Beach City residents upset by Cedar Port Terminal Project proposal

The Baytown Sun
By Chris Cody, chris.cody@baytownsun.com
November 29, 2023 

The largest crowd anyone could recall at a previous meeting of the City Council of Beach City – about 80 people – crowded into the Community Building Tuesday night to voice their opposition to a proposed Cedar Port Terminal Project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a feasibility study to dredge a 415-foot wide, 50-foot deep channel which residents say will destroy their waterfront property as well as the ecology.

An environmental impact statement is to be prepared and the Corps’ official notice of intent included four alternatives to the proposed route, including a “no action” alternative.

City Council members unanimously voted for the “no action” option. 

“We stand behind our citizens. We live here, too,” Councilwoman Danielle Blair said.

Past and present city leaders as well as county representatives sat eager to hear as much information as possible about the Cedar Port Terminal Project.

County Commissioner Ryan Dagley addressed City Council and the audience.

“This project has a long runway. There are a lot of entities out of Beach City that are pushing for this project to be done,” he said.

Dagley explained that the feasibility studies and planning could take five to six years, with actual construction taking another five years.

 Dagley went on to suggest that residents continue to make phone calls and send letters to the project coordinators and to Congressman Brian Babin, whose aide was in attendance. 

The City of Baytown ETJ (Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction) approved the Cedar Port development in 2013. The Port Project is intended to provide a container ship terminal at Cedar Port for rail and truck material movement from the Port of Houston.