What happened: The Midland City Council met on Tuesday, July 21, and declined to vote on a small assisted living home across from Santa Rita Elementary due to traffic concerns caused by the school. Council approved more than $8 million for two new Scharbauer Sports Complex auxiliary fields and finalized the $66 million Midland Development Corporation (MDC) AST SpaceMobile incentive package and companion ground lease.

Key points:

  • Assisted living facility: A request to build a residential assisted living home on Whitman Drive, south of Santa Rita Elementary, died for lack of a motion from council. The property owner sought a specific use designation to allow the facility on Agricultural Estate-zoned land, which the city’s zoning ordinance permits. A representative for the applicant said the 5,500-square-foot facility would house four to 16 residents.

Three nearby property owners formally objected, saying the facility would add traffic to Whitman Drive. Mayor Lori Blong and council members John Burkholder, Brian Stubbs and Amy Burkes each announced their opposition before the public hearing began, pointing to school pickup and drop-off traffic that backs up the roadway.

The applicant’s representative argued that most residents would not drive and that family or friends would primarily visit in the evenings or on weekends. He also cited a City of Midland traffic study that he said found the project would not create a significant traffic impact. Council’s decision means the burden of a traffic problem ultimately fell on the neighboring property owner rather than the public entity creating the problem.

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  • $8M Scharbauer fields: Council approved four contracts totaling just over $8 million to construct, turf, and light two new auxiliary fields at the Scharbauer Sports Complex, along with a modular concession, storage, and restroom building, all funded through the Hotel Motel Fund.

The city’s parks director said field rentals have nearly quadrupled since 2020, evening reservation slots are fully booked, and one tournament turned away 30 teams because there were not enough fields.

Councilwoman Robin Poole discussed with staff how state law limits hotel occupancy tax revenue to projects that promote tourism and that the city is responsible for tracking revenue that the fields bring in. Blong said that council is prioritizing projects that put heads in beds.

  • No-new-revenue goal: City Manager Tommy Gonzales said the city’s goal during the year’s budget process is “to get as close to no new revenue as we can.” Last year’s $461 million budget added about $8 annually to the average homeowner’s property tax bill.
  • Briarwood widening funded: Council accepted the MDC’s $3.5 million contribution toward widening the 1.5-mile stretch of Briarwood Avenue between Avalon Drive and Trobaugh Boulevard, including a new traffic signal at Avalon. City staff estimated the project will cost about $10 million overall. Midland County will contribute $2.5 million, with the city funding the remaining $4.8 million.
  • Emergency reservoir cleanup: Council approved reimbursement of about $356,000 the city previously spent on emergency sediment removal from a water plant reservoir that had not been cleaned in 14 years. City staff said removing roughly 15 million gallons of accumulated solids restored the reservoir to full capacity, improved water quality, and will allow routine cleanings every two years.
  • Chase Bank annexation: Council approved a private land developer’s voluntary annexation request of a four-acre tract near Costco at State Highway 158. Staff disclosed that the corner lot is planned for a Chase Bank, while the remaining two lots have not yet been announced. Council required the developer to install and maintain a public art installation before finalizing the annexation.
  • Accessory dwelling units: Council approved three requests from homeowners to add accessory dwelling units, such as guest houses, to their properties. During discussion, Councilman Jack Ladd relayed constituent concerns that the units could become short-term rentals. City staff said the ordinance restricts the units to family members and prohibits renting them out, while acknowledging enforcement can be difficult.
  • $66M AST MDC deal: Council unanimously approved the MDC’s performance-based economic development agreement with AST SpaceMobile, along with the companion ground lease allowing construction of the company’s new satellite manufacturing facility at the Midland Spaceport Business Park. You can read The Permian Press’ coverage of council’s discussion of the deal here.