Posted on January 16, 2019
The city of Ingleside has expressed concern to the Port of Corpus Christi about the port’s plans to expand an area to be used for dredge material within the city limits.
In a Jan. 9 letter to David Krams, the port’s director of engineering services, Ingleside City Manager David Huseman informed the port that the project was subject to regulations because it was inside the city limits. The Port Commission is scheduled to vote on awarding a $3.8 million contract for the project at a meeting on Tuesday, but Huseman’s letter raises questions on how that came about.
“It has come to the attention of the City of Ingleside, TX that the Port of Corpus Christi is in the process of receiving bids for modifications and improvements to the Good Hope Dredge Material Disposal Area,” Huseman wrote. “Modifications and Improvements to this facility requires three approvals from the city.”
The project in question is meant to expand nearly 260 acres of land between State Highway 361 and the La Quinta Channel to accommodate more than 4 million yards of dredge material placement capacity, according to port documents. Existing capacity is a little less than 1.7 million cubic yards.
The expansion is intended to address dredging needs along the La Quinta Channel and Ingleside in the next five years, according to the documents.
Huseman said in his letter that the port was required to seek a rezoning of the property in question, because it is currently zoned R-1, Single Family. That means it would have to be rezoned for an industrial or other applicable use.
Also, Huseman said the port must also seek a special use permit if the property is rezoned to industrial, as “certain uses are deemed objectionable.” Huseman also said in his letter that the city requires any type of excavation work to have an accompanying permit issued by the city council and Planning and Zoning Commission.
Every one of the actions, Huseman noted in his letter, require public notice and publication in the newspaper of record.
“As with all property owners, the city of Ingleside will be happy to assist the Port of Corpus Christi through the process of applying for these permits,” Huseman wrote.
Sean Strawbridge, CEO for the Port of Corpus Christi, said the port was still reviewing Huseman’s letter with its attorneys, but added the port was committed to working with its community partners to address concerns.
“As always, we are fully committed to following applicable ordinances and working with all our surrounding municipalities, and we shall certainly do so in this case,” Strawbridge said in a statement to the Caller-Times.
Source: Caller Times
