El Lago, Texas is a small city situated on Clear Lake, an estuary of Galveston Bay, near the NASA Headquarters. Because of its desirable water views and relative protection from the open Gulf, El Lago’s Bay frontage experienced significant development and redevelopment pressure. Properties that were accommodating marinas, aging low rise vacation condominiums, and strip commercial development are expected to eventually be redeveloped with taller, higher density structures. Kendig Keast Collaborative ("KKC") was engaged to assist the community in formulating new regulations intended to moderate the impacts of this redevelopment.

Before formulating alternative amendments to the City’s zoning regulations, KKC prepared a three-dimensional model of a one-mile stretch of El Lago’s Bay front commercial strip. The model included existing streets, marinas, residential and commercial buildings, advertising signs, landscaping, power lines, and street lighting. Then, the firm overlaid hypothetical low-, mid-, and high-rise building forms on top of potential development areas. Finally, the firm prepared a table of building volume ratio limitations, with semi-transparent envelope depictions, that would provide appropriate redevelopment flexibility while minimizing blockage of public views to the Bay.

To assist City legislators in their consideration and adoption of the new regulations, a series of ground-level motion videos and still images were captured from the model to facilitate communication. The new measures were adopted by the City.