League City City Council will consider an ordinance to rezone nearly 8 acres of land along the north side of West League City Parkway and west of Cones Lane at its March 24 meeting.

The ordinance proposes rezoning the land from a residential single-family zone to commercial, according to city documents.

What you need to know: If approved, the land would commence in two phases, with the first including office condos, retail and a convenience store. The second phase would include fast food restaurants, a Montessori school and a car wash.

Also of note: The Planning and Zoning Commission rejected the ordinance in a 1-5 vote at its Feb. 12 meeting.

City Council also postponed the item in a 7-1 vote at its Feb. 24 meeting to move it to its March 24 meeting.

Stay tuned: City Council will meet to consider the ordinance at 6 p.m. March 24 at council chambers, located at 200 W. Walker St., League City.

P. Terry’s is coming to the Baybrook East shopping center in Webster by the end of 2027, P. Terry's Marketing Specialist Devon Messinger said in an email March 20.

What they offer: The restaurant offers a menu of 100% black angus beef burgers, fresh cut fries, hand-spun milkshakes and homemade baked goods.

The burger stand will include a double drive thru, dining room and patio, P. Terry's Senior Vice President Monty Montgomery said in an email March 20.

• 18611 Eastfield Drive, Webster

Houston City Council approved $4 million for playground improvements at 11 parks around the city during the March 18 City Council meeting.

What this means: Three parks in District C will receive playground improvements by the end of 2026. Parks include Mangum Manor Park, Cleveland Park and Cherryhurst Park.

District C council member Abbie Kamin said these improvements, especially for Mangum Manor Park, are overdue.

“This is a park that is used daily by residents,” Kamin said. “Going back to 2023, the playground was condemned; it was deemed unsafe. The playground was, in effect, removed and what was left at Mangum Park was an empty field.”

Who it's for: Other parks that will receive part of the approved $4 million funding include:

• Beulah Maxie Park
• Crestmont Park
• Walter Jones Park

Following an hours-long March 19 public hearing, Harris County commissioners unanimously approved the acquisition of 8.9 acres of Hermann Park for the expansion of Ben Taub Hospital, one of only two adult Level I trauma facilities in the county.

The long-awaited vote comes after months of contention about whether or not Harris Health—the county's hospital system—should acquire the land by eminent domain, which grants local governments the legal power to use land for public use.

What happened: Commissioners authorized the condemnation March 19 after Harris Health officials confirmed that no "feasible alternative" exists for the $410 million expansion of Ben Taub's campus.

Why it matters: Ben Taub Hospital consistently operates beyond its 402-bed capacity, and officials expect emergency room demand to increase over the next several years as Harris County's population grows, Community Impact previously reported. Porsa said the hospital's ER regularly suffers from hours-long wait times due to chronic backlogs.

Looking forward: Officials expect to have legal possession of the land within 6-9 months and break ground on the project in late 2027. 

With a partial federal government shutdown ongoing, officials with the Houston Airport System said on March 23 that passengers could continue to see growing wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), including in some cases exceeding four hours at IAH.

As a result, federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have begun supporting TSA operations at airports nationwide, including in Houston, Houston Airport System officials announced in a March 23 news release.

Some context: Due to the partial federal government shutdown, which began Feb. 14, TSA officers are working without pay, which is creating staffing shortages that have led to longer than typical wait times at airports nationwide.

Diving in deeper: Per the release, with the addition of ICE agents at Houston airports, screening procedures for passengers remain unchanged. Additionally, officials noted the number of available TSA screening lanes can vary by airport and shift, depending on staffing levels.