The Tomball City Council denied a conditional use permit request to operate an amusement‑device arcade (claw‑machine center) at 1101 Alma Street, following a unanimous Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation to deny. The planning commission’s decision cited concerns about proximity to residences, a lack of defined supervision and age limits for minors, insufficient sidewalks and unclear parking capacity.
Applicant Hong Lei said the tenant planned a roughly 2,000‑square‑foot space with about 10–12 claw machines and family‑oriented hours (proposed 10 a.m.–9 p.m.). Staff noted the property’s parking area contains 39 spaces shared among existing tenants; city planning staff said the code requires one parking space per machine, so the final allowed machine count would be constrained by a tenant build‑out parking calculation during permitting.
At the Planning & Zoning hearing commissioners asked whether the operator would check ages, require adult supervision at a defined age, or staff the space; the applicant indicated staffing but did not define a minimum age requiring parental accompaniment. Planning commissioners said that lack of clear supervision and methods to prevent unsupervised minors was a central reason for denial.
Council vote: The motion to approve the conditional use permit failed unanimously. City staff said the denial does not preclude an amended application that addresses the commission’s concerns and includes specific conditions (staffing levels, defined ages for parental accompaniment, capped machine count tied to available parking and hours of operation).