SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY AND STATE HIGHWAY 288 In the portion parallel to Pearland, the Sam Houston Tollway spans east-west and provides relief from the IH-610 loop. In 2021, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reported that the Tollway was carrying, at a point just east of Cullen Parkway/FM 865, some 67,000 vehicles per day on average 3 . SH 288 spans north-south and serves as the main road to the corridor between the Sam Houston Tollway and County Road 59. At a point slightly north of Hughes Rand Road, it was carrying nearly 84,000 vehicles per day on average 4 . Since 2014, the City of Pearland, PEDC, and the Pearland Management District No. 2 are funding the ongoing SH 288 Corridor Master Plan improvements that aim to beatify the infrastructure and to further support future economic development and growth along the corridor. The hope is that this improvement will provide Pearland with a competitive edge in attracting the community’s future businesses and residents 4 . TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER The TMC remains the largest medical complex in the world, with more than 50 member institutions occupying a campus of 2.1 square miles and a current expansion as part of Helix Park. The TMC has about 120,000 employees, including numerous residents of Pearland, who chose to live in the community for this proximity, among other benefits. The TMC is the 8th largest business district in the US and has $3 billion in construction projects underway. The TMC estimates that the “City of Medicine” has about 10 million patient encounters and provides 180,000+ surgeries per year 6 . The TMC has 50 million developed square feet, which would rank as the 4th largest medical campus nationally, well ahead of San Francisco and behind only New York City; Chicago; Washington, DC; and Boston. In tangent to Houston’s plan to become a medical tourism destination, Pearland also has the capacity to expand parts of the city as an emerging medical hub. With the proximity to the TMC campus and the ongoing improvements to SH 288, this proximity lends to Pearland a regional partnership. HOBBY AIRPORT PROXIMITY AND OUTLOOK Among the locational advantages of living in Pearland, many residents cite the proximity of Hobby Airport as another benefit for both business and leisure travel. After almost 100 years of service, Hobby is the first airport in North America to earn Skytrax’s 5-star rating, and ranks as the 36th busiest US airport and 43rd in North America in terms of enplanements, with more than 13 million passengers (1/4 of the Houston Airport System’s 60 million total passengers) flying to 76+ US destinations and six countries. The airport also supports roughly 7,100 jobs and is a hub for corporate and private aviation. In 2022, Hobby Airport received $3 million in grants to improve gates, baggage systems, energy efficiency to its lighting and insulation, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access. A 15-minute drive north of Pearland, Hobby Airport provides a gateway to Houston and other domestic and international destinations. In addition to local business parks and the TMC, this amenity boosts the international appeal of the Greater Houston culture and truly reflects the live, work, and play urban model of Pearland.
Existing Land Area CITY LIMITS AND EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION Pearland City limits cover 49 square miles and the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) covers an additional 20 square miles. Figure 2.11 shows the City limits, ETJ boundaries, and county boundaries. Pearland’s City limits overlap three Texas counties—Brazoria, Harris, and Fort Bend. Most of the city is in Brazoria County (87%), 10% is in Harris County, and the remaining 3% is in Fort Bend County. Figure 2.13 shows that the City limits are bordered on the north by City of Houston and Brookside Village, on the east by Friendswood, on the south by Manvel, and on the west by Almeda Road/FM 521.
FIGURE 2.13: CITY OF PEARLAND AND ETJ
3 https://txdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=06fea0307dda42c1976194bf5a98b3a1 4 https://www.pearlandedc.com/developments/state-highway-288-corridor-master-improvements/ 5 https://www.tmc.edu/about-tmc/ 6 https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/travel/2022/09/13/432917/gate-additions-at-bush-hobby-airports-planned-with-43-million-in-new-federal- funding/
PEARLAND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2040
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