by Nicole Bradford
It’s still unclear what project will be developed on the property fronting McHard Road, but city leaders are making it clear which proposals don’t meet the criteria.
Just under 12 acres on the north side of McHard, west of Pearland Parkway, is zoned general commercial. In a July 22 workshop held solely to get feedback from the city council and the Planning and Zoning Commission, a proposal to build 101 “townhouse-style” living units didn’t go over well but had its good points.
“We feel like a high-density housing product is appropriate for this specific area because this is a good buffer for this neighborhood instead of having commercial,” said Jennifer Curtis of Meta Planning and Design LLC, who represented the owner. “Commercial is probably going to be more disruptive to the neighbors behind.”
But the homes, which would be sold as individual lots, would be mere feet apart, and the development called for what assistant director of community development Martin Griggs described as “unique deviations.”
“Many of these are common to what we are seeing in the Houston marketplace as a regional whole,” Martin told the council and P&Z commissioners. “These include reductions in lot area, lot width and depth.”
Among many concerns was the possibility that the units would be purchased and become rental properties.
“I don’t like the looks of it. I don’t like all the cutting up of our requirements,” P&Z Commissioner Derrell Isenberg said.
Still, the project probably won’t be the only high-density residential proposal, Mayor Kevin Cole pointed out.
“With McHard being opened up, this is where we’re headed,” he said. Having a buffer between McHard and the traditional single-family behind it is in the right direction—I’m not necessarily saying this is the right product.”
Others on the council advised carefully considering the tax base.
“I wouldn’t be quick to change this from a commercial to residential,” Councilman Chad Thumann said, “and if I were, I don’t think this is the product I would do it with.”
