Acquiring a town is not as out of the left field as one might think. There are plenty of abandoned towns all around the world, with all the necessary infrastructure for them to be rehabilitated and brought back to life. In fact, many of these towns are usually sold as a unit, so it is not unusual for a company to purchase them and sell them piece by piece after revitalizing the local economy. This is not the case for the town of Starbase, Texas, which serves as headquarters for Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
This town seems to have been taken over by the SpaceX program, with a total population of about 500, with more than half employed by SpaceX, including the mayor, and is now home not just to the next step in space colonization, but also to a new controversy dealing with zoning laws.
The new Space X Elon Musk controversy, a lot closer to Earth than to the stars
Considering the very peculiar ownership of the town and the faithful fanatism that most people that work for Elon Musk seem to exhibit, this controversy is just the last one in a long line of questionable decisions that have to do with the company.
One basic tenent of home ownership in America seems to be the fact that you purchase the land your house sits on. There are a few exceptions with government housing or long term leases, but as a general rule not even the strictest Homeowner’s Association can contest your right to own your own land that your own house sits on. Well, in Starbase that might be changing soon, and although residents seem to be on board, this is not a common thing or something that should be taken lightly.
Newly appointed city manager Kent Myers published a notice warning residents “The city of Starbase is holding a hearing to determine whether you may lose the right to continue using your property for its current purpose. Please read this notice carefully.”
This new zoning model could strip residents of access to their own properties and could transform the entire town from privately owned and managed by the county into a city governed by Starbase. Considering that the town has 283 eligible voters and most are SpaceX employees, the proposal passed with ease with 200 votes in favor.
This could mean a lot of things for the town, but although one of them could be stripping owners of their property, the interpretation that makes a bit more sense is that they want to transform the small town into a mixed use town, with spaces that mix residential, office, commercial, and small-scale service zones, like it happens in the center of big cities and seems to be almost outlawed in the suburbs and the countryside.
The memo that was published stated “Our goal is to ensure the zoning plan reflects the city’s vision of balanced growth, while protecting key economic drivers, ensuring public safety, and preserving green spaces.”
This is not the first time that Musk has tried this strategy of moving his operations to remote, low-cost areas with minimal taxes and transforming them to better suit the people working in the project. While not everyone will approve, it is not a terrible move for those who now live there and are accompanying their spouses rather than working for the company. Allowing them to have more growth opportunities and a thriving local job market certainly makes transitions easier.
Locals however are not as happy with the changes. They will likely be losing access to the beach, as Texas State Senator Adam Hinojosa, a Republican, has proposed legislation that would give Starbase the authority to restrict beach access on weekdays. Under the bill, control over weekend access would remain with officials in Cameron County.