What you need to know
Pearland City Council discussed the request to rezone 11.8 acres located north of McHard Road and west of Old Alvin Road in the city’s Corridor Overlay District from general commercial to planned development to build the community.
The city sent public notices to all property owners within 200 feet of the property, according to agenda documents.
Seven residents wrote in opposition to the change, and the city’s Planning and Zoning committee voted 0-6 against the proposal Feb. 17, city staff said.
What they’re saying
Jennifer Curtis, senior planner at META Planning and Design, the developer that requested the zoning change, emphasized the proposed townhomes would make homeownership more affordable in Pearland.
Curtis referenced Pearland’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which found that most people who work in Pearland do not actually live in the city.
Curtis also said she felt the proposed townhome community would fit in well with the neighboring areas.
The land is currently undeveloped and is adjacent to single-family residences to the north, a day care and dance studio to the east, self-storage to the west, and undeveloped land to the south and west, according to agenda documents.
“We’re not trying to put homes in right next to a Walmart,” Curtis said. “There’s a lot of potential in this corridor.”
Those opposed
Council member Tony Carbone said he couldn’t approve the request given opposition from nearby property owners, the Planning and Zoning committee’s vote and the number of variances in the request.
A variance allows the property owner to depart from literal requirements of a zoning regulation in cases in which strict enforcement of the zoning regulation would cause undue hardship in the use and development of the property, according to the city’s website.
“I have trouble getting too excited about this product,” Carbone said.
Looking ahead
City Council will vote on approving the request when it meets March 24.
