Pearland - Friendswood Edition | February 2023

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION

VOLUME 9, ISSUE 3 FEB. 16MARCH 13, 2023

Possible Pearland bond to prioritize drainage

The bond coming to Pearland voters’ ballots in May—if approved by City Council at the Feb. 13 meeting, after press time—will prioritize drainage improvements but also include nondrainage items. AN EXPANSIVE BOND PACKAGE

BY DANIEL WEEKS

Pearland City Council is poised to call a $181.3 million bond election for May 6 with a focus on 14 drainage projects plus additional infrastructure improve- ment packages. The city nalized its list of projects to include in the bond and its projected nancial impact on the city’s debt service fund and tax rate at its Jan. 23 meeting. City Council has until its Feb. 13 meeting, after press time, to call the bond for the May ballot. Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole said implementing sweep- ing drainage improvements is important for a number of reasons, primarily safety and property values. “If you’ve ever had your house ooded, or you know someone or have a loved one that’s had their house ooded, you would know how important [drainage] is,” Cole said. “We’ve seen enough large ooding events that these areas are necessary to shore up.” The bond will be divided into four dierent pieces, similar to the city’s previous $80 million bond passed in May 2019, including the primary drainage proposition, a streets and sidewalks proposition, a parks proposi- tion, and a public safety proposition. Each of these will be voted on individually, allowing voters to approve or disapprove of any aspect of the bond. Pearland Director of Communications Joshua Lee said he encourages citizens to listen to City Council discus- sions relating to topics such as the upcoming drainage bond to stay informed on the city’s decisions and make an educated vote. He indicated that out of the city’s 73,000 registered voters in 2019, just 5,700 people, or

Meridiana Marketplace to bring new shops to Manvel Abandoned Mud Gully project back on radar

PROPOSITION COSTS: Drainage : $105.5 million Parks: $33.7 million Streets/sidewalks:

$181.3M TOTAL:

$26.1 million Public safety: $16 million

News briefs

14 drainage projects

in separate drainage projects funded by the Texas General Land Oce chosen by a committee and the city for 2023 bond

$14 million

Mother-daughter duo run And a Little Hope Boutique

$80 million

Last bond residents passed in May 2019

SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLANDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

CONTINUED ON 16

Local legislators poised to tackle education and tax reform

BY DANIEL WEEKS

Pearland kitchen oers elevated food, beach feel

The state senator and representative for the Pearland and Friendswood areas are focusing on tax and education reform in the ongoing 88th legislative session.

LOCAL LAWMAKER PRIORITIES

Local government gures and state lawmakers are looking to this year’s state legislative session for changes to public education fund- ing and property taxes. State lawmakers for the Pearland and Friendswood areas—Rep. Ed Thompson, RPearland, and Sen. Mayes Middleton, RWallisville— both signaled an interest in reform- ing how school districts receive funding from the state to combat

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PROPERTY TAXES

PUBLIC EDUCATION

“ THERE’S A LOT OF TEACHERS THAT ARE LEAVING THE FIELD; … WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON’T WANT TO BE TEACHERS ANYMORE.”

"PROPERTY TAXES … ARE RISING OUT OF CONTROL. THAT IS RENT TO THE

GOVERNMENT FOR YOUR OWN HOME."

STATE SEN. MAYES MIDDLETON, RDISTRICT 11

STATE REP. ED THOMPSON, RDISTRICT 29

CONTINUED ON 18

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FROM KELLY: Our front-page story this month dives into a multimillion-dollar drainage bond Pearland is considering calling for the May election. City Council is set to vote on whether to call the bond at the Feb. 13 meeting, after press time. The city of Pearland hopes to gain voter approval on a bond that will fund various drainage, street and park projects throughout the city. Kelly Schaer, MANAGING EDITOR

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023

IMPACTS

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

MCHARD RD.

SHADOW CREEK

MCHARD RD.

PEARLAND

521

288

518

WALNUT ST.

W. BROA D W A

FREEDOM DR.

FRIENDSWOOD

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BAYBROOK MALL

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NOW OPEN 1 Chicago-based clothing retailer Akira opened a location at 500 Baybrook Mall, Friendswood, on Nov. 18, according to customer service specialist Anija W. The retailer offers a variety of clothing for sale, including shoes, jackets, dresses and accessories. The brand has stores in various states, including Illinois, Maryland and Tex- as. 281-205-4090. www.shopakira.com 2 HCA Houston Healthcare opened a new location in January at 225 E. Parkwood Ave., Friendswood. The HCA Houston ER 24/7 in Friendswood is a department of HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake. The new ER is full-service, providing care 24 hours a day every day. The Friendswood Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 7. 713-770-7000. www.hcahoustonhealthcare.com

3 The new Shari D. Coleman Animal Shelter and Adoption Center held a grand opening event Jan. 21 at 8311 Freedom Drive, Pearland. The new city-run shelter and adoption center has a staff of 10 professionals who aim to pro- tect the housed animals and promote pet adoptions. The center will hold impound- ed animals that are stray, abandoned or quarantined and also provide microchip- ping. The city’s animal services Facebook page frequently promotes missing pets to locate owners or find new homes for the animals. To view adoption and vol- unteer opportunities for the new center, visit the city’s animal services webpage. 281-652-1970. www.pearlandtx.gov 4 Torrid, a plus-size women’s cloth- ing brand, opened a new retail store under the name Curv at Baybrook Mall at 500 Baybrook Mall, Space 1360, Friendswood, on Nov. 16, manager

Sam L. said. The Curv store focuses on a variety of clothing, including sleepwear, loungewear, lingerie and activewear. The retailer also has a Torrid location in Webster at 1531 W. Bay Area Blvd. alongside others in the Houston area. 281-203-5792. www.torrid.com COMING SOON 5 Christian Helping Hands , a nonprofit that aims to assist those in need living in Pearland, Friendswood, Brookside and Manvel, is constructing a new larger facility, co-founder Hita Dickson said. The organization provides food, clothing vouchers and medical vouch- ers as they are available. The facility is under construction at 4305 Magnolia Parkway, Pearland, and is expected to be completed around August, Dickson said. Dickson also said Seva Clinic, a

free medical provider, will relocate to this new site. Dickson said Christian Helping Hands distributed over 1 million pounds of food in 2022. 281-485-9776. www.christianhelpinghands.org www.sevaclinic-texas.org 6 A new restaurant called Hotaka Ramen & Izakaya is under construc- tion in east Pearland at 1930 Pearland Parkway, Ste. 190. The city of Pearland issued the restaurant a permit Feb. 1 allowing for it to install or alter its air conditioning, a walk-in cooler and kitch- en hood. Staff confirmed that the space was inspected Feb. 2 but was not able to confirm an opening date. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation estimates a construction completion date of April 30. 7 Family-run OMG! Burger will open a new location in Pearland sometime

Find one in your neighborhood.

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The upcoming retail center Meridiana Marketplace will be on the southeast corner of Hwy. 6 and Meridiana Parkway. (Rendering courtesy Gulf Coast Commercial Group)

FEATURED IMPACT COMING SOON Meridiana Marketplace , a retail center to be built at 19710 Hwy. 6, Manvel, near Manvel High School, is anticipated to begin construction in the spring and has acquired its rst two leases. The 20,700-square-foot project is being developed by Houston-based rm Gulf Coast Commercial Group Inc. “We’re eager to bring an array of high- quality businesses and retailers to this rapidly evolving stretch of Hwy. 6 near the intersection of [Hwy.] 288,” said Danny Miller, Gulf Coast Group’s vice president of leasing, in a statement. Next Level Urgent Care is one of the businesses that inked a lease in the center for 3,000 square feet of space. A report showed the city of Pearland’s unemployment rate in December as one of the lowest in the Gulf Coast region. The December 2022 Houston Area Em- ployment Situation report released by Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions showed Pearland had the second-lowest unem- ployment rate at 3.1%, just above Sugar Land at 3%. Pearland’s unemployment rate represents 2,067 unemployed peo- ple, according to the report. According to the report, Pearland’s unemployment rate dropped 0.1% from the previous month. The average unemployment

The health care company aims to provide high-quality walk-in services with advanced equipment such as X-rays on-site at its clinics. The other business that leased 2,500 square feet with Meridiana Marketplace is dental service Smile Professionals. 281-783-8162 www.nextlevelurgentcare.com

Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen

OMG! Burger

DANIEL WEEKS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

COURTESY OMG! BURGER

ANNIVERSARIES 9 Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen celebrat- ed its 30th anniversary Jan. 11. Russell Ybarra opened the original location at 2202 E. Broadway St., Pearland, in 1993. Since then, 13 other locations have opened in the Houston area alongside a 15th location in College Station. Gringo’s serves a variety of classic Tex-Mex food and some other nontraditional options. Each location serves a variety of margar- itas and other cocktails. 281-485-3844. www.gringostexmex.com IN THE NEWS 10 Pearland Chamber of Commerce President Jim Johnson, based at 6117 Broadway St., will serve as the chair of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives board in 2023 as part of a three-year term. The TCCE represents 230 chambers of commerce and provides resources to local and regional chambers across the state. 281-485-3634. www.pearlandchamber.org

in 2023, according to staff. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regula- tion lists the construction timeline as Jan. 23 to March 31 and the location as 11901 Shadow Creek Parkway, Ste. 101. OMG! Burger, which has previously hosted pop-up stands in Pearland, is an organic halal restaurant chain that also offers gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. The menu includes burgers, chicken sandwiches, Philly cheesesteaks, hot dogs and tacos. 281-717-4545. www.txomgburger.com 8 The Dolly Llama Waffle Master is coming to Pearland in 2023, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The city of Pearland issued the California-based dessert shop a $120,000 permit for alterations on Feb. 1. The location, which will be at 3569 Business Center Drive, Ste. 140, is not open as of press time. The Dolly Llama serves waffles and ice creams with a variety of toppings to choose from. 213-283-8615. www.thedollyllamaus.com

rate of the 17 Gulf Coast region cities in December was 3.9%, totaling about 143,575 unemployed. The city of Pearland’s most recent sales tax report shows consistent year-over- year increases in revenue in the month of November. The city receives updates on sales tax collection from the state. Its report is always two months prior, making the January report a breakdown of November tax collection. It shows the total net collections increased year over year by about $161,429, or 4.7%.

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TRANSPORTATION UPDATES Mykawa Road widening project needs additional right of way to proceed

COMPILED BY DANIEL WEEKS

ONGOING PROJECTS

Future Funded Completed

ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY

CLEAR CREEK

A project widening Mykawa Road from a two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway is expected to start construction in 2025 after right of way is acquired.

upgrades, new street lighting, and updated traffic signals. The project, estimated by the city to start construction in 2025, encom- passes the approximately 3 miles of Mykawa Road from Beltway 8 to FM 518. Pearland is taking the lead on its construction and funding with the assistance of TxDOT, which will reimburse some of the funds through the Federal Highway Administration. Overall, the cost of the project is estimated by the city to be approxi- mately $17.6 million, with $6.7 million being from certificates of obligation, or a form of borrowing that requires no voter approval, $8.6 million originating from Pearland’s 2007 bond program, and the rest coming from the Houston-Galveston Area Council. A detention pond was previously completed April 13 at the corner of Mykawa Road and Orange Street as part of a 2019 bond program that improved drainage.

A project widening Mykawa Road from a two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway is expected to seek bids in May 2024 after right of way is acquired. The Texas Department of Trans- portation project, pending final design considerations, requires 28 acres of additional right of way and will potentially displace two residents and a commercial business, according to the latest information from TxDOT Public Information Officer Danny Perez. On Oct. 22, TxDOT released a notice indicating the opportunity for a public hearing on the Mykawa Road widening project. A hearing has not yet been held. According to TxDOT, the proposed design includes a 10-foot path for pedestrians and bikers on the west side of the road separate from vehicle traffic. Additionally, it would include stormwater drainage and detention

288

HUGHES RD.

ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF FEB. 9. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT PLFNEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Timeline: 2025-TBD (for funded area) Funding sources: city of Pearland, Harris County Flood Control District Clear Creek Trail project The Pearland City Council passed an ordinance Jan. 23 updating the Clear Creek Trail project with addi- tional project details, moving the limits of a segment inside Brazoria County. This section of Clear Creek Trail’s updated scope of work details the construction of approximately 10,000 feet of 10-foot-wide concrete along the west bank of Clear Creek from Hughes Road to the University of Houston-Clear Lake at Pearland campus. The city will collect bids for the project in October 2024 with a con- struction notice to proceed expected in January 2025. Cost: $9 million

518

SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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NEWS BRIEFS

Previously abandoned Mud Gully expansion project to begin this spring

BY DANIEL WEEKS

construction, according to the ood control district’s update memo. Friendswood City Manager Morad Kabiri said the city’s contributions relating to Mud Gully date back to 2008, where the city gave $1 million. “This was one of the many projects that were identied early on that would help ood mitigation eorts in the Clear Creek area,” Kabiri said. The construction will extend the existing concrete channel by about 4,600 feet from Sagedowne Lane to past the Beamer Road bridge. The bottom of the channel will also be widened to 45 feet. While the ow in the channel will increase as a result of the widening, according to HCFCD, areas downstream will not be impacted due to mitigation from the South Belt Stormwater Detention Basin, which is another project in Phase 3 of construction. This nal phase will

Construction for the previously abandoned Mud Gully, or Beamer Ditch, project is expected to start in the spring, according to the Harris County Flood Control District. Mud Gully is a drainage channel o of Beamer Road near San Jacinto College South and the Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. The ood control district released an update on the project Jan. 11 that states the district worked through the required legal process to restart the project after lack of progress from previous contractor Complete Concrete Inc. led to the $12 million project being abandoned. The Harris County Commissioners Court approved a new contract Jan. 10 selecting Rebel Contractors Inc. as the construction company to complete the project. The contract allows for approximately 16 months of

Construction on Mud Gully is set to start this spring. Construction will widen the channel and extend it from Sagedowne Lane to past the Beamer Road bridge.

DANIEL WEEKSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

excavate more than 1.1 million cubic yards of material from the basin, according to the project page. The Beamer Ditch project is part of the Clear Creek Federal Flood Risk Management Project, which consists of several channel conveyance improvement projects, 17 bridge replacements or modications, and other stormwater mitigation upgrades listed on the project’s webpage. The Clear Creek ood risk project is a collaboration between several entities, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the HCFCD.

Mud Gully channel improvements

HUGHES RD.

SAGEDOWNE LN.

Pearland ISD passes contentious calendar for next school year

Keep Friendswood Beautiful recommends Stevenson Park plan

DATES TO KNOW Pearland ISD’s 2023-24

calendar has a longer winter break than the 2022-23 break. Teachers and parents criticized the break’s length. Aug. 15, 2023 First day of school for students Dec. 21, 2023-Jan. 5, 2024 Winter break Jan. 8, 2024 Teachers return from break Jan. 10, 2024 Students return from break May 23, 2024 Early dismissal day for last student instructional day May 24, 2024 Graduation

BY DANIEL WEEKS

said committee members had concerns about winter break ending too early in January. She said members wanted to give parents enough time to recuperate after the holidays. The margin in which the proposed calendar passed the calendar com- mittee was not a signicant margin, according to board members. Berger said both of the calendars that were voted on by the committee had the same winter break schedule, which the board said is the most contentious element of the passed calendar. Four calendars were created by the committee and sent to campuses for voting. The calendar that won the vote and was passed by the board was calendar B. The committee consists of one or two sta members representing each campus alongside two principals and eight parent representatives. The board expressed interest in making adjustments to the proce- dure for selecting an instructional

BY RENEE FARMER

The Pearland ISD board of trustees approved the 2023-24 school year instructional calendar at a Feb. 7 meeting after receiving criticism of the plan from teachers and parents. The approved 2023-24 calendar was criticized for its winter break schedule, particularly its length and return date, Superintendent Larry Berger said. In it, the break will last from Dec. 21 to Jan. 5, with teachers returning Jan. 8 and students returning Jan. 10. “I think parents’ biggest concern is the length of the winter holiday and the fact that it extends further in January than is typical,” Trustee Crystal Carbone said. “There have been comments saying that it’s too much time, especially for kids that need any kind of extra help, that they may fall behind.” La’Kesha Henson-Vaughn, who served as a nonvoting member of the District Advisory Calendar Committee,

Following a series of public meet- ings last fall, Keep Friendswood Beautiful has chosen a concept for the Stevenson Park parking lot. KFB presented Concept C as its preferred selection to Friendswood City Council during its Feb. 6 meeting. The plan includes roughly 108 parking spaces, a covered vendor space, a stage and a picnic area. It was the most expensive of the three concepts at about $9.4 million. “There is no funding to implement this plan today,” City Manager Morad Kabiri said. The plan will be part of the city’s parks master plan, which when approved by council will allow Friend- swood to apply for more funding. “We have a plan, and we can show this to the people who have funding opportunities,” Mayor Mike Foreman said.

SOURCE: PEARLAND ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT

calendar in future years, men- tioning potential community opinion polls. “We’re not going to make everyone happy,” Henson-Vaughn said of the approved calendar.

PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023

CITY & SCHOOLS

News from Pearland, Pearland ISD, Friendswood & Friendswood ISD

Pearland City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at 3519 Liberty Drive, Pearland. Meetings are streamed and available at www.pearlandtx.gov. Pearland ISD will meet at 11 a.m. Feb. 28 and 5 p.m. March 7 at 1928 N. Main St., Pearland. Meetings are streamed at www.youtube.com/ user/thepearlandisd. Friendswood City Council will meet at 6 p.m. March 6 at 910 S. Friendswood Drive, Friendswood. Meeting recordings are posted to the city’s YouTube channel. Friendswood ISD will meet at 5:45 p.m. March 6 at 402 Laurel Drive, Friendswood. MEETINGS WE COVER HIGHLIGHTS FRIENDSWOOD ISD The instructional calendar for Friendswood ISD’s 2023-24 school year has been determined, and the year is set to begin Aug. 15 for students. The district drafted three calendars and, following feedback from staff and parents, chose Option C. This calendar has a slightly later start and a shortened fall holiday. District staff will return to work Monday, Aug. 7, and school will begin the following Tuesday.

Pearland City Council lays out schedule for addressing tax re-evaluation issue

Investors interested in redeveloping vacant Exxon property

SAVINGS OPTIONS Pearland is considering myriad moves to reduce expenses going into the fiscal year 2023-24 budgeting process after a tax re-evaluation error gave the city less room to maneuver. Reduce vehicle lease payments Reduce vehicle replacement costs Reduce spending on streets and sidewalks, up to $1.6 million Flatten departmental operations budgets GENERAL FUND

WELLS DR.

Land PISD is granting the city access to

BY DANIEL WEEKS

The amendment would allow the council to recog- nize and incorporate additional revenues into the fiscal year 2022-23 budget. Roche also presented some expense saving options for fiscal year 2023-24, including reduc- tions to: vehicle lease payments, contributions to a streets and sidewalks program by up to $1.6 million, and debt sales. The city’s next steps will be to continue analyz- ing the projected effect of the worksheet error on future tax rates and budgets as well as acquiring a corrected 2022 property tax evaluation worksheet, for which the City Council has previously dis- cussed hiring legal counsel for possible litigation. “It’s really key to know which worksheet we’ll be going forward with and what sort of flexibility we will or won’t have,” Roche said. The council is set to meet Feb. 13, after press time, for a first quarter budget update and to call the May drainage bond, which is likely to add about one penny to future tax rates. City departments will work on projections in April and May to present to the council in June for the next budget amendment discussions.

BY RENEE FARMER

PEARLAND Upcoming City Council budget work- shops and amendments will focus on reducing the effects of a worksheet error that brought the city a $10 million deficit and incorrect tax rates. At a Jan. 9 meeting, Pearland’s staff provided an update on options for addressing the effect of the city’s tax-revaluation issue. Budget Officer Eric Roche gave a presentation that described the city’s current plans. The council previously passed Budget Amend- ment 1 at a Dec. 12 meeting, which consisted of a series of refinancing moves and some debt restruc- turing, including the use of carryover funds. This first amendment passed 5-1, with Council Member Alex Kamkar dissenting. Kamkar advocated for a different approach that would involve more cuts to the city’s spending. His proposed amendment included cuts to areas that some council members said they thought to be too important to reduce spending, such as cutting a software update. Roche said during the Jan. 9 presentation that Budget Amendment 2 will be discussed in June.

FRIENDSWOOD New life as a residential development could be in the future for an Exxon property sitting vacant in Friendswood. Hines, a multinational real estate investment group, is under contract to develop the property located between the Wilderness Trails and Creekwood Estates subdivisions. Carson Nunnelly, a director at Hines, discussed the project with Friendswood City Council during its Jan. 9 meeting. The project would turn the 159 acres into 187 90-foot lots for single-family homes, Nunnelly said. Hines would invest $33 million for the major infrastructure needed for the site. “It’s a unique piece of property that has a lot of infrastructure needs, needs that can help benefit the city of Friendswood long term,” City Manager Morad Kabiri said.

Pearland ISD grants land use rights to city

BY DANIEL WEEKS

the location impacting future land use or any operational functions,” Berger said. The easement has no time limit and will allow for the burying of the water line. The meeting agenda also states the easement will allow for the repair or removal of water utilities to make improve- ments or modifications if the city deems it necessary. The city is working on a $14.4 million project improving the Bailey Water Plant, one of the sweep- ing water and wastewater improve- ment projects under construction throughout the city, resulting in rising water rates for residents.

PEARLAND ISD At a Jan. 17 meeting, the Pearland ISD board of trustees unanimously approved granting the city of Pearland an easement to access a water line on land owned by the school district. PISD owns some land off of Bailey Road between the Pearland Recre- ation Center and Natatorium and the Bailey Water Plant, Superintendent Larry Berger said. The city needs permission from the school district to maintain a water line on the property for the nearby water plant. “Our maintenance and opera- tion department has reviewed the request and has no concerns with

Reduce sale of debt Reimbursement from Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Refunding bond money Increase Municipal Utility District (MUD) rebate to city’s utility fund DEBT SERVICE

SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SHADOW CREEK 11023 Shadow Creek Pkwy (281) 977-1027

PEARLAND 10555 Pearland Pkwy (713) 987-9205

ALMEDA 11130 Gulf Fwy (713) 910-3941

FRIENDSWOOD 3126 FM 528 (281) 648-5473

BUSINESS FEATURE And a Little Hope Boutique Family-run clothing shop reaching teens, youth D aughter and mother Hope and Michelle Huber launched And a Little Hope Boutique in 2020 as an online shop selling clothing during Hope’s senior year in high school. Hope said at age 18, she was determined to start her own business instead of going to college. “My senior year while I was doing soccer and school, we started online doing pop-ups and markets,” Hope said. After stumbling upon a little building in Pearland o of Hwy. 35 and FM 518, they opened a physical store in June 2021. Hope said she believes the boutique has what teenagers and youth want to wear with bright, col- orful and trending clothes. Hope is the buyer for all items in the store and stays up to date with styles on social media such as TikTok, where the boutique has over 2,300 followers. Hope said it is not just a clothes boutique: It also carries items such as party decor, earrings and seasonal holiday gifts. The boutique also partners with Pearland High School’s cheerleaders and prancers for spirit days, oering them a percentage back of all sales. Hope said she is condent the clothes at her boutique help teens of all sizes feel good. “Our main focus is to get girls to be comfortable in the skin God created for them,” Hope said. Additionally, when Hope was 11, she was intro- duced to Streethearts, a Christian group from Haiti that helps homeless children in their home country. By the time Hope was 16, she raised money for a mission trip by making T-shirts with an “A Little Hope” design on them, laying the foundation for the boutique years later, Michelle said. Today, a per- centage of all sales go to Haiti to help Streethearts. BY SARAH PARKER

“OUR MAIN FOCUS IS TO GET GIRLS TO BE COMFORTABLE IN THE SKIN GOD CREATED FOR THEM.” HOPE HUBER, COOWNER, AND A LITTLE HOPE BOUTIQUE

From left: Mother and daughter Michelle and Hope Huber launched And a Little Hope Boutique in 2020 as an online store.

PHOTOS BY SARAH PARKERCOMMUNITY IMPACT

The boutique oers bridal items year-round, such as white dresses, bridal party gifts and bachelorette party items.

Earring prices vary at the boutique from $12-$48.

And a Little Hope Boutique 2314 N. Main St., Pearland 281-809-5611 www.andalittlehope.com Hours: Tue.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.

BROADWAY ST.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

DINING FEATURE

BY SARAH PARKER

1 KNUCKLE SANDWICH: $32

Founder and owner Eric Nelson opened Good Vibes Coastal Kitchen in 2020.

Leslie Mejia works along Eric Nelson as his pastry chef and sous chef.

2 FRESH TUNA POKE BOWL: $19

3 S’MORES TOASTED TABLE SIDE: $13

Yellow n tuna is served with ginger yuzu sauce, cucumber, seaweed, sesame seeds, avocado, tobiko caviar and sticky rice.

A honey graham cracker cake is made with chocolate mousse, ganache, salted caramel gelato and homemade marshmallow.

Cold-water lobster knuckles are sauteed with Cajun garlic butter and served on a challah roll.

PHOTOS BY SARAH PARKERCOMMUNITY IMPACT

"PEOPLE THINK WE ARE JUST A BURGER

Good Vibes Coastal Kitchen Restaurant brings beach feel, elevated food to Pearland A fter years of working in ne dining, Eric Nelson decided to branch out and

GOOD VIBES COASTAL KITCHEN 1329 E. Broadway St., Pearland 832-569-4141 www.goodvibescoastalkitchen.com Hours: Mon.-Wed. 3-9 p.m., Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. JOINT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO OFFER." ERIC NELSON, OWNER

a vacation but are still in Pearland, Nelson said. A large mural of a beach scene, island music, palm trees and sh swimming on the TV screens can be found in the restaurant. During December 2019, the Good Vibes sta and their families transformed the former King’s Biergarten & Restaurant, which had a castle exterior, into a tropical beach house restaurant. Good Vibes has grown even during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, Nelson said. Good Vibes oers themed nights and spaces for private events. It has a full bar indoors and outdoors, patio seating for more than 100 people, and a garden where kids can run or a band can play. Event and corporate

catering are also available. Throughout the week, Good Vibes’ customers can nd Nelson leading in the kitchen as the main chef alongside Leslie Mejia, his sous chef and pastry chef. Both Nelson and Mejia said they enjoy crafting unique dishes. The menu oers made-from-scratch options, such as deviled eggs with capers, oysters or salmon; a smoked salmon salad sandwich; an oyster bar; tacos and gourmet burgers; as well as s’mores toasted table side, which is the most popular dessert dish. “It’s a fun community,” Nelson said. “I grew up in a small town, and it’s cool seeing that environ- ment in a city.”

start something completely new. Nelson said he wanted to bring something fun and relaxed to the Pearland community, so he founded Good Vibes Burgers and Brews in January 2020. He renamed it Good Vibes Coastal Kitchen shortly after he realized the name could lead people to believe it served mainly burgers, Nelson said. “Our coastal kitchen caters to a lot more people. People think we are just a burger joint, but we have a lot more to oer,” said Nelson, who is also the restaurant’s head chef. The goal was to create a location where patrons feel like they are on

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023

LONGAWAITED FLOOD RELIEF SHADOW CREEK P

1 Veterans Drive street drainage improvements were ranked as the No. 1 priority due to a high volume of citizen complaints and the age of the infrastructure. 2 , 10 , 11 , 12 All were included in the drainage projects due to heavy impact from Hurricane Harvey and repetitive home losses.

TRINITY BAY DR. KINGSLEY DR.

The bond will be divided into four dierent propositions, including drainage, streets and sidewalks, parks, and public safety.

HATFIELD RD.

HUGHES RANCH RD.

PEARLAND PKWY.

521

CULLEN PKWY.

PROPOSED PROJECTS:

E. PLUM ST.

W. BROADWAY ST.

518

WALNUTST.

STREET DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS 1 Veterans Drive: $10.9 million 2 Longwood Park: $4.8 million 3 Harkey Road: $22.9 million 4 Fite Road (Cullen Parkway to Harkey Road) : $11.6 million 5 Hateld Road: $4.6 million 6 E. Plum Street: $1.9 million 7 Isla Drive, N. Galveston Avenue, Cheryl Drive: $5.4 million 8 Fite Road (Harkey Road to McLean Road): $7.2 million 9 Wagon Trail Road : $1.4 million NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS 10 Southwest quadrant of Old Town: $10.2 million 11 Shady Crest and Creek View subdivision: $14.4 million 12 Pine Hollow: $5.5 million 13 Tranquility Lakes detention pump station rehabilitation: $4.5 million 14 Shadow Creek Ranch cul-de-sac: $100,000 STREET PROPOSITION 15 Hughes Road widening and bridge: $10.7 million Concrete sidewalk gaps and replacement: $15.4 million PUBLIC SAFETY PROPOSITION New re station:* $15.9 million PARKS PROPOSITION 16 Hickory Slough Sportsplex Phase 2:* $17.4 million 17 Independence Park Phase 2:* $16.3 million 48 6 MANVEL

288

OLIA P K W

WAGON TRAIL RD.

VETERANS DR.

BAILEY A V E .

MCLEAN RD.

2351

SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLANDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

The top priority item on the list of 14 projects is drainage improvements to Veterans Drive from Walnut Street to Mary’s Creek, costing $10.9 million. This project was prioritized highest because the sec- ond place project—improvements to the Southwest quadrant of Old Town— is dependent on improve- ments to Veterans happening rst. The $10.2 million Old Town project will take place from McLean Road to Hwy. 35, south of Broadway Street, and is a high priority item due to repetitive home losses and citizen complaints. The Shady Crest and Creek View subdivi- sion and Longwood Estates roadside ditch projects are ranked close behind while facing similar issue. Thompson said he learned in a conversation with the city’s Financial Adviser John Robuck that drain- age bonds typically pass in Texas and that he expects it to be successful with voters. He said he believes the city’s litany of ooding issues in recent years, such as with Hurricane Harvey, will likely bring vot- ers to be supportive of the items. The Texas General Land Oce will also fund $14 million worth of drainage improvements regard- less of whether or not the bond is approved by voters. The projects include improvements to the Hickory Creek and Garden Acre subdivisions. “We’ve got to make sure we get out there and let

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about 8%, showed up to vote on the bond that year. “All we want people to do is vote, you know, for or against,” Lee said. “We want them to be able to be informed and to get out there and vote.” Drainage improvements The 14 drainage projects included in the bond were ranked by priority with a number of factors, some with more weight than others, totaling a cost of $105.5 million for only the drainage items. The factors included Hurricane Harvey’s impact, repetitive loss of homes, whether the home was in the 100- or 500-year ood plain, and age of infrastructure, to name a few. Seth Thompson, who served as chair of the Citizens Drainage Bond Advisory Committee, said the age of infrastructure was given more weight in determining which projects to fund since some areas have been waiting for an update since 1965. “Some of the older neighborhoods, their project might not have huge detriment and might not have a lot of losses or home losses, ... but it’s still a proj- ect that has ooding or issues to the citizens, and they’ve just been waiting forever,” he said.

*THESE PROJECTS WILL BRING RECURRING COSTS FOR THE CITY’S GENERAL FUND IN FUTURE YEARS.

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