The development would be adjacent to the Smart Financial Center and Newland is seeking mixed uses for the land including retail, office, entertainment and hotel space, along with senior living apartments.
“In conclusion, staff is
Newland Communities tried to zone its land near the Smart Financial Center, but Sugar Land staff recommended the Planning and Zoning Commission deny Newland's plan.[/caption]concerned that the current PD application, does not fully meet the long-term vision that has been established over time for the Tract 5 area,” the city said in a statement.
The senior living apartments were an amendment to a previous attempt at zoning the land for multi-family apartments, which some Sugar Land residents vehemently opposed earlier this year.
City staff noted several concerns about the property including the Telfair tract’s overall uses with it being so close to the Smart Financial Center and shared parking as well as the number of parking garages.
Alan Bauer, the senior vice president for the Houston division of Newland Communities, said when multi-family housing was taken out of the plan the developer then added a plan for more office space to support it, requiring more parking garages.
“It’s hard to disguise garages, and if you have 700,000 square feet of office space alone, you need garages to support it,” Bauer said Sept. 23.
He said Newland tried to express that it was open to shared parking during the meeting.
The commission did not take any action on the development or provide any specific feedback. Several members and city staff noted the plan had not changed much since a prior workshop.
“There’s no way I would even consider remotely recommending approval on this,” P&Z Chairwoman Kathy Huebner said.
City staff plans to regroup with Newland and provide more feedback, city planner Doug Schomburg said during the meeting.
Bauer said he did not know when Newland would come back with another plan.
“We have to get some additional input from the city to know where we’re headed on this thing,” he said.
PP&Z Commission Second Vice Chairman Carl Stephens said this was the last piece of land for Sugar Land that could be developed.
“I just can’t get my arms around why we can’t come together on this project,” Stephens said. “This is the last hurrah, in my opinion, for the city of Sugar Land as far as development’s concerned. There’s not another tract in town you can do anything on.”
