Rodeo Palms residents do not want rental properties built in subdivision

The Sun Advertiser reports on opposition to a plan to build up to 200 rental homes on what was once to be an exclusive residential area. Manvel's mayor told the crowd that the city cannot stop the development.

One resident told council members that she is very concerned about her property. She fears rental property will decrease the value of her home. “We do not want renters,” she said.

Another resident spoke about the Harris County and Brazoria County area. “With the resurgence of the gas and oil business, several companies are expanding.

Manvel will be affected. There will be a great need for housing which will come about because of the job opportunities that will come with this growth,” she told council.

 One of the residents questioned the prices of the homes which will be used for rental property. “We have nothing in writing. They have no master plan. We will convey information to the residents as we receive it,” assured Mayor Delores Martin.

One of the speakers who opposed the homes feels like this is a knee jerk reaction. “They need to consider building a few rentals across several subdivisions,” he explained.

Rodeo Palms residents do not want rental homes nearby

The story about the police chief below included this bit about the further development of Rodeo Palms - which was once intended to be filed with nothing but multi-million dollar homes surrounding a golf course.

Things have changed:

During the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting, several Manvel residents spoke against the building of 200 rental homes in Rodeo Palms. Legend Homes will be the builder and the developer is Skymark Development. Legend Homes and Skymark were both contacted for comments about these homes. By press time, neither had returned phone calls.

Resident Lisa Lexis has lived in the subdivision for six years. “While I am excited about the growth Manvel is experiencing, I am concerned about these rental homes. The density of the homes will invite the criminal element into our community. The renters of these homes will have no vested interest in the homes they are renting or the Manvel community,” she said.

Mayor Delores Martin and Council Members informed the audience that the owner of the property is free to build what he wants. They also informed audience members that the city’s attorney is looking into this situation.

Residents were also informed the city would hear the second and final reading of an ordinance during the meeting that evening. The ordinance amendment deals with buildings and building regulations of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Manvel by adding a new article entitled “Rental Registration and Inspection”. This amendment will establish regulations pertaining to the licensing and inspection of rental residential properties within the city.

Is rental property bad news for a city?

Meet Manvel's new police chief

His name is Thomas Traylor, and he does not like to smile.



He is in the middle, the guy on the left is the city manger Kyle Jung, and Mayor Dolores Martin is on the right.

From the Alvin Sun-Advertiser:

During last week’s Manvel City Council Meeting, members voted to hire Thomas (Keith) Traylor as the new Manvel Police Chief. More thann 100 candidates had submitted applications for the position. “Pending the results of the required pre-employment drug screen and physical examination, he will be sworn in as Manvel’s Police Chief in April,” said Manvel City Manager Kyle Jung.

Prior to coming to Manvel, Traylor has been employed by the Lake Jackson Police Department for 28 years. He also spent two years prior to that with the El Campo Police Department. While in Lake Jackson, he has served as the Assistant Police Chief, a patrol officer and a Lieutenant.

“His education includes: a Masters Peace Officer certification through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). He also attended both the FBI Command College and the Law Enforcement Management nstitute. He has more than 2,800 hours of in-service training,” Jung added.

Manvel Forum Questions

FYI. Here's a list of the questions that were written out for the candidates at last week's forum in Manvel:

Questions for Mayoral and City Council candidates:

- If the developers did not get TIRZ do you think they would not come here?
- Considering the future growth of Manvel and the ability of an area to control votes, how do you feel about single member districts?
- Do you believe the city will really realize a significant tax increase in the near term given most developments planned now are set up with MUD’s and TIRZ financing?
- Where do you see the City of Manvel’s growth being in 5 or 10 years? Why will citizens want to continue living here?
- Would you support a Tax Increment Refinancing Zone for a major development and if so why do you feel a TIRZ would help our city?
- In the past sub-divider paid all expenses to develop their property and recouped their expenses and profit from the buyers. Why do we need TIRZ?
- What are your plans public safety including police, fire and EMS with rapid growth facing Manvel.
- Is anything going to be done to remove the dirt put in the area surrounding Chocolate Bayou near the Naked Rib?
- How much in donations have you received from developers?
- Do you think at this time it is appropriate to have our mayor active in the daily running of city hall or would you promote the hiring of a full time city administrator if elected?
- If you do not win do you plan to continue to get involved with the city and if so what do you plan to do?
- Is enough being received from billing to pay the costs of the water and sewer system to include operating and loan costs? If not, how much is the Manvel taxpayer paying to make up the shortfall?
- Are you willing to put all the time and effort into your commitment?
Why are you running for a public office? Do you fee you or the community will benefit?

Question for Alvin School Board candidates:

- Can senior citizens be allowed to use the Manvel High School pool?
- Would you support doing away with TAKS testing for high school, junior high and elementary grades?
- Why do we have so many expensive administrators?
- I understand the second phase of Manvel High School was to start in January of the year. What is the delay?

Manvel Candidates Forum

Last night we (ACC) co-hosted along with the Alvin-Manvel Chamber of Commerce a forum for the candidates for Manvel's mayor, two city council positions, two Alvin Independent School District positions and two positions in for the Brazoria Navigation District.

I have opinions on which candidates did better than others but will hold my tongue in order to stay friends with everyone. As a general rule of thumb though, it's a good idea to prepare and have things to say prior to arrival.

I've posted a link to a voice recording of the forum on my class home page. Any locals, or anyone else interested in the concerns of a small Texas town undergoing tremendous change might find it worthwhile. The tape cut out after an hour and a half for some reason though, so the last hour was not recorded.

For those unaware of Manvel's existence (you know who you are) it's small in population, huge in area, and strategically located at the crossroads of two under-developed, but developing, highways 20 miles south of Houston. Major national developers are streaming in because Houston's expansion has been mostly to the north and west, and is close to being tapped out. The east has not witnessed much growth because Galveston Bay, the Port of Houston, and/or the chemical plants are in the way. This leaves the south as the only option available, and the recent growth has been significant.

Manvel is either the beneficiary or the victim depending on your attitude towards growth, and its inevitability was the primary topic of the forum.

Decisions made now will condition the city's future. Seldom do people have the opportunity to have lasting impacts on their community's future, but that's what the current leadership of Manvel can do. How much leeway will the developers have? How large will the lot sizes be? How large must the street be? What impact will all this have on drainage? What tax rates will be assessed? How might the city's charter be altered to compensate for the increased size? What financing structure works best?

There's no going back once these decisions have been made. The current mayor, Delores Martin, stated that Manvel's population may triple in the next 5-10 years due to the subdivisions now being built and planned.

Heady days indeed. And a great case study of a community in transition.

More to come.

Candidate Forums

For any in the vicinity of Manvel and Alvin in the next couple of weeks we have candidate debates for elections in each city. The elections are scheduled for Saturday May 12.

This coming Thursday April 19 in the new Manvel High School on Highway 6 from 6pm - 8:30pm the we will hear from the following candidates

Mayor
Ira Stevenson Van Scoyoc
Delores M. Martin (Incumbent)

City Council Position #3
Gary Garnett (Incumbent)
Melody Lynn Hanson

City Council Position #5
Dwight Harrison
Connie Aucoin
J.T. (Buddy) Williams (Incumbent)

Alvin Independent School District Position 4
J.S. Hensler (incumbent)
Mike Lansford

Alvin Independent School District Position 5
Eddie Martinez

And on Tuesday May 1, in the Texas Room here on our lovely Alvin Community College campus

City Council District B
Kathleen Holton

City Council District C
Jim Landriault

City Council At Large Position 1
Bob Dillman
J. D. MacGregor
Ramiro Mondragon

and once again

Alvin Independent School District Position 4
J.S. Hensler (incumbent)
Mike Lansford

Alvin Independent School District Position 5
Eddie Martinez

Since AISD covers the cities of Alvin and Manvel, these candidates have been invited to both events.

Among the issues we expect covered are issues related to the growth projected for the local area, but this will depend on who comes and what questions they bring with them.

Manvel and the Beast

More than Alvin, soon to be not-so-tiny Manvel has had to adjust to being in the path of Houston's continued growth. Recent meetings have been held in the city to determine how residents can affect that growth so that it does not decrease their quality of life. The recent Vision Planning meeting provided such an opportunity, though it remains to be seen how much local input will affect growth.

Here's a power point presentation from 2006 outlining the anticipated projects, some of which may have a major impact on ACC.

Whether and how to managing growth is a key issue cities have to grapple with early if they want to have an impact. So much of what Manvel will become seems affected by decisions outside its borders--what types of subdivisions and shoppinig centers will be build for example. The struggle of residents to control this growth will be an important story to follow for some time.