Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

Introduction and VisionWhy Plan?Cities plan for many reasons,among them are to:• Take advantage of thecommunity’s strengthsand advantages whilesolving its limitations andchallenges;• Protect the interests ofproperty owners bydetermining in advancehow, when, and where thecommunity develops;• Direct rather than react tonew development bytiming and sequencing theimprovement ofinfrastructure andprovision of municipalservices;• Seize economicopportunities throughsupport of existingbusinesses, attraction ofnew industry, andfostering business startups;• Enhance the features thatcontribute to quality oflife, such as parks andrecreation areas,preservation of historicresources, conservation ofnatural resources, andquality public safetyservices; and,• Offer assurance as to theCity’s commitment tomanage its future toensure compatible andsustainable development.BENEFITS of the Plan • • •The Alvin Comprehensive Plan provides long‐term policy direction in theareas of land use and community character, growth and development, andparks and recreation. In so doing, the plan offers community leaders andresidents the following benefits:• Establishes policy direction for future development and redevelopment,providing decision‐making guidance to members of the PlanningCommission, City Council, City staff, as well as the community at‐large.• Identifies recommendations contributing to a work program fordepartments within the City.• Identifies improvement needs and priorities for use by City managementto guide budgeting and capital programming decisions.• States the municipality’s intentions regarding the planning area’s physicaldevelopment and infrastructure investment, ultimately creating animproved level of certainty for landowners and developers.• Communicates to citizens the type, pattern, and density of futuredevelopment, thereby flagging the impact of development on privateproperty.• Coordinates transportation and infrastructure improvements withdevelopment, creating an integrated development framework.• Lays out the future economic and physical development of thecommunity, which is useful to other local, State and Federal agenciesengaged in the provision of programs, services, and facilities.ENVISIONING the Future • • •A clear vision of what the community aspires to achieve is the first step incharting a path to address the complex decisions facing Alvin in the shortandlong‐term. A vision describes the community’s preferred future, offeringdirection for the goals, objectives, and policies that provide a framework forfuture planning, development, and programmatic decisions.The Visioning ProcessThe Alvin Comprehensive Plan was a 12‐month process involving over 200residents and community stakeholders representing the diversity of thecommunity and its leadership. A 14‐person Comprehensive Plan AdvisoryCommittee (CPAC) led the process, offering their input to ensure the planreflects the values and priorities of the community. The CPAC was chargedwith the responsibility of establishing the community’s core values and itsexpectations for the visioning process. They were also involved in reviewingPage 1-4