for example, public sewer, library and parks services, solid waste and recycling, brush pickup, and road maintenance,” said Pamela Centeno, Director of Planning & Codes.

The process for voluntary annexation is outlined in the city’s Unified Development Code (UDC). The UDC provides regulations for the future development of our city (in the city limits and the ETJ). The process begins when a property owner meets with city staff to determine if their request meets state requirements for a voluntary annexation. If it does, the applicant submits an official petition to be annexed. Staff presents the request to council for final approval.

The following proposed subdivisions were recently annexed through this process. The three subdivisions could add over 1,800 rooftops to the city at full buildout, which will help in attracting new retailers to our area.

• Cordova Tract – 18.981 acres located on Cordova Road just south of the Cordova Estates Subdivision was annexed by council in December 2017.  The proposed subdivision will include the 73.8-acre tract to the south which has been in the city limits since 2009.
• “Ridge View Estates” Subdivision - 185.192 acres of land located on the northeast corner of IH-10 and FM 725 (behind Love’s Travel Stop) was annexed by council in May 2018.
• “Swenson Heights” Subdivision – 199.63 acres of land located on Cordova Road east of Huber Road was annexed by council in June 2018. ###