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BUILDING SMALLER
“I would like council to consider making it larger lots ... even larger than the 6,000 [square feet]. ... I think that putting that many lots in that small of area, we’re going to have overcrowd- ing,” Council Member Dane Dunagin said in an interview. This development’s request for smaller lot sizes is among a growing trend nationwide and in the Southern United States, where minimum lot sizes are shrinking. Data from the U.S. Cen- sus Bureau’s Survey of Construction showed homeowners across the coun- try are increasingly purchasing homes on smaller lots—those less than 7,000 square feet. Data shows 33% of homes sold in 2011 across the country were on lots spanning less than 7,000 square feet compared to 45% of homes sold in 2021. “The market demand dictates what builders and developers are going to make available in order to stay in busi- ness; that’s a smaller-lot product,” said Matthew Reibenstein, owner of AR Homes-Rural Design Build and secre- tary of the Greater Houston Builders Association. He said he believes a larger lot size causes home prices to increase, and therefore fewer people to be able to a ord a home. “We’re just making it harder for peo- ple to own a home, and all that’s really going to do is push people into an apart- ment or a rental situation,” he said. Tomball Mayor Lori Klein Quinn said in a phone interview the minimum lot size in the city is 6,000 square feet. Magnolia City Administrator Don Doer- ing said in an email the minimum lot size for semiurban residential in the city of Magnolia is 5,000 square feet. “From my conversation with council, they’re not against smaller lot sizes,” Tomball City Manager David Esquivel said in a phone interview. “They’re wanting to be sure on what impact a
The median lot size of new single-family homes built has decreased nationwide since 2009 as well as within the Southern U.S.
from 2009-21 from 2009-21 22.55% 21.61%
KEY:
12K
U.S.
Southern U.S. (includes Texas)
10K
8K
6K
4K
2K
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
2009
2010
2011 2012 2013 2014
2015
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU SURVEY OF CONSTRUCTION COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
May 10, which raises the cost for devel- opers. Impact fees are one-time fees collected to fund a new water user’s share of the city’s water or wastewater capacity, Community Impact Newspa- per reported. The impact fees were raised to $7,400 total from $4,800, Doering said. Tomball Assistant City Manager Jessica Rogers said Tomball also plans to adjust its impact fees for scal year 2022-23 as fees have not been raised since 2019. Esquivel said because of in ation, the city is now near the bot- tom of what cities typically charge for impact fees. “The city’s master fee schedule will be reviewed and updated as part of the annual budget process during the next few months,” Rogers said in an email. Anna Lotz contributed to this report.
Harris and Montgomery counties from 2021 to 2022, which increased by 21% and 29.8%, respectively, according to data from the counties. Klein Quinn said council members are not opposed to smaller lot sizes. She said they want to ensure there is not overcrowding and there are still parks and trees. “It is providing infrastructure to all of those developments,” Klein Quinn said. “Whenever you look at times of rapid growth, you also have to make sure that you can provide all of the city’s [services], that the schools are ready to take on more students, that the infrastructure is there, that we’re not destroying someone else’s quality of life to do this.” Keeping up with development To keep up with the rapid develop- ment, both Tomball and Magnolia are reassessing their impact fees to help pay for additional infrastructure. Magnolia voted to raise impact fees
more dense development is going to do to our ability to provide those services, whether it’s infrastructure or public safety.” Meanwhile, the city of Magnolia raised its impact fees May 10, which could also a ect the a ordability of homes as developers sustain higher costs. Market challenges Esquivel said he does not see the city changing its minimum lot size, partially because the market changes constantly. “It’s the location, the market and product they are building. The size of the lot does play a part [in price] if you look at the [di erence] of a 7,000-, 6,000-square-foot lot or an acreage lot. Then obviously that’s a big price dif- ference, but when looking at regular single-family homes that you see, there are other factors that determine that,” Esquivel said. This was seen with the increase of average market value of properties in
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
LOCAL LOTS & FEES While nationwide data shows homebuilders and homebuyers favor smaller lots, the city of Tomball maintains a 6,000-square-foot minimum lot size and the city of Magnolia maintains a minimum lot size of 5,000 square feet.
TOMBALL
MAGNOLIA
Impact fees*
Impact fees* Magnolia City Council raised its impact fees May 10. This is the rst increase since 2019. $7,400 TOTAL for a water and sewer connection (raised from $4,800)
The city of Tomball plans to
Minimum lot width (single-family residential): 50 feet
Minimum lot width (semiurban residential): 50 feet
adjust its impact fees for scal year 2022-23 since they have not been raised since 2019. $5,893 TOTAL for a water and sewer connection
10 ft.
20 ft.
30 ft.
40 ft.
50 ft.
60 ft.
70 ft.
10 ft.
20 ft.
30 ft.
40 ft.
50 ft.
60 ft.
70 ft.
Minimum lot square feet (single-family residential): 6,000
Minimum lot square feet (semiurban single-family residential): 5,000
SOURCES: TOMBALL ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER JESSICA ROGERS, MAGNOLIA CITY ADMINISTRATOR DON DOERING COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER *IMPACT FEES ARE ONE TIME FEES THAT CITIES CHARGE DEVELOPERS FOR EACH NEW CONNECTION TO ITS WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS.
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TOMBALL MAGNOLIA EDITION • JULY 2022
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