More Video Near Site of Proposed New High-Rise Development
Jim Zura of Zura Productions filmed this video of rescue efforts on August 29th, 2017, during Harvey at the northern most (highest) end of the proposed new high-rise development in Kingwood.
He filmed the video at the intersection of Woodland Hills and Seven Oaks. For those not familiar with the neighborhood, it’s four blocks north of the Barrington entrance. The Barrington lies mostly in the 500-year floodplain (see FEMA map below). Zura says the people you see in the video are mostly residents of the Barrington being evacuated.
Proposed Development Area Already Vacated by Humble ISD
The site of the new development is on the left of this video and far lower than Barrington, which was built up with fill in the early Nineties. In fact, it contained Humble ISD’s first ag barn which flooded so frequently that the school district moved the ag facility to higher ground at Deer Ridge Park. Now the school district is moving the operation again – to even higher ground in Porter.
The proposed development would add fill to much of this low lying area and even fill in some wetlands. The developer would fill areas both north and south of the Barrington. Read details here and view the plans.

The Barrington splits the development in half.
Relationship of Proposed Development to Flood Zones
Below, you can see the area of the proposed new development within this screen capture from FEMA’s flood hazard layer viewer. The Barrington lies within the bean shaped oval in the center. Brown areas represent the 500-year flood plain. Aqua areas represent 100-year flood plain. And cross-hatched areas represent the floodway of the river (main current during floods).

The blue box above the word Marina represents a “Letter of Map Revision (LOMR). The developer plans on building the marina and several high rises within that blue box. Such revisions are often granted when residents can prove that they have raised a foundation above the 100-year flood plain. The purpose: to lower flood insurance rates for people who would otherwise be IN the 100-year flood plain.
A History of Flooding
Most of the Barrington sits in the 500-year flood plain yet still flooded in 1994, Allison and Harvey. It nearly flooded in the Memorial Day weekend flood of 2016. See this other YouTube video by BYUCougarFan99. The videographer says it was shot in the southern part of Barrington. It appears to look east and south, toward Kingwood country club and the southern part of the proposed development.
This article from the website Swamplot describes the development in detail with 3-D renderings. Note the heading: Livable Lake.
The Army Corps Wants Your Comments
The Army Corps’ public notice states that they are seeking comments on the proposed development. If they receive no comments before January 29, they will assume that residents have no objections. Comments and requests for additional information should reference USACE file number, SWG-2016-00384, and should be submitted to:
- Evaluation Branch, North Unit
- Regulatory Division, CESWG-RD-E
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- P.O. Box 1229
- Galveston, Texas 77553-1229
- 409-766-3869 Phone
- 409-766-6301 Fax
- swg_public_notice@usace.army.mil
The deadline is January 29, 2019.
Posted by Bob Rehak on January 1, 2019
490 Days since Hurricane Harvey