Comprehensive Master Plan - City of Alvin

Land Usefacts & figuresnext door. This is a vital consideration for the protection ofneighborhoods and values of residential properties.A large majority of the neighborhoods in Alvin have viewsof “open space” across the street or behind their lots.Additionally, the surrounding agricultural land furthercontributes to the value and enjoyment of homeownersand their value for preserving a small‐town character.However, as new development occurs in these“borrowed” areas, it is likely that there will be aheightened dissatisfaction of homeowners when theadjacent land develops, particularly since they have nopublic process or recourse to alter the eventual outcome.Therefore, to maintain these views and achieve the type ofcharacter expressed emphatically by residents, permanentopen space must be incorporated into each development.One means of achieving this character is by clusteringdevelopment, which allows equal or higher density, whilepreserving permanent open space.Suburban estate (large‐lot) character is not common withinthe City limits, although it is common in the peripheralareas around the community. An estate character requireslow‐density development on larger properties (typicallyone acre or larger), thereby producing a visual openness.As a result of larger lot sizes, open space and vegetationare intended to be the more dominate views, while thebuildings are to be apparent, yet secondary to thelandscape. Dependent upon the size of the home and its Integration of permanent open space into developmentpercent of coverage and location on the lot, the estate avoids the loss of temporary “borrowed” space whencharacter may more closely resemble a larger version of abutting development occurs.the typical suburban character. To achieve an estatecharacter, the design of these subdivisions must actively seek to imitate morerural areas through the use of rural street sections without sidewalks, vastopen space throughout the development, use of rural fence types and/orhedgerows to divide properties, preservation or planting of native vegetationalong property boundaries, and generous building setbacks on all sides.Rural Character – This character class includes three types ‐ countryside,agricultural, and natural. The areas surrounding Alvin are typical of a ruralcharacter as a result of the community’s freestanding nature and thePage 3-33April 1, 2005