Consultants present draft comprehensive-plan and major thoroughfare updates; drainage, wastewater and street priorities flagged

Consultants for the City of Manvel presented draft updates to the city’s comprehensive plan and major thoroughfare plan at the Planning & Zoning Commission’s May 27 meeting, flagging major infrastructure needs and proposing adjustments to future roadway alignments.

Consultants and scope: Jennifer Mack of Keating Keast Collaborative introduced the team; James Andrews of ARC Engineers summarized water, wastewater and drainage findings; Gary Mitchell (project manager) discussed the big-picture growth-capacity implications and transportation priorities; and Alfonso Morales discussed specific map alignment changes in the draft major thoroughfare plan.

Water and wastewater priorities: James Andrews said Manvel’s water system is in a strong position and has earned a “superior” rating from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The city is investing in elevated storage and SCADA upgrades and evaluating partnerships with Pearland and potential options for owning a surface-water treatment facility. On wastewater, Andrews said the city is building a roughly $40 million wastewater treatment plant scaled to grow from 1 million to 5 million gallons per day and that the city is addressing vulnerabilities such as inflow/infiltration and lift-station upgrades.

Drainage and flood resilience: Consultants noted a prior drainage master plan that identified about $125 million in drainage improvements across the city, including projects such as a lake/detention facility. James Andrews stressed the need to design to updated rainfall standards (Atlas 14) and recommended continuing coordination with the Gulf Coast Water Authority (GCWA), TxDOT and Brazoria County for regional drainage outfalls and cost-sharing. The consultants also recommended the city evaluate the Community Rating System (CRS) under FEMA to reduce flood-insurance costs for residents.

Transportation and major thoroughfare plan (MTP) changes: Gary Mitchell and Alfonso Morales walked commissioners through proposed map edits. Notable adjustments in the draft MTP include removing several conceptual alignments that would have required extensive new crossings (for example, removal of an eastward Quarry Road extension that would have affected existing residents and required new crossings), updating Patterson Road and Pollard Boulevard alignments to better match existing roads, and scaling down some arterials in areas the plan recommends preserving for lower-intensity, rural character. The consultants added several collector-level alignments (Southport Parkway, Orchard Park Lane, Croix Parkway) and proposed designating Kirby Drive as an arterial in the draft. The presentation notes that lines on the map are aspirational and subject to change through development review, drainage analysis and interagency coordination.

Maintenance and funding realities: The team stressed the high cost of converting gravel roads to paved streets and of maintaining and widening existing streets. James Andrews noted the city uses a pavement-condition index to prioritize projects and estimated that rehabilitation and conversion work could amount to tens of millions of dollars. Consultants urged the city to pursue regional partnerships and funding opportunities (HGAC, TxDOT, county, state and federal grants) and to coordinate “dig once” approaches when combining utility and roadway projects.

Next steps: The consultants said draft chapters remain under review and that the transportation and land-use sections will be refined; they invited commissioners to provide feedback. No formal action was required of the commission at the meeting; staff and the consulting team will incorporate comments and return with updated drafts for further review and public outreach.