Those concerns dealt with traffic, noise and how the development could impact their property values and the neighborhood's character.
What happened
Pearland City Council voted 3-4 at its May 19 meeting to rezone nearly 8 acres of land near McHard Road and Adamo Lane from suburban residential to planned development. The vote means the request will not take effect.
Council members Clint Byrom, Layni Cade and Rushi Patel voted against the zoning request.
The backstory
The Planning and Zoning Commission heard the rezoning request from applicant Beacon Land Services at its May 5 meeting, where members discussed several staff recommendations and heard public comment input. Ultimately, the commission voted unanimously to recommend approving the zone change.
However, because more than 20% of the nine property owners notified within 200 feet of the area opposed the zone change, a supermajority vote by City Council is required to rezone the change.
Why it matters
Ali Hasan, founder of the Brilliant Equity, the investment group who purchased the property, stated they intended to transform the spot into a “moderately” dense residential community of 73-unit three-bedroom townhomes, a clubhouse, pool, pickleball court, dog park and green space. The site currently includes one single-family home and accessory structures set to be demolished.
The build-for-rent model is aimed at young professionals and small families seeking more affordable housing options than traditional single-family homes offer, according to the developer’s proposal.
The Pearland 2040 Comprehensive Plan designates the area as "urban living," which is characterized by a range of housing choices, including higher density options like townhomes, according to agenda documents.
Items worth mentioning
City staff noted the developer was still seeking several key deviations from the city’s unified development code requirements, including:
- A 62% impervious coverage—an increase from the 40% allowed. Impervious coverage refers to any surface or area where water cannot infiltrate into the ground, such as parking lots.
- Elimination of the required 25-foot vegetative buffer around the detention pond
- Insufficient design variation in building elevations and floor plans
- Lack of transparency on McHard Road-facing facades, which is in violation of corridor overlay district requirements
At the public hearing at the May 5 P&Z meeting, 21 residents spoke in favor of the development and nine opposed it.
Pearland residents submitted a petition with 235 signatures opposing the request for City Council’s consideration.
At the May 19 meeting, several Pearland residents, including many who own property close to the subject property, asked City Council to deny the zoning change.
Pearland homeowner Clayton Smith expressed concern about the requested deviations from the zoning standards, especially the request for more impervious coverage.
“There's no difference between having no zoning and having zoning that isn't adhered [to],” Smith said.
Pearland homeowner Benito Valdez, whose property directly faces the subject property from the south side, said he opposed the project, especially since the townhomes would be occupied by renters who he felt might not value the neighborhood as much as property owners would.
“This development with less open space can take neighborhoods from feeling cramped, reducing privacy and altering community character, and this can ... obviously lower property values,” Valdez said. “Community character is what means a lot to me.”
The other side
Jennifer Meyer, the property owner’s realtor also spoke in support of the development, mentioning that the townhomes would add density to the area, which is in alignment with how the area is designated for urban development in the Pearland 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
“This plan is intended to be a map for the future of Pearland, and it's intended to provide direction in making important decisions like this,” Meyer said.
Meyer also said that the developer was the only one to make an offer since the owners had put the land up for sale.
Pearland resident Muhammad Daoudi, who said he was an investor in the development, said the townhomes could be a transitional opportunity for younger Pearland residents who can’t afford a home, citing his own journey to homeownership.
“I couldn’t afford a house, and so I started out in a townhouse, and it was a really nice way to be in a place that allowed me and my family to grow,” Daoudi said.
Looking ahead
After the vote, Mayor Kevin Cole pointed out that SB 15, which aims to tackle housing affordability and has passed the Texas Senate, could impact the authority that cities have over zoning in their communities and the public input that’s allowed.
SB 15 limits cities in how they can regulate residential development by capping minimum lot size in certain areas, which would overrule local zoning ordinances.
“That is something that we as a community struggle and object to,” Cole said. “We don't want [the state coming in] and dictating our zoning and eroding our zoning authority. At the same time, I highlight that, because this type of evening would not occur.”
