Starbase, Texas

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1366848696298561536

Creating the city of Starbase, Texas

twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1366852021056278530

The Boca Chica Village area (part of Cameron County) will be incorporated as Starbase, Texas.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1366859619461570561

An area much larger than Boca Chica

[jbrian31]

first post here. I had to comment on this.  According to googles.

"A city is incorporated to give it certain powers. Usually unincorporated areas are subject to County ordinances. But city ordinances can supercede or augment county rules, especially with regard to zoning. Also, in most States an existing city cannot be annexed by another."

Its seems clear that they are doing this to gain certain privilages. SX will be the largest land owner of the Starbase City given them some rights to control rules.

[raivo45]

first post here. I had to comment on this.  According to googles.

"A city is incorporated to give it certain powers. Usually unincorporated areas are subject to County ordinances. But city ordinances can supercede or augment county rules, especially with regard to zoning. Also, in most States an existing city cannot be annexed by another."

Its seems clear that they are doing this to gain certain privilages. SX will be the largest land owner of the Starbase City given them some rights to control rules.

That's probably what it is. No way it would be an actual "city" with houses etc considering that they want to launch rockets from BC.

[r8ix]

That's probably what it is. No way it would be an actual "city" with houses etc considering that they want to launch rockets from BC.

Not all cities have residents, or at least not many. I did some work for a city in California 30+ years ago that was almost 100% industrial. But in that case there were a lot of different companies, not one dominant one.

[gaballard]

Sounds like how Walt Disney created the Reedy Creek Improvement District so they could have total control over the area that became Disney World:

. . . Walt Disney knew that his plans for the land would be easier to carry out with more independence. Among his ideas for his Florida project was his proposed EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which was to be a futuristic planned city (and which was also known as Progress City).[4] He envisioned a real working city with both commercial and residential areas, but one that also continued to showcase and test new ideas and concepts for urban living.

. . .

Services like land use regulation and planning, building codes, surface water control, drainage, waste treatment, utilities, roads, bridges, fire protection, emergency medical services, and environmental services were overseen by the district,[3] and the only areas where the district had to submit to the county and state would be property taxes and elevator inspections.

[Zed_Noir]

first post here. I had to comment on this.  According to googles.

"A city is incorporated to give it certain powers. Usually unincorporated areas are subject to County ordinances. But city ordinances can supercede or augment county rules, especially with regard to zoning. Also, in most States an existing city cannot be annexed by another."

Its seems clear that they are doing this to gain certain privilages. SX will be the largest land owner of the Starbase City given them some rights to control rules.

That's probably what it is. No way it would be an actual "city" with houses etc considering that they want to launch rockets from BC.

Conveniently the SX CTO have a side business building tunnels. So SX can have a warren of burrows for their "City".

I hear the soon to be former Boca Chica Village and surroundings have water logged subsoil. No big deal. SX have to learn to build air-tight tunnels eventually. 

[laszlo]

So people who moved to a nice peaceful place, outside of city limits to be free of taxes and regulations, are going to be stomped on by a for-profit company. Nice.

And if someone tries to regulate or tax the company, it'll whine to high heaven about freedom and rights.

[RotoSequence]

So people who moved to a nice peaceful place, outside of city limits to be free of taxes and regulations, are going to be stomped on by a for-profit company. Nice.

And if someone tries to regulate or tax the company, it'll whine to high heaven about freedom and rights.

The Boca Chica property thread is over yonder, and the indignity rage machine was given its running time there too.

Incorporating a city for their own management of municipal concerns including power, zoning, and emergency services seems reasonable, given their needs.

[Stourwalk]

If the area around Boca Chica becomes Starbase, with presumably most/all of the land owned by SpaceX does that imply our privileged view of operations might reduce?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/smasunaga/status/1366895077377798144

Re: Starbase, Texas, Cameron County judge Eddie Trevino says in a statement that the county and the county's commissioners court "were informed of SpaceX's endeavor."

Trevino says if SpaceX and Musk want to do this, they must "abide by all state incorporation statutes"

[Nomadd]

 I was elected President for life of Boca Chica years ago (nobody else showed up for the meeting), and they can't incorporate as long as I rule.

[VoodooForce]

Greetings citizens of Starbase City. Take me to your meme lord

[pyromatter]

Source https://www.cameroncounty.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/3.2.21-SpaceX-Incorporation-Inquiry.pdf

[Hamish.Student]

Would Starbase allow SpaceX security to act as de-facto law enforcement as far as road closures and range clearance is concerned? 
Simply, SpaceX would no longer need Cameron County Sheriffs to support? 
Is this correct?

[DigitalMan]

Would Starbase allow SpaceX security to act as de-facto law enforcement as far as road closures and range clearance is concerned? 
Simply, SpaceX would no longer need Cameron County Sheriffs to support? 
Is this correct?

Perhaps someone familiar with Texas law can comment. Here in FL, Disney contracts with other areas (like Orlando) for police to patrol their city.

[KBK]

So people who moved to a nice peaceful place, outside of city limits to be free of taxes and regulations, are going to be stomped on by a for-profit company. Nice.

And if someone tries to regulate or tax the company, it'll whine to high heaven about freedom and rights.

There's about a 99% chance that the given area you live in is also incorporated and is responsible to no one but it's self and is a for profit enterprise. That's how incorporated cities and even outlying areas are, in the west in general but more so in Canada and especially so in the US.

The appearance of decency, fairness, elections, democracy, etc... all the nice-nice stuff...is invariably just window dressing. You find that out when you have to deal with them on the corporate level.

[cscott]

I was elected President for life of Boca Chica years ago (nobody else showed up for the meeting), and they can't incorporate as long as I rule.

When does the "nomadd for mayor" campaign start?  Sign me up!

(Somewhat serious about this: I have some campaign experience, although not in Texas.)

[ajmarco]

Would Starbase allow SpaceX security to act as de-facto law enforcement as far as road closures and range clearance is concerned? 
Simply, SpaceX would no longer need Cameron County Sheriffs to support? 
Is this correct?

Perhaps someone familiar with Texas law can comment. Here in FL, Disney contracts with other areas (like Orlando) for police to patrol their city.

General rule with municipalities are that they are responsible for providing essential services to those within their boundaries; providing access to gas, water, power, sewer, public safety, etc. they can provided these services directly or through third parties. It is also important to remember that a lot of the area around the  spacex facilities is a Wildlife Management area and State Parks under State jurisdiction. Agreements can be put in place to cede enforcement responsibilities elsewhere but those are not guaranteed.

[DigitalMan]

Would Starbase allow SpaceX security to act as de-facto law enforcement as far as road closures and range clearance is concerned? 
Simply, SpaceX would no longer need Cameron County Sheriffs to support? 
Is this correct?

Perhaps someone familiar with Texas law can comment. Here in FL, Disney contracts with other areas (like Orlando) for police to patrol their city.

General rule with municipalities are that they are responsible for providing essential services to those within their boundaries; providing access to gas, water, power, sewer, public safety, etc. they can provided these services directly or through third parties. It is also important to remember that a lot of the area around the  spacex facilities is a Wildlife Management area and State Parks under State jurisdiction. Agreements can be put in place to cede enforcement responsibilities elsewhere but those are not guaranteed.

I should have clarified: Disney does provide all the services it is permitted to provide. Law enforcement is one they are not allowed to provide. Someone familiar with Texas law will need to weigh in to figure out the situation in Starbase.

[meekGee]

Interesting that they went with "Star Base" rather than say "Star City".

My guess is that "Star City" is already reserved for the other side of the line.