What you need to know
Friendswood City Council heard a presentation from Houston-based engineering and design firm Ardurra Group about a proposed comprehensive plan at its Oct. 6 meeting.
The comprehensive plan will serve as a policy document that guides community decision-making over the next 20 years, as the city has only 14% of its land remaining to develop, Director of Communications Glenda Faulkner said.
Areas that the plan will guide include future land use, infrastructure, mobility and financial planning, as well as a new area of focus—hazard mitigation, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
The city is pursuing this update due to growth in the region, vulnerability to hazards and limited vacant land and development opportunities, according to city documents.
Also of note
Part of the reason the plan will focus on hazard mitigation is that it is funded by the Texas General Land Office’s “Resiliant Communities Program” grant, said Lata Krishnarao, practice leader at Ardurra Group.
This program provides grants of up to $300,000 to communities to develop, adopt and implement modern and resilient building codes and flood damage prevention ordinances, according to the GLO’s website.
Quote of note
“Friendswood prides itself on the small-town character," Krishnarao said. “So how are we going to go about [trying] to understand what that character is and how to make sure that character strengthens in the process.”
What else?
Public engagement will be a key part of guiding the comprehensive plan through city events, pop-ups and social media, according to city documents. The city will also create a Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee with 18 members to provide community input.
Looking ahead
The city is in the process of forming an advisory committee to oversee the plan’s development, Director of Community Development Aubrey Harbin said.
The council will hear and adopt the final plan next summer, according to city documents.
