Missouri City Council voted Oct. 5 to rezone 8.5 acres off Highway 6 for a stormwater detention pond and public green space. The site, between Vicksburg Boulevard and the Cinemark theater, will include a lit walking path, pergolas, a food truck courtyard and a pocket park.
The project, called the Vicksburg Master Detention Pond, will sit directly next to a nearly 13-acre shopping center the council approved in June, as first reported by Community Impact Newspaper. That center is expected to include a Sprouts grocery store, Mayor Robin J. Elackatt said at a Sept. 8 council meeting.
"This was gonna turn into just a regular water detention pond," Elackatt said. "You will now be able to have water all year round with a feature that people can park and walk around and enjoy the dining experience."
The pond itself will store stormwater and help nearby developments meet drainage requirements, Assistant Planning Director Stori Nuri said. Economic Development Director David Gwin told the council at the Sept. 8 meeting that the goal was to turn a functional drainage facility into a public amenity for the surrounding corridor.
Plans call for a 10-foot-wide walking path, three open-air pergolas, a bike repair station, seating areas and decorative lighting spaced no more than 40 feet apart along the path, according to Planning and Zoning Commission minutes from Aug. 12. The pond must maintain a minimum water depth of four feet and hold its required stormwater volume over time through an approved maintenance plan.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the project 7-0 on Aug. 12. Commissioner Haney made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Armstrong. A public hearing held July 27 drew no written protests as of Aug. 5, according to commission records.
The zoning change shifts the land from a Suburban District designation to a Planned Development District. Kimley-Horn and Associates filed the rezoning request. The detention facility will service roughly 40 acres of future development, commission records show.
No construction schedule has been set.
Developers must show substantial progress within five years, Nuri said. They still need construction permits and must meet state regulations before breaking ground.
