Policies The policies listed below are recommendations from the community engagement process. Any policies should be reexamined as part of future considerations to ensure the City continues to address the concerns of the citizenry. Î The City of Pearland should continue to implement the recommendations from the 2020 Parks Master Plan to create and maintain an exemplary parks and recreation system to provide Pearland residents access to recreation close to home. Î The City of Pearland should assure an even geographic distribution of parks and recreation facilities to provide equitable access and opportunity of all residents. This can be accomplished by: ö Promoting the use of utility corridors for additional open space and trails to create connections across the community ö Formulating a long-range parkland acquisition program ö Preparing defensible criteria for selection and acquisition of properties to serve a parkland Î The City of Pearland should coordinate with Homeowners Associations (HOAs) to establish an appropriate method of accountability (for example, partnering with a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) for official playground inspections) of maintenance for neighborhood parks to ensure ongoing upkeep and connectivity to City parks and trails. Î The City of Pearland should maintain the level of staffing necessary to care for Pearland’s parks and recreation facilities and assets and to provide recreational programming and services suitable for the community. Î The City of Pearland should expand its inventory of recreation facilities, including planning and design for an additional indoor recreation facility, similar to the existing Recreation Center, on the west side of the city. Î The City of Pearland should promote and encourage the development of recreation
programs, joint use agreements, and facilities that meet the interests and needs of a diverse community. Examples of this may include completing the capital projects identified in the Parks Master Plan and addressing the needs of high school students through programs, development of facilities, or utilization of district facilities after hours to host programs. Î The City of Pearland should require dual- purpose detention ponds in the future that will serve as functional utilities and as open space assets to the community. Î The City of Pearland should ensure safe and connected access from neighborhoods to key destinations such as parks, schools, employment centers, and commercial districts throughout Pearland . This may include: ö Developing a phased trail expansion program in accordance with the Multi-Modal Master Plan ö Promoting the use of utility corridors for additional open space and trails to create connections across the community ö Constructing trails and other flat surface amenities around storm water detention basins Î The City of Pearland should consider areas where implementing a no-mow policy and a policy requiring installation of more native plantings where appropriate to provide natural areas citywide and will reallocate the budget for any cost savings to other projects or programming Î The City of Pearland should implement policies to preserve and restore natural areas such as the following: ö Employ habitat restoration best practices ö Establish a conservation area designation program ö Restore riparian vegetation along key water ways and water bodies within the City ö Implement restoration projects throughout the City ö Promote native plant material ö Consider alternative tree species for streetscape enhancements
Integrated Park and Trail System There are several barriers to non-motorized connectivity in Pearland, including highways, creeks, ditches, and railroads. The 2020 Parks Master Plan proposes several bridged connections for creeks and ditches and some under-bridge crossings along the Clear Creek Trail where it crosses SH 288 and SH 35, including the parallel railroad. The Master Plan also proposes wider 10-foot sidewalks where these crossings occur. One major gap in the existing and proposed network is connecting the Shadow Creek Ranch neighborhoods on the west and the neighborhoods on the east across SH 288 between Shadow Creek Parkway and Broadway Street, a gap of more than 1.5 miles. People living in these areas trying to cross the highway are required to navigate either north to Shadow Creek Parkway or the Clear Creek Trail, or south to Broadway Street. The City should consider addressing this gap using a potential pedestrian facility along Hughes Ranch Road over the highway. This would make the West Pearland Community Center, Southdown Park, the commercial areas, and the general parks and trail network more accessible to many residents. Another more common barrier is the roadway network. Trying to navigate the city outside of a vehicle can be daunting, given the often high speeds and multiple roadway crossings needed to travel throughout the city. To help address this issue, the City should coordinate with private utility companies to use their easements as public trails. Proposed Trail #8 (Pearland Dad’s Club to Future Brookside Road), as recommended in the 2020 Parks Master Plan, is located along an existing CenterPoint easement. The City should partner with the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) to coordinate the implementation of this future trail. The region has been successful in implementing these trails in other places. Using best practices from others may make the process more efficient.
2021 COMMUNITY SURVEY
recreation opportunities 76%
of residents positively view the quality of parks and
PEARLAND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2040
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