Section 4.0 Land UseAs shown on the Existing Land Use Map, the predominant land use remains agricultural,comprising 1,737 acres <strong>of</strong> land which translates to approximately 50% <strong>of</strong> all land in<strong>Kendleton</strong>’s jurisdiction. Considering <strong>Kendleton</strong>’s long history <strong>of</strong> farming, it is notunexpected that the <strong>City</strong> still retains its agricultural character. The fact that so manyacres are devoted to active farming speaks to the vitality <strong>of</strong> the industry in <strong>Kendleton</strong>.Nearly 1,000 acres <strong>of</strong> land was observed to be undeveloped. It is possible that some <strong>of</strong>these acres were previously for agricultural use or were simply not active for farming atthe time <strong>of</strong> the survey. Public park land and road right-<strong>of</strong>-way (ROW), including the US59 ROW account for another 500 acres <strong>of</strong> land. Altogether, these top four land uses byacreage account for over 92% <strong>of</strong> all land in <strong>Kendleton</strong>’s jurisdiction. This is highlysignificant because each <strong>of</strong> these uses is not taxable and the <strong>City</strong> receives no benefitfrom the land value. It is important to note that any undeveloped land which is not usedfor agricultural purposes does have a taxable land value, but the point remains that ahuge percentage <strong>of</strong> overall land is not revenue generating for the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kendleton</strong>.Most <strong>of</strong> the 154 acres <strong>of</strong> total residential land is located north <strong>of</strong> the KCS rail line and isconcentrated together as shown on the Existing Land Use Map. From a planningstandpoint, this is a desirable arrangement in that residential property should be locatedadjacent other residential property. This keeps land values consistent, consolidates cityservices like water and wastewater, and enhances the sense <strong>of</strong> community. A total <strong>of</strong>173 residential units, be they single family homes or manufactured housing units, arelocated within <strong>Kendleton</strong>’s jurisdiction.Commercial tracts currently account for only 2% <strong>of</strong> all land in <strong>Kendleton</strong> and totalapproximately 71 acres <strong>of</strong> land. Commercial land use describes not only retailstorefronts but also private businesses. The 12 observed commercial tracts are spreadthroughout the <strong>City</strong>, primarily on major circulation routes which is appropriate forcustomers and necessary deliveries. Church locations are also spread throughout thecommunity, mostly near residential tracts, which obviously locates places <strong>of</strong> worshipnear home sites. This is a very important aspect <strong>of</strong> everyday life in <strong>Kendleton</strong> due to themultitude <strong>of</strong> services and programs the churches <strong>of</strong>fer, and is another way that thecommunity fabric is enhanced.A total <strong>of</strong> 254 acres <strong>of</strong> parkland is within <strong>Kendleton</strong>’s jurisdiction, contained within onlytwo park locations. King Kennedy Memorial Park is a 33 acre city park north <strong>of</strong> US 59,west <strong>of</strong> FM 2919. Bates M. Allen Park is a Fort Bend County Park south <strong>of</strong> US 59, east <strong>of</strong>the San Bernard River. Each <strong>of</strong> these parks is discussed in detail in Section 9. Withregard to park facilities as a portion <strong>of</strong> land use, the most accepted measurement <strong>of</strong>required park acreage for communities was developed by the National Recreation andParks Association (NRPA). The NRPA guidelines are written as number <strong>of</strong> acres per1,000 residents as described in Section 9, Table 9-A. By acreage, the residents <strong>of</strong><strong>Kendleton</strong> are more than adequately served by these two parks. Judged by distancefrom neighborhoods however, less than half <strong>of</strong> the residents <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kendleton</strong> are withinNRPA guidelines for a walkable distance to recreational land use.22 <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kendleton</strong>
4.2 Future Land UseAs discussed earlier, the Future Land Use <strong>Plan</strong> is simply a blueprint for appropriatefuture development. The <strong>20</strong>-<strong>Year</strong> <strong>Growth</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> includes a Future Land Use <strong>Plan</strong> (ExhibitII) in order to inform the community and its leaders as to where locations for futurebusinesses, farm land, homes, parks and other land uses are best located. Particularcare must be taken to preserve the agricultural heritage <strong>of</strong> <strong>Kendleton</strong> and, if possible,balance the need for new growth.When considering the best locations for future land uses, the following factors, amongothers, were considered:• Location <strong>of</strong> existing similar land uses• Proximity to existing city services• Location <strong>of</strong> future roads and road improvements• Likelihood <strong>of</strong> development within the <strong>20</strong>-year study period• Effect <strong>of</strong> CenterPoint Intermodal Center and GBI International Business ParkFigure 4-2. Future Land Use <strong>Plan</strong>Working on the premise that the CenterPoint Intermodal Center will drive much <strong>of</strong> therequired land use modifications for the next twenty years, there is a resulting need fornew residential land use in order to provide housing for at least a percentage <strong>of</strong> the jobscreated at the facility. Existing residential development patterns in <strong>Kendleton</strong> allow for alarge number <strong>of</strong> homes to be constructed as infill. That is, there are many vacant tractsbetween existing homes which are prime locations for future residential land use.<strong>20</strong>-<strong>Year</strong> <strong>Growth</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> 23
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