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The Pine Brook Community Association web site contains some great information on the proposed development by Fidelis Realty Partners of the 412 acre tract between Clear Lake City Blvd and Space Center, including maps and an explanation of the history of deed restrictions for the property.
Update 02/23/08 - Open Letter from Fidelis Realty Partners
A revised open letter (PDF) dated 02/22/08 on the proposed development by Fidelis Realty Partners of the 412 acre tract between Clear Lake City Blvd and Space Center has been posted for download.
Update 10/26/07 - Results of ACLC Discussion of Clear Lake Land Development
Board leaders from the local community associations met recently to discuss the land development planned by Fidelis Realty Partners in the Clear Lake area. The majority of the acreage would be residential with a gated community included close to the center of the area. The proposed commercial property would be fronting Clear Lake City Blvd. Additional details can be found on the Bay Pointe Community Association web site hosted by C.I.A Services, Inc. After the Bay Pointe web page loads, scroll down to the section titled "Development of 411 Acre Tract North of Pine Brook."
Update 09/24/07 - Property Sale/Development Near Middlebrook
The "Featured News" area of the Fidelis Realty Partners web site includes an article dated 07/30/07 on the planned land development in Clear Lake. The article does not provide much detail, but notes that Fidelis, owned by "...broker and developer Alan Hassenflu, along with Lynn Davis, ...[is] buying land and investments like there's no tomorrow."
The "Find a Property" map on the Fidelis web site includes a dot in the Clear Lake area, which links to the following property description (zip code appears to be a typo):
Clear Lake & Eldorado
Property Type: Residential / Retail
Location: NEC & NWC Clear Lake City Blvd & Eldorado
Clear Lake, TX 77559
Size: 411 Acres
Major Tenants: To Be Determined
Please call (713) 623-6800 for property detail.
Update 09/16/07 - Property Sale/Development Near Middlebrook
A recent report by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership includes a few more details on the planned land development:
"A well-known Houston developer has bought land for new homes but the tract is currently restricted for residential use. Fidelis Realty Partners has acquired 412 acres on Space Center Blvd. between Clear Lake City Blvd. and Genoa Red Bluff Road. Formerly used by Exxon, the tract has been tested and is free of environmental contamination. If given the green light to build, the developer plans his foray into residential with a gated community of 800 to 1,000 high-end homes starting at $400,000. Office, medical and retail space would be developed on 40 to 60 acres. If there isn’t a change in deed restrictions [to enable residential development], industrial buildings will be built. The area is near Clearpoint Crossing, Ellington Field, Bay Oaks, Pine Brook, and North Fork subdivisions."
Based upon this information, Fidelis Realty Partners intends to develop this property and will turn to light industrial development if the residential/commercial development proposal is rejected by the local communities.
Key Points of Recent Middlebrook Board Discussions:
- 412 acres at the end of El Dorado on the north side of Clear Lake City Blvd have been sold to a developer.
- To date, Exxon has restricted this land from residential development due to the presence of four dry wells. However, Fidelis would like to partner with Trendmaker Homes to build single family residential homes in the range of $400,000+ along with commercial development including a Whole Foods grocery.
- In order to develop this land as residential, Exxon would have to lift the deed restrictions preventing residential development. Exxon has told the developer that the only way they will lift the restriction on residential development is if this change is supported by the local communities.
- If development is unavoidable, then residential development would appear to be preferable to commercial/light industrial development.
- Concern was expressed about the location of the commercial development and grocery store - a location with entrances off of Space Center seems preferable to the El Dorado location. This also seems more logical considering recent commercial development along the Space Center extension connecting to Genoa Red Bluff.
- The effect of the proposed development on automobile traffic must be addressed. El Dorado and Clear Lake City Blvd are only two lanes near the El Dorado/Clear Lake City Blvd intersection. To support the additional homes, the development plan should include the expansion of these roads to four lanes along with appropriate traffic light installation. In addition, we need to understand whether or not the development plan includes the extension of El Dorado into Pasadena.
- It is currently unclear if the proposed development will include public areas that will enhance the quality of life for all Clear Lake City residents.
- We also need to understand the potential effect (if any) of the proposed residential development on the planned construction of a fire station at the El Dorado/Clear Lake City Blvd intersection.
The Middlebrook Board is interested in the opinions of our residents. If you would like to submit your thoughts/concerns on this subject, please send an email to Ed Robertson with a subject of "Land Development."
We have received a number of emails on this topic from residents of several local communities. While we appreciate all inputs, the concerns of Middlebrook residents represented by the MCA Board may differ from those of other local communities. Therefore, we encourage residents of other communities to discuss their land development concerns with their own community association boards.
We are attempting to gain a better understanding of the development plans and options/alternatives, and will share any new information via this web site.
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