Economic development is one of 14 priority items in the Pearland comprehensive plan.

The city of Pearland updated its comprehensive plan in late September to address the city’s long-term future as officials prepare for unprecedented population growth and a boost in commercial development.The 2015 update marks the first revision since 1999. The first comprehensive plan was developed in 1968 with regular updates every 10 years until the early 2000s when only minor revisions were made, officials said. Pearland Community Development Director Lata Krishnarao, who presented the plan to City Council in July, said the update was needed because of Pearland’s growth.“As compared to 1999, Pearland is a much larger, more mature, well-established, highly desirable city with much less vacant developable land,” she said. “The 2015 comprehensive plan focuses on long-term fiscal impacts of this growth and incorporates annexation planning and economic development factors.” [polldaddy poll=9280153]While the emphasis in 1999 was on development of vacant land and new infrastructure in Pearland, the 2015 update focuses on more reinvestment, neighborhood preservation and a high quality of life, officials said. The vision for Pearland is to see the community embrace its growth and prosper from it, Pearland City Manager Clay Pearson said.“We want to maintain and enhance a quality place that stands out in a very competitive, dynamic Houston metropolitan market,” he said. “Pearland will be a great first-tier suburban community that has many city features in its own right. The plan is a guidance document for city officials and staff who make decisions on a daily basis that determine the future direction, financial health and visual character of the community.”To realize this vision, the comprehensive plan lists 14 priority actions that officials will use to stay on course. These items serve as building blocks for community development and include transportation, urban design, economic development, parks and recreation and cultural facilities.The update has been in the works since 2013, when the city gathered input from more than 1,500 Pearland residents, officials said. A Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee also met six times during the process.“Pearland has a challenging task of developing the remaining 13.2 vacant square miles to accommodate an additional 100,000 [people] in the next 25 years while maintaining a high quality of life and sound fiscal sustainability,” Krishnarao said. “The comprehensive plan provides an important guide to manage the inevitable future growth and ensure that future development contributes to the city’s ultimate goal of fiscal health, sustained property values, quality neighborhoods, diversity of services and a high quality of life.”