Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

facts & figuresLand Useform a very different sense ofenclosure. Therefore, landscapesurface and vegetative cover areessential elements in creatingsuburban character.Suburban character is exhibited by the livable neighborhoods foundthroughout the community.The physical distinction between asuburban and urban (or auto‐urban)character is the level of useintensiveness or magnitude ofactivity affecting adjacent uses.Suburban environments are soughtas relief from more intensive urbansettings, thereby leading to thepopularity of contemporaryneighborhoods denoted for theirlarger lots and open spaces.There are numerous examples of suburban character throughout thecommunity. Perhaps the best examples are the more mature neighborhoods.In these areas, tree‐lined streets and a blend of traditional housing styles helpto form its attractive character. While the newer subdivisions also exhibit asuburban character, they are quite different from more traditionalneighborhoods as a result of the curvilinear street patterns, contemporary“box‐like” housing styles, consistent setbacks, and lack of vegetation.Enhancing the suburban character of these areas may include varying lotsizes, housing styles and setbacks; integrating more open space throughoutthe developments; and the preservation or use of vegetation along streets andon each lot to increase the vegetative cover.All too often, the open space that contributes to a suburban character of aneighborhood is abutting land that is not yet developed and with open viewsthat are not yet closed. As in the case of many neighborhoods in Alvin,particularly those that are on the edge of town or currently abut vacant land,the adjacent views that contribute to the small‐town character are largelytemporary, rather than permanent. The natural open space and views of thelandscape are “borrowed” from the adjoining land. Consequently, asdevelopment occurs in these previously open areas, the character of theexisting neighborhood also changes. In Alvin’s case where there are no landdevelopment regulations to ensure compatible adjacent uses, the magnitudeof character change may vary greatly depending upon the use type developedApril 1, 2005Page 3-32