Navigate 2044 carefully focuses on coastal resilience, downtown development, and quality of life to create a citywide framework for future growth and investment in Aransas Pass.
Aransas Pass’ future development patterns are shaped by past decisions. The plan builds on the strength of the historic townsite grid while creating new opportunities for housing and commercial uses.
Downtown Aransas Pass and Conn Brown Harbor are the soul of the city and historic, cultural, and economic draws for residents and visitors. Navigate 2044 envisions improved connections and investment in these centers.
As “Saltwater Heaven”, Aransas Pass’ relationship with Redfish Bay is critical for human, environmental, and animal health. Thoughtful analysis guided recommendations to protect this asset for future generations.
Aransas Pass is a small coastal community in Texas’ Coastal Bend region. The city is strategically located with easy access to Corpus Christi, a growing employment base in San Patricio County, tourist destinations, and great fishing. Having recovered from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Aransas Pass is looking to its future as Texas’ Saltwater Heaven.
Asakura Robinson was hired to update the city’s comprehensive plan through a community-led process called Navigate 2044 which included a series of hands-on workshops, online engagement opportunities, focus groups and a steering committee.
As a coastal community whose eras can be characterized by slogans and nicknames such as “Where Rails Meet Sails”, “The Harbor City”, and most recently “Saltwater Heaven”, Aransas Pass is grappling with how to celebrate and preserve its rich history, address a shifting economy, and manage the pressures of regional growth.
Founded with a vision of becoming the Coastal Bend’s premier deepwater port, these ambitions were never fully realized after the port was instead built in Corpus Christi. However, the city retains the DNA of its original plan: a robust street and lot grid and ample right-of-way. These assets, as well as the public Conn Brown Harbor – a historic center of the Texas shrimping industry – provide Aransas Pass with a rich history and “great bones” for future growth.
The plan’s Growth Management Strategy and Future Land Use Map direct investment to revitalization areas including the historic Downtown and Conn Brown Harbor and prioritize infill development within the original townsite over greenfield development. Seeking to provide a livable, attractive environment, future land use categories provide design guidance for how a mix of housing types can fit in the city’s existing grid.
The planning process included deep dives into the Downtown area, Conn Brown Harbor, and the “Harborside” area located behind the city’s seawall. Proposed quick-build connections and gateways link these hubs for residents and visitors, creating new and lower-cost opportunities for recreation and quality-of-life amenities. Because of their proximity to the coast, the Harborside area also included analyses and recommendations for how sensitive environmental features such as wetlands and live oak mottes can interact with manmade systems in an ecologically sound manner.
Using the framework provided in Navigate 2044, the City of Aransas Pass will be able to grow in a way that is ecologically and economically sound while preserving its proud history and relationship with the water for future generations.