Home Care In Fulshear, TX

Elected officials in a fast-growing suburb southwest of Houston are considering a moratorium on new development as the community grapples with water supply issues exacerbated by a prolonged summer heat wave.

Residents of Fulshear have been under voluntary water usage restrictions since July, and in August the city issued a 30-hour-long boil water notice because of a sharp decline in water pressure at one of its plants. An online petition has been circulating since late July that asks the city to stop approving new building construction permits until the water-related issues are resolved.

Members of the Fulshear City Council are planning to discuss a possible 120-day moratorium on new property development during the closed executive session at Tuesday night's meeting, after which they could take action, according to the posted agenda for the 5:30 p.m. meeting at the City of Fulshear Municipal Complex, 6611 W. Cross Creek Bend Ln.

Mayor Aaron Groff said the moratorium is being considered because of multiple issues related to recently accelerating growth, including the water problems.

"It's going to come down to some council decisions," said Groff, adding that the city's legal authority to issue a moratorium under Texas' Local Government Code will be discussed during executive session. "We all have concerns around the consequences of development and our responsibility within that."

The population of Fulshear, a town of about 35,000 residents in Fort Bend County, more than doubled from April 2020 to July 2022, U.S. Census Bureau data shows. The city utilizes two water systems with a total of seven wells that supply water to nearly 8,500 homes and businesses, according to a presentation made to the city council during a special meeting in August.

The presentation also showed that, based on already-planned development, Fulshear plans to add two new water plants and more than double its supply capacity by 2026. Its current supply capacity of 3.7 million gallons per day is expected to more than quadruple by 2041, by which point the city expects to have added a fourth water plant.

In the meantime, as an exceedingly hot and dry summer in the Houston area nears as end, Fulshear residents want the city to take more immediate action. Residents have complained of low water pressure for about the last six weeks as well as discoloration and the odor of sulfur in the water supply, according to Groff.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires a boil water notice to be issued if system pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch, which was the case in August. Groff said the pressure problem is isolated to the city's downtown plant and the residents it serves in the western part of the community, particularly during peak usage hours in the early morning and evening.

"This is a public safety, health and quality of life issue," reads the petition on change.org, which was started by Fulshear resident Randy Connor and had 725 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. "It could also affect the value of your property as who would want to move here if this issue is unresolved?"

Water demand in Fulshear surpassed 50 percent of the city's capacity during the early part of the summer and had climbed to more than 60 percent by August, according to the aforementioned presentation made to the city council, which showed average residential water usage was 12,000 gallons per month at that time and some residents were using upwards of 40,000 gallons. The water system also has been impacted by electricity problems and out-of-service plants because of repairs.

In addition to an under-construction water plant and another that is in the bidding process, the city also plans to install a pair of new 16-inch water lines within the next two years.

For now, Groff said city staff and council members "understand the gravity of this issue" and are trying to resolve the water problems as quickly as possible. He asked residents for patience and to do what they can to limit their water usage.

"It's probably the No. 1 issue in the city right now," he said. "That's why we're committing lots of man hours to it. Not only that, but we are looking to actually move up some of those projects in the pipeline so they're completed even sooner than we were projecting (in late May). So we're trying to fast track what we can, so that come next summer, we don't want to have a repeat."

A variety of residential and commercial projects are making progress in the Fulshear area as the affluent, largely residential city moves to further develop its downtown area.

A developing city in northwest Fort Bend County, Fulshear includes expansive master-planned communities such as Cross Creek Ranch in its city limits, with more in its extraterritorial jurisdiction—the unincorporated area outside of city limits.

Fulshear historically has relied on building permits and property taxes for its revenue, Assistant City Manager Zach Goodlander said. However, he said the city’s general fund has seen increasing sales tax revenue as further commercial projects are coming to the area. Sales tax revenue has increased by 60% over the past five years, according to budget documents.

“We’re getting a lot of ... nationally known tenants occupying [FM 1463],” Goodlander said. “That corridor is largely getting built out. And we’re slowly but surely starting to see a lot of the commercial interest move west into our downtown area.”

The downtown area is seeing new major residential developments alongside plans for a mixed-use project called the Fulshear Marketplace. The project is in a preleasing phase for retail, restaurant and office spaces, according to project documents. Additionally, another commercial development from company ICO Commercial in the downtown district is now leasing.

A new H-E-B is expected to come in the future on the opposite side of FM 1093 from the downtown area and act as a future “anchor” to the nearby Fulshear Marketplace. Goodlander said a timeline has not been shared yet.

Breaking it down

In terms of residential development, Fulshear is seeing a variety of projects in the downtown area from longtime west Houston homebuilder Tri Pointe Homes.

Tri Pointe has been building homes in the west Houston area for about 40 years, including homes in major communities such as Grand Lakes in the Katy area and Cross Creek Ranch, Marketing Manager Karyn Goertz said.

“In Fulshear alone, since 2008, we’ve sold and closed over 1,200 homes in Cross Creek Ranch,” Goertz said.

Cross Creek Ranch was sold to Johnson Development in 2012, and much of the master-planned community is outside of the city’s purview but inside its ETJ.

The company’s newest community, Pecan Ridge, opened in February 2023 and offers homesites that have a width of 45-60 feet. The upcoming Estates at James Lane residential development comes with 1-acre homesites.

What else?

As several jurisdictions across the Houston region entered into water conservation notices this summer due to extreme drought conditions, some parts of downtown Fulshear saw challenges with maintaining water pressure as the city grappled with high demand, Goodlander said.

While the city does provide water for many of its residents, not all parts receive water from the city, including acreage communities in the south and communities such as Jordan Ranch, despite having a municipal utility district called Fulshear MUD 3A.

On Oct. 17, City Council awarded a $7.6 million contract to expand the downtown water plant to add additional ground storage capacity and booster pumps to help maintain pressure in the system. Council also approved a $4.2 million expansion for the water plant in Pecan Ridge. Both projects are expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2025.

What to expect

The highest concentration of in-progress commercial development is occurring in the more built-out areas of the city, such as the FM 1463 corridor by the Fulshear Bend H-E-B.

Cheba Hut, Piada, First Watch, Houston Methodist, Jack in the Box, Five Guys and Coldstone Creamery are all slated to open in the FM 1463 area in the coming months, Goodlander said.

Goodlander said he hopes the city’s downtown projects can “keep up” and preserve the city’s unique character.

“I think our residents expect a lot of the city, a lot of the developers, ... rightfully so. I’m a resident, too, so I would expect nothing less,” he said.

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Residents were not happy with the decision and said they'll continue to show up to meetings to make sure their voices are heard.

FULSHEAR, Texas — Fulshear leaders met Tuesday night to discuss the future of their city after residents voiced concerns about ongoing water issues.

The residents said they think that more homes being built will just make the problems worse. They packed City Hall to make sure they were heard.

Randy Connor is a new homeowner with a new problem.

"Initially, we noticed the water pressure was not what we had in our previous home," Connor said.

The Fort Bend County suburb is growing quickly and residents said they don't know what to do. They want the city to put a halt to new construction until the water issues are resolved.

"It was bad enough our hot water heater quit working," Connor said.

So Connor took matters into his own hands and created an online petition.

"All my petition asked was to quit granting, or quit approving, new building permits," Connor said.

Residents are worried more development will just exacerbate their problems.

"The more connections they are putting to the few wells we have ... it's just another person taking a little off of it," Lexi Giannetto said.

The petition got more than 700 signatures.

City Council listened.

On Tuesday, it appeared as if they were going to put a halt to property development, but after going into executive session, city leaders decided against it.

"In our current state the city does not meet the standards for the moratorium chapter," Mayor Aaron Groff said.

While it's not the outcome many expected, Groff said city leaders were listening to the concerns of the residents and will continue working on the water problems.

"We understand, completely, how urgent this issue is. We are working around the clock to solve how urgent this is (to make sure) next summer we are not having those conversations," Groff said.

City Council also voted to expedite water infrastructure projects, but it will only speed up projects by 45 to 60 days. City leaders said some of the projects should be completed by next summer.

In the meantime, residents said they'll continue showing up to meetings and put pressure on leaders to resolve the water issues.

Fort Bend County Libraries announced the soft opening of its Fulshear Branch library will occur Dec. 18. The project has been five years in the making, per previous Community Impact coverage.

The almost 42,000-square-foot library will replace the 10,400-square-foot Bob Lutts Fulshear and Simonton Branch Library, which closed May 13. It has two stories and is built on 5 acres of land near the Texas Heritage Parkway, north of FM 1093.

According to a Nov. 30 news release, a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the library is planned for January, when staff will showcase the full extent of resources and services.

What they’re saying

Library Director Clara Russell noted in the release that it's been a long time coming for the Fulshear Branch location. The scheduled opening was delayed several times due to unforeseen setbacks, vendor coordination and supply chain issues, per the release.

“[The new library] is considerably larger than the old building, so we have much more space to work with,” Russell said in a statement. “Even with the rough patches, I think we’re going to be in good shape when we open those doors.”

In case you missed it

The county’s Director of Facilities James Knight told Community Impact the new $14 million library is meant to support the significant population growth in the area. Fort Bend County is noted by demographers to be one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.

According to demographic firm Woods & Poole Economics, Fort Bend’s population has tripled since 2000 and is expected to reach nearly 2 million residents by 2050.

Features Reporter

Asia joined Community Impact in February 2022. As a features reporter, she covers the South Houston area, including the Heights-River Oaks-Montrose, Bellaire-Meyerland-West University, Katy-Fulshear, Sugar Land-Missouri City, the Bay Area, and Pearland-Friendswood editions. She studied journalism and creative writing at Missouri State University. Before relocating to Texas, Asia was a reporter for the Seattle Medium, one of the city's eldest African American publications. When she's not writing, she's likely trying a new restaurant, practicing self-care or traveling.

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The new location serving a full menu of breakfast, brunch and lunch opens its doors on Monday, December 11th, in Fulshear, Texas

FULSHEAR, Texas, December 11, 2023 (Newswire.com) - First Watch, the leading Daytime Dining restaurant serving breakfast, brunch and lunch, announced today it has opened a new location in Fulshear, Texas. The new restaurant, located at 27120 Fulshear Bend Dr., Suite 100, brings a chef-inspired menu and rotating seasonal offerings to a 3,483-square-foot space that seats more than 208 people, provides outside dining under a covered patio and serves signature housemade fresh juices at an indoor brunch bar. The restaurant will employ approximately 40 people.

To celebrate the opening of the new Fulshear location, customers who dine in-restaurant during its first five days in business will receive free coffee with their meal. In addition, the first 120 customers to visit the new restaurant will also receive a custom, reusable travel mug.

"Culinary creativity meets family-friendly ambiance in our new Fulshear, TX, daytime restaurant. We're excited to serve up a memorable dining experience where every meal is a chance to bring families closer together." - Dan Anfinson, COO of MHFW Restaurants LLC

First Watch’s curated menu takes an elevated approach to traditional breakfast, brunch and lunch that are made to order using farm-fresh ingredients. The menu includes crave-able items such as Avocado Toast, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The new restaurant offers healthy, flavorful favorites like house-made granola and pico de gallo, organic greens, house-roasted vegetables, cage-free eggs and 100% fresh-squeezed orange juice as well as more indulgent, classic offerings.

First Watch Fulshear will also offer options from the restaurant’s fresh juice bar – including the best-selling Morning Meditation (made with orange, lemon, turmeric, organic ginger, agave nectar and beet) – juiced in-house daily using only the highest quality fruits and vegetables. The new restaurant features First Watch’s brunch cocktail program, which allows guests to enjoy signature creations like the Blackberry Bramble Sangria (a signature blend of Merlot, mixed berries and apple with a squeeze of orange and lime) and Cinnamon Toast Cereal Milk (coconut rum, cold brew coffee, coconut milk and agave nectar).

Five times a year, First Watch offers a revolving seasonal menu that follows the sun to source the highest quality ingredients, wherever and whenever they are in season. This ever-evolving menu has items like Crab Avocado Toast, Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast, Elote Mexican Street Corn Hash, and Watermelon Wake-Up fresh juice, among many others.

The interior brightly builds upon First Watch’s Urban Farm design prototype with the addition of warm blue tones, quartz countertops, and a subway-tile backsplash. A grab-and-go retail area will showcase Sweet Street’s line of GMO-free, additive-free desserts for purchase and the concept’s socially responsible and award-winning Project Sunrise coffee, grown by independent groups of women farmers in South America, called the Mujeres en Café. Communal tables as well as patio and bar seating make First Watch a great place for guests to work remotely in an approachable atmosphere.

First Watch serves its entire menu seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. for pickup, delivery and dine-in service. The restaurant also offers customers complimentary newspapers and free Wi-Fi Internet access.

For more information about First Watch, its menu offerings or to find the nearest location, visit firstwatch.com.

About First Watch

First Watch is an award-winning Daytime Dining concept serving made-to-order breakfast, brunch and lunch using fresh ingredients. A recipient of hundreds of local “Best Breakfast” and “Best Brunch” accolades, First Watch’s chef-driven menu includes elevated executions of classic favorites along with specialties such as the protein-packed Quinoa Power Bowl®, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos, Avocado Toast, Chickichanga, Morning Meditation (juiced in-house daily) and its signature Million Dollar Bacon. In 2023, First Watch was named the top restaurant brand in Yelp’s inaugural list of the 50 most loved brands in the U.S and recognized as a Customer Experience All-Star by Forbes. In 2022, First Watch was awarded a sought-after MenuMasters honor by Nation’s Restaurant News for its seasonal Braised Short Rib Omelet, recognized with ADP’s coveted Culture at Work Award and named a Most Loved Workplace® in Newsweek by the Best Practice Institute. There are 500 First Watch restaurants in 29 states, and the restaurant concept is majority owned by Advent International, one of the world’s largest private-equity firms. For more information, visit www.firstwatch.com.

About Mac Haik Enterprises LTD (MHE)Mac Haik Restaurant Group (MHRG) is a division of Mac Haik Enterprises LTD (MHE), a diversified holding company based in Houston, TX. MHE is a major investor in three rapidly growing fast casual restaurant brands, Original ChopShop, Slapfish and Due’ Cucina, and one of the largest franchisees of First Watch Restaurants. MHE also owns Mac Haik Outdoor Media, Mac Haik Hospitality, and Mac Haik Automotive Group which encompasses 23 car dealerships. The eleven affiliated companies of MHE have engaged in the development, ownership and management of commercial real estate and health care facilities, asset acquisition and disposition, facilities management, property management, leasing, project management, construction plus janitorial services, as well as hotel ownership. The overall MHE companies employ over 3,000 employees. To learn more about MHRG, please visit www.machaik-enterprises.com.

Source: Mac Haik Restaurant Group