To build the space, the city would need to rezone several acres of land that sits east of Cullen Parkway.
What happened
Faraz Hemani, CEO of Pebble Ridge Capital Group, which is a real estate private equity company, made the request on behalf of Mission Park Pearland LP, represented by Terry Ward, the property owner.
Hemani said he’d spoken with local businesses worried about rent costs and that developing the office-warehouse would attract small-scale businesses who have otherwise struggled to afford the rent of a traditional office space.
As a result, he argued such a warehouse space could make it cheaper for up-and-coming businesses to operate.
Property owners near the site spoke in support of the proposed request at a March 3 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
The options
While City Council voted the request down, they asked the applicant to return with a request that included a planned development proposal, which would include clearer conditions and restrictions for the development.
City Council asked Hemani to consider a planned development as it would address previous city concerns regarding traffic impact and design aesthetics directly.
“Council may want to go with [general commercial], but my thought is in favor of ... giving you direction to come back to a [planned development],” Mayor Kevin Cole said. “I think that would be more amenable to what council is looking for.”
Next steps
A date has not been set for City Council to consider a new proposal from the group since Ward and Hemani have to consider if they want to pursue a planned development agreement, officials said.
