HighPoint Church Moves Permanent Friendswood Campus Forward After 16.6-Acre Plat Approval

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — HighPoint Church’s plan to build its first permanent home in Friendswood has moved another step forward after city planning commissioners approved the preliminary plat for a 16.6442-acre property on West Parkwood Avenue.

The Friendswood Planning and Zoning Commission approved the preliminary plat for the HighPoint Church of Texas property at 1406 W. Parkwood Ave. during its September 10 meeting.

The approval was unanimous and subject to remaining staff comments.

City planning staff told commissioners the property is intended to serve as the build site for HighPoint’s future sanctuary.

From portable church to permanent campus

HighPoint has been part of Friendswood since 2018 but has continued to operate without a permanent worship facility of its own.

The church currently holds its Sunday services at Friendswood Junior High, where it lists services at 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.

HighPoint also maintains church offices on West Parkwood Avenue, not far from the property being prepared for the future campus.

The church has publicly described the permanent facility as the central goal of its “Church on the Move” campaign.

What HighPoint plans to build

HighPoint’s published project information describes a facility considerably larger than a traditional standalone sanctuary.

Altogether, the church describes the future facility as approximately 31,800 square feet of ministry space with an estimated project cost of roughly $15 million.

What the city approved — and what it did not

The September action is an important development milestone, but it should not be confused with final approval to begin construction.

A preliminary plat establishes the proposed property configuration and allows the development to continue through the city’s review process.

City planning staff said several administrative comments remained and could be addressed as the project advances toward final plat and site-plan review.

FM 528 access will receive additional review

One issue already drawing attention is how vehicles will enter and leave the future campus.

During the September 10 meeting, Planning and Zoning Commissioner Willie Anderson raised a concern about the proposed driveway layout onto FM 528.

Community Development Director Aubrey Harbin told commissioners that the driveway configuration could be addressed later during site-plan consideration.

Because FM 528 is a state highway, the Texas Department of Transportation would ultimately have authority over the project’s curb-cut access to the roadway.

Traffic access is likely to be one of the more closely watched pieces of the project as plans advance, particularly given the size of the planned worship space and the traffic generated around Sunday service times.

The church assembled two tracts for the project

The preliminary plat combines property described in city records as two tracts: one approximately 12.387 acres and another approximately 4.075 acres.

Together, they form the 16.6442-acre development site now moving through the planning process.

That gives HighPoint a substantial footprint along the West Parkwood corridor for its permanent campus and supporting facilities.

No construction start date announced yet

HighPoint has outlined what it intends to build and the city has now approved the preliminary plat, but a firm construction start date has not been publicly posted.

The church’s campaign materials describe the project as a major long-term investment intended to give the congregation its first permanent Friendswood facility.

For now, Sunday worship continues at Friendswood Junior High while the West Parkwood project works its way through development and financing.