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Sugar Land council approves purchase Sugar Land ends of Imperial district, Char House By Ken Fountain agreement for In July 2024, the council named the Imperial and Lake Pointe regional activity centers as its two main priorities for the city’s redevelopment efforts. controversial The Sugar Land City Council, as expected, last Although the fate of the Imperial Historic District week unanimously approved the purchase of the and the Char House, the distinctive 100-year-old power plant Imperial Char House and the surrounding historic building that has long served as one of the city’s KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The city of Sugar Land has decided not to go forward with a proposed power project meant to stabilize electricity generation for the city that drew much public opposition when it was announced last year. Last May, the City Council as part of its consent agenda item unanimously approved an option to enter into a ground lease with Wärtsilä Development, a Finlandbased company that among other things builds and operates power plants in many countries around the globe, including six currently in Texas. The option was for an 8-acre site tract of city-owned land at the former site of the Central Prison Unit, adjacent to the Sugar Land Regional Airport. The option was subject to annual renewal based on the company’s ability to complete a Full Interconnection Study required by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT. The proposed plant was projected to be completed in late 2027 or early 2028. In a statement published on its website last week, the city said it “continually evaluates opportunities to stimulate economic growth.” “The Rapid-Start Power Plant Project presented a unique opportunity that aligned with these goals. After a thorough review of the proposed site, we have determined that the proposed site for a rapid-start power plant may be better suited for other developments that align with our long-term strategic planning goals,” the statement reads. “As a result, we have initiated the process to terminate the lease agreement, with the issue to be considered by Sugar Land City Council at a future meeting. We appreciate the expertise of those involved in the evaluation and remain committed to identifying trailblazing solutions that position Sugar Land for long-term success,” the statement reads. After the City Council approved the option last year, with little information about the proposal made available to the public, it drew immediate, widespread criticism on social media among residents. The first public meeting on the project was held in May at a large gymnasium in New Territory, where residents saw initial plans for the project and heard from Mayor Joe Zimmerman and representatives from Wärtsilä. And although Zimmerman told the hundreds of people gathered that the project was still in the very early stages, numerous speakers spoke, often angrily, raising environmental issues and other concerns. At that meeting, Zimmerman cited 2022’s Winter Storm Uri, which left many residents without power for days, as well as other instances of brownout and
SEE POWER PAGE 3
district in hopes of finding a partnering company to redevelop the long-dormant area. The city plans to use sales tax revenues to make the purchase, with no associated change to the property tax rate. The city had already announced its intention in a news release accompanied by a video featuring Joe Zimmerman, and the item had been on the council’s consent agenda for the February 18 meeting, meaning it would have been approved without discussion. But Zimmerman pulled the item from the consent agenda.
most iconic structures, has been the subject of much debate over the past two decades, there was little public comment during the meeting. Peter Jacob, a principal of the Sugar Land-based commercial real estate firm Weaver, David & Jacob, said that the city’s plans to redevelop the area weren’t commercially viable. “The proposal to acquire approximately 38 acres
SEE DEVELOPMENT PAGE 4
Photo by Ken Fountain
MAKING THE ROUNDS
Fort Bend County folks descend on Capitol By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
AUSTIN – It’s a longstanding tradition in Texas: every two years when the Legislature is in session, folks from across the state descend in droves on the Texas Capitol to press lawmakers on what laws they would like to see emerge. Whether it’s called lobbying or simply advocacy, the hallways of the labyrinthine Capitol complex are continually abuzz with people making their respective cases. And it was no different early last Thursday morning when dozens of people filed aboard a chartered bus at the Safari Texas Ranch event center in Richmond to make the two-anda-half hour trek to Austin for the official Fort Bend County Day at the Capitol, hosted by the Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce and the Central Fort Bend and the Central Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. As in past sessions, the group of elected officials, government workers, business leaders and interested citizens took in the scenery during the trip, which this year occurred on a particularly cold and drizzly day. Other folks joined the event separately, either by being in Austin already or driving separately. The first stop, as usual, was at a luncheon event held at The Austin Club, an ornate 1878 building that originally served as the city’s opera house. The event began with welcoming remarks by Fort Bend County Judge KP George, followed by a short talk by A.J. Rodriguez, executive director of Texas 2036, a nonprofit think tank that, according to its website, “uses long-term, datadriven strategies to secure Texas’ prosperity through our bicentennial and beyond.” That was followed by a bipartisan legislators panel that included Rep. Matt Morgan, a freshman Republican
Dozens of folks from Fort Bend County gather outside the main entrance of the Texas Capitol for Fort Bend County Day last week. Photo by Ken Fountain
representing District 26; Rep Ron Reynolds, a Democrat representing District 21; Rep. Gary Gates, a Republican representing District 28; Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a Republican representing District 18; Rep. Suleman Lalani, a Democrat representing District 76; and Rep. Stan Kitzman, a Republican representing District 85. During the discussion, moderated by attorney Trey Larry, the lawmakers spoke in uniformly conciliatory tones about working together dur-
ing the session on a wide range of issues, including a state water plan, infrastructure, workforce development, and others. But perhaps the overarching issue of the session, that of providing earmarking public money for families to use to send their children to private schools, was a key topic of the panel. The state’s Republican leadership, including Gov. Gregg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and newly elected Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, have vowed to get such legis-
lation - which is alternatively referred to as “vouchers,” “school choice,” or “education savings accounts” - passed this session after previous attempts failed. The previous week, the Senate version passed. Called SB 2, it sets aside $1 billion for education savings accounts, targeted for certain population groups. But in what was called “the Texas Two-Step,” the House version, called
SEE AUSTIN PAGE 2
Retired teachers, volunteers team up to support students in Willowridge feeder pattern By Juhi Varma SPECIAL TO THE STAR
W hile g rowing up, Super Neighborhood 41 President Willie Rainwater often heard his mother say that if you raise a problem, you should also offer a solution – maybe not “the” solution, but a solution. Guided by that principle, Fort Bend ISD and Super Neighborhood 41, also known as Fort BendHouston, has partnered to introduce a volunteer-based tutoring program aimed at improving academic outcomes in the district’s Willowridge feeder pattern. Since October, 12 volunteers,
mainly retired teachers, have returned to provide specialized tutoring for 3rd- and 4th-graders at Blue Ridge-Briargate Elementary School, a feeder campus for Willowridge High School. “These are kids who do need reinforcement, but they’re not the lowest, because the district requires that lowest work with district interventions,” Jayne Edwards-McFarlane, the education lead overseeing the initiative, told the Star. The Texas Education Agency gave Willowridge High School an overall score of 59 in 2022 – the most recent TEA ratings available – and designated the campus for “comprehensive
support and improvement.” A score of 59 falls below the threshold for a letter grade of A, B, or C. Meanwhile, the schools feeding into Willowridge received B or C ratings from the TEA that same year. The tutoring is a key component of a memorandum of understanding between FBISD and Super Neighborhood 41, which was approved unanimously by the school board at its January 29 meeting. “I’ve worked in a number of school districts, and I’ve seen how parents invest in their kids, especially at
SEE WILLOWRIDGE PAGE 5
Volunteer tutors at Fort Bend ISD’s Blue Ridge-Briargate Elementary School discuss their plans. The volunteers are taking part in a partnership between the district and the Super Neighborhood 41 community. Contributed photo