Here comes Conroe!

Is it just me, or does anyone else get a mental image of Henry the Chickenhawk trying to devour Foghorn Leghorn when they read this?

CONROE - City officials took preliminary steps Thursday to extend the city's boundaries into The Woodlands, despite outcries from several residents who oppose the idea.

The City Council adopted an ordinance to incorporate the Municipal Utility District No. 39 into its annexation plan, giving it a three-year window before it decides to annex the MUD's 858 acres.

The MUD is on the southern edge of the city limits and includes the Harper's Landing neighborhood and 25 businesses - all a part of The Woodlands, an unincorporated master-planned community.

Well, if the whole competing with The Woodlands thing doesn't work out, I suppose trying to swallow it one piece at a time is a viable alternative. And they may as well strike now, before the annexation moratorium agreement with Houston expires in 2011or any pesky annexation-limitation laws get passed.

There's some controversy over this, with questions about taxation, city services, and whether or not the locals have any say in their fate. I don't really have an opinion on any of it, so I'll point you to Anne, who doesn't much care for what Conroe is doing. Feedback is more mixed in this Houston Architecture Forum thread. No word yet from Tom, whose opinion I'd be very interested to know, and nothing in the Chron's Woodlands blog, which is rather disappointing. I'll check back later to see if they do pick up on this.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on December 09, 2005 to Elsewhere in Houston