Sugar Land Council council to take up Imperial project

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Sugar Land City Coun - cil on Tuesday was set to consider a plan to amend the city's land use plan to allow for the proposed redevelopment of the Imperial Char House and the surrounding area after the Planning & Zoning Commission reached a tie vote on its approval during its February 14 meeting.

Because the 4-4 vote at the end a long and sometimes contentious meeting means that the proposed amendment failed, according to the rules of the commission, it will take a super-majority of City Council to overturn the decision. Since one council member, Nausahad Kermally, has recused himself on the matter, all but one of the remaining council members would have to vote in favor of the amendment to reach that threshold, according to city spokesman Doug Adolph.

In December, the city announced that Houston based PUMA Development had developed a proposal that would transform the Imperial Char House, perhaps the city's most iconic building, into an office building with retail and food-and-beverage components. The Char House would be the first phase of the redevelopment of