A divided Galveston City Council has refused to impose a moratorium on building projects on the city's beaches.
Council members voted 4-3 Thursday on a measure that would have blocked construction on the beach side of the 108-block-long Galveston seawall.
The issue was prompted by an 11.5-acre project already in development that would convert beach property that's now a park into restaurants, shops, apartments and room for 1,400 cars.
The beach property is now in federal bankruptcy court. Some Galveston residents would prefer it remain a park.
The Galveston County Daily News reports council members opposed to the moratorium pointed out a vote in favor likely wouldn't stop the project now and only a small portion of all land on the water side of the seawall actually is developable.
