Pearland - Friendswood Edition | May 2022

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 6 MAY 6JUNE 9, 2022

ONLINE AT

REGULATING RENTALS

Pearland City Council on April 11 passed the second reading of an ordinance allowing the city to regulate and collect taxes from owners seeking to operate short-term rentals in the city of Pearland. As of April 19, there were 124 active short-term rentals operating in Pearland with an average daily rate of $160.

INSIDE

Entire home Private room Shared room

Neighborhoods

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Explorer Bus to provide STEM experiences IMPACTS

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SHORTTERMRENTAL BREAKDOWN

Private rooms* 43.19% Shared rooms 0.81%

Entire home 56%

Four days+ 30% Two nights 17%

One night 39% Three nights 13%

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Museum Guide 2022

LENGTH OF STAY**

TYPES OF RENTALS

The owners of active short-term rental properties in Pearland mostly rent out the entire home, and most stays are two nights or less. *A PRIVATE ROOM RENTAL COULD MEAN MORE GROUPS ARE HOUSED UNDER ONE SHORTTERM RENTAL PROPERTY. **DOES NOT EQUAL 100% DUE TO ROUNDING.

MANVEL

2021 AVERAGE PROPERTYVALUES

1 Shadow

2 Southdown: $207,500

Centennial Village: $192,500

4 Green Tee Terrace: $338,500

5 Villa

Pearland (2020): $294,643

Creek Ranch: $309,000

D’este: $415,000

GUIDE

SOURCES: AIRDNA, HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, PEARLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP.COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

The city of Friendswood is expected to see unprecedented development in the next ve to 10 years, Friendswood Mayor Mike Foreman said, with amajority of it occurring downtown. The downtown area will have three new develop- ments complete by 2024: one broke ground in April, a second will break ground this year, and a third will begin in 2023. One of the developments is a 30-room boutique hotel, named the 161 Project, which will be the rst hotel within Friendswood city limits and will function as its own CONTINUED ON 20 Friendswood looks forward to incoming development BY SIERRA ROZEN

“IT’S AMAZING THAT WHENYOUMAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO YOURDOWNTOWN, ... BUSINESSES ALSO START TO COME IN ANDADD TO THE LOOKAND FEEL OF THE DOWNTOWN, AND IT’S SORT OF A SNOWBALL EFFECT.” MIKE FOREMAN, FRIENDSWOOD MAYOR

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • MAY 2022

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FROMPAPAR: In March, the Pearland ISD board of trustees named the lone nalist for the superintendent position, Larry Berger, who comes from within the district. In mid-April, Berger was conrmed as superintendent. We sat down with him to learn more about his vision for the district so you can get to know him better as well (see Page 17). Papar Faircloth, GENERALMANAGER

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • MAY 2022

IMPACTS

Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding

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NOWOPEN 1 Tiff’s Treats had a grand open- ing April 23 at 11200 Broadway St., Ste. 410, Pearland. Tiff’s Treats is a dessert business that sells freshly baked cookies and brownies. The business has locations across Houston, including in Webster and Sugar Land. 346-433-8900. www.cookiedelivery.com 2 A new Cava location opened its doors at 11470 Broadway St., Ste. 140, Pearland, on April 21. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine and allows customers to customize their orders with a variety of options, including salads, grains, pita, dips and protein options, such as spicy lamb meatballs, chicken and lamb. Cava recently opened another location in Sugar Land. 346-699-1428. www.cava.com

3 The West Pearland Library, located at 11801 Shadow Creek Parkway, Pearland, held its grand opening April 9. The 39,000-square-foot building offers multiple amenities, including a 100-seat teaching room, multipurpose community rooms, multiple private study rooms, and numerous books ranging from young chil- dren to adults. It also houses the Brazoria County Tax Office. 713-436-0995. https://bcls.lib.tx.us/branches/pws/ pearlandwest.asp 4 AR Workshop Pearland held its grand opening April 30 at 1130 Broadway St., Ste. 102, Pearland. AR Workshop Pearland offers multiple hands-on do-it- yourself projects, including wood, knit- ting and canvas projects. 281-710-9133. www.arworkshop.com/pearland 5 Noah’s Ark Kids Family Daycare , located at 2334 N. Main St., Pearland, opened April 9. The local day care and

nursery center offers services ranging from infant care for 18 months old to after-school programs for older children up to 12. The day care provides trans- portation from most Pearland ISD and local schools, according to its website. 832-429-6525. www.noahsarkkidsfamily.com 6 VV Bakery at 2540 E. Broadway St., Pearland, held its soft opening March 29. The local bakery offers various sweets and made-to-order specialty cakes rang- ing from 6- to 8-inch cakes with flavors such as Oreo Lover, Nutella Fantasy and Strawberry Paradise. The location also offers a plethora of tea selections. The bakery plans to expand its menu offer- ings. 281-741-3282. www.facebook.com/ vvbakery 7 The Recovery Room SoHo Pearland , located at 1816 Pearland Parkway, Ste. 140, Pearland, began seeing customers

in early March. Services at the location include IV ketamine therapy, intramus- cular injections, IV hydration and hair restoration therapies. 281-372-6449. www.therecoveryroomsoho.com 8 Prime Washateria Alvin opened its doors at 1109 Hwy. 6, Alvin, on Feb. 20. The location is open 24 hours and fea- tures 40 front-load commercial washers and 40 commercial dryers that text when a cycle is complete, free guest Wi-Fi and Mikki’s Soulfood Cafe—which has two brick-and-mortal locations, including at 9603 Broadway St., Ste. 108, Pearland— launched its food truck service in differ- ent areas around Greater Houston with a focus on the north side of town. Mikki’s on Wheels launched in February, said Sharon Baldwin, the publicity and media relations strategist representing Mikki’s arcade games. 281-968-7125. www.primewashateria.com

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COMPILED BY JAKE MAGEE & ANDY YANEZ

Ti’s Treats COURTESY TIFF’S TREATS

Lone Star Flight Museum

JAKE MAGEE/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Soulfood. The food truck offers various menu items from its physical locations but also introduced new items, such as a cornbread waffle stuffed with red beans, rice and sausage; oxtail macaroni; and shrimp, chicken and lobster pasta, Bald- win said. www.mikkiscafe.com/foodtruck COMING SOON 9 Hotworx , located at 10237 Bailey Road, Manvel, is aiming to open by the fall, franchise co-owner Carmen Hopkins said in an email. Hotworx is known for its unique exercise program that incorpo- rates infrared heat technology during workouts through the use of heated studios and its signature saunas. www.hotworx.net 10 Pelican Breakfast and Lunch Friendswood plans to open by late May at 802 S. Friendswood Drive, Ste. 112, Friendswood. With the original location at 3142 E. NASA Parkway, Seabrook, Pel- ican Breakfast and Lunch is known for its breakfast and lunch offerings, including signature omelets, breakfast sandwiches and burgers. 281-993-4584. www.pelicanbreakfast.com 11 Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Sweet Spot is aiming to open a new location at 11930 Broadway St., Ste. 170, Pearland, sometime in the summer. The frozen sweet treat chain has locations through- out the U.S. and offers signature items, such The Gelati, Italian ice and classic soft ice cream. www.jeremiahsice.com EXPANSIONS 12 Harris County nonprofit Justice Forward in March expanded its ser-

vices to two Galveston County specialty courts: the HOPE Drug Court and the Felony Mental Health Court, both at the Galveston County Jury Assembly Room at 600 59th St., Galveston. Justice Forward funds housing, specialty counseling, transportation and tuition for incarcer- ated individuals. Since 2006, 70% of clients have not re-entered the criminal justice system. 713-899-9893. www.justiceforwardtx.org ANNIVERSARIES 13 Lone Star Flight Museum , 11551 Aerospace Ave., Houston, on April 22 commemorated the 25th anni- versary of its Texas Aviation Hall of Fame by inducting four new honorees. Among those honored were Bruce A. Bohan- non, an Alvin native who broke several aviation records in his custom plane, the Exxon Flyin’ Tiger. He went on to own Flyin’ Tiger Flying School in Angleton. The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, which recognizes famous aviators who happen to be Texans along with famous Texans who happen to be aviators, began in 1997 with four inductees, one of whom was George H. W. Bush. 346-708-2517. www.lonestarflight.org 14 Jeannie Mae’s Creole Soul Food located at 12830 Scarsdale Blvd., Hous- ton, just outside of Pearland city limits, is celebrating its one-year anniversary during May. The restaurant offers Creole food, including its popular seafood gumbo bowl, stewed turkey wing with white rice and green beans, and the beef hot sausage patty po‘boy. 281-416-4303. www.facebook.com/jeanniescreolesoul

My CHN Silverlake is Community Health Network’s second Pearland location.

COURTESY COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK

FEATURED IMPACT COMING SOON Community Health Network opened a new location called MyCHN Silverlake on March 22 at 9430 Broadway St., Ste. 120, Pearland. The new location is the second Pearland location for Community Health Network. “The mission shared by MyCHN and Advances In Health is to provide the highest levels of care for the communities we serve,” Community Health Network CEO Mark Young said. MyCHN Silverlake oers numerous services, including dental care, pediatric care, and obstetrician and gynecologist services, according to a news release. The location also oers cardiology care and a 24-hour virtual line, according to the location’s website. The new Broadway Street location’s hours of operation are weekdays from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and it is closed on weekends. Community Health Network opened in 2008 with a goal of providing accessible and aordable health care, according to the network’s website. Community Health Network’s rst primary care site opened in Alvin with one provider and three exam rooms. Since then, the health company has expanded to 12 other locations scattered across Brazoria County and

into surrounding areas, such as League City, the Bay Area and Houston. “This new Pearland location will collocate clinical services with our research arm, Advances In Health,” Young said. Community Health Network accepts Medicaid and Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program, private insurance and self-payments, according to the release. Additionally, people who are uninsured could be eligible for care at a discounted price. Across the network of facilities, Community Health Network oers access to virtual and in-oce appointments in pediatric, counseling, therapeutic services, gynecology, prenatal care and adult medicine. 281-824-1480 www.mychn.org

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PEARLAND - FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • MAY 2022

TRANSPORTATIONUPDATES Mykawa Road project clears hurdles, expected to begin in summer 2024

FRIENDSWOOD

BY ANDY YANEZ

Commuters in Pearland have a couple of more years before they begin seeing construction on the Mykawa Road widening project, but the design and planning phases are nearing completion. Pearland aims for construction on the $52 million project to begin in June 2024, said Skipper Jones, Pearland assistant director of capital projects, in an email. The project has been environmentally cleared and is inching its way toward nal design, he said. “There was a design phase delay due to Harris County Flood Control District’s proposed widening [and] realignment of Clear Creek project,” Jones said in the email. “However, HCFCD has delayed their construc- tion start for several years, allowing the Mykawa Road project to progress as designed.” The Mykawa Road project will widen about 3 miles from Beltway 8 to Broadway Street from two lanes to four. Additionally, the project includes upgrades for storm sewers, and detention and trac signals as well as the addition of bridges over Hickory Slough and Clear Creek, Jones said. The project will also add a 10-foot- wide path that will support both pedestrians and bicycles along the stretch of road. “The project is scheduled to begin [its] bid phase in April 2024 and start construction in June 2024,” Jones said. “Construction management and administration duties will be

AID FOR THE FUTURE Once completed, the widened Mykawa Road will oer Pearland residents an enhanced route for evacuation to leave the city in the event of an emergency. SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLAND COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

CLEAR CREEK

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This remarkable Texas Hill Country-style home encompassing ±4.86 acres is situated near the end of a private street in coveted Rancho Viejo. Amenities include a stocked pond, stucco cabanas, pavilion, space for horses and much more.

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FRIENDSWOOD

completed by [the Texas Department of Transportation].” The $52 million cost is split between $34.35 million in federal funds and $17.73 million in city funds. Once construction begins, com- muters in the area can expect delays as projects like the Mykawa Road widening are usually done by con- structing one side of the road at a time, Jones said. Once completed, the project will not only make traveling down Mykawa Road more convenient, but it will also provide residents with an additional public safety route, Jones said. “The improvements will better accommodate the truck trac and improve safety throughout the corri- dor for the combined industrial trac and commuter trac,” Jones said. “Once [complete], Mykawa Road will also serve ... as an evacuation route during times of evacuation.”

Sunset Drive 5 BD | 5 . 5+ BA | $3 , 490 , 000

A magnificent estate, this Mediterranean-style residence was designed by Houston’s acclaimed, Robert Dame. ±4.55 acres of manicured grounds. Reception hall, open living, gourmet kitchen, pavilion with sports court, pool and putting green.

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FRIENDSWOOD

Mills Lane 4 BD | 3 . 5+ BA | $1 , 699 , 000

Farmhouse custom home in the heart of Friendswood on an acre of land. Gourmet kitchen, game room up, study/craft area, full house generator, outdoor kitchen plus fireplace and pool.

GERI MILLS 713.248.6613

FRIENDSWOOD

COMPLETED PROJECTS

288

SMITH RANCH RD.

Airline Drive 4 BD | 4 . 5 BA | $1 , 625 , 000

Hughes Ranch Road expansion The Hughes Ranch Road expansion between Smith Ranch Road and Cullen Parkway, which converted a two-lane asphalt road to a concrete four-lane divided boulevard, had all paving and drainage work and the installation of trac signals and school zone ashers

completed in February, according to the city of Pearland. The project reached substantial completion in December. Timeline: March 2019-February 2022 Cost: $22.02 million Funding sources: city of Pearland, state and federal funds

French Chateau-style home in Polly Ranch Estates offers an open floor plan, top-of- the-line appliances, full house generator, airplane hangar and covered outdoor kitchen overlooking the pool/spa.

GERI MILLS 713.248.6613

© 2022 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity. SOTHEBYSREALTY . COM HOUSTON BROKERAGES | 281 .333.3034

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF APRIL 19. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT PLFNEWSCOMMUNITYIMPACT.COM.

COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

EDUCATION

Alvin ISD’s Explorer Bus toprovide STEMexperiences to students

Bus details The idea for the STEM Explorer Bus goes as far back as 2016, when the district undertook a similar endeavor with its book bus, Pasarella said. The district’s book bus travels across dierent neighborhoods within AISD’s boundaries to bring books to students, she said. The STEM Explorer Bus aims to capture the same concept by promot- ing STEM programs instead, she said. The need to promote STEM within the district has been a focal point for AISD and was highlighted by state and district State of Texas Assess- ments of Academic Readiness scores in 2019-20, Pasarella said. In AISD, 60% of students in all grades met or exceeded grade level in science STAAR scores. For the math STAAR, 51% of all students in the district met or exceeded grade level, according to the Texas Academic Performance Report for the 2019-20 school year. “AISD is committed to our student success in STEM, be it engineering, computer science or health care,” Price said. “All of these AISD [career and technical education] programs are preparing students for STEM jobs of the future, some of which have not been created yet.” Once the bus is introduced, it will tour schools across the district in the nal weeks of the academic year to oer students and teachers a rst look ahead of its summer schedule, which includes traveling between E.C. Mason, Bel Nafegar Sanchez

BY ANDY YANEZ

Alvin ISD students will soon be a walking distance away from coding and programming robots, exploring the glaciers of Antarctica and even traveling to the outer reaches of the solar system through the district’s STEM Explorer Bus. AISD’s STEM Explorer Bus, which will teach students about science, technology, engineering and mathe- matics, will be unveiled prior to the district’s May 10 board meeting, said Ana Pasarella, the district’s director of family and community engage- ment. The district aims to use the bus to expose students to various STEM experiences, said Erica Price, AISD’s career and technical educa- tion department director. “This STEM bus is an exciting, mobile STEM experience for all our kids to explore,” Price told Commu- nity Impact Newspaper . “One thing we aim to continue working on in AISD is bringing more STEM engage- ment to our younger scholars at the elementary level.” The bus will boast nine dierent stations, including augmented and virtual reality; 3D printing; robotics; drones; and ISS Above, which was donated by NASA and will allow students to track the International Space Station, Pasarella said. The district raised $140,000 for the project, Pasarella said, which came from over 20 sponsors, both corporate and local, such as the AISD Education Foundation, TMobile and Phillips 66.

The Alvin ISD STEM Explorer Bus will be ocially unveiled May 10.

RENDERINGS COURTESY ALVIN ISD

ALL ABOARD The Alvin ISD STEM Explorer Bus is decked out with 5G technology for internet connectivity, and the plan is for it to travel to dierent schools. $140K is the amount Alvin ISD raised for the bus.

sponsors contributed to the project, including AISD Education Foundation.

stations are on the bus, including ISS Above, which tracks the International Space Station.

Some of the bus’s stations will be done outdoors, including the drones.

SOURCE: ALVIN ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

and Bill Hasse elementary schools during the district’s summer school programs, Pasarella said. AISD will use the summer to make adjustments for the 2022-23 year, she added. Additionally, the district is launch- ing a high school internship program open to rising 11th- and 12th-graders interested in any of the STEM elds. The students will be tasked with facilitating the bus, such as being in charge of the stations, Pasarella said.

The bus’s programs will be overseen by a certied teacher dedicated to the bus only, she said. “The idea is to have all that technology available to the schools,” Pasarella said. “The bus is going to be going to the schools throughout the year, and the students and the teachers are going to be able to [have] science, math, technology and engineering inside of the bus and be exposed to all of this.”

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • MAY 2022

BUSINESS

Pearland International Cuisine Trail highlights city’s diverse food scene

People can register for the Pearland International Cuisine Trail in three steps before having access to discounts and other deals.

Visit www.visitpearland.com/cuisinetrail and select the “Get Yours” button.

BY ANDY YANEZ

at any of those locations, subscribers will be given a specific code by the restaurants that visitors can use to check in on the digital passport. Some perks of checking into the different restaurants include becoming eligible for a quarterly drawing by the PCVB for Pearland- and food-themed prizes, Rohrbacher said. To be eligible for the drawing, a person must check in to at least three participating restau- rants during the time window. With just over a month since its launch, the PCVB has seen subscribers rise, Rohrbacher said. The Pearland International Cuisine Trail is free to sign up for. The PCVB has seen a hand- ful of redemptions at the restaurants, but Rohrbacher hopes that can grow as the summer gets closer. As of April 20, the Pearland International Cuisine Trail features eight different restaurants, including Arabella Mediterranean Kitchen +

Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau officials said they believe the city can grow into a destination hot spot when it comes to food and eventually more. The PCVB in early March launched a digital food passport, dubbed the Pearland International Cuisine Trail, which allows people to subscribe through the PCVB website and have access to discounts from a list of participating restaurants. “Our team at the Pearland Con- vention and Visitors Bureau wanted to showcase Pearland’s vast array of restaurants highlighting cuisines from outside of the United States in a fun and interactive way,” PCVB Executive Director Tracy Rohrbacher said. Once a person is signed up for the Pearland International Cuisine Trail, they will see a list of the participating restaurants, and if they visit and eat

Fill out form, which includes name, phone number and email. 2

Receive text message with link to Pearland

International Cuisine Trail website. 3

Explore the participating restaurants, offers available via trail. 4

If one checks in to at least three restaurants, they are eligible for the Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau prize drawing. 5

SOURCE: PEARLAND CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Grill, Sambal Chef Malaysian Restau- rant and Moreno’s Mexican Restaurant at 5420 Broadway St., Pearland. “We did it to get more customer recognition in the area,” Moreno’s Manager Elizabeth Moreno said. “We’re still pretty new. We opened back in 2018, so this is a good way to get new customers in the door.” While the interactive trail is still

in its infancy, PCVB officials hope it can be the beginning of luring more tourists into the city, Rohrbacher said. The PCVB’s goal is to promote and coordinate tourism-related activity within Pearland. “We hope to expand the trail during its inaugural year and eventually build weekend stay packages around the concept,” Rohrbacher said.

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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

SPACE 50years later, Johnson Space Center scientists open lunar soil sample

BY JAKE MAGEE

Scientists at the Johnson Space Cen- ter in late March opened a 50-year-old lunar soil sample they hope will teach themmore about the moon and Earth ahead of NASA’s upcoming return to the moon. During the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Har- rison “Jack” Schmitt collected lunar soil from a landslide near the landing site of Apollo 17. The 70-centimeter canister had two halves: a sealed portion and an unsealed portion, Apollo Sample Curator Ryan Zeigler told Community Impact Newspaper . Scientists opened the unsealed half—sample 73002—in 2019, but they hope to learn a lot more with the recent opening the sealed half, sample 73001, Zeigler said. “This is a huge milestone for us and a milestone for the Apollo program as a whole,” Zeigler said. “It’s really about the earliest history of the solar system.” For one, the vacuum-sealed sample still contains gases collected on the moon. These gases, collected from a foot or more below the lunar surface, will tell scientists about the primordial history of the moon, he said. Because the moon is not very active—it has no atmosphere or weather—all geological evidence still exists, making the moon a “museum of planetary history,” Deputy Apollo Sample Curator Juliane Gross said. This is unlike Earth, which is active and recycles its geological evidence, she said. Because the moon is essentially frozen in time, it also acts as an archive for its own history and Earth’s, and

The Apollo 17 sample 73001 processing team stands in front of the newly opened sample at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team includes (from left) Charis Krysher, Andrea Mosie, Juliane Gross and Ryan Zeigler.

Scientists extracted lunar soil sample 73001 the week of March 21.

PHOTOS COURTESY ROBERT MARKOWITZ, NASA

we want to go to the south pole,” Gross said. The sample is being opened now because technology has advanced enough to give scientists greater tools to understand the samples, Zeigler said. NASA scientists in the ’70s had the foresight to get vacuum-sealed samples and put them away for future scientists because they knew technol- ogy would evolve, Gross said. A lot of preparation went into opening the sealed sample because while Apollo-era scientists had the wisdom to collect sealed samples, they did not gure out a way to open the seals. It was up to today’s scientists to nd the best way to open the samples in a safe way without contaminating them, Zeigler said. Scientists spent a lot of time practicing and took extensive scans of the sample at The University of Texas using X-ray CT technology before opening it. “We had to be patient,” Zeigler said.

this recently opened sealed sample is part of that history, Gross said. “All we have to do is learn how to read this archive,” she said. Additionally, the sample will help scientists prepare for astronauts’ return to the moon during the Artemis missions. Astronauts will land at the moon’s south pole, which has some areas that have never been touched by the sun. Astronauts, therefore, may discover ice, and sample 73001 could help scientists understand what kind of ice may form on the south pole, Gross said. Understanding what is in potentially discovered ice will help scientists know if it would be safe to drink or even convert into rocket fuel, Zeigler said. NASA’s plan is have astronauts live in a space station orbiting the moon, traveling to and from the lunar surface, and rocket fuel astronauts could make would help achieve that goal. “That’s one of the exciting reasons

“IT’S REALLYABOUT THE EARLIEST HISTORYOF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.” RYAN ZEIGLER, APOLLO SAMPLE CURATOR AT THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, ON WHAT SCIENTISTS HOPE TO LEARN IN A RECENTLY OPENED SAMPLE OF LUNAR SOIL

Scientists in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at the Johnson Space Center have opened three samples since the Apollo Next Generation Sample Anal- ysis Program began in 2019. They still have three more samples to open but did not reveal a time frame for when those will open, only that it will be more than another three years before they are all open. “It won’t be another 50 years before we open another sample,” Zeigler said.

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • MAY 2022

EDUCATION BRIEFS

News from Alvin, Friendswood & Pearland ISDs

QUOTEOFNOTE “IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO STUDY [THE NEWATTENDANCE ZONES] BEFOREWE ACTUALLYVOTE.” REBECCA HILLENBURG. FRIENDSWOOD ISD TRUSTEE MEETING HIGHLIGHTS ALVIN ISD Zonda Demographics, which offers services to school districts, provided Alvin ISD with an enrollment projection forecast and housing updates at the board’s April 12 meeting. AISD is projected to have an enrollment of 29,271 students for the 2022-23 school year—a 3.8% growth from its 2021-22 enrollment of 28,192, said Rocky Gardiner, director of school district consulting for Zonda Demographics. The projected 2022-23 enrollment number can be broken down into 120 early enrollees, 2,680 students in prekindergarten and kindergarten, 10,501 in first to fifth grades, 6,704 students in sixth to eighth grades, and 9,266 students in ninth to 12th grades, according to Gardiner’s presentation. Additionally, there were 2,013 new homes closed within AISD’s boundary in 2021—552 of which came in the final quarter of the year. Friendswood ISD will meet at 5:45 p.m. May 9 at 402 Laurel Drive, Friendswood. Pearland ISD will meet at 5 p.m. May 24 at 1928 N. Main St., Pearland. Meetings are streamed at www.youtube.com/user/ thepearlandisd. Alvin ISD will meet at 7 p.m. May 10 MEETINGSWE COVER

Friendswood ISD considering new attendance zones for some schools

PROPOSED ATTENDANCE ZONES The new attendance zones

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would go into effect for the 2023-24 school year.

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BY SIERRA ROZEN

FRIENDSWOOD ISD With a new school being finished from the 2020 bond, Friendswood ISD has proposed new attendance zones for the 2023-24 school year. The new boundaries were presented at the April 25 FISD board of trustees workshop and will be voted on later as an action item during a May meeting, according to trustees. The building of the new Cline Elementary School, which is located in the West Ranch master-planned community and is replacing the old Cline Elementary on Briarmeadow Avenue, is one of the main reasons for the new attendance zones. According to zoning maps presented at the workshop, the area around the current Cline Elementary would be zoned to Westwood Elementary and Bales Intermediate School. FM 528 would serve as the major dividing line between being zoned to Westwood Elementary and Bales Intermediate, Windsong Intermediate or Cline Elementary. Parents have the ability to request for their children to attend a different school that they are not zoned to, but it is an annual request that has to be approved each school year. There are also special circumstances for children of teachers who would be zoned to a different school than the

Westwood Elementary 1 Cline Elementary A Old B New 2

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Bales Intermediate 3

Windsong Intermediate 4

FRIENDSWOOD LAKES BLVD.

528

Westwood/Bales zone

Windsong zone

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Cline zone

SOURCE: FRIENDSWOOD ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

one that their parent teaches at. Many of the board members emphasized the impor- tance of considering how these attendance zones will affect elementary students, particularly those who would be moved before their fifth-grade year. “It’s our responsibility to study [the new zones] before we actually vote,” trustee Rebecca Hillenburg said.

Pearland ISDboardOKs 2%pay raise for all staff

SPLITTING PROVISIONS Pearland ISD’s 2% raise across the board for auxiliary staff, teachers and administration professionals adds up to roughly $2.85 million.

BY ANDY YANEZ

the market is going,” said Sundie Dahlkamp, PISD’s executive director of human resource services. Board Vice President Jeff Barry was the lone vote against the motion. He raised concerns about the district’s fiscal year budget running on a deficit the past two years and expressed frustrations with some of the district’s administration staff. With the approval of the 2% raise, the district will set aside just under $2.85 million in additional funding for employees.

PEARLAND ISD Returning Pearland ISD staff, teachers, administration and auxiliary personnel will see a bump in pay for the 2022-23 school year. The PISD board of trustees at its April 12 meeting approved in a 6-1 vote a salary compensation package of 2% across the board for the 2022-23 school year and reserves the right to provide a midyear pay supplement to employees. “While the 2% [raise] is not perfect, it definitely gets us closer to where

Auxiliary staff $631,520

Teachers $1.71M

$2.85M

Administration and professional staff $503,558

in the Liberty Alumni Hall, 10855 Iowa Colony Blvd., Iowa Colony.

SOURCE: PEARLAND ISD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

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CITY& COUNTY

News from Pearland, Friendswood & Brazoria County

QUOTEOFNOTE “... IT IS ANHONOR TOHAVE APARK LIKE THIS NAMED

Inclusive playground to be named after Rep. Ed Thompson

BY ANDY YANEZ

at the Davis Days Crawsh Boil,” said Nikki Kamkar, board member at Forever Parks Foundation. “While they were there to enjoy crawsh and refreshments, I had a playground to tell them about.” At the event, Kamkar lobbied Thompson to attend the Forever Parks Foundation fundraising cam- paign kicko in May 2021, she said. Forever Parks Foundation is the nonprot organization behind the fundraiser. An all-inclusive play- ground allows children of all abilities to play with numerous features, such as a wheelchair swing, a music area and a gallery walk. Thompson showed up at the event, and a couple of weeks later, Kamkar

received a text message from him asking for the designs of the playground. By July, the nonprot was awarded a

PEARLAND The rst all-inclusive playground in Pearland, which is aiming to open at the Sports Complex at Shadow Creek Ranch at 13050 Shadow Creek Parkway, Pearland, by the fall, will be known as the Ed Thompson Inclusive Park. Pearland City Council at its April 25 meeting passed two resolutions. One gave the playground its commemo- rative name after Thompson, a state representative for District 29, and the other approved a cooperative purchase agreement with the Texas Buy Board for roughly $1.3 million in funds for the playground. “It was exactly almost one year ago that I met Ed and Freddie Thompson

AFTER ME.” ED THOMPSON, STATE

REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT 29, INCLUDING PEARLAND, ON PEARLAND’S NEW INCLUSIVE PARK

Pearland City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. May 9 and May 23 at 3519 Liberty Drive, Pearland. Meetings are streamed and available at www.pearlandtx.gov. Friendswood City Council will meet June 6 at 910 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood. A time for the meeting will be determined a week before the meeting. Meeting recordings are posted to the city’s YouTube channel. MEETINGSWE COVER CITY HIGHLIGHTS PEARLAND At a March 28 meeting, Pearland City Council members adopted a resolution outlining numerous priorities and goals for Pearland. Council members, Mayor Kevin Cole and City Manager Clay Pearson held a strategic visioning retreat in February for their vision of Pearland’s future. In order of priority, the group ranked improving government trust as the No. 1 priority for Pearland. The other ve goals are to establish a strong economy at No. 2, build a safe community at No. 3, create sustainable infrastructure at No. 4, maintain responsible nancial management at No. 5, and build a diverse and unied community at No. 6. Pearland aims to meet those goals by focusing on initiatives, including investing in public safety; supporting small businesses; and focusing on drainage infrastructure.

$750,000 grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for the playground. The all-inclusive playground will be Brazoria County’s rst all-inclusive playground, Kamkar said. “I am a little bit lost for words for what to really say other than it is an honor to have a park like this named [after] me,” Thompson said. Ed Thompson

Friendswood City Council approves rst reading of zoning changes

BY SIERRA ROZEN

ZONING CHANGES Friendswood has existing garden home communities in the city. Friends Knoll Friendswood Cove West Ranch 1 2 3

FRIENDSWOOD On April 4, Friendswood City Council approved the rst reading of zoning changes for garden home districts. Garden home districts have been classied as multi- family developments since their creation in 1992, creating an issue because garden home communities are typically detached single-family homes with specic characteris- tics. Multifamily developments are typically produced as apartments, whereas garden home communities are meant to have less property maintenance but more green space freedom compared to an apartment, ocials said. The main amendment would be to remove any multi- family references to be able to clearly separate multifamily developments from garden home communities. It would also change the intent of a garden home community because of ooding and geographical limitations as well as adding design criteria for them. The last change would update the denition of how the communities are set up with neighboring structures.

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SOURCE: CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

FRIENDSWOOD DR.

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