Pass the Ketchup Please! - Reduce Flooding

The mini homes at the Preserve at Woodridge are going up mighty fast. These homes are so close together that you could literally pass the ketchup from the window of one to another.

Construction Update as of 3/10/22

*While most new occupants fret over wall colors, these occupants will get their choice of roof colors*: *gray, reddish gray or bluish gray.*

Life here will have some other advantages for renters, too. You’ll certainly get to know your neighbors faster than you would in a development with massive quarter-acre lots.

Plus, these quaint-as-dorm-room rental homes certainly make efficient use of land. Mowing the lawns will take even less time than vacuuming. And with on street parking, you’ll never have to worry about cleaning out the garage.

*Have a habit of rolling out of bed late? You could be three steps from your car door.*

*The sign at the bottom of the frame says, “Individual homes for lease. PreserveAtWoodridge.com. Opening Summer 2022.” However, the website says Spring.* *Looking east toward Kingwood Park High School.*

Dogs Welcome, but Tree Space Limited

I’m told they plan to have at least six trees scattered throughout the 131 homes that will be built on roughly 12 acres. Pets are welcome according to the website, but the marketing director reportedly worries about “the male dog-to-tree” ratio. They don’t have extra trees in the budget. So they’re planning on putting in plenty of fire hydrants.

*Looking west toward St. Martha Catholic Church.*

All the Modern Amenities, Including Concrete

These lilliputian homes reportedly come with all the modern amenities, including indoor plumbing. The decorating allowance even covers a daisy near the front door.

While many people look for green solutions to flooding these days, the Preserve at Woodridge is unashamedly gray. “Who needs green space when you have all this beautiful low-maintenance concrete?” quipped one contractor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “It’s very consistent with today’s busy lifestyles.” He does have a point!

But I worry there won’t be enough counter space for residents to put their jewelry boxes and laptops on in the event of a 100-year flood, which seems to happen every other year around here.

Those new post-Harvey flood maps will come out soon. And many of the assumptions behind the engineering for the Preserve at Woodridge could be invalidated. Stay tuned for the next exciting update.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/10/2022

1654 Days since Hurricane Harvey