Wider neighborhood streets could become part of future plans in Montgomery County as commissioners look for feedback on proposed regulations for new development.
Assistant County Engineer Dan Wilds said the proposed minimum street width is 28 feet, up from the current 22-foot minimum.
Wilds presented the guidelines during a workshop Tuesday with the street width a hot-button issue for commissioners.
“This is to allow emergency vehicles to get through,” Wilds said. “People park on the street and some of these subdivisions get very narrow.”
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A fire truck averages about 10 feet wide, Wilds said.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley and Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack both said the proposed neighborhood street width is excessive.
“That’s a little steep,” Riley said.
Noack said narrow streets help slow down traffic. He said most residential streets in The Woodlands are 22 to 24 feet wide.
“It’s done by design,” Noack said. “In certain areas, that method has been proven to work.”
He said reducing the street width could cause design issues for developers.
Riley said he would support 24-foot-wide streets.
Montgomery County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams said the street width issue is not new.
In 2019, Conroe council members spent months discussing the issue after a variance request from the Signorelli Co. to set streets in a new development at 26 feet.
Conroe Fire Marshal Steve Cottar called the issue a “public safety concern” and urged the council to deny the request and maintain the 29-foot minimum. He said 26 feet is the minimum width needed for a fire truck to navigate with vehicles parked on the road. Council ultimately approved the 26-foot request.
“This is one of the most hotly contested development regulations,” Williams said. “If you have a 22-foot road, you cannot street park in that subdivision.”
Williams said the fire code requires 25 feet of “unobstructed” access. While cities can create ordinances prohibiting street parking, the county does not have that authority.
“I would definitely stay with the 28-foot streets,” Williams said.
Williams said families have more vehicles these days, with young drivers staying home longer. That means more cars parked along streets.
“I don’t see this trend going away of having four or five vehicles,” Williams said. “There will always be street parking.”
