CITY&COUNTY
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TOP CITY & COUNTY STORIES TO WATCH IN 2022
City Council to consider rules for short-termrentals
BY ANDY YANEZ
Speci c regulations: • No external signage • Occupancy limitations • Parking limitations • Advertising must include occupancy/parking limits and city permit number; written notice unit cannot be used for parties Pearland City Attorney Darrin Coker and his sta will now be tasked with drafting an ordinance to present to City Council in late January or February, Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole said. that required short-term rentals to submit a sketch of the residence’s oor plans. Kamkar said making oor plans public record could lead to security issues. Council Member Luke Orlando said he wants the city to have the ability to punish problem-causing short-term rental owners while not adding barriers to those who are operating responsibly.
renewed and could only be obtained by the property owner. Properties would also have to be inspected by the Pearland Fire Marshal’s o ce. There would also be rules short-term rentals would need to follow, including occupancy and parking limitations, no rentals to anyone under 21 years old, and a ban on using the property for a party or entertainment venue. Council Member Alex Kamkar said he wants the ordinance to have a narrow focus that can be strictly applied. He also voiced safety concerns over some of the commit- tee recommendations, including one
PEARLAND Members of Pearland City Council will consider an ordinance in early 2022 to enforce regulations on short-term rental owners within the city. On Dec. 13, council received recommendations from an ad hoc committee tasked with evaluating regulatory options on short-term rentals. “Bottom line, [rentals] should be inspected by the city, and it should have the same restrictions as any- thing that goes on like in a hotel,” Council Member Woody Owens said. The committee recommended an annual permit that would be
TxDOT’s sidewalk project in Friendswood is in progress. COURTESY CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD
Friendswood to continue focus on downtown revamp
BY SIERRA ROZEN
FRIENDSWOOD Downtown revitalization projects in Friend- swood will continue in 2022. The city will install new street lights across downtown to create uniform lighting for the streets and pedestrians with construc- tion set to begin in the third quarter of 2022, Assistant City Manager Steven Rhea said. Additionally, the city also plans to install new downtown street signage in the rst quarter of 2022. Once the Texas Depart- ment of Transportation approves the color scheme, council and the Friendswood Downtown Economic Corp. will see it. Finally, a TxDOT project to invest $2.77 million in sidewalk, curb ramp and tra c signals on Friendswood Drive from FM 2351 to Whispering Pines Avenue is set to nish in April, Rhea said.
SHORT TERM PERMITTING The recommendations
Permitting requirements: • Annual permit • Permit fee for city administrative costs • Permit application, including proof of ownership and sketch of unit’s oor plans
Safety/inspections: • Initial and renewal inspections required by re marshal • Guest noti cation sheet inside property entrance
made by the ad hoc committee included three main components. SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLAND COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Pearland, Friendswood update comprehensive plans PEARLAND, FRIENDSWOOD Both the cities of Pearland and Friendswood are in the midst of updating their comprehensive plans, which will guide each city with future development and service needs. The Pearland Community Development Department BY SIERRA ROZEN & ANDY YANEZ
began updating the city’s comprehensive plan in late 2021 and aims to get an updated version to City Council by mid-2022, Pearland Community Development Director John McDonald previously told Community Impact Newspaper . The city last updated its plan in 2015. Meanwhile, Friendswood looks to have its compre- hensive plan updated by December; it was last updated in 1998. The planning committee hopes to present a nished plan on how to update the comprehensive plan by February, according to Friendswood Director of Community Development Aubrey Harbin.
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