Apartment plans have some upset in Sugar Land

A plan to increase the number of proposed apartment units at a new master-planned community in Sugar Land is drawing opposition.

The apartments would be part of the Imperial project, which is being developed on 715 acres on the northeast side of U.S. 90A and Texas 6.

The newest plans include 950 units on a 124-acre tract west of the Mayfield Park subdivision and 650 units on 46 acres just south of the subdivision and east of the Nalco Energy Services complex.

Those figures are higher than the 459 units that were included in a general development plan approved by the city in June 2007.

The current developer, Johnson Development Corp., is seeking city approval to more than triple the number of units. But that plan has suffered a setback with city planners, who on March 16 recommended not considering the preliminary plan as submitted after identifying what they described as deficiencies and concerns. They advised the developer to submit a revised plan.

City officials didn't elaborate on the issues they had with the submitted plan.

Shay Shafie, general manager of the project, said at a Feb. 24 workshop of the city's planning and zoning commission that more apartment tenants would help sustain future nearby retail business.

"Residential density is a critical component to the viability of the mixed-use development. We need that nighttime population to make it work," he said.

The plan doesn't sit well with some nearby residents, who fear it will increase congestion on area streets, cause school crowding and decrease property values.

Real estate broker Diana Miller, who lives in the nearby Belknap neighborhood, is leading a petition drive against the apartments. She said more than 700 have signed it.

"I've done my research, and the area's existing apartment occupancy rate simply shows there is no market for more apartments. There's nothing to justify for more," Miller said.

Planning and zoning commissioners Bridget Yeung, Paula Stansell and Kathy Huebner have voiced concerns about the increase in the number of proposed apartment units.

"I believe so much multifamily (development) is going to greatly affect the quality of life of our existing Sugar Land residents who have been in Sugar Land the longest," said Yeung, who chairs the commission.

Yeung said that in addition to the existing 2,013 apartments and condominiums in the city, 600 more are planned in the Riverstone development and 400 in Telfair.

"To have 1,600 more units in the Imperial site is a very difficult thing for people in Sugar Land to accept," she said.

Yeung also cited the limited number of streets such as Ulrich, Main and Brooks that cross the Union Pacific Railroad, which carries up to 40 trains daily.

"How are we going to get all the traffic over the railroad tracks?" she said.

According to a memo Shafie sent to residents and the city, a roundabout, additional lanes and restriping of turn lanes would be implemented to lessen the project's impact on traffic flow on local streets.

City spokesman Doug Adolph said city officials will not comment on the project until the planning commission has reviewed a formal plan.

At the planning commission workshop in February, Shafie described the condominium-style apartments as "the highest-end multifamily rental units you can find in the Houston market."

One-bedroom units that start at 786 square feet would be rented for $1,140 monthly, while the rent for a two-bedroom unit that starts at 1,128 square feet is set at $1,568, he said.

Yeung and Huebner believe the price range would deter tenants, with Huebner concerned the project "may end up with a half-empty apartment building."

Fellow planning and zoning commissioner Carl Stephens support the plan.

"I think the (apartment) density isn't as bad as it sounds. I like what I saw through the whole deal," he said.

zen.zheng@chron.com