Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

Growth Strategiesopen space and impervious surface coverage, contribute to both localizedand communitywide flooding conditions. Generally, the means formanaging stormwater is to require the design of subdivisions and nonresidentialsites to comply with predevelopment run‐off conditions.Development types discussed in Chapter 3, Land Use, such as cluster,conservation, and preservation development, allow densities that areproportional to the capacity of the land to support urban development,while conserving site resources and preserving sufficient land forstormwater collection, holding, and aquifer recharge.‣ Sustaining the provision of quality municipal services – AlthoughAlvin has not been experiencing major growth in its population, it is,nonetheless, important that the City continue to invest in its police andfire protection services to meet constantly changing needs. There is a highexpectation on behalf of the public to feel safe and secure from the threatsof criminal activity and fire hazards. This inherent expectation places anongoing burden on the police and volunteer fire departments to staycurrent with the latest technology and training, upgrade equipment andcommunication systems, and maintain a visible presence in thecommunity. The result is of fiscal consequence caused by the demand foradded personnel and costly new capital facilities and equipment.As new development occurs within and around the periphery of thecommunity, the rate of which is expected to increase in the near‐term, theorganization and administration of the Police Department and theVolunteer Fire Department must change to accommodate increased callsand demand for services over an expanded area. Although the effectiveservice area of the departments is the City limits, they have a generalobligation to the public (managed by mutual aid agreements in someinstances) for offering assistance beyond the City. The extent ofdevelopment that occurs outside the City limits is, therefore, highlyrelevant from a public safety perspective. The ability to respond to a callin a timely manner is largely dependent upon the proximity to anadequately equipped and manned fire station or police sub‐station. TheCity continues to fund the Alvin Volunteer Fire Department, which is alsonow included within the Brazoria County Emergency Services District,approved by the voters in 2004. In the case of a fire, the availability of asufficient quantity and pressure of water are critical considerations. ThePage 5-11