The Texas House Appropriations Committee has introduced its suggested budget for the upcoming legislative session, which includes a recommendation to close the central prison unit in Sugar Land.
“This budget recommendation is a win-win for all Texans. It will help assist in balancing our state budget, while at the same time creating economic opportunity for the great people of District 26,” said District 26 Representative Charlie Howard. “If passed, this will provide additional business and industrial property for development which will bring more jobs and economic growth to Fort Bend County.”
Last March, the Texas General Land Office estimated the 325-plus acres the prison occupies are worth more than $33 million. The prison also sits on land that is zoned, in part, for the expansion of the Sugar Land Regional Airport. As development continues to expand toward the land area of the prison, and the state faces a multi-billion dollar shortfall, it is “both economically practical as well as governmentally efficient to move the operations of the prison elsewhere,” according to Howard.
“This is an issue that I have been passionately working on with the city of Sugar Land for quite some time,” said Howard. “It is in the best interest of our state and my district to close the central prison unit and transfer its’ operations to another location. I am pleased to see our state’s leaders address this important matter.”
Anyone know what the airport plans and impact might be?
FortBendHouston; SL airport plans to expand for larger plains and travel is their best possibility! That was the reason to limit community development along the westside of 90A for safety reasons.
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Telfair, Chelsea Harbor and New Territory better keep an eye on howards expanding runways and industrial park too.
Good old charlie. You can always count on him to grab some land for his developer buddies and then shift the risk and costs to the taxpayers and voters (Hell, he is a developer). And like fools we vote him back in office while he claims to be “conservative”. I wonder if the New Territory, Chelsea Harbor and Telfair residents know they are building an industrial park right next door to them and expanding the airport (owner is friends with good ole charlie). Yep that high density housing and apartments that are going to be on the end of the new runway should get a big kick out of his antics.
Someone better pull up his TEC reports from the state site and see how many of these boys are on his contributions list. Gotts luv it, only in FBC do we get corporate welfare types calling themselve TRUE conservatives while picking the pocket of the taxpayers and voters with a slick willie smile….LOL
Remind District 26 Rep. Charlie Howard to prohibit all apartments being plans in Ft. Bend!! Apartments will mislead FBISD into a large deficit hole, than the one its in today! Any HOA communities tobe MUD free to limit property tax increase!
I wonder the chances Sugar Land will want the area water district (MUD 25) to help provide services to any new development on the former prison land? Like they already do with the city’s airport and TXDOT building. Yet, Sugar Land refuses the request of the taxpayers in that district, which is to be eligible for future annexation into Sugar Land. Sugar Land won’t even ask Houston for an ETJ swap after the residents and district have formally requested this multiple times. Wonder how much the taxpayers of MUD 25 enjoy providing services to the city of Sugar Land only to be brushed-off by Sugar Land on this ETJ swap request time and time again! Residents of the district should keep holding Sugar Land accountable to this.
Of course, who knows how serious MUD 25 is on this anyway since they keep conveniently expanding capacity to build more and more apartment complexes and ill-planned Houston-style development, rather than amenities that would actually be beneficial to the taxpayers such as restaurants and retail, parks and trees. I think it is time for some new leadership in that MUD, one that really cares about the property values of their taxpayers.
Others are right about apartments. We don’t need any more! Developers try to push them anyway, and will keep trying. Give me ONE example, just ONE when apartments have ever been a GOOD thing for an area? No, it’s usually the opposite case, especially in suburbs. There’s already a massive apartment complex next to Chelsea Harbor, some outside New Territory west, and all lining up and down Hwy 6.
The latest developer pushing apartments is a San Antonio company who wants to build a huge complex north of New Territory, across 90A. Not only will this negatively affect the schools, but property values as well, since there are already several other complexes nearby and the area is getting saturated. When that happens, rents go down as landlords try to keep them filled, in moves problems and there goes the neighborhood. Has Fort Bend learned nothing from Alief, Sharpstown and Spring ISD? If you agree that the LAST thing we need are more apartments, please send a letter to the latest developer:
David Garrett, Great America Companies/LRI (dgarrett@cypressmail.com)
More large developers will mislead into higher taxpayer costs that FBISD can’t afford to pay today. An yes, that will effect our Green field farm land needed to control the price of corn or cotton at a lower price. Exclude all future MUD taxes to lower property taxpayers cost on taxes. All future home must be MUD tax exempt.
While I also would like to keep the open farmland and agree on the MUD issues, viewpoint, let’s not ruin the argument by stating such ridiculous nonsense that having those few prison acres have any positive (or negative) effect on corn or cotton prices. It cheapens your entire post.
I am probably the only one but……..this makes me sad! I would rather keep all of the corn fields and cotton fields the prison grows. The open undeveloped land is a nice change to a sea of houses and businesses. I have lived in and around Sugar Land my whole life and the prison has never been a bad neighbor to have. The only people I have ever heard complain about having a prison close by are the new people to the area. No real reason for the complaint other than they just don’t like the idea of it. If they do move the prison I hope the Sugar Land officials are smart and not allow any more apartment complexes to be built on the old prison land. Our schools are strained enough as is.
You’re not the only one. I was slightly apprehensive when I moved to NT 5 years ago, but I’ve learned to appreciate a good neighbor. I find the tree-lined driveway to the prison much more appealing to look at than most of Sugar Land north of 90A.
I also agree about the apartments. There are plenty in the area, no need for more.
In the end, I see their point. It’s something that Sugar Land has been pushing for a long time and the current budget crisis is just an excuse to follow through.
It is surely is bad that the sugar mill and prison is gone, and the history too.
I wonder that Charlie Howard sold this mother for this.
Someone better ck howards campaign finance reports on this one.
I fully agree. I hope Sugar Land will be smart and considerate of existing residents in its development of this land.
You are right about apartments. We don’t need any more! Developers try to push them anyway, and will keep trying. Give me ONE example, just ONE when apartments have ever been a GOOD thing for an area? No, it’s usually the opposite case, especially in suburbs. There’s already a massive apartment complex next to Chelsea Harbor, some outside New Territory west, and lining up and down Hwy 6.
The latest developer pushing apartments is a San Antonio company who wants to build a huge complex north of New Territory, across 90A. Not only will this negatively affect the schools, but property values as well, since there are already several other complexes nearby and the area is getting saturated. When that happens, rents go down as landlords try to keep them filled, in moves problems and there goes the neighborhood. If you agree that the LAST thing we need are more apartments, please send a letter to the developer:
David Garrett, Great America Companies/LRI (dgarrett@cypressmail.com)