Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

Growth StrategiesState law requires municipal service provision of an equal standard tothat currently provided within a timeframe of two and one‐half yearsfrom the time of annexation. Due to the expanse of the City’s ETJ, thisis not reasonable or feasible for large portions of this area. Withoutthe ability to ensure that subdivisions within the ETJ but beyond thearea of the City’s subdivision authority comply with the municipaldevelopment standards, such as streets and utilities, it is not in theCity’s interest to ever incorporate these areas. Incorporation bringswith it an obligation to accept responsibility for maintenance of theinfrastructure, which was likely constructed using inadequateconstruction methods and standards. The costs of such propositionare ill‐feasible.2. The City should amend their subdivision regulations to createstandards of development for rural and urban subdivisions. Suchstandards would account for the unique circumstances within theoutlying portions of the ETJ. The standards would address allowabledensities (tied to the adequacy of infrastructure), size, arrangement,and the dimensional requirements of lots, street right‐of‐way widthsand cross‐sections, drainage improvements, and other technicaldesign criteria and specifications that may be handled differentlywithin a very low density rural area.3. Should the City decide to maintain the current arrangement wherebythe authority to review subdivisions is delegated to Brazoria County,at a minimum there should be a comprehensive assessment andcomparison between their respective standards and codes, with theintent of narrowing the gap between the standards of development.4. It is advisable for the City to create an impact model enabling it theability to quantify the fiscal consequences of development and,subsequently, adopt policies to ensure responsible outcomes. Suchmodel would allow alternative developments and uses to be tested asto whether the projected revenues offset the required expendituresfor provision and ongoing maintenance of infrastructure. This wouldallow the City to educate itself about the costs associated withincreased development, and particularly those requiring substantialpublic investment, and subsequently make informed decisions as tothe feasibility of establishing a municipal utility district orincorporation into the City.Page 5-15