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Manvel City Council pushed back on a proposed nearly 760-acre mixed-use development at its Oct. 5 meeting, raising concerns about the project’s density, traffic and compatibility with existing zoning ordinances.
What residents need to know
The Aurelia development, proposed by Houston-based real estate development firm Avani Communities, would encompass nearly 760 acres north of Hwy. 6 along Masters Road and Oilfield Road, city documents show.
The proposed development includes around:
15 acres for a proposed elementary school
30 acres for commercial space
30 acres of recreational and park space
390 acres of residential space
Plans also include a recreation center with a pool, pickleball and tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and a splash pad, as well as an amphitheater and a farmers market, documents show.
The proposed residential development includes approximately 1,200 lots, each less than half an acre. The site is currently zoned for open single-family residential, which permits one home per acre, and is designated as rural preservation on the city’s land use map, city documents show.
Diving in deeper
The Aurelia development previously came before the council on March 16 with a similar plan for lots measuring less than half an acre. At that meeting, council members raised concerns about the proposed density and potential traffic impacts.
During the Oct. 5 presentation, the developer said a traffic impact analysis hadn’t been completed. Council members again raised concerns about how the proposed development could affect traffic in the area.
“This is one of my favorite areas in Manvel. I love the fact that I can drive from Lewis Lane all the way up to Pearland and see open fields, see cows, see the trees, and not hit a single stoplight,” Mayor Dan Davis said. “[This development] would add about 1,200 lots.”
The developer said meeting the city’s existing zoning requirements would make it difficult to maintain the amenities, facilities and overall design included in the current proposal.
What’s next
The developer would need to revise the proposal to meet the existing zoning requirements before bringing it back to council for further consideration, Davis said.
