Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

facts & figuresLand Usehome occupations. There are higher density units, such as town homesand lot line homes, along Adoue Street east of Magnolia Street.The challenge confronting revitalization of Downtown is rooted in theCity’s land use policies. Communities who have redeveloped theirdowntowns have taken a firm stand as to the location of their commercialdevelopment, directing it inward, rather than allowing it to locate on theedge of town, thereby drawing traffic and other businesses away from theCity center. Doing so requires an implementation tool giving the City theability to effectively manage its pattern of growth in a manner that isconsistent with its development objectives and community vision.Coupled with development policy is a range of practical issues that act asbarriers to redevelopment. Parking is generally a constraining issue forbusinesses locating downtown. Those that develop on large, vacantparcels have sufficient land to meet their parking needs andrequirements. Within a downtown environment, large expanses ofparking are not feasible or preferable. There must, therefore, beacceptable alternatives for the businesses and their employees andpatrons. This may require a public‐private partnership to acquire andassemble land and develop public parking areas or, better yet, elevatedparking structures that allow a concentration of more commercialdevelopment in Downtown. The existence of multiple public buildingsmakes it easier to justify. The assembly of land may also be necessary toaccommodate larger building sites for more significant mixed usedevelopments. Incentives are commonly essential for attractingbusinesses to locate downtown, rather than along one of the corridors.Resolution of other typical problems, such as code‐related issues,condition of infrastructure, and traffic access and circulation, must also bestudied and addressed to make downtown a reasonable and attractivealternative.‣ Appearance enhancement and community attractiveness – Thephysical appearance of a community is, perhaps, the single most evidentglimpse of its economic viability, government pro‐activeness, and civicpride. The initial impression of a community is formed by theappearance of its physical development, including the nature ofcommunity aesthetics, condition of public facilities and maintenance ofroadways, presence of parks and public open spaces, integrity ofneighborhoods, care of private and public properties, and overallattractiveness of the community. Many of the more establishedApril 1, 2005Page 3-8