1.) At what point in the review process am I ready to apply for a building permit?
A building permit is almost always required for any type of activity that will change the exterior dimensions of existing structures, change interior construction or use, or when a new structure is being constructed or moved onto a site. A building permit will not be processed until you have submitted a complete site plan to the planning office, it has been revised per staff request, and you have received an approved copy of the site plan.

2.) Do I need a single building permit or can I submit a series of building permits for a single site?
Individual permits can be phased, either to permit each separate building, or to permit each stage of construction of a single building (such as “shell” and then individual “finish outs”). Phasing building permits will need to be reflected on the approved site plan if all site improvements will not be installed at one time.

3.) What does the Development Code say about “accessory buildings”?
Accessory Uses are subject to the same regulations that apply to principal uses in each district and may not be constructed prior to the establishment of the Principal Building.

4.) How are temporary job (construction) trailers regulated?
They may be placed on site temporarily but must be directly related to the project and must be removed upon completion of the work. A permit is required.

5.) How are fences regulated?
Fences are not restricted in commercial districts. However, screening walls or fences that are considered building extensions (such as wing walls) will be required to meet the building finish materials regulations. A permit is required for new and replacement fencing but not for fence repairs.

6.) Does the City settle lot line disputes between neighbors?
No. Lot line disputes must be treated as a civil matter where disputing neighbors may ultimately pursue the services of their family attorneys and take the case before a judge.

7.) Will the City deny my site plan because my building elevations do not comply with the standards for the commercial property association my property is situated in?
The City does not enforce or review building elevations for compliance with private covenants and restrictions. The City does have building finish regulations governing primary and secondary materials.

8.) What is a General Plan? When is one required?
General Plans are required of large scale developments. It is a conceptual layout that shows the future development within the framework of the City’s adopted Land Use and Thoroughfare Plan. Individual parcels still need to be legally subdivided.

9.) How big can a wall sign be in a non-residential district?
The effective area of a wall sign located on a building serving a non-residential use must not exceed 15% of the square footage of the facade upon which located, or 300 square feet whichever is less. Height restrictions also apply.

10.) What is the Maximum size allowed for a monument sign in a
non-residential area?
The maximum size allowed for a monument sign that fronts on Highway 59 is 10 feet and 100 square feet of effective area. Monument signs not on Highway 59 are limited to 6 feet in height and 60 square feet of effective area.

11.) What is a Conditional Use Permit?
A conditional use permit is a permit that is granted to operate certain types of businesses. A C.U.P. must be approved by the Planning & Zoning Commission, and the City Council before the business in question can legally operate within the city. This process takes 3 to 4 months.

12.) What building code does the City of Sugar Land use?
The International Building Code of 2000, International Plumbing, Mechanical, Fule Gas, Fire and Energy Codes (along with references from these codes) and the 1999 National Electrical Code. If additional information is needed, please call Development Services at (281) 275-2370.

13.) What are Plat submittal dates and requirements (plats, site plans, rezones, C.U.P.’s. variances ect.)?
Plat’s are accepted every 1st and 3rd Monday by 3:00 p.m. Rezones, C.U.P.’s and variances are accepted every Monday by 3:00 p.m. Construction Plans are accepted anytime Monday through Friday.

14.) How long is the plat and site plan review process and who reviews? (applies to plats and site plans).
The Development Review Committee does a 3 week review process for plats and site plans. Once the plans are reviewed, a response letter will go out to the applicant, requesting revisions. The applicant will make the required changes and resubmit the plans, at which point the item will be scheduled for a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, if required. If the item can approved by Staff, the approved drawings will be returned to the applicant within three working days.

15.) How do I get the status of a project?
Call the Development Coordinator in the Planning Department at 281-275-2818.

16.) What are the plat recordation requirements for the City of Sugar Land and
Fort Bend County?
A letter will be sent out to the applicant once the project has been approved with Recordation requirements.

17.) How do I get Homeowner’s Association contact information?
Visit the City of Sugar Land's website at www.sugarlandtx.gov.

18.) What is the DRC process?
The DRC (Development Review Committee) consists of the Planning Department, Traffic Department, Public Works Operations, Public Works Utilities and Fire Department. A weekly meeting on Thursdays is held to discuss all projects. There is a 3 week review process for each project (1st week, routing; 2nd week, initial review; and 3rd week, comment letter is sent out).

19.) What are the updates to the Development Code?
Contact the Planning Department at 281-275-2818 for the latest Development Code Supplement or visit the City website at www.sugarlandtx.gov.

20.) Where can I find benchmark information?
Contact GIS at 281-275-2781.

21.) How can I obtain copies of plats?
Blue-line copies can be made in the Planning Department if available. All plats are available through the Fort Bend County Clerk’s office in Richmond.

22.) Where do I find utility information?
Contact Utilities Engineering at Public Works at 281-275-2450.

23.) What are “notification letters” and “response letters” for plats and when are they due?
The applicant is required to notify all applicants entities (such as electrical or telephone companies) of a proposed final plat. Notification letters are required at the time of submittal. Response letters from the entities are required before a final plat is taken to Planning and Zoning for approval.

24.) Does the City have utility fees for water and sewer services?
No, current development within the corporate city does not require payment of a fee for water and sewer services. For development outside the corporate city limits a fee is required when service is provided by the City.

25.) Is there water and sewer capacity available and can it be reserved?
In most cases, water production and wastewater treatment capacity is available for the typical development. At this time the city does not accept reservations for water or wastewater capacity.

26.) What is the cost for water and sewer service connections?
Water connection fees are as follows:
• 3/4”water tap and meter set $440
• 1” water tap and meter set $510
• 1 1/2” water tap and meter set $790
• 2” water tap and meter set $930
• > 3” water tap and meter set N/A

Sewer connection fees are as follows:
• Residential sewer tap $200
• 6” Commercial sewer tap $300
• 8” Commercial sewer tap $400

27.) Who is responsible for making the water and sewer connections?
• Domestic & Irrigation water service taps and water meters < 2” are installed by the City of Sugar Land after payment of required fees. Contact City of Sugar Land Revenue Department at 291-275-2750 for a connection fee application. Water service taps and meters > 3” are to be installed by the developer’s/builder’s contractor. Contact the City of Sugar Land Public Works Department at 281-275-2450 for a permit application.
• Sewer service taps are to be installed by the developer’s/builder’s contractor.

28.) What are the locations of the utilities lines?
Contact the City of Sugar Land Public Works Department at 281-275-2450 for assistance with locations of water distribution lines, sanitary sewer collection lines and storm sewer collection lines. Electric, natural gas and communication line locations should be obtained from the provider.

29.) Who is responsible for extending/expanding water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer infrastructure to a development?
Generally, it is the City of Sugar Land’s policy for the developer to extend/expand all necessary infrastructures to service their development.

30.) Is detention required?
Detention requirements vary dependent on location. Contact the City of Sugar Land Public Works Department Drainage Engineer for information on site specific detention requirements.

31.) What drainage criteria are used in the City of Sugar Land and the City's ETJ?
“ The Drainage Criteria Manual for Fort Bend County Texas” & “the City of Sugar Land Design Standards”.

32.) Where can I find construction plans for the area?
Contact the City of Sugar Land Public Works Department at 281.275.2450 for assistance with retrieval of construction plans. Retrieved construction plans will be provided in an electronic image file format via e-mail or copied to the requestor’s compact disc.

33.) What fire code is Sugar Land currently enforcing?
International Fire Code 2000 edition with local amendments.

34.) What buildings are required to have an automatic fire sprinkler system?
• All new non-residential buildings with a total square footage of 7,500 feet or more. (There are exceptions to certain open structures).
• All new residential buildings classified by the International Building Code as R1, R2 including condominiums and town home, and R4.
• Any new building not accessible by an approved access roadway.
• Build outs in existing buildings without sprinkler systems may be required to be retrofitted with fire sprinkler systems. The Fire Marshal’s Office should be contacted to determine this.
• High piled or rack storage areas exceeding 2500 square feet unless specified otherwise in the code.
• Group H occupancies
• Group A with an occupant load of 300 or more.

Requirements may be more stringent depending on type of occupancy, type of storage and method of storage, etc. The Fire Marshal’s Office should be contacted to determine additional fire protection system requirements.

35.) When is a Fire Alarm System required?
• All buildings with an automatic sprinkler system shall have a fire alarm system including one(1) manual pull station and audible/visual devices throughout. The sprinkler system shall be electronically monitored.
• All educational occupancies with an occupant load of 50 or more.

Contact the Fire Marshal’s Office for all other occupancy types. There are many variables on fire alarm requirements for different occupancies.

36.) Are plans required to be submitted?
Plans on all fire extinguishing systems, fire alarm systems and access control systems are required to be submitted for approval prior to permitting and system installation.

37.) How many sets of plans are required and where are they submitted?
Provide three(3) sets of plans and submit them at 123 Brooks Street, Development Services.

38.) Are Fire Lanes required?
All buildings shall be within 50 feet of an approved access roadway or fire lane unless otherwise specified in the code.

39.) How do I contact the Fire Marshal’s Office?
281-491-0852.

40.) What is Parkland Dedication and am I required to participate?
Residential subdividing increases the burden on the city’s park and recreational facilities. Residential subdivides will be required to offset some of this additional burden by dedicating suitable sites for park and recreational purposes or to make a cash deposit to the city in lieu thereof. Reference Section 5-30 of the Sugar Land Development Code for more details.

41.) When is a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) needed?
A traffic impact analysis is needed to identify the potential impacts of a proposed site development that is expected to impact traffic operations on a City Street or State road/highway within the City limits.

Any of the following situations triggers a requirement for a traffic impact analysis:
• When development will generate 100 or more trips during the peak traffic hour at the site
• When development will generate 1000 or more daily trips
• At the judgment or discretion of the City Traffic Engineer or staff from Planning and Engineering Departments
• When development will occur in a sensitive area. (Already congested area)
• When a previously specified amount of acreage is rezoned and expected to generate an additional 100 trips during the peak traffic hour at the site
• When a previously specified amount of land use is increased and expected to generate an additional 100 trips during the peak traffic hour at the site
Note: The City will provide a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Threshold Worksheet to be filled out for items 1 and 2 described above.

42.) If a TIA is required, when shall it be submitted?
The required TIA must be submitted along with submittal of a preliminary plat, final plat, or site plan.

43.) How much information is needed to complete a TIA report?
A Traffic Impact Analysis report shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

• Executive Summary, Introduction (study purpose, objectives, site description and study methodology), Existing conditions in the area of the development, Recorded or approved nearby development,
• Existing traffic volumes, an assessment of the change in roadway operating conditions resulting from the development traffic, and
• Recommendations for site access and transportation improvements needed to maintain traffic flow to, from, within, and past the site at the City’s minimum acceptable level-of-service requirement.
Note: Prior to preparation of a Traffic Impact Analysis report, the developer with a project engineer is encouraged to meet with the City Traffic Engineer to identify the study area, define the area of influence, and non-site traffic impacts.

44.) Who should prepare a Traffic Impact Analysis?
A Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) report should be prepared under the supervision of a qualified and experienced registered professional engineer who has specific training in traffic and transportation engineering.

45.) What study area should be evaluated?
The contents and events of a traffic impact study area depend on the location and size of the proposed development and the conditions prevailing in the surrounding area. Larger developments proposed in congested and poorly accessible areas obviously require more extensive traffic analysis, whereas smaller sites may only require a minimal analysis of traffic on site and at immediately adjacent intersections.

Any off-site access needs and impacts should include at least site access points and major intersections (signalized and unsignalized) adjacent to the site. In the study, the City may require a list of all known congested locations that may be impacted by the proposed development.

46.) What are the minimum levels of service (LOS) requirements for different types of roadway facilities?
The City’s minimum level-of-service requirement is to maintain a level of service “C” for all types of facilities. The following criteria are applied:

The City requires maintaining the current level of service of the existing roadway facility. When a current level of service “C” falls bellow “C” due to the future trips of the prospected development or developments, a mitigation measure, in terms of roadway improvements or other improvements such as signal retiming, phasing and optimizing techniques, is required to bring the LOS to “C”.

47.) How should the level of service be determined for different types of
roadway facilities?
The level of service for all types of roadway facilities shall be determined according to procedures outlined in the current Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

48.) What peak hours should be analyzed?
Normally weekday morning (7-9 a.m.) and evening (4-6 p.m.) peak hours are required. The City may require including weekday noon and weekend Saturday peak hours for major shopping centers, recreational centers or other such developments.

49.) What should be the target or forecast year(s)?
The traffic forecasts shall be prepared for the anticipated opening year (the design year) of the development, assuming full build out and occupancy.

50.) How can I get information about projected trips for any type of development?
The trip estimate calculation shall be based on the latest version of the Trip Generation Manual published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

51.) How can I get existing traffic volumes, traffic signal plans or signal phasing and timing information?
Contact the City of Sugar Land Public Works Department at 281-275-2450 for assistance with retrieval of traffic data.

52.) Should improvements be phased out?
If the project is a large, multi-phase development in which several stages of development activity are planned, off-site roadway improvements shall be phased out.

53.) Should a Traffic Accident Analysis be included with Traffic Impact Analysis
(TIA) report?
Yes, if there are indications that hazardous or high-accident locations are within the study area, information on accident experience (preferably for three years) should be gathered and analyzed to identify specific existing conditions and recommendation for improvements be included in the final report.

54.) Who should apply for a driveway permit on TxDOT roadway facilities?
The developer’s representative shall apply for a driveway permit and submit an approved copy to the City for record.

55.) What is the maximum length of a cul-de-sac street for residential subdivisions and what is the maximum number of residential lots that can be built along a
cul-de-sac street?
The maximum length of a cul-de-sac street for residential subdivision shall be one thousand feet (1000’) or serve a maximum of twenty-four (24) residential lots, whichever is less.

56.) What is the maximum length of a cul-de-sac street for commercial or
industrial developments?
The maximum length of a cul-de-sac street for commercial or industrial developments shall be six hundred feet (600’).

57.) What is the minimum requirement for driveway curb radii for different
roadway classification?
A minimum radius of twenty-five feet (25’) on local residential streets and thirty-five (35’) on residential major thoroughfares, measured at the face of the curb.

58.) What is the minimum distance requirement of non-residential driveways from adjacent streets and driveways?
The following provides the minimum separations for different roadway classifications:

Roadway Classification Minimum Separation
(As indicated on thoroughfare plan)

Highway/Freeway Frontage Road 200’ or greater as determined by TIA
Arterial 165’
Major Collector 165’
Minor Collector 165’
Local Street 75’

59.) What specifications and standard drawings shall be used to design a
traffic signal?
The developer shall use TxDOT specifications and standard drawings to design a traffic signal. Contract the City of Sugar Land Public Works Department at 281-275-2450 to get more information about the specifications of signal controller, controller cabinet, emergency and railroad preemption, and interconnect requirements.

60.) Do I need to submit a traffic control plan along with off-site
roadway improvements?
Yes, a traffic control plan must be submitted along with off-site roadway improvements. The plans must be designed per the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD- Part VI). Contact the City of Sugar Land Public Works Department at 281-275-2450 to get more information.