What should a Burnet County landowner check before a battery agreement?

Ask which permits cover the actual work

The county’s development page tells applicants to obtain a 911 address before applying for permits for a new residence or business project. It also says incomplete application packets will not be accepted or processed. Ask the company who will handle the address, application and supporting information for its proposed site.

The posted process has Class A permits outside designated flood areas and Class B permits within them. It says Class A does not require structural inspections, while Class B calls for additional elevation or site information. That distinction describes this county process; it is not an assurance that a battery installation needs no other review.

The building application asks for both applicant and owner information, the construction type and acreage, and the proposed water and sewage arrangements. Before your name appears on it, have the company explain the project description and which statements it wants you to make.

Request a list of the actual equipment and supporting work to be reviewed. Include grading, entrances, lines and any service building rather than describe only the containers. Ask which office or district will review each part and what remains unresolved.

Agree who pays for applications, plans and required studies. If the company is still evaluating the property, distinguish permission for specific studies from authority to file an application, begin construction or bind you to a longer agreement.

Reference: Burnet County: building/development and septic permit guidance · Burnet County: building permit application

Check drainage across the site and the route to it

Burnet County’s floodplain page says development includes filling, grading and paving, as well as new construction. Keeping the containers on higher ground does not answer whether a proposed road, line route or other work would affect a flood area.

Show the developer where water collects, where runoff crosses your land and which entrances become difficult after rain. Have it mark the equipment, grading and access on the same drawing used for flood review. Ask how the work would affect land you retain or property next door.

The reviewed flood order calls for information about proposed drainage or watercourse changes. Its approval factors include safe access for ordinary and emergency vehicles during flooding, the effect on other land and alternative locations. Ask the company to address those practical questions before fixing the layout.

The county guidance describes site plans, elevation documentation and inspections for work in the designated flood area. Have the company confirm what the floodplain administrator requires for the actual proposal. Do not rely on a general map screenshot as the complete assessment of proposed earthwork.

The flood order also says that permitted work and land outside the mapped special flood area are not guaranteed free from flooding. Discuss maintenance of drainage features and access after storms, including who repairs damage and keeps culverts or routes usable.

Reference: Burnet County: floodplain development guidance · Burnet County: flood damage prevention order adopted October 8, 2019

Discuss emergency access before gates and roads are fixed

Ask the company to identify the responding fire department and the authority reviewing its site. Burnet County’s ESD No. 2 page describes a particular service area in the central western part of the county. It should not be assumed to cover every property with a Burnet County address.

The county-hosted May 2025 ESD No. 2 order provides a useful example of why that distinction matters. Within its stated jurisdiction, it addresses access-road dimensions, turning space and approval of gates across fire-access roads. The order includes emergency gate operation without power and continuing maintenance of the gate arrangements.

For your proposal, ask the developer to show the proposed entrance, gate, turning area and route to the equipment. Find out what the responsible authority has reviewed and whether the plan would require widening, clearing or other work outside the fenced equipment area.

If you use the same entrance, settle how you will keep access and how project deliveries or emergency access would be accommodated. Identify responsibility for keys, gate systems, maintenance and any change to a shared route.

The ESD No. 2 order also allows third-party review at the owner’s or agent’s expense. Have the company explain any review costs for the applicable authority and take responsibility for its project expenses in the proposed agreement. Neither a road already on the property nor a general development permit answers these questions.

Reference: Burnet County: ESD No. 2 service area and contacts · Burnet County ESD No. 2: fire order effective May 15, 2025 · Burnet County: building permit application

Have a proposed land division reviewed before signing owner paperwork

If the deal would split off part of the property, ask the company to take the proposed division to Development Services. The county subdivision page recommends a site review with the latest survey and, depending on the request, a conceptual drawing or variance/exemption form.

The posted subdivision rules describe county jurisdiction outside municipal limits and a conditional arrangement for municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction. Have the actual location and any current city-county agreement checked. A county name on the mailing address does not identify the entire approval route.

Do not assume that an older agricultural division settles a new use. The reviewed exception provision ties that exception to specified agricultural or similar uses and says platting requirements apply if the qualifying use stops. Ask how the actual sale, lease area and planned access affect the review; this is not a conclusion that every battery lease is a subdivision.

The county’s variance/exemption form requests a deed description and a survey or sketch showing lots, roads and adjoining owners. It includes the owner’s notarized signature and acknowledgment that wastewater and development permit requirements remain, with possible restrictions from other entities.

Have the company explain the exact request and your statements before you sign. An exemption from one platting requirement should not be described as permission for all project work. Keep responsibility for obtaining the appropriate determination and preparing accurate documents clear.

Reference: Burnet County: subdivision development and site review · Burnet County: variance/exemption request form · Burnet County: posted subdivision regulations

Separate utility service and road maintenance from project approval

The subdivision application asks about county, state or private road frontage, water and sewage, electric service and the emergency-services district. It has spaces for representatives’ signatures. Ask the company which of those apply to the actual division and how it will obtain the necessary information.

A statement that electric service is available is different from a battery’s permission to charge and discharge through a proposed grid connection. Request the connection point, the studies still needed and the route for lines or other equipment. Identify any land rights outside the proposed site.

The reviewed subdivision rules say plat approval does not itself accept a road dedication or impose county maintenance duties. They also require particular county-liability statements, including for private roads. If a proposal changes a private or shared road, ask who will maintain it throughout the project.

The building application separately asks about an entrance onto a county road and a culvert. Discuss the delivery route, proposed entrance work, runoff and repair costs. Put access to your retained land on the plan rather than assume the project entrance will continue to serve it.

The flood order preserves existing easements, covenants and deed restrictions. Have those property records reviewed alongside the county paperwork. A permit, plat or utility signature does not give the developer private rights that the agreement and title records do not provide.

Reference: Burnet County: subdivision application · Burnet County: posted subdivision regulations · Burnet County: building permit application · Burnet County: flood damage prevention order adopted October 8, 2019

Send the location and the parts of the property you want to protect

Use the form on this page to send Sunland your contact details and the Burnet County property location. An address, parcel reference or description using nearby roads is enough to begin. Tell us whether you would consider a lease, sale or only a portion of the land.

Mention a shared entrance, low-water crossing, drainage area, well, existing agreement or property restriction that matters to you. Say what you need to keep using. If you have a survey or an earlier proposal, describe what is available without arranging new studies first.

We can discuss the proposed area and the checks needed for a potential project. Contacting us does not authorize entry, sign a county application or grant an option. Any study permissions, owner documents and deal terms would be addressed separately.

Reference: Burnet County: subdivision development and site review · Burnet County: building permit application