Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

facts & figuresLand UseThe S.H. 35 Bypass is largely undeveloped north of S.H. 6 with moderateto large undeveloped parcels remaining along that portion from S.H. 6 toF.M. 1462. The prevailing pattern of development is a blend of auto‐urbancommercial and residential use. With improvements to this corridorforthcoming, the market outlook is likely to escalate, thereby increasingthe amount of nonresidential development pressure along this corridorand in the eastern portion of the community. Without appropriate landuse ordinances to direct the desired character and scale of development,this area will be left strictly to market forces, which may not reflect theappearance preferred and envisioned by community residents.The most often mentioned theme that emerged from the input receivedfrom residents during the community forum was the City’s ability – orinability ‐ to ensure future development that is compatible with adjacentuses and cohesive with the character and fabric of the community. Whilethe context remained the same, different issues were articulated relatingto managing development, including references to the density ofdevelopment, buffering and screening between land uses, impacts onneighborhoods and other adjacent uses, design of new development, andthe implementation and enforcement of some form of regulation givingthe community the ability to protect the interests of property owners, aswell as to control its own destiny.New subdivisions such as Forest Heights are beginning to developproviding a range of housing prices and neighborhood environments.‣ Quality, affordable housing andlivable neighborhoods – Alvinoffers a variety of long‐standing andincreasingly newly developingsubdivisions that, in time, willprovide different livingenvironments and an assortment ofhousing ages and types. As pointedout in Chapter 2, CommunitySnapshot, as of the 2000 U.S.Census, the median home wasconstructed in 1974, meaning thatthe median housing stock is 30years old. Since 1980, 32 percent ofthe 8,501 housing units have beenconstructed. With new residentialdevelopment beginning to appearand the expectation that this trendApril 1, 2005Page 3-4