City of College Station Blog

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By Colin Killian, Public Communications Director

Welcome to our live blog from the College Station City Council meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22. The meeting starts after 6 p.m. You can watch the meeting live on Optimum Channel 19, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS and Android devices, or online on YouTube and cstx.gov/cstv.

It’s not the official minutes.

You can participate online via  Microsoft Teams by entering Meeting ID 287 987 474 175 and Passcode gZw5cS. You can also call 469-480-7460 and enter Conference Number 168 564 318#.  

6:25 p.m.

The meeting has started. After the Council’s executive session, Mayor John Nichols announced that it directed staff to finalize the economic development agreement with “The Station,” a planned regional sports complex in the Midtown Business Park.

6:33 p.m.

Texas Arbor Day

Mayor Nichols proclaimed Nov. 6 as Texas Arbor Day. We set aside the first Friday in November to plant trees and appreciate their immense value to our environment. Our urban canopy increases property values, strengthens the economic vitality of business areas, and beautifies our entire community.

To celebrate, our Parks and Recreation Department is joining the Texas A&M Forest Service for the Trunk or Tree-t event on Friday at 5 p.m. at Wolf Pen Creek Park. The A&M Garden Club will also plant trees to honor past members on November 6th at Richard Carter Park.

>> Read the Proclamation

6:37 p.m.

Municipal Court Week

Mayor Nichols proclaimed Nov. 2-6 as Municipal Court Week. Since 1952, College Station’s Municipal Court has played a vital role in our local government and community justice system. More people interact with municipal courts than with all other Texas courts combined.

Dedicated municipal judges, including our own Judge Ed Spillane, and court support personnel consistently uphold high standards of neutrality, impartiality and professionalism. Through the fair adjudication of traffic offenses and local ordinances, the court plays a critical role in preserving public safety, traffic safety and our overall quality of life.

>> Read the Proclamation

6:40 p.m.

Hear Visitors

One person spoke during Hear Visitors, when citizens may address the Council on any item not on the posted agenda. Nan Crouse thanked outgoing Mayor Nichols for his longtime service to the community.

6:46 p.m.

Consent Agenda

The Council unanimously approved the entire consent agenda:

• A $13.6 million contract with Cash Construction for the Northeast Sewer Trunk Line Phase 3 Project, plus the City’s $1 million contingency, for a total approval of $14.6 million.

• A $12.34 million contract with Brazos Paving for the Jones Butler Extension and Roundabout Project, plus the City’s $1.25 million contingency, for a total approval of $13.59 million.

• Amendment No. 3 to the Jones Butler Extension and Roundabout design contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates, increasing the contract amount by $913,181 and adding a specialized construction inspector to provide technical oversight and additional construction phase and closeout services.

• An agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for an estimated $60,000 reimbursement by the City for preliminary engineering services to relocate the railroad crossing at Capstone to realign with Barron Road.

• A $78,938 amendment to the 2016 design contract with Halff Associates for the Capstone Realignment and Barron Road Reconstruction Projects.

• A mutual settlement and release agreement with Halff Associates and CME Testing and Engineering.

• A contract not to exceed $1 million with McCord Engineering for electrical engineering and design services for the new CSU Southeast Substation.

• A $114,117 contract with NEOGOV for PowerDMS software subscriptions.

• A $206,540 contract under the master purchase agreement with Kudelski Security for Okta Identity and Access Management subscriptions.

• A resolution granting consent to Rock Prairie Management District No. 2 for the sale and issuance of unlimited tax water, sewer and drainage bonds (series 2026) not to exceed $2.5 million.

• A resolution to accept and authorize $750,000 in Community Project Funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Carter’s Grove Utility Rehabilitation project.

• A $145,000 contract with Zone Industries, plus a $14,500 contingency, for a total appropriation of $159,500 for replacing one variable frequency drive for a high-service pump at the Dowling Road Pump Station.

7:31 p.m.

Planning and Development Update

The Council heard an update from Planning and Development Services about the development process, permitting, planning efforts and federal grants.

7:42 p.m.

UDO Amendment (data center definition)

The Council unanimously approved an amendment to the City’s Unified Development Ordinance that defines a data center and updates the use tables.

Data Center: A structure, or any portion of a structure or accessory structure larger than 5,000 square feet, primarily used for computer and/or network equipment, systems, servers, appliances, and/or other associated components related to computing and digital operations, for the purpose of collection, storage, management, processing, and/or transmission of digital data.

The amendment clarifies the classification of data centers and establishes the zoning districts in which the use may be permitted. As part of the Conditional Use Permit process, Council may impose additional conditions when appropriate to ensure compatibility with the surrounding area, including buffering, screening, lighting, noise and other considerations to mitigate potential impacts and ensure the proposed use is appropriate for a particular location.

8:17 p.m.

Parks and Recreation Master Plan

The Council voted 6-1 to adopt the 2027-2032 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and repeal the 2011 Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Master Plan. Councilman David White voted against the motion. The updated plan reflects months of community engagement, thoughtful input from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and careful consideration of the trends shaping the community.

The update effort began in spring 2025, with Parks and Recreation staff gathering community feedback throughout summer and fall 2025. Engagement efforts were carried out at department-hosted community events, scheduled pop-up in-the-park events, and unscheduled pop-up outreach at neighborhood parks.

Various meeting formats let staff meet people where they are and have informal, face-to-face conversations. Overall, the department hosted 39 engagement opportunities, generating over 850 unique public engagement touchpoints.

Most importantly, these efforts improved accessibility and brought a diverse cross-section of residents into the engagement process. Residents expressed a strong appreciation for the parks and programs our community enjoys today, along with a shared desire to build on those strengths.

Staff also heard a growing desire to connect with nature. Environmental education and preserving natural spaces emerged as key themes, highlighting not just the recreational value of our parks, but their role in fostering a healthier, more resilient community and providing meaningful connections to nature.

8:54 p.m.

Savannah Oaks Development

The Council unanimously approved a request to rezone about 1,267 vacant acres from Rural/Commercial Industrial to Planned Development District (1,104 acres)/Planned Mixed-Use District (162.6 acres) for the master-planned Savannah Oaks Planned Development.

The Council also unanimously approved amendments to the City’s Thoroughfare and Active Transportation Master Plans for the proposed subdivision, including realigning four thoroughfares, reclassifying two thoroughfares, removing a future bicycle-pedestrian grade-separated crossing, realigning the future Alum Creek shared-use path, and converting future bike lanes and sidewalks into shared-use paths.

The property is east of State Highway 6 and Nantucket Drive, between the Pebble Creek and Southern Pointe subdivisions, and will include single-family, multi-family, commercial, park and trail developments.

The base zoning districts for the PDD area are General Suburban and Natural Areas Protected, while the base zoning districts for the P-MUD area are Multi-Family, General Commercial and Natural Areas Protected. The property was originally zoned to A-O (later renamed Rural) upon annexation, with a portion of the property being designated as Commercial Industrial in 2007.

The applicant indicated that the planned development provides a flexible, integrated regulatory framework to implement a master-planned community containing general suburban or single-family residential, townhouse, multifamily and general commercial land uses or districts, with coordinated infrastructure, open space, and design standards that promote walkability, multimodal connectivity, variety of housing, and compatibility with surrounding land uses.

9:00 p.m.

Business Center Easements

The Council unanimously approved a request to abandon three easements in The Business Center at College Station to allow development:

• A 0.017-acre portion of a 30-foot-wide landscape, access and utility easement to construct an overhead awning that will attach to the newly constructed commercial building.

• A 0.058-acre portion of a 50-foot-wide drainage and public utility easement for the construction of a commercial building and new drive aisle that occupies a portion of the existing easement.

• A 0.042-acre portion of a 30-foot-wide landscape and utility easement for the construction of a commercial building and new drive aisle that occupies a portion of the existing easement.

9:11 p.m.

UDO Amendment (drive-through queuing)

The Council unanimously approved amendments to the City’s Unified Development Ordinance related to off-street drive-thru queuing requirements. The change ensures sufficient internal site circulation and provides minimum requirements for the number and size of queuing spaces for different business and activity types.

The requirements have not been updated since the UDO was adopted in 2003. Drive-through types and configurations have since changed, and the amendment would better align with more recent drive-through patterns and trends.

The proposed ordinance also seeks to improve clarity and reduce confusion for developers. In recent years, many businesses have added curbside pick-up locations in their parking lots as an alternative pick-up method, which has taken some of the potential increases in drive-through demand.

9:24 p.m.

Mayor Nichols adjourned the meeting after the Council discussed its calendar, community interest items, committee and board reports, and future agenda items. The Council meets again on Monday, Nov. 16.

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