Business View Civil Municipal June 2023

42 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 work and play within Manor, Texas. Attracting business is essential to this formula. These developing residential areas will be a part of new subdivisions, with a large focus on parks and preserving some commercial space if they face major roadways. Housing demands over the last two years have been mainly focused on townhomes and multi-family dwellings. Previous home development in the area has left vacant tracts between subdivisions, ranging between 10 to 20 acres, that are now being filled. “These projects started with planning for 200 to 250 units, and now we’re getting up to 600 units, which are a part of multi-phase projects. This led us to create a townhome zoning category. As soon as this was established, people started requesting land,” says Dunlop. Recently the city council approved the sale of “paper streets” or “vacant right of way alleys” in the downtown area for 95 homes. These will require sidewalks and infrastructure but will mean inhabitants will be within walking distance of shops. And another sizable residential project of 335 units is also underway, which illustrates a real variety in demand for all types of housing in Manor, Texas. This project aims to create a rental market where employees of companies moving to the area will have options for temporary homes. The residents of Manor and the city management team are focused on establishing a new library in the city. This is currently in the planning stages and included in the city’s master plan, and many viable options have been floated to meet this need. Strategic planning for downtown is another upcoming city project.