Land Use
Brazoria County does not regulate land use and has not adopted zoning ordinances in the unincorporated areas of the County. The County does not have a Comprehensive Plan, and no land use documents could be found.
Municipalities may have requirements within their city limits and should be consulted separately.
[Building codes, Certificates of Occupancy, and Land Use Zoning Ordinances, Verification Letter]
Permits
The County does not have a building department or a planning department, and most matters seem to be handled by the Engineering Department.
Although no ordinances or documents relating to industrial or commercial development processes could be found, the County does have a Pre-development meeting request form.
The meeting is “. . . intended to ensure that the Applicant is informed of pertinent development regulations and processes. Pre-Development Meetings are offered as a free service for applicants to learn more about the County’s application procedures and help answer general questions.”
Pre-application meetings are held by appointment on Thursday mornings. (1 hour each)
Background
The county once had 60,000 acres of rice fields, and now has about 15,000. Solar developers have seen this land as an opportunity. Commissioners serve four year terms, and the “newest” commissioners were elected in 2014 (Cade and Linder).
In July 2022, the Commissioners Court voted 3-2 for new tax abatement guidelines, assigning variable percentages of property tax forgiveness and eligible years based on the amount invested and other factors. Commissioner Linder cited solar energy as the type of project that shouldn’t expect full tax abatement because of “few, if any, permanent jobs and little community involvement . . .” Yeas: Linder, Cade, Adams Nays: Payne, Sebesta
A list of solar projects and linked agreements appears in the Appendix.
The County recently completed an RFP process for design of a 9,000 sq ft Fire Fighter Training facility at 605 Kelly Blvd in Angleton. It is a $2.5 million project that will have office, meeting, and conference space, two fire truck/apparatus bays, and locker/shower rooms.
Form of government
Brazoria County has a Commissioners’ Court, which includes a County Judge and four Commissioners.
