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Ord. 0943-01 2000-03-27ORDINANCE NO. 943-1 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS, AMENDING SECTION 6.0, PARKS AND OPEN SPACES, OF THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS A GUIDE FOR PROPER DEVELOPMENT OF PARKS AND OTHER RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN PEARLAND; CONTAINING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND A REPEALER CLAUSE; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR CODIFICATION; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE THE NEED TO PLAN FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BEARS DIRECTLY UPON THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE CITIZENRY. WHEREAS, Local Government Code §211.004 requires a municipality desiring to regulate the use of land within its corporate limits to adopt a comprehensive plan for future development; and WHEREAS, on December 13, 1999, the City Council adopted a comprehensive plan setting the goals, objectives, policies, and criteria for Pearland's physical growth; and WHEREAS, the well -planned development of parks and open spaces greatly influence the City's ultimate character and quality of life for the citizenry; now, therefore, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS: Section 1. That City Council hereby amends Section 6, Parks and Open Spaces, of the City's Comprehensive Plan, attached hereto as Exhibit "A", as a guide for proper development of parks and other recreational facilities in Pearland. Section 2. Declaration of Emergency. The City Council hereby declares that a public emergency exists, because the need to plan for future growth and development bears directly upon the health, safety and welfare of the citizenry; and 1 ORDINANCE NO. 943-1 that this Ordinance shall be adopted as an emergency measure, and that the rule requiring this Ordinance to be read on two (2) separate occasions be, and the same is hereby waived. Section 3. Savings. All rights and remedies which have accrued in favor of the City under this Chapter and amendments thereto shall be and are preserved for the benefit of the City. Section 4. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held invalid, unconstitutional or otherwise unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct, and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof. Section 5. Repealer. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed but only to the extent of such conflict. Section 6. Codification. It is the intent of the City Council of the City of Pearland, Texas, that the provisions of this Ordinance shall be codified in the City's official Code of Ordinances as provided hereinabove. Section 7. Effective Date. The Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and approval by City Council. PASSED and APPROVED on First and Only Reading this the 27th day of March , A. D., 2000. TOM REID MAYOR 2 ORDINANCE NO. 943-1 ATTEST: NG Y S RETARY APPROVED AS TO FORM: DARRIN M. COKER CITY ATTORNEY 3 EXHIBIT J 4411 LAND USE Section 5.0 INTRODUCTION LAND USE CATEGORIES PLANNING INITIATIVE #1 (Old Townsite) PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING PLANNING INITIATIVE #2 (Pearland Parkway) INITIATIVE #3 (David L. Smith Project) INITIATIVE #4 (S.H. 288 Corridor) INITIATIVE # 5 (Neighborhoods) INITIATIVE # 6 (Retail/Office Nodes) INITIATIVE # 7 (Industrial Areas) INITIATIVE # 8 (Linear Parks) INITIATIVE # 9 (Gateways) 5.1 5.2 5.5 5.13 5.14 5.16 5.20 5.22 5.24 5.25 5.26 PARKS AND OPEN SPACE Section 6.0 INTRODUCTION/GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 6.1 RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS 6.2 EXISTING FACILITIES 6.4 PARK PLANNING INFLUENCES (Needs Assessment) 6.9 PARK PLANNING GUIDELINES (Park Types & Standards) 6.15 MASTER PLAN 6.18 IMPLEMENTATION (Land Acquisition/Priority of Needs) 6.26 TRANSPORTATION Section 7.0 INTRODUCTION 7.1 THOROUGHFARE PLANNING 7.2 REGIONAL ACCESS 7.3 LOCAL TRAFFIC 7.5 THOROUGHFARE STANDARDS 7.6 THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN 7.9 LEVEL OF SERVICE 7.15 GRADE SEPARATIONS 7.19 STREET NAMING 7.19 DRIVEWAY DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 7.20 POLICIES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN 7.21 BIKEWAY PLANNING & DESIGN GUIDELINES 7.22 RAILROADS 7.26 AIRPORTS 7.27 iii PARKS AND OPEN SPACE Section 6.0 INTRODUCTION Parks and other recreational facilities are often considered less important than qual- ity schools, good streets, or stormwater protection. However, Texas cities who have protected and acquired open space as part of a well -planned park system have found it to become one of their greatest assets, one that can enhance property val- ues and become a valuable attraction for economic development. Pearland is fac- ing major land use changes within the near future. Thousands of acres of vacant land will be developed with urban uses. The extent of open space set aside for park and recreational uses will greatly influence the City's ultimate character and quality of life. Pearland's previous Comprehensive Plans have discussed park planning and devel- opment. They include the 1978 and 1988 updates. In 1993, a new Park Master Plan was completed and then subsequently re- vised in 1997 to meet the requirements of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for Pearland to be considered for matching funds to acquire and improve parks. This latest update of the Parks and Open Space Plan also meets the State's requirements pursuant to the Texas Recreation and Parks Account Program (TRPA). In this regard, goals and objectives are presented herein and the plan development process is discussed. As with the entire Compre- hensive Plan, the Parks Master Plan cov- ers all of Pearland's corporate limit and recognized extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and addresses a planning period of 15 to 20 years. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goal 1 Provide parks and common open spaces adequate in size, distribution and condi- tion to serve all citizens. Objectives • Acquire land for park purposes before price and other developments make such acquisitions impractical. • Plan each major neighborhood unit with at least five acres of parks and open spaces. • Coordinate park land acquisition with school sites where economically and logistically possible. • Develop a visible and accessible linear park system throughout the commu- nity. Goal 2 Provide recreational facilities and activi- ties to meet the leisure interests and health needs of Pearland citizens. Objectives • Ensure civic participation in develop- ing, implementing, and evaluating rec- reational facilities and programs. • Encourage sharing and joint use of facilities owned by the City, counties, school district, and other public or semi-public organizations. 6.1 Goal 3 Preserve and protect environmentally sig- nificant areas and historic sites for public enjoyment and education. Objectives • Establish open space corridors along major creeks and streams in coopera- tion with Brazoria Drainage District No. 4, Harris County Flood Control District and Fort Bend County Drain- age District. • Limit uses within environmentally significant areas to passive recreation. • Protect the existing natural beauty of the City's wooded creeks. Goal 4 Manage and maintain parks in a manner which encourages their appropriate use. Objectives • Design parks that are durable, af- fordably maintained, and have mini- mal impact on surrounding uses. • Ensure that Pearland's parks and rec- reational facilities are safe, secure, and accessible to all individuals. • Recognize that park and recreation needs evolve over time with changes in the population characteristics of surrounding service areas. PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS The process employed to develop the Parks and Open Space Plan has been comprised of three major components: 1) Data Collection and Analysis 2) Plan Development 3) Plan Review and Adoption Data Collection and Analyses Considerable information gathering has occurred and includes the following items: • Delineating existing land uses throughout the entire planning area • Identifying existing public, semi- public and private parks and recrea- tion facilities throughout the area • Reviewing various planning docu- ments including: - Current and past population esti- mates Socio-economic make-up - Population projections • Receiving public input through the following means: - Needs assessment by the City's Parks, Recreation and Beautifica- tion Board Community -based visioning proc- ess entitled Pearland 20/20 — Fo- cus on Our Future which encom- passed more than 2,000 volunteer hours. Citizens survey prepared and dis- tributed by the Board. 6.2 Plan Development This phase has included the following steps: 1) Clarifying goals and objectives 2) Discussing recent accomplishments 3) Assessing needs for parkland and for park and recreation facilities by using: - Standard based criteria including those set forth by the N.R.P.A. and T.O.R.P. Demand -based information de- rived from citizen input 4) Preparing park planning guidelines to include: - Park types and standards - Facility concepts and standards 5) Identifying significant environmental areas for inclusion in the park system 6) Preparing a master plan for land ac- quisition 7) Preparing guidelines and other criteria to implement, prioritize and finance needs. Plan Review and Adoption The third and final phase has included the following steps: 1) Posting a draft of the Plan on the City's website. 2) Presenting the Plan to the Parks, Rec- reation and Beautification Board for their review, discussion and recom- mendation to City Council. 3) Presenting the Plan to the Planning and Zoning Commission for their re- view, discussion and recommendation to the City Council. 4) Conducting workshops and public hearings with the City Council. 5) Submitting the finalized Plan to the City Council for their official adop- tion. The Council resolution adopting the Parks and Open Space Plan in compliance with the requirements of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission was executed as an amendment to Ordinance No. 943 which adopted the overall Comprehensive Plan. The ordinance is included herein as Ap- pendix A. 6.3 RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS The 1993 Park Master Plan has precipi- tated significant park and recreation plan- ning and development activities within the past few years. Discussed below are re- cent accomplishments. Centennial Park, a designated community park originally called McLean Park, has seen substantial improvements. Added facilities, as shown on the master plan in Figure 6.1, include: • 4 lighted softball fields • 2 soccer fields • parking • 4 lighted tennis courts • 3 basketball courts • 2 playgrounds (tot lot and older chil- dren) • .8 mile paved jogging trail • fishing pond • 2 picnic pavilions Although greatly improved, the park needs additional parking for soccer and softball programs and special tournaments. Figure 6.1: Centennial Park 6.4 A designated neighborhood park, Hyde Park, has also been improved with walk- ways, pavilion, picnic tables, two play- grounds (tot lot and older children), drinking fountain, and tree plantings. All improvements have been completed ac- cording to the park's master plan com- pleted in February, 1994, and shown be- low. With regard to bikeways, approximately one mile of bike lanes have been built by the Texas Department of Transportation as part of widening F.M. 518, east of State Highway 35. A curbside bike lane was added in either diiection. In 1994, a school -based recreation site was developed and staffed at Pearland Junior High School East. Seasonal pro- grams and activities utilizing the school's facilities were implemented and they continue to expand. A second school - based recreation site began December, 1997, at Jamison Middle School, on the City's west side. Figure 6.2: Hyde Park Park planning activities have included de- velopment of a new master plan for Inde- pendence Park, Pearland's first commu- nity park. Proposed facilities include a family aquatic center, tennis complex, new playgrounds, walking and roller- blading trails, miniature golf course and an amphitheater. Pursuant to its master plan, Independence Park has been ex- panded to incorporate a stormwater deten- tion area that will have a permanent pool of water. The park's access and visibility have been substantially improved with construction of Pearland Parkway along the park's west side and reconstruction of a bridge in Lizer Road over Mary's Creek on the park's north side. The master plan for Independence Park is presented in Fig- ure 6.3. i z a F U cc ii O 6.5 INSERT Figure 6.3 — Independence Park Master Plan (11" x 17", fan folded) EXISTING FACILITIES A variety of park and recreational facili- ties are available within the Pearland Planning Area. Facilities include: • Pearland municipal parks • Pearland Independent School District sites • Semi-public and private sites • Harris County parks All are shown on Figure 6.4. 6.6 INSERT Figure 6.4 — Existing Park and Recreation Facilities (11" x 17", fan folded) Table 6.1 City of Pearland Park Inventory Pearland Municipal Parks The City's existing parks total 136 acres. Two community parks - Centennial and Independence - comprise 96 acres. The City also owns an additional 25 acres im- mediately adjacent to Independence Park that is currently used for stormwater de- tention. Six neighborhood parks range in size from 0.31 acres to 6 acres. Table 6.1 lists all eight parks and their features. Currently, the City owns one undeveloped park site. The 25 acre site, acquired in 1998, is located on County Road 128 near Veterans Drive. While the two community parks, Centen- nial and Independence, are both ade- quately sized with good access and visi- bility, the neighborhood parks are signifi- cantly undersized and offer less than optimum access and visibility. Several are the typical size of pocket parks. The City's six neighborhood parks average less than 2.5 acres and each site has only limited frontage on one street. As evident in Table 6.1, their small size allows insuf- ficient space for field sports activities such as volleyball, football, softball or soccer. Also, small park sites can become more easily overused, thus requiring more maintenance. Corrigan is the only neigh- borhood park that can be expanded to pro- vide greater opportunities for passive and active recreational use. Additional park acreage should be secured before adjacent vacant land is developed. Parks Acreage Playground Soccer Fields Basketball Court Tennis Court Softball Field Picnic Pavilion Other Neighborhood Parks: Aaron Pastemak Memorial 0.75 1 Corrigan 1.5 1 I Hyde 1.3 2 1/6 mile walk- ing/jogging path Sonny Tobias 0.31 I Twin Creeks 4.8 I Woodcreek 6 I Community Parks: Centennial 50 2 2 3 4 4 2 - soccer prac- tice field - .8 mile hike & bike trail Independence 46 2 4 2 4 3 - swimming pool - restrooms 6.7 Schools The Pearland Independent School District provides the following facilities: Carleston Elementary School Challenger Elementary School C.J. Harris Elementary School Lawhon Elementary School Rustic Oaks Elementary School Shadycrest Elementary School Silverlake Elementary School Jamison Middle School Sablatura Middle School Pearland Junior High East Pearland Junior High West Pearland Senior High School These sites contribute significant open space for field sports activities in contrast with the City's neighborhood parks. Sev- eral of the elementary schools provide open space in neighborhoods unserved by City parks. 6.8 Semi -Public & Private Facilities Semi -Public and Private Recreational Areas Several of Pearland's residential neigh- borhoods include privately developed and maintained parks and recreational ameni- ties. Within the corporate limit, the Green Tee Subdivision includes a private country club offering golf, swimming, and tennis to its members. Residential subdivisions located near State Highway 288 within the City's ETJ have parks and open spaces available for use by their residents. The Silverlake development has several parks and a daily fee golf course. Country Place has a private country club with golf • Countryplace • Crystal Lake • Southdown • Green Tee community center 18 hole golf course 7 acre lake • swimming pool 2 tennis courts 23 acre lake w/boat dock <l acre park with: 2 shade shelters swimming pool 2 acre park with: playground swimming pool 2 tennis courts 2.5 acre park with: playground sports field 18 hole golf course 6 tennis courts swimming pool and tennis. Southdown has two small neighborhood park sites. Facilities within these subdivisions are listed below. Other semi-public facilities in the City include the Pearland YMCA and the Dad's Club athletic fields on Fite Road. The YMCA site includes one soccer field. The Dad's Club site provides space for youth baseball, softball and football teams in local associations and leagues. • Silverlake 18 hole golf course - West Recreation 8 acre park with: Center playground 1 soccer field swimming pool 4 tennis courts sand volleyball court - Lake Silverlake 38 acre park with: 29 acre lake 2 playgrounds 10 picnic tables shade shelter sand volleyball court - South Recrea- 3 acre park with: tion Center playground softball/soccer field swimming pool - East Recreation 3 acre park with: Center I picnic table playground soccer field swimming pool 6.9 Harris County Parks The Clear Creek Parks Chain, developed by Harris County Precinct One, includes several parks within or immediately adja- cent to the Pearland Planning Area. Harris County Parks, although accessible to Pearland residents, serve a much larger multi -county region with several hundred thousand residents. Consequently, these parks are of limited use and availability to Pearland citizens, especially with regard to recreational programming. The largest facility is Tom Bass Regional Park, approximately 550 acres located west of' Cullen Boulevard. Across the street on the east side of Cullen is Christia Adair Park, an approximately 60 acre, mostly wooded, site. The 324 acre • Tom Bass County Park Facilities community building cricket sports fields exercise course fishing lake and pier frisbee golf course gazebo 18 hole golf course hike & bike trails horticulture compound maintenance office model airplane field natural areas with trails performing arts pavilion 6 picnic pavilions numerous picnic tables 4 playgrounds restrooms softball fields 2 volleyball courts El Franco Lee Park is located further down Clear Creek, but is within the City of Houston. Existing facilities within the three parks are listed below. Harris County also owns two undeveloped tracts on Clear Creek on either side of Dixie Farm Road. Each is about 40 acres in size. The tract on the north side adjoins a large stormwater detention pond main- tained by the Harris County Flood Control District. Surrounding the pond is the southern end of the South Belt hike and bike trail. The 8' wide asphalt trail ex- tends north along the east side of a drain- age ditch. The trail ends at Blackhawk Drive about IY2 miles north of Scarsdale. Total length is approximately 3Y2 miles. • Christia Adair • El Franco Lee community building maintenance office mural pavilion 3 picnic pavilions picnic tables 2 playgrounds restrooms sports fields 2 tennis courts natural areas picnic pavilions picnic tables playground restrooms 8 soccer fields 8 lighted softball fields volleyball court 6.10 PARK PLANNING INFLUENCES work for land use patterns and begins to define neighborhoods. A number of factors influence the plan- ning and development of a municipal park system. Discussed below are the most significant factors which include: • Population Growth • Thoroughfare Plan • Land Use Plan • Physical Features • Recreational Activities Population Growth As discussed in Section 4.0: Population, Pearland's growth rate is expected to sub- stantially outpace the rate of growth pro- jected for the greater Houston area. Since 1990, the population within the City's corporate limit has increased approxi- mately 72%. The population within the Planning Area has increased about 37% during the same period resulting in a cur- rent estimated population of 48,600. By the year 2020, the population within the City and its extraterritorial jurisdiction is projected to total almost 108,000, about 2,560 new residents every year. (Popula- tion projections have been prepared by CDS Research, a Houston -based consult- ing firm with over 28 years experience in market research and real estate economic analyses.) Steady, strong residential growth increases the demand for park and recreation facilities while concurrently decreasing the amount of suitable land available for such use. Timely acquisition of park land is critical. Thoroughfare Plan The general location, arrangement and hierarchy of streets provide a principal element structuring urban growth and de- velopment. The Thoroughfare Plan, pre- sented in Section 7.0, establishes a frame - Land Use Plan The Land Use Plan, presented in Section 5.0, builds upon the Thoroughfare Plan by delineating existing or desired land use throughout the Planning Area and within individual neighborhoods. Existing resi- dential neighborhoods are protected and new residential areas are proposed. The intensity of residential land use must also be recognized with regard to park planning. For example, areas with numer- ous apartment complexes will increase the demand for park facilities in contrast with an equal area of large lot single family homes. (This increased demand can be partly alleviated by requiring multi -family developments to include open space use- able for recreational activities.) Residen- tial use in Pearland will continue to be predominantly low density detached single family with limited medium and high den- sity areas such as townhomes or apart- ments. Higher density residential use is generally located along commercial corri- dors or at major thoroughfare intersec- tions. Physical Features The location and alignments of natural and man-made features, such as creeks, stormwater detention sites, pipelines, or major utility lines can become an impor- tant part of a park system. Wooded creeks offer aesthetic beauty worth preserving, especially in areas like Pearland where past farming has left limited remaining tree cover. Utility corridors can provide pedestrian linkages between parks and across multiple neighborhoods. Of Clear Creek course, property ownership and the rights of easement holders will influence the fea- sibility of establishing certain linkages. The best opportunities to utilize existing physical features within the Planning Area are along the natural courses of Clear Creek, Mary's Creek, Cowart Creek and Mustang Bayou. Creekside greenbelts could include hike and bike trails, deten- tion lakes and adjoining neighborhood parks in wooded settings. Clear Creek is one of the region's major drainageways and traverses the entirety of the Pearland Planning Area from west to east. Both sides of the creek are within Pearland's corporate limit or ETJ up- stream of Cullen Boulevard and down- stream from El Franco Lee Park. Between Cullen and Mykawa is the town of Brook- side, along the creek's south bank. The creek centerline is also the boundary be- tween Harris County to the north and Bra- zoria County to the south. In Harris County, the Flood Control District (H.C.F.C.D.) has jurisdictional influence. The District prefers to acquire fee simple ownership along the drainageway as op- posed to holding an easement. In Brazoria County, Drainage District #4 has jurisdic- tional influence. Generally, the District acquires an easement from the property owner at the time of development. Clear Creek has a large flood plain and floodway that extends outside the channel itself. Much study has been made of the watershed with regard to flood control improvements; however, no comprehen- sive plan has been implemented. Most of the land alongside the creek is undeveloped. As noted earlier, Harris County has developed several large park facilities along the creek. Within Pear- land's corporate limit, several residential subdivisions have been platted with Tots backing up to the creek. One area is the Twin Woods subdivision east of State Highway 35. The other area includes sev- eral subdivisions north of Dixie Farm Road. Industrial use adjoins the creek in one location between S.H. 35 and the Santa Fe Railroad. Variable width tree masses exist along most of the creek's course. In some loca- tions, a single row of trees line the bank(s); elsewhere, the woods may extend several hundred feet out from the bank. The native tree cover tremendously en- hances the creek corridor as a linear park and backdrop for adjoining park and rec- reation facilities. 6.12 Mary's Creek Mary's Creek is a tributary of Clear Creek and one of the City's major drainageways. Beginning in the Silverlake development, the creek traverses the mid -section of Pearland in an easterly direction. Brazoria Drainage District #4 has jurisdictional in- fluence over the entire width of the drain- ageway. Similar to Clear Creek, the Dis- trict acquires an easement from the prop- erty owner at time of development. Currently, the flood plain attendant to Mary's Creek is over a mile wide in areas west of S.H. 35. Further upstream in the upper end of the watershed, the flood plain is more contained where the creek has been channelized. The flood plain also narrows downstream from S.H. 35. Existing land use alongside Mary's Creek is mostly single family residential or is undeveloped. The City's two community parks, Centennial and Independence, are both adjacent to the creek. Also adjacent are several limited areas with commercial and industrial use. One area is on either side of S.H. 35 between the Santa Fe Rail- road and Old Alvin Road. The second area is also along the north side of F.M. 518 where the creek parallels the street. Upstream of Centennial Park, there is little tree cover along the creek banks. Existing tree masses become more prevalent down- stream from Old Alvin Road. Large hardwoods are located near the creek within Independence Park. The natural tree cover is conducive for the develop- ment of a linear greenbelt linking various recreational facilities and residential neighborhoods. With regard to manmade factors of influ- ence, stormwater detention sites are be- coming increasingly important in park planning and development. Several de- tention sites already exist and more are planned within the Clear Creek and Mary's Creek watersheds. Detention sites are being developed and maintained by the City of Pearland, Brazoria Drainage Dis- trict #4 and H.C.F.C.D. Detention can either be dry bottom or wet bottom, the latter designed to contain a permanent pool of water. Detention sites can also be terraced with recreational uses located on the "upper", mostly dry terraces. The Pearland Planning Area is also criss- crossed by numerous petrochemical pipe- lines and several major electrical distribu- tion corridors. However, their locations, widths, arrangement and relationship to existing streets and land uses is not con- ducive to inclusion in the park system. Use of pipeline corridors as linkages would be inherently difficult since most are placed in easements with specific rights granted the easement holder (i.e. a pipeline company) by the fee property owners. Securing rights to a third party for park related uses, if even feasible, would likely be time consuming and cost prohibitive. Also, most of the pipelines already located within developed areas have minimal access and visibility. 6.13 Y.M.C.A. Sports Participation (1993) Current Recreational Activities The City is fortunate to have assistance and involvement from local organizations and groups in organizing youth recrea- tional programs. Their activities have al- lowed the City to concentrate on devel- oping suitable adult athletic facilities such as Centennial Park where competitive play can occur. Participating organizations and groups include the following: • YMCA - The Pearland "Y" provides programs in soccer, baseball, and bas- ketball for youth in Pearland and the neighboring cities of Alvin, Manvel and Friendswood. All practices occur on school campuses. Shown below is the level of participation according to a sur- vey conducted in 1993. 11 of Teams Participants Baseball Spring 61 802 1993 Basketball Winter 123 924 1993 Soccer Spring 18 216 1993 Fall 1993 34 491 • Pearland Little League - In 1993, the League had 59 teams with 700 partici- pants. The League serves both Pearland and Manvel residents. • Patriot's Football Club - The Club serves boys ages 5 to 12 years from Pearland and Manvel. In 1992, there were 5 teams with 115 participants. The Club uses school property as well as private sites for practice space. • Girls Softball League - The League has a fast pitch program for girls ages 5 to 16 years. Participants must reside in the City of Pearland and Pearland Independ- ent School District. In 1993, the League had 20 teams and 220 participants. School sites are used for practice. • Dad's Club - An athletic facility main- tained by the Club is used by the various associations and leagues. In 1996, the City began a youth soccer program that is now one of the fastest growing recreational programs in the area. League play occurs both in the spring and fall. With this rapid growth, the need for more soccer fields is most apparent. Future Needs Standards for estimating recreational needs are set forth by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TP&W) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). TP&W standards have been de- veloped pursuant to the 1990 Texas Out- door Recreation Plan (TORP). Together, these two sources provide guidance for estimating the City's future needs beyond those facilities already existing. Table 6.2 presents a list of facilities needed for Pearland through the year 2020 based on a projected population of approximately 108,000. Private recreational facilities already existing within master planned communities located in the ETJ have been taken into consideration. 6.14 Table 6.2: Recreational Needs Through 2020 Facility Type TORP Standards NRPA Standards Facilities Needed Basketball Courts 10 20 18 to 20 Tennis Courts 48 50 34 Baseball Fields 14 20 20 Softball Fields 12 20 10 to 14 Football Fields 4 4 4 Soccer Fields 4.6 10 32 Playgrounds 48 acres - 18 to 20 play structures Picnic Tables 110 - 65 to 75 Swimming Pools 4 4 2 Volleyball Courts N/A 20 18 to 20 Trails 11.6 - As many as possible Recreation Center (stand alone) 1 per 50,000 population Miniature Golf Course 1 per 75,000 population Amphitheater 1 per 75,000 population Golf Course (public) 1 per 50,000 population Needs Assessment The City has identified, evaluated and pri- oritized its recreational needs through sev- eral different means. First, needs have been assessed by the City's Parks, Recrea- tion and Beautification Board. Second an intensive visioning process entitled Pearland 20/20 - Focus on our Future was initiated by the City Council. Many community -minded citizens participated. Results of this process are summarized in Section 2.0, Planning Context. The Parks, Recreation and Beautification Board is an advisory body whose mem- bers are appointed by the City Council. The Board prepared and distributed a citizen survey to determine facility needs for the City and the priority of those needs. Following is the summary re- sponse from the survey in priority order: 1. Swimming Pool / Aquatic Center 2. Soccer Fields 3. Hike and Bike Trails 4. Recreation Center (stand alone facil- ity) 5. Tennis Complex 6. Miniature Golf Course 7. Amphitheater 8. Golf Course (public) 6.15 The Parks, Recreation and Beautification Board has adopted the facility needs sur- vey regarding the listed needs and their respective priorities as indicated by the survey respondents. The Board has long thought that a family aquatic center is the City's number one parks and recreation need. The center would offer a variety of leisure and challenging activities for all citizens. Regarding priority item #2, the immediate need for soccer fields is re- flected in both the Board's survey results and the recreational needs through 2020, identified in Table 6.2. The strong desire for hike and bike trails, priority item #3, is reflected in the Park Master Plan and the Thoroughfare Plan. The need for items 4-8 arises from the fact that none of these facilities currently exist anywhere within the City. Although the City does have recreation programming in two junior high schools, a stand-alone rec- reation center is desired that will allow programs and activities to expand and op- erate year round with unrestricted hours. For example, the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Board would like to initiate a City operated youth basketball league, but adequate gym space is needed. A ten- nis complex with pro shop, lockers, etc. is desired to accommodate league play and tournaments. An amphitheater in a natural park setting would provide a venue for a variety of uses including theatrical plays, seasonal events, and outdoor classroom instruction. With regard to golf, the only 18 hole course within the central city is part of a country club. As noted earlier, the Silverlake development in the ETJ includes a privately owned and operated daily fee golf course. The desire for a public golf course has led to authorization and completion of a feasibility study which confirmed market demand for a public golf course in Pearland. More than 2,000 volunteer hours were invested in Pearland 20/20 - Focus on Our Future. The process evolved through three levels of involvement - a Steering Committee, a Strategic Planning Commit- tee and twelve Project Teams. One Proj- ect Team was charged with the responsi- bility of examining needs for recreational and cultural amenities. They identified a family aquatic center as the number one priority. Another Project Team conducted a telephone survey to determine various needs among Pearland's citizens. One question asked, pertinent to parks and rec- reation, was, "Would you like to see Inde- pendence Park expanded?" The response was 63% in favor of expansion, 29% op- posed and 8% expressed no opinion. 6.16 PARK PLANNING GUIDELINES Park Types Various park types have been identified based upon their intended function, size, design and location. The park classifica- tion system detailed below is nationally accepted and used throughout the State of Texas. • Mini Park or Pocket Park - Usually less than an acre in size - Limited facilities such as a play- ground, picnic tables and benches - Minimal useable open space - May be appropriate for existing neighborhoods where no park cur- rently exists or where land avail- ability is low - Inadequate for a typical size resi- dential neighborhood • Neighborhood Park - Basic building block for most park systems - Serves an approximate one square mile residential area as defined by major street and land use patterns - Facilities may include playgrounds, picnic tables, benches, basketball and/or volleyball courts, passive recreational open space, multi- purpose sports field for practice or non-league play. - Easily assessed by children - 5 acre minimum, 10 acres desired • Community Park - Lighted athletic facilities, commu- nity centers, tennis courts, hike & bike trails, swimming pools, picnic shelters, playgrounds, etc. - May incorporate neighborhood parks - Approximate 3± mile service radius - Major thoroughfare access and visi- bility - Minimum 40 acres - Ex: Centennial Park and Independ- ence Park • Regional Park - Primary function is to allow urban residents to escape the city without actually leaving the city - Serves the entire city - Typical features include wooded and picnic areas, water facilities for swimming or boating, hiking and riding trails, and sports fields - May include day camps or possibly golf courses - Major thoroughfare access - Minimum 100 acres - Ex: Harris County's Tom Bass Park and El Franco Lee Park. • Parkways, Linear Parks Include floodplain lands along creeks and major utility corridors - Conserve environmentally unique areas - Provide pedestrian access to other parks and destinations - Unite various parts of a park system to create an integrated network of open space • Special Facilities - May be located on individual sites or as part of other parks May include zoological and botani- cal gardens, sites of historical or ecological significance, natural and scenic areas, or cultural and/or en- tertainment facilities - Ex: David L. Smith Project (cur- rently under development) Park Standards State and nationally recognized standards have long been established to guide the 6.17 Table 6.3: Park Types desired size and number of parks that a community should provide. The widely recognized overall standard is 10-12 acres per 1,000 persons. Table 6.3 shows the general division of this acreage among the different types of parks, the population to be served and the corresponding service area. Type of Facility Acres per 1000 Persons Minimum Acreage Service Radius Population Served Neighborhood Park 2 5 % mile 2,000 - 10,000 Community Park 2.5 40 3+ mile 10,000 - 50,000 Regional Park 5 100 Entire City Entire City Parkway, Linear Park Variable Variable Variable Variable Special Facilities Variable Variable Variable Variable Park standards should be considered flexi- ble guidelines, subject to local conditions or influences. This is especially true for the Pearland Planning Area which in- cludes large stormwater detention facili- ties with partial park use, county parks serving a region much larger than the City itself, and residential subdivisions with their own privately developed open space, lakes and golf courses. Hams County park land along Clear Creek totals more than 1,000 acres. Privately developed rec- reational facilities within the Planning Area total about 500 acres. However, the City's existing, useable park land is less than 136 acres but serves over 32,000 residents. The resulting ratio of 4.2 acres per 1000 persons is far short of the stan- dard 10-12 acres per 1000 persons. Utiliz- ing the data in the table above, the City should have about 64 acres in neighbor- hood parks. As noted earlier, the City has less than 15 acres in neighborhood parks and their average size of 2.5 acres is half the recommended minimum. Also, the City's current park system does not in- clude any regional type parks or linear parks. At first glance, it might appear that there is plenty of park land available to Pearland residents. However, a closer look reveals a different picture with regard to the num- ber, size, and type of parks that are needed not just to comply with national standards but to meet residents' needs. 6.18 Facility Concepts and Standards Listed below is information describing the types of facilities necessary to respond to the needs assessment discussed earlier. Swimming/Aquatic Center- shallow and deep depth pool, water playgrounds, water and drop slides, wet and dry sand play ar- eas, sand volleyball court and lawn areas en- closed by a decorative fence Hike and Bike Trails- concrete paved, 10' desired width (8' minimum) Soccer Fields- various sizes for various age groups Recreation Center (stand-alone facility)- gymnasiums (minimum of two), indoor walking track, handball/racquetball courts, six to ten classrooms that can accommodate preschoolers, elementary -aged students, teenagers and adults, aerobics and fitness rooms, game room, teaching kitchen and weight room Tennis Complex- 12 or more lighted courts, bleachers for several courts, pro shop, restrooms, lockers, showers Miniature Golf Course- 18 hole course, lighted Amphitheater - Golf Course (public) - grassed and sloped seating area for a maximum 500 persons, lighted stage and backstage area, restrooms and concession booth 18 hole course, approximately 6,500 yards in length, driving range, putting green and club- house; 135-175 acre site desired 6.19 INSERT Figure 6.5 —Park Master Plan (11" x 17", fan folded) Neighborhood Parks As discussed under Park Standards, all neighborhood park sites should be at least 5 acres and serve an approximate %a mile radius area. Access should be provided by collector streets and residential streets. Street adjacency on most, if not all sides of the park is preferred in order to increase site visibility and decrease any need for offstreet parking. Also, site grading be- comes easier with less likelihood for un- derground drainage systems. Residential lots should side or face the park. Lots backing up to park land are discouraged. Preferred street and lot orientation to a park is best exemplified by the pocket park within the old town site. The rectan- gular tract is bounded by streets on all four sides. Figure 6.5 locates neighborhood park sites throughout residential portions of the en- tire Nanning Area. Existing neighbor- hood parks are named; proposed park sites are numbered from 1 to 31. Sites 2, 3 and 4 should be located adjacent to Clear Creek and its proposed greenbelt. The optimum location for Site 4 is at the inter- section of Scarsdale and Yost. Sites 5, 6, 7 and 15 should be located alongside the Mary's Creek greenbelt. All seven creek - side sites could be expanded to incorpo- rate a stormwater detention area with a permanent pool of water. Site 8, south of Clover Field, marks the location of an ex- isting 40 acre grove of mature pecan trees, all equally spaced. Preservation of this grove merits special consideration. Site 11 is within the Southwest Environmental Center. Site 18 signifies expansion of ex- isting Corrigan Park to 5-10 acres. Where possible, neighborhood parks and elementary school sites should adjoin. thus reducing the total land required if each were fieestanding. However, this objec- tive has become more challenging in re- cent years since service zones for ele- mentary schools now typically include several residential neighborhoods as de- fined by major thoroughfares. Further- more, the preferred school site is' then Lo- cated on the periphery of an individual neighborhood instead of within the neigh- borhood as preferred for the park site. It may become :more practical to locate community .parks next to elementary school sites. In Pearland, the challenge will be greater since the Planning Area includes portions of six.. independent school districts. However, most of the City's growth in the next 20 years will be within the Pearland Independent School District. Community Parks The City presently has two sites that func- tion as community parks Independence Park and Centennial Park. Both sites are located on Mary's Creek; one to the west and the other to the east of S.H. 35. Independence Park was built during the 1970's. Quoting from the 1993 Park Master Plan, "study is suggested of the park area to determine if maximum utili- zation is being made of this site and its facilities. Among these facilities is the swimming pool. Movement of water ori- ented recreation to more leisure and chal- lenging activities such as family aquatic centers may indicate a need to assess al- ternative uses of this facility." The current facility is a fifty meter, rectangular -shaped swimming pool bordered by concrete paving and enclosed by a chain link fence. Although this is the City's only public pool, the facility has required increased maintenance while becoming less attrac- tive to children, adolescents and adults. 6.21 Pool attendance was approximately 25,000 in 1997 and declined to 17,041 in 1999. Pursuant to the recommendation of the 1993 Plan, the City employed a con- sultant in August, 1995 to examine op- portunities to renovate and improve the park. After several public work sessions, a concept plan was presented in a joint meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Board and City Council on November 13, 1995. After further public input, the City Council formally adopted the proposed concept plan for redevelop- ment and expansion of Independence Park. As presented in Figure 6.3, the new master plan for Independence Park in- cludes an aquatic center along with added acreage to increase the park size. Pro- jected annual attendance for the proposed family aquatic center is more than 125,000. The center is expected to be self supporting with regard to annual mainte- nance and personnel costs. The master plan also includes a tennis complex, miniature golf course and amphitheater - all of which have been identified as prior- ity needs. As discussed earlier, Centennial Park has seen significant improvements with the addition of lighted athletic facilities and other recreational amenities. Centennial Park also serves as a neighborhood park for the immediate area. The Park Master Plan recommends expansion of the site southward across Mary's Creek to provide space for additional athletic facilities, namely soccer fields. Site expansion should be coordinated with proposed plans by Brazoria Drainage District #4 to locate a regional detention facility within the vicinity. Incorporated into the park, the detention site could become an aesthetic amenity similar to Independence Park. In the context of the Land Use Plan, Centen- nial Park provides an excellent transition between residential areas to the west and industrial areas to the east. As an altema- tive, park expansion could also occur east of Veterans Drive on either side of Mary's Creek. The Park Master Plan identifies eight ad- ditional community park sites to be ac- quired. Proposed sites are keyed by letter on Figure 6.5. Unless discussed other- wise, individual sites are intended to de- note their general location and should not be considered property specific. All pro- posed community parks should accommo- date athletic facilities. Site A is on the southem end of Pearland Parkway in the vicinity of Clover Field Airport. A park site possibly encompass- ing the old airport could provide numerous sports fields and utilize the existing tree corridor along Cowart Creek. Similar to Centennial Park, the park would serve as a large scale buffer between existing resi- dential use to the east and planed indus- trial use to the west. Sites B and C, serv- ing the south central portion of the Plan- ning Area could be used as gateways into the City from the south. Likewise, sites D and F could provide gateways from the north and be anchored along tree -lined Clear Creek. Site E on Hughes Ranch Road is needed to provide athletic facili- ties to nearby residential areas served by semi-public neighborhood parks but lack- ing sports fields for organized play. Site G is a potential 150+ acre park cur- rently comprised of a small airstrip, the Stevens and Pruitt Ranch, an ongoing sand mining operation and an inactive sand pit that has been made into a lake. The site is bounded by Dallas Road, a planned major thoroughfare, the American canal, Mus- tang Bayou, and a county road planned to become a secondary thoroughfare. Al- 6.22 though obviously a long term acquisition, the site has significant potential as the central park for westernmost Pearland, offering a variety of recreational opportu- nities. Also, stormwater detention could easily be incorporated into the site given the location on Mustang Bayou. The last of the proposed community park sites is Site H, located in the southwest- ernmost portion of the Planning Area. With frontage on S.H. 6, this park would create another gateway into Pearland. Also shown on the Park Master Plan is a community park site owned by Harris County on Dixie Farm Road at Pearland's eastern edge. The City has the opportu- nity to influence site design since no plans have been prepared for the acreage. Like many of the other proposed community park sites, this one could mark Pearland's eastern gateway. As evidenced by their general locations, community parks should have access and visibility from major and/or secondary thoroughfares. Sites located at the inter- sections of principal streets could be planned to permit select retail uses (i.e. restaurants) at the hard comer similar to the concept already employed in Inde- pendence Park at the intersection of Pear - land Parkway and John Lizer Road. This unique approach has obvious economic benefits in financing park land acquisi- tions. Linear Parks Consistent with the recommendations of previous park plans, linear parks are pro- posed along Clear Creek and most of Mary's Creek. The revised Park Master Plan presented in Figure 6.5, identifies several additional linear parks within the Planning Area. Major sites include Cowart Creek south of Dixie Farm Road and Mustang Bayou between F.M. 521 and County Road 48. Other sites include the Mary's Creek Bypass, Town Ditch, Barry Rose Ditch, and Regency Ditch. All corridors, if preserved in their current condition, offer the opportunity to provide pedestrian, biking and equestrian trails that can link various parks, residential neighborhoods, community facilities and businesses. Trails can accommodate both recreational and purposeful trips while keeping the floodway unencumbered. Existing tree cover abutting the creeks should be protected to the extent possible. Use of attractive creek corridors as linear parks can become major assets for a community as well demonstrated in other Texas cities such as Austin and Plano. Critical to successful linear park develop- ment is an ongoing commitment to coor- dinate and strongly influence both public and private land development along the course of the corridor. Without the up- front commitment, a linear park can easily become a narrow strip hidden behind homes and businesses. The City must also coordinate the design of future streets and bridges to allow uninterrupted pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian travel under heav- ily used vehicular routes. This can be ac- complished by providing adequate head- room between the path and bridge support structure or within the height of box cul- verts. With little access, visibility or con- tinuity, park use decreases and safety con- cerns increase. Clear Creek and Mary's Creek have each experienced limited en- croachment from past development activ- ity but the opportunity still remains for both to become major assets for Pearland. 6.23 Clear Creek The entirety of Clear Creek within the Planning Area is recommended as a linear park. This would entail two segments - one upstream from the town of Brookside and the other downstream. The lower sec- tion would extend from Mykawa Road to Dixie Farm Road, a distance of nearly 7.5 miles. This greenbelt would link the David L. Smith Project (discussed in Sec- tion 5.0 Land Use, Planning Initiative #3), El Franco Lee Park, three proposed neigh- borhood park sites and several large exist- ing and proposed residential areas. The central portion would have direct frontage on Pearland Parkway. At the southern terminus of the greenbelt is undeveloped park land owned by Harris County. Hike and bike trails along the creek could con- nect with the previously discussed South Belt Trail already developed by Harris County. The South Belt Trail currently ends at Hall Road and is planned to extend north to El Franco Lee Park where it could reconnect with the Clear Creek trail to create a loop system of over 10 miles in length. The upper section could extend from McHard Road to east of Cullen Boule- vard, a distance of about 5.5 miles. The greenbelt would link Tom Bass Regional Park and Christia Adair Park with two proposed community park sites. East of S.H. 288, trails would be limited to the creek's north side because of the existing Countryplace golf course on the south side. West of S.H. 288, the park can pro- vide a central greenbelt in an area planned for office, commercial and light industrial uses. Trail development along Clear Creek could be jointly ventured with Harris County. The County's assistance would be most beneficial in linking the trail sys- tem through areas currently within Hous- ton's and Brookside's jurisdictions. Mary's Creek An approximate 8.5 mile length of Mary's Creek is proposed as a linear park on the Park Master Plan. The greenbelt would extend from Silverlake to south of Dixie Farm Road, and intersect eight major thoroughfares. Destinations along the way include Independence Park, Centennial Park, an existing park within Silverlake, four neighborhood park sites, the proposed Town Center and the Southwest Environ- mental Center (discussed in Section 9.0 - Water and Wastewater). Hike and bike trails along Mary's Creek could connect to the Clear Creek trails via Liberty Drive or Pearland Parkway. A third connection can also be made between the southern termini of both linear parks via an existing resi- dential collector street, Longwood Drive. All three connections are depicted on the Park Master Plan. Trail planning along Mary's Creek will demand special attention in several loca- tions. Existing commercial development along the creek between the Santa Fe Rail- road and Old Alvin Road may require the trail to detour from directly paralleling the high bank of the creek. Also to be consid- ered is the trail's crossing of the railroad and State Highway 35. Further down- stream, south of Independence Park, the creek passes through an existing residen- tial subdivision where the platted lots back up to the creek on both sides. As shown on Figure 6.5, the trail can shift away from the creek itself and follow a paralleling street just to the west for a distance of less than 1,500 feet. 6.24 Cowart Creek A limited portion of Cowart Creek, about 1.5 miles in length, is suitable as a linear park. The recommended section extends from the north end of Clover Field to F.M. 2351. Near Clover Field, the greenbelt would parallel and front onto Pearland Parkway. The proximity of Pearland Parkway and its attendant trails precludes the need for a separate hike and bike trail along the creek. Detention lakes could be located between the street and creek. Also adjacent is proposed community park site A. Mustang Bayou A fourth linear park is proposed along Mustang Bayou in the far western portion of the Planning Area. A hike and • bike trail could extend the entire two mile dis- tance from F.M. 521 to County Road 48 and link two neighborhood parks and a proposed community park. Pearland's initiative in establishing this greenbelt should encourage the City of Manvel to extend the greenbelt downstream within their jurisdiction. Secondary Sites In addition to major creeks and bayous, linear parks are proposed along the fol- lowing connecting drainageways: • Town Ditch 1.6* miles starting at S.H. 35/Main Street, extending east across Old Alvin Road to Clear Creek • Regency/Barry Rose Ditches — 1.4± miles starting at Old Alvin Road on the south side of Pearland Junior High East, extending east past the new C.J. Harris Elementary School/Park, and then paralleling Barry Rose Road to Clear Creek • Mary's Creek Bypass — 1.7± miles from its connection with Mary's Creek, crossing Dixie Farm Road, passing by Rustic Oak Elementary School, and ending at a semi-public recreation area on Galaxy Drive within the Nasawood subdivision. 6.25 Development adjacent to linear parks must be influenced and regulated to ensure adequate access and visibility Acquisition Linear park acreage can be acquired at any time but is usually obtained in piecemeal fashion as adjacent properties are platted and developed. Dedication at time of platting is better defined since the creek corridor will become encumbered by a drainage easement required by a flood control agency. The width of the park land acquired along the creek should be one of the following, whichever is great- est: • 50' out from either high bank • width of the recognized floodway • width of the required drainage ease- ment With room to maneuver, future trails can be located to take advantage of or avoid the variety of natural and man-made physical features that will be encountered along the creek. The impact of possible channel improvements by the appropriate flood control agency must also be considered. Adjacent Development As part of the land acquisition process, development adjacent to linear parks must be influenced and regulated to ensure ade- quate park access, aesthetics and visibility. Platted lots should preferably front or side to the linear park. Lots backing up to the park should be avoided, especially in resi- dential areas where residents often will consider the linear park an extension of their backyard and then object to trail de- velopment within the park as an invasion of their privacy and an invitation for van- dalism. In single family residential areas where the City has designated a creek cor- ridor as a linear park, one of the following should be provided: • parallel streets fronting along the park • cul-de-sac streets perpendicular to the park with the cul-de-sac bulb fronting on the park • U-shaped loop streets with part of the "U" fronting on the park All portions of a linear park should be readily visible from public streets or adja- cent land uses. In multi -family develop- ments, apartment buildings should pre- dominantly front the park instead of parking lots. Visibility can be improved within nonresidential areas by prohibiting opaque fences and screening walls within the designated building setback area ad- joining the park and by increasing the building setback itself. Better visibility allows the linear park to become a true focal point in the community. Land de- velopment adjacent to creekside linear parks must also be reviewed with regard to proposed drainage patterns. Often, stormwater runoff is directed to the creek across the surface of the park creating ero- sion problems and increased trail con- struction and maintenance costs for low water crossings, culverts and bridges. One solution that can be implemented via the subdivision ordinance is to require under- ground storm drainage from the develop- ment site to the creek channel or, where possible, direct runoff to existing ditches and creek tributaries. Parkways Pearland Parkway, a planned major thor- oughfare, will extend the entire north/south length of the City from Belt- way 8 to Friendswood. The center section from F.M. 518 across Mary's Creek to Pearland Senior High School has already been constructed. The parkway alignment will be anchored at the northem end by the David L. Smith Project (described below). At the southern end is Clover Field Air- port and a proposed community park. In 6.26 the middle Is the proposed Town Center at F.M. 518. Along the way, the parkway will front the Clear Creek linear park, In- dependence Park and Pentland Senior High School. Between the Town Center and Independence Park, the boulevard will intersect the Mary's Creek linear park. Design guidelines have already been en- acted to provide greater control over the aesthetic, functional, and safety charac- teristics of' development within the thor- oughfare corridor. Special standards have been established for parking lot setbacks, landscaping, building facades, lighting and signage. Utilities will be located under- ground, sidewalks will be widened and bicycle parking will be required. Penland Parkway will become the City's grand, central corridor accommodating vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic in an attrac- tive, spacious setting. 6.27 The City of Pearland has adopted a Park Land Dedication Ordinance IMPLEMENTATION Implementing the Park Master Plan is a two part process: 1) acquire land, and 2) develop facilities as they are needed. The key to building an exceptional park system is timely land acquisition. Once park land has been secured, site development be- comes a matter of "when", not "if'. Community groups such as civic clubs and homeowner organizations can later be called upon to provide vital support and financial assistance in improving an al- ready acquired site. Hyde Park is an ex- cellent example of neighborhood partici- pation to develop an existing site and ac- celerate the time frame for improvement. Land acquisition can occur in several ways: • fee simple purchase • donation by property owners or devel- opers • park dedication ordinance Funding for fee simple purchases gener- ally comes from bonds or grants. A park dedication ordinance, incorporated into the subdivision ordinance, requires dedi- cation of park land or monetary contribu- tions in lieu of land for new park devel- opment as part of the residential land de- velopment approval process. Pearland adopted their ordinance in January, 2000. The ordinance establishes a ratio between the number of dwelling units being platted and the amount of acreage to be dedicated or fee to be paid. Lands dedicated or fees paid must be used for parks that will serve the new residents. Neighborhood parks and sometimes community parks are often acquired via dedication ordinances. Larger sites usually require additional funding sources. Park dedication ordi- nances, when properly used, have with- stood legal challenges. Another land acquisition tool available for zoned cities like Pearland is "transfer of. developments rights" or "transfer of den- sity". As part of large acreage rezoning cases requested by a property owner or developer, park land can often be acquired at no cost or reduced cost by transferring some or all of the zoning density that would have been permitted on the deline- ated park site(s) to the remainder of the property. Transferring development rights or density is a negotiated process that can also entail related issues such as infra- structure locations and shared cost respon- sibilities. Park development funding sources include bonds, grants, and private donations. Funding for acquisition or development often occurs in accordance with a capital improvement program, which establishes a prioritized list of projects. The program will include information on the scope, tim- ing, and cost of each project listed. 6.28 Table 6.4: Prioritized Needs Implementation Listed below in Table 6.4 are the recom- mended timelines for each of the priori- tized needs discussed earlier under Needs Assessment. PRIORITY , NEED LOCATION TIME FRAME 1 Swimming Pool/Aquatic Center Independence Park Immediate 2 Soccer Fields (to be determined) Immediate 3 Hike and Bike Trails City-wide On -going 4 Recreation Center - site identification, facility development (to be determined) 2002 2005 5 Tennis Complex Independence Park 2005 6 Miniature Golf Course Independence Park 2005 7 Amphitheater Independence Park 2005 8 Golf Course - land acquisition & development (to be determined) 2010 As shown above, the top three prioritized needs for the citizens of Pearland are a family aquatic center, soccer fields, and hike and bike trails. Preliminary planning for the aquatic center has already been done. A family aquatic center is included in the City Council approved master plan for Independence Park. The center will be developed in accordance with the facility standards described herein. Construction plans will be prepared once total funding is secured. Providing additional soccer fields is oc- curring in several ways. First, the master plan for Centennial Park (formerly McLean Park) included two fields. Sec- ond, the City is presently looking for new sites to acquire and develop. With regard to hike and bike trails, im- plementation is largely contingent on pri- vate sector development and construction of major thoroughfares in order to provide suitable access, visibility and continuity. Trail corridors such as that planned along Mary's Creek and Clear Creek will be ac- quired in segments as development occurs adjacent to the creek. Trail construction cannot occur until sufficient segments provide complete linkages. Development of bike lanes as part of thoroughfare con- struction has already occurred, most nota- ble along a portion of F.M. 518, the City's principal east -west thoroughfare. The road was widened and rebuilt by the Texas Department of Transportation. 6.29 Construction of a free-standing recreation center will likely not be feasible until ap- proximately 2010. In the interim, school based recreation sites will be used to meet the public need. Meanwhile, recreation center staffs and programs can be further developed and then put to use within the stand-alone facility once completed. The tennis complex, miniature golf course and amphitheater are all included in the new master plan for Independence Park. Fi- nally, a recently completed feasibility study authorized by the City Council indi- cated market demand for a public golf course in Pearland. The study also in- cluded preliminary site(s) identification and evaluation. Opportunities to develop a public golf course could arise sooner with private developer participation in providing a suitable site. 6.30 AGENDA REQUEST BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS AGENDA OF: March 27, 2000 ITEM NO. / a DATE SUBMITTED: March 15, 2000 DEPARTMENT OF ORIGIN: Parks & Rec. PREPARED BY: Ed Hersh PRESENTOR: Ed Hersh SUBJECT: Amendment to Ordinance No. 943 (Adoption of the Comprehensive Plan) Update to the Parks Master Plan EXHIBITS: Amendment to Comprehensive Plan (Parks and Open Space) EXPENDITURE REQUIRED N/A TOTAL AMOUNT BUDGETED N/A ACCOUNT NO. ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION REQUIRED N/A ACCOUNT NO. FUNDS AVAILABLE (Finance Department Approval) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPW) has completed their review of the City's updated Parks Master Plan. The Parks Master Plan was recently adopted by City Council as part of the City's Comprehensive Plan. The TPW has made comments that need to be included in the plan in order to have their approval and meet eligibility requirements for TPW grants. Theareas identified by the TPW include the addition of demographics, objectives of each goal, greater details of the planning process and adoption by Council of the final plan. RECOMMENDED ACTION Staff recommends that Council approve the amendment to Ordinance No. 943 (Parks Master Plan portion of Comprehensive Plan).