The purpose of this agenda item is for the Commission to hold a public hearing, review and make a recommendation to City Council on i) an amendment to Chapter 2, Article II of the Development Code to establish the Lake Pointe Redevelopment (LPR) District, and ii) the rezoning of approximately 69 acres located along Creekbend Drive and Fluor Daniel Drive from Planned Development District (PD) to the Lake Pointe Redevelopment (LPR) District.
This is one of the actions steps necessary to prepare Lake Pointe for redevelopment. The other actions necessary to prepare Lake Pointe for redevelopment include amending the Land Use Plan and approving a Redevelopment Concept Plan for Lake Pointe Plaza. The Commission held two workshops to discuss the redevelopment of Lake Pointe on September 28 and October 26.
The existing 52-acre Fluor campus (located along Creekbend Dr and Fluor Daniel Dr), which dates back to the 1980s, offers a significant prospect for redevelopment within this regional hub, while the remaining residential, retail, commercial, and hospitality areas, established more recently, are anticipated to remain largely unchanged in the foreseeable future. Planned Community Developers currently has the Fluor campus under contract with plans to develop it and several adjacent properties into an approximately 69-acre mixed-use area known as Lake Pointe Plaza.
Background
In 2018 City Council adopted an update to the City’s Land Use Plan, Chapter 6 of the Comprehensive Plan, which guides the development and redevelopment of Sugar Land into the future. It does so by outlining policy direction and guidance for making land use decisions and reaching the City’s long-term vision. An essential element of the long-term vision is the creation of Regional Activity Centers and Neighborhood Activity Centers (RACs and NACs), which will be mixed use areas that are regional and neighborhood hubs of activity. The Plan directed staff to evaluate the best zoning approach to implementing RACs and NACs. Staff worked with a consultant to review benchmarks cities and initiated work to establish two new zoning districts. To support and inform the development of the new districts, the City Manager appointed a Joint Advisory Task Force consisting of three councilmembers and three Planning & Zoning Commissioners. The Task Force’s review of the draft Code provided input to staff for consideration. However, in July 2023, City Council directed staff to focus on its two top redevelopment priorities: Imperial and Lake Pointe. As a result, creating a new zoning district focused specifically on Lake Pointe became the focus. The Lake Pointe Redevelopment District is the outcome of this work.
Development Code Amendment
The list below summarizes the standards in the Lake Pointe Redevelopment District:
- Housing Variety: A primary component of a successful mixed-use area includes new, innovative housing configurations. The Lake Pointe Redevelopment District introduces new house-scale residential options like multiplexes (triplexes, fourplexes, etc.) to support a greater mix of lifestyles. The complementary density allows amenities such as retail and daily services to be reachable within walking distance.
- Form Standards such as building setbacks and parking lot placement prioritize inviting pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and a walkable district.
- Market Responsiveness promotes incremental redevelopment by providing flexibility for areas to evolve over time and respond to market changes and pressure.
- Parking Reductions eliminate excess parking, further reinforcing a walkable district by promoting a more efficient use of land.
Rezoning
The new Lake Pointe Redevelopment District will be established by the Development Code amendment. For the district to be applied to the 69-acre proposed Lake Pointe Plaza area, City Council must approve a rezoning for the property. This is a City-initiated rezoning. The 69-acre site is composed of the 52-acre Fluor campus as well as 10 acres of adjacent undeveloped property and an approximately 7-acre segment of Creekbend Drive between Fluor Daniel Drive and Lake Pointe Parkway. The remainder of the Lake Pointe Regional Activity Center will not be rezoned. A zoning map for Lake Pointe Plaza is attached for the Commission’s reference.
Planning & Zoning Commission Workshops
Staff has reviewed the draft Development Code amendment with the Commission in two workshops on September 28 and October 26.
The September 28 workshop focused on Sections 2-118 through 2-122. One member of the public spoke during the public comment period and the Commission held a discussion regarding these sections. Below is a summary of items the Commission recommended staff revisit:
- Consider using a floor-to-area ratio to regulate building height and mass.
- Reevaluate how Pedestrian Enhancement Zone light spacing is measured.
- Clarify fence regulations for types of housing.
- Clarify height in bulk regulations to be more consistent with the standard code.
- Confirm references to MU-N have been removed.
- Various grammatical revisions and graphical improvements for readability and to refine intent.
The October 26 workshop focused on the remaining draft Development Code sections not reviewed during the September 28 P&Z workshop: Sections 2-116-117 and 2-123-125. One member of the public spoke. Below is a summary of items the Commission recommended staff revisit:
- Require Civic Space around the perimeter of the development along Brooks Lake
- Emphasize the orientation of buildings towards natural features
- Revise the uses permitted in Table 123.1 Permitted Uses and Parking Schedule to better align with the District intent
- Revise definition of Pedestrian Enhancement Zone
In addition, the Commission asked staff for further clarity regarding the Lake Pointe Redevelopment District:
- The benefits of this proactive approach versus Planned Development Districts (PDs)
- Classification of convention centers and neighborhood retail, and calculating bar parking ratios under Table 123.1 Permitted Uses and Parking Schedule
- Fence material requirements
- Redevelopment Concept Plan expiration period
Community Engagement
Over the past year, staff have utilized numerous opportunities to present the City Council’s top priority – redevelopment – to the community. Those opportunities included physical and digital partnerships through digital media, including social networks, local newspapers, and the city website. To date, staff has presented redevelopment and supporting data to over 1,000 attendees across 30+ community meetings and at city sponsored events. On October 18, 2023 staff and Planned Community Developers held a community meeting with HOAs in the Lake Pointe area. The meeting provided approximately 60 area residents the opportunity to hear about the proposed Lake Pointe Plaza project and the necessary action steps for preparing Lake Pointe for redevelopment.
Public Hearing Notice
The Notice of Public Hearing was published in a newspaper of general circulation and on the City of Sugar Land’s Internet Home Page. All property owners within 200’ of the subject property were notified via mail. The public hearing notice included a link to an online form that can be submitted to provide comments in advance of the meeting. As of the date of this report, we have not received any public feedback regarding this item.
Recommendation
Staff recommends the Commission hold the public hearing and provide a recommendation to City Council. Staff supports a recommendation of approval to the Mayor and City Council.
Next Steps
Following this meeting, City Council will be holding their public hearing and first reading of the ordinance at their December 5, 2023 meeting.