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1. Will the flooding that we have experienced over the past three years with the Brazos River become more severe with the run-off from development of "activity centers"?

No. All development must meet the standards set by city development regulations. A drainage analysis is required for any development to demonstrate that no negative impact will occur to other areas as a result of new development. If needed, the new development may be required to construct onsite detention, or some other form of mitigation, so additional runoff produced by the development is mitigated so it has no impact downstream or upstream of the discharge point. The City continuously reviews these standards and updates them as done in the past.

The recent rain/hurricane events have been extreme. The rain storms received by the Southeast Texas region during 2015, 2016 and 2017 exceeded the 1% chance event (100-yr) that is the standard for the design of the levees and drainage systems in the City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County.

There are also limited areas of our city left to develop. Many of the areas designated in the Plan as activity centers already exist today. Any development of activity centers will likely occur through the redevelopment of existing commercial centers. Drainage studies would be required for each site during the process that would also verify drainage impacts and mitigation measures if needed.

2. If a regional activity center is built on Tract 5, University Boulevard & US 59 by Smart Financial Centre- will Ditch H be able to handle the run-off? Will Telfair flood because of this development?

Development on Tract 5 will have no impact to Ditch H or Telfair.  The Tract 5 property is within Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District (LID) 17. This LID has provided all of the required detention for existing and future development within its boundaries. The Tract 5 location actually outfalls directly to the Brazos River south west of the UH campus through a control structure that is operated by the LID.

Additionally, there are specific site drainage requirements and standards for development within the City of Sugar Land. All development (commercial, single-family residential, office, etc.) must be built in accordance with city engineering standards and will follow national and local standards. As per City regulations, all development within the City of Sugar Land must have no-impact on other areas to be permitted, when designed for the 1% chance event. 

3. What is the Land Use Plan?

The Land Use Plan is a high level document that outlines policy direction and guidance for development, redevelopment and land use decisions.  The Plan is published as Chapter 6 of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.  The Plan furthers the Comprehensive Plan’s overall vision and sets out a specific land use vision and goals for the city and outlines actions that will achieve those goals to ensure Sugar Land continues to thrive.  The Land Use Plan is not zoning or a regulatory document; however, the city’s zoning regulations are guided by and must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. In fact, the city is required to have a Comprehensive Plan if it has zoning.

4. What is the Update?

The Land Use Plan is a component of the city’s Comprehensive Plan and should be updated regularly to ensure it is aligned with community values.  

The Land Use Plan update guides proactive responses to long-term market shifts and demographic trends -- with the goal of protecting single-family residential neighborhoods and ensuring Sugar Land continues to be a premier place to live, work, shop and play in the region.  The update also establishes policy to provide desirable single-family neighborhoods and other housing options, attractive amenities, and outstanding city services that add to the overall quality of life for the residents of Sugar Land and support the city’s economic growth.

The update establishes a specific vision and set of goals for land use that are based on four years of community input and the broader vision and goals established in the Comprehensive Plan. The update also recommends specific actions and future efforts to implement the land use vision.

5. Why is the Land Use Plan being updated?

The Land Use Plan is a component of the city’s Comprehensive Plan and should be updated regularly to ensure it is aligned with community values.

As Sugar Land’s infrastructure and buildings age, the city faces new challenges in ensuring that it develops and redevelops to remain a desirable place to live and conduct business.  With minimal vacant land left to develop, the city must be stringent in the type of development it attracts in order to continue to be a premier place to live, work, shop, and play. As the last remaining vacant properties within the City develop, the focus is shifting to guiding infill and redevelopment in order to preserve the value of existing neighborhoods and commercial districts – recognizing that continued commercial development and a vibrant economy are essential in maintaining the city’s low tax rate.

The city will change—whether planned or unplanned—in response to long-term shifts in market demands and demographic trends. The Land Use Plan will guide that change in order to respond to evolving needs of current and future residents. The Land Use Advisory Committee has thoughtfully planned for the next generations, such that they may enjoy the Sugar Land that meets their needs and expectations, just as others before planned for the Sugar Land of today. With continued citizen involvement and the Land Use Advisory Committee’s recommendations, the Land Use Plan will guide the city into the next 20-25 years.

6. What is the Land Use Advisory Committee?

The Land Use Advisory Committee (LUAC) is a City Council appointed committee made up of residents from across the city and extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).  Members of the Committee included citizens from a variety of viewpoints, including residents living in neighborhoods across the City, ages ranging from young single adults to empty nesters, and a diversity of ethnicities.

City Council charged the Committee with the following five items:

• To investigate and consider the variety of issues, including demographic trends, economic development, and mobility, that influence successful land use outcomes;
• To participate in a community dialogue and education process regarding land use issues by attending the proposed “Land Use Forum” public roundtable discussion series;
• To participate in the development of Project recommendations by considering how community values should influence land use policy;
• To complete participation in the Project by making recommendations to forward to City Council for consideration;
• To continue to serve as advocates for the Project within the community while it is ongoing.

Over the last four years, the committee has been diligently working to develop policies that will guide future land use decisions.

7. Who participated in the Land Use Plan Update?

The city has encouraged any interested parties in the Sugar Land community to participate in the Land Use Plan Update process to ensure the plan’s recommendations reflect the community’s preferences. Residents, area businesses, employers and school representatives are a few examples of the wide range of people who contributed to the project. City Council also created a citizen advisory committee to investigate and consider a variety of issues that influence land use outcomes, participate in community dialogue and education, develop policy recommendations, and advocate for the Land Use Plan. The Land Use Advisory Committee, made of residents from across the city, guided the recommendations established in the Plan.

8. Has public input been considered?

This Plan is based on listening to community input over the last 4 years, including a Council appointed citizen Land Use Advisory Committee, stakeholder interviews, public meetings, and online town halls.  Public input has been important and has helped guide past and current decisions. Balancing the interests of citizens to protect single-family neighborhoods, expand tourism initiatives, attract new businesses and maintain Sugar Land's very low tax rate to ensure Sugar Land continues to be a premier place to live, work, shop and play in the region will continue to be the City's focus.

9. What is a Comprehensive Plan?

A comprehensive plan documents a City’s broad vision and is commonly referred to as a City’s roadmap. A comprehensive plan is comprised of base information, vision and goal statements, and a set of master plans that outline objectives and strategies for land use, transportation, infrastructure and public facilities, including possible future capital improvements, development regulations, or major policies.  The city is required to have a Comprehensive Plan if it has zoning, and the city’s zoning regulations are guided by and must be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

10. When this Plan is adopted does that mean no one can oppose a proposed development if it follows the guidelines proposed in the Plan?

It is important to note that when a development proposal is submitted, moving an application forward through the zoning process is no guarantee of staff support or ultimate Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council approval.  Public Hearings at Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council are scheduled for zoning applications to provide the opportunity for the public to give input and feedback on the proposal. Public feedback informs the staff recommendation as well as the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council through the decision-making process.

11. How will this Plan prevent our schools from being impacted?

While the City of Sugar Land cannot control the decisions of independent school districts, this Plan prioritizes the preservation and protection of single-family neighborhoods in Sugar Land and encourages increased coordination with the school districts. The Plan requires a school impact analysis be completed when new residential is proposed as part of an activity center.

12. When will all the "redevelopments" proposed in the plan be built?

The plan is a long term plan looking out 25-30 years. There is no expectation that all or any of the areas identified for redevelopment will occur.   The Plan provides a series of guiding principles that can be utilized by staff, Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council to make the best decisions when future proposals are introduced by the private development community.

13. What is an Activity Center?

An activity center is an area with a mix of uses, such as office, retail, residential and civic institutions, integrated together in a compact walkable area. The Plan identifies two types of activity centers: Regional Activity Centers (RAC) and Neighborhood Activity Centers (NAC).

The Plan identifies five areas as RAC strategically located along regional highways to ensure intense commercial, retail and other high-traffic destinations are contained within designated areas and separated from single-family residential neighborhoods. Each RAC is intended to have its own unique identity providing different amenities for both residents and employees for entertainment, dining, and shopping. 

The Plan identifies eight areas as NAC located on Arterial streets, which are envisioned to be small mixed-use centers that act as a “Main Street” for nearby neighborhoods. These will largely be created through the redevelopment of older commercial areas.

14. How does the draft Land Use Plan strengthen guidance on multi-family housing? How does the draft Land Use Plan guidance on multi-family compare to the guidance in the current/existing Land Use Plan?

The draft Land Use Plan provides formal direction on multi-family housing that has not been included before in the Comprehensive Plan. The draft Land Use Plan provides guidance for stronger restrictions on multi-family development, including:

• a definitive statement that no new standalone, single-use, multi-family residential development within the city should be approved;
• policy direction on the appropriate proportion of multi-family units (condo-ownership or rental) is envisioned to be not more than 12 percent of the total housing units in the city and extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) at any one time;
• limiting to specific types of development where this style of housing is appropriate to be located; and
• particular design features to focus on the integration within an overall development.

In comparison, the City’s current R-4 (multi-family) zoning district regulations reflect previous policy guidance regarding stand-alone multi-family housing from the existing Land Use Plan - including that there should be no more than 20 dwelling units per acre and a maximum of 200 units at any single location.  No vacant R-4 zoned property exists in the city limits today and the draft Land Use Plan update recommends no new standalone, single-use, multi-family residential development within the city should be approved.  

Additionally, multi-family developed in Planned Residential or Mixed Use areas through a Planned Development process has been determined on a case-by-case basis, as the R-4 zoning district requirements do not apply to the Planned Development zoning district.  The Land Use Plan update now provides clear guidance for PDs, limits the specific locations within the city that such residential development should be allowed, and subjects any new multi-family residential to an overall citywide proportion as well as site-specific guidance.

As a note, the bulk of existing multi-family apartments and condos in the city today were not developed in accordance with Land Use Plan polices or R-4 zoning regulations as they were built prior to being annexed into the city or prior to the multi-family zoning regulations being adopted.

15. What clarifications to the Plan did the LUAC suggest?

LUAC recommended the following modifications:

• Maintain the proportion of single-family to multi-family (88 percent to 12 percent, respectively), clarifying the ratio is the community’s vision today and in the foreseeable future.
• Maintain three multi-family units per developable acre for Neighborhood and Regional Activity Centers and clarify this general guidance is intended to ensure dispersal throughout the city and to avoid congestion.
• Maintain the preference for multi-family to be located in vertically mixed-use settings – clarifying the importance of this in activating pedestrian areas in mixed-use centers.  This can be achieved through first-floor fitness centers and leasing offices or front porches and stoops along pedestrian areas.  LUAC agreed that its goals could be achieved without vertical integration if a single application integrates mixed uses within a walkable pedestrian-friendly development and is phased so that multi-family is developed after other uses.
• Maintain the preference for condo ownership over apartment rental, emphasizing the preservation of single-family neighborhoods and the Comprehensive Plan recognition that a high-percentage of owner-occupied homes supports great neighborhoods.

Additionally, while LUAC also recommended minor modifications to further clarify that the intent of the Plan is to provide guidance – versus regulations, they also recommended additions to provide guidance for and encouraging future public input and review by both the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council if an exceptional development proposal is brought forward which is in accordance with the spirit of the Plan but may deviate from the specific guidance established in the Plan.