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<br />Park, Recreation, and Landscaping Enhancements <br />To fully maximize the property value enhancements provided by the master planned community opportunity, the park, <br />recreation, and landscaping facilities provided in the community need to be of a type and caliber desired by discerning <br />home buyers and residents. <br />Walking trails are the number one attraction of master planned communities. Aside from the standard neighborhood <br />sidewalks, the proposed development includes an amenitized central detention basin with a walking trail around the <br />lake, which will be open to the public, and will include sidewalks on both sides of the internal loop street to better <br />connect the outlying residential sections to the central amenities and provide better overall pedestrian circulation <br />throughout the development. The walking trails around the detention basin and sidewalks around the internal loop <br />street are proposed to be -wide (five-foot wide) concrete trails/sidewalks. These trails/sidewalks and the other open <br />spaces throughout the community will be landscaped to meet and exceed the established landscaping minimums, to <br />provide a scenic backdrop and cohesive landscape throughout the community utilizing a range of tree and plant species, <br />in varying sizes which are well adapted and have proven to do well in the La Porte area. <br />A Recreation Center is another key amenity in any master planned community, providing a place for local residents to <br />gather for casual play, sports, swimming, and other leisure activities. The Recreation Center has yet to be designed, but <br />would likely include all the typical elements found in a Recreation Center of this size for a comparable master planned <br />community. These amenities could include, but are not limited to nor promised at this time: a swimming pool & splash <br />pad area, changing rooms/cabana, fitness facility, tennis courts, a playground, trails/sidewalks, and other related <br />activities/amenities. <br />Overall, the recreation areas in the development (lakeside trail, Recreation Center, and a small pocket park) total <br />approximately ±7.3 acres, not including the lake itself, which presents an inviting backdrop for the community as a <br />whole. The lake is proposed to have a wet bottom and will contain no less than 6 fountains. The plan also proposes <br />landscape buffers around the internal loop street and adjacent to some of the local streets, which help to create an <br />aesthetically pleasing street scene that both residents and visitors can enjoy. In total, these amenities will satisfy all <br />parkland requirements for the development. <br />Comprehensive Plan Compliance <br />The City of La Porte Comprehensive Plan depicts this tract as MHDR (Mid and High Density Residential), comparable to <br />the R2 and R3 single-family zones. The proposed mix of single family detached homes, multifamily units, and a senior <br />living complex is consistent with the PUD zoning designation and the stated goals of the Comprehensive Plan regarding <br />life-cycle housing options in new developments. <br />Variances <br />To achieve the qualities desired by homebuyers in premier master planned communities in the Houston metro areas, <br />three categories of zoning code variances are required and included in this SCUP application (see next page). Proposed <br />variances to the street design standards specified in the Public Improvement Criteria Manual are listed at the end of this <br />section for reference, but are not requested as a part of this SCUP. <br /> <br />23501 Cinco Ranch Boulevard | Suite A-250 | Katy, Texas 77494 | 281-579-0340 <br /> <br />