VOL 8 No. 36
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Sugar Land residents group opposes high density land use plan A group of concerned Sugar Land residents recently met to discuss a development “plan” that was presented to a joint City Council and Planning & Zoning meeting on June 26, 2015. Developer renditions of the “Plan” included 900 apartment units at the corner of Highway 59 at University Blvd. As the concerned residents began to research City development regulations that would protect neighboring communities from the intrusion, they were surprised to find that City Council, on July 21, 2015 passed Ordinance 2014, revamping the entire Sugar Land Development Code, over 330 pages of new Development Code, according to Diana Miller, spokeswoman for the group Sugar Land Votes. The new code provides for “Urban” development and “Requirements for Multi-Family Developments Suburban or Urban Final Development Plans” provide no limit on size of multi-family, high density development, Miller said. According to the City Council presentation from the July 21, 2015 meeting, the new code was developed “over the past year and a half” in meetings with staff, consultants, P&Z, City Council and The Development Committee”. “The Development Committee = Committee of developers appointed by City Manager”. Thus, new Development Code was written by a group of Developers. Absent from this year and a half long project was community involvement, Miller said. The citizen group also contended that there were Open Meetings Act violations. The Development Committee revised the code and recommended action in the form of a letter which City Council ‘rubber stamped, making the Committee fall under Open Meetings requirements,’ Miller said. Evidence of the rubber stamp; City Council meetings for First and Second Consideration of this major code change entailed 5 minute and 10 minute Council discussions. A prior Council workshop
discussion focused on landscaping and barbed wire use with no mention of the “Urban” development change. Further, there are no minutes from the meetings and meetings were not published on the City web site. Sugar Land City Council is further attempting to remove additional apartment limits that have long protected the City of Sugar Land from intrusive development in the proposed Land Use Plan Update. The update would replace the second layer of Sugar Land’s protective zoning, The Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 6, adopted in 2005 and containing specific apartment limits of “no more than 200 units at any one location” and “no more than 300 such units within any one square mile.” Language contained in the 2005 version further states “The proven advantages of single family neighborhoods over high density multi-unit dwelling forms has led to Sugar Land retaining its highly desirable small town atmosphere.” The Land Use Plan Update proposes a new vision for Sugar Land of high density, urban housing. The City of Sugar Land paid over $14,000 in speaker fees to bring proponents of high density housing to speak during a series of Land Use Plan Update forums. The City indicates over 200 residents attended the series of forums, although there is no indication of support of the series presentations, Miller said. There is documented opposition in 3500+ petitions opposing high density housing. In 2012, over 1500 registered Sugar Land voter signatures were submitted to the City of Sugar Land indicating they did not want high density apartment development in Sugar Land. Another 2000+ petition signatures were submitted to the City in 2011. Council members have attempted to quell community outrage by stating they will reject high density proposals. However, the new code changes
do not support their statements. Council members would have no justification to reject high density proposals under the New Development Code. In an effort to restore the protective zoning that has allowed Sugar Land to become a coveted community, volunteers will initiate a Referendum Petition in accordance with City code : The City’s registered voters may request through petition a Referendum. The council may repeal all or part of an existing ordinance, and, if the council fails to do so, hold an election to approve or reject the ordinance. The law firm of Wilson, Cribbs & Goren has prepared the Referendum Petition language as follows: “We the undersigned qualified voters of the City of Sugar Land, Texas, hereby petition that the City Council of the City of Sugar Land, Texas to repeal Ordinance No. 2014, entitled ‘AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND, TEXAS, ADOPTING THE SUGAR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE, PHASE I; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE’ as adopted by the City Council of the City of Sugar Land, Texas, with the effective date of July 21, 2015 (the “Subject Ordinance”).” Volunteers are currently organizing for voter block walking, according Miller. Petition Signing Events will begin on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015 at the University Branch Library, 14010 University Blvd. from 4 p.m to 8:30 p.m. Members of the core group, who have been meeting weekly, reside in Telfair, Commonwealth, Avalon, Sweetwater, First Colony and Belknap. The group will have 46 days in which to obtain 2,032 Sugar Land Registered voter signatures on the petition. A web site www.SugarLandVotes and a Facebook page have been set up to promote the community effort.
Fort Bend Education Foundation hosts Sugar Shindig
Enjoy a sweet time at the Fort Bend Education Foundation’s 1st Annual Sugar Shindig presented by Safari Texas on Friday, October 9, at 6:30 pm. Shimmy over to Safari Texas for a casual evening of fun and frolic, including a fajita dinner, a dessert auction and dancing to the music of Password. This is camaraderie at its finest as staff from our schools and community members vie for the best cakes made by local bakers. The event is hosted by the Angels of Education Auxiliary, whose mission is to create community awareness for the Foundation’s Grants to Teachers and Schools programs. Have your cake and eat it too at this shindig! To purchase tickets, adults only $25/person, or make donations, visit www.fortbendisd.com/foundation. Chefs for Education! The Sugar Shindig Honorary Committee (L-R): Max Cleaver, Kermit Spears, Christie Whitbeck, Phillys Hill, Honorary Co-Chairs Seeju and Charles Dupre, FBEF Executive Director Brenna Cosby, Steven Bassett, Nancy Porter, Long Pham and Beth Martinez.
District Judge Thomas Culver passes away
Culver Fort Bend County District Judge Thomas Culver passed away Friday. He was 66. Culver, presiding judge of the 240th District Court, retired June 30, 2015 as one of the most respected Judges in county history. He served the county for 38 years.
Culver was the longest serving elected judge in Fort Bend County. He has been a district judge since 1990. The Republican Party of Fort Bend County Chairman Mike Gibson said, “We are saddened at the loss of Judge Thomas Culver. We have lost a great servant to Fort Bend County, Texas and our country.” Thomas R Culver III served Fort Bend starting in the District Attorney’s office in 1977. Beginning in 1981, he served as County Court at Law Judge for nine years and 15 years as the 240th District Court Judge. The people of Fort Bend County elected him 18 times, both in primary and in general elections. He had been elected unopposed all the time, except once in 2010 when he faced an opponent.
Chad Bridges appointed Judge
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Chad Bridges of Sugar Land as judge of the 240th Judicial District Court in Fort Bend County for a term set to expire after the next general election in November 2016. Bridges has practiced law in the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office for more than 12 years; he currently serves as a chief prosecutor overseeing the Family Violence Division. He is director of the Crime Victim’s Response Team, and he is a member of the Fort Bend County Human Trafficking Task Force, State Bar Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and the Texas District and County Attorneys Association..
A panoramic view of Heaven on Earth in Missouri City. Photo by J Steiner Roberts, CPP . See Page 4.
Sat. Sept. 26, 2015 10 am to 5 pm University @ New Territory
Vendor Booths Available
Fall Kids Fest at the Museum
www.TheGreatGrow.com
Meet H-E-Buddy At the Pumpkin Patch, Face Painting, Photo Booth, Vendors, Live Bee Hive, L Butterfly Garden Habitat Plant Sale, Brookwood Community Plants