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Friendswood downtown board agrees to review 2018 improvement plan, keep finishing current projects first
Summary
The Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation agreed to put a formal review of the 2017–18 Downtown Improvement Plan on a future agenda and to schedule a workshop so new and existing members can evaluate remaining work and next priorities for sidewalks, bike routes and shared parking.
The Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation agreed to schedule a formal review of the downtown improvement plan adopted in late 2018 and to hold a workshop so board members can assess remaining projects and set updated priorities.
Board members and staff said much of the plan’s recommended work along FM 518 — including sidewalks, curb ramps and intersection improvements — has been completed, but gaps remain on adjacent streets. "Many of these along FM 518 have already been, or all of them down 518 have been taken care of," city staff member Ray said while presenting excerpts from the plan. He recommended finishing sidewalk connections, filling curb‑ramp gaps and exploring signed bicycle routes that would route cyclists off FM 518 and through neighborhoods for safety.
Several board members urged an organized review because two newly seated members were not part of the original public‑input process that produced the plan. "We have 2 new board members that weren't a part of that. So you need to know the history and the understanding for that," one board member said. Members discussed whether to review the plan during the next regular meeting or to hold a separate, longer workshop; staff offered to circulate documentation ahead of a dedicated session.
Board members also identified specific short‑term tasks they want resolved before broadening the scope: finish remaining sidewalk and lighting installations, correct streetlight orientations at selected mast arms, and identify low‑cost "low‑hanging fruit" projects. A board member offered to place an item on the next agenda for a fuller discussion and staff agreed to circulate the plan materials to allow members time to review before the follow‑up meeting.
The board did not adopt any formal amendments to the Downtown Improvement Plan at the meeting; members framed the next step as a staff‑facilitated review and a potential special workshop to set priorities and, if desired, direct staff to prepare scope and cost estimates for any plan updates.
