Contractors Begin Excavation of N1 Detention Pond at Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village
In the last week, contractors have finally started excavating the N1 detention pond at Woodridge Village. Work on the excavation of N2 continues. It also appears that they may have started prep work for excavating the N3 pond. See photos below.
All this comes:
- Almost 8 months after Perry Homes promised the City of Houston that it would complete detention ponds
- About two months before the trial setting for lawsuits against Perry Homes (7/13/2020)
- Days before Perry Homes’ second deadline (May 15) for consummating a purchase deal with Harris County
The next Commissioners’ Court Meeting is set for May 19. The agenda for that meeting should be posted May 15.
Excavation Begins on N1 Pond (First Pond on Northern Section)
On May 5, 2020, Jeff Miller, an Elm Grove resident, noticed excavation activity near the Webb Street entrance to Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village. Engineers designated this area for the N1 (first northern) detention pond.
Miller also shot this video on 5/6/2020, showing the progress contractors have made on the excavation in one day.
N2 Excavation Continues
I took the shot below on May 1 with a telephoto lens from the north end of Village Springs in Elm Grove. It shows excavation work continuing on the N2 pond.
Additional Work in Area of N3 Pond
On May 5th, Jeff Miller photographed the N3 area from a closer vantage point. It appears only the surface layer has been scraped off so far.
Putting New Work in Context of Entire Project
Here’s the layout for the five Woodridge Village Detention Ponds. Contractors finished work on the two southern ponds earlier this year.
When the northern detention ponds are complete, the detention system will still not be fully functional because there are no streets or storm drains yet to funnel water into them. Still, some detention is better than no detention with hurricane season three weeks away and an above average season predicted.
City Still Needs to Meet Two Conditions
Perry Homes swears that the work being done now will not affect the purchase price if the County makes a decision on the property by May 15th. At their last meeting, commissioners made the purchase contingent on the City of Houston:
- Adopting Atlas-14 rainfall statistics
- Donating $7 million worth of land to HCFCD for flood control projects and to help offset the purchase price of Perry’s property.
No items relating to the purchase appeared on this week’s City Council agenda. But Council meets again next week before the deadline expires.
The County hopes to meet with the City next week to discuss the donation of land. The County also reportedly feels that the four days between Perry Homes’ extended deadline (May 15) and the next commissioners’ court meeting (May 19) will not present a problem if the the City meets the conditions.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/6/2020 with thanks to Jeff Miller
981 Days since Hurricane Harvey
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