West fork high school construction update

June Construction Update: Six Lake-Houston-Area Projects

Here’s a construction update on six large Lake-Houston-Area construction projects, told in aerial photos and captions. All photos were taken on the last day of June, 2022. Dry weather created almost ideal conditions for construction with little risk of sediment-laden runoff. But as the tropics heat up, that could soon change.

High Street Residential

At West Lake Houston Parkway between Upper Lake Drive and Kings Park Way, High Street Residential has finished clearing 19.7 acres for an apartment complex. Now the company is constructing drainage and detention ponds. After that come utility installation; concrete for building pads and streets; and finally construction of the apartments.

High Street is a subsidiary of Trammell Crow, the Dallas-based developer with billions in assets. They are known for high-end work.

High Street Residential Property. Looking S across Upper Lake. West Lake Houston Parkway on right.
Looking S across middle of property. Could that be a detention pond in the middle?

Kingwood Middle School

As the new Kingwood Middle School nears completion, contractors have ripped up the parking lots and driveways of the old school in the foreground. During last week, contractors excavated a new detention pond (foreground below).

New detention pond in front of old school.

They moved the dirt to the old, temporary detention pond…and filled it in.

Old temporary detention pond adjacent to Cedar Knolls now filled and compacted.

Meanwhile, an army of contractors prepare the new school for its grand opening later this year.

Louvers on the south-facing, two-story window wall of the new school will help keep students from broiling in the Texas sun.

Humble ISD still lists the opening date for the new school as 2022. At this point, with access to the old school mostly blocked, there’s no turning back.

Laurel Springs RV Resort Construction Update

The Laurel Springs RV Resort opposite Lakewood Cove is still trying to grow grass in its half-sized detention pond

Eight months after construction began, still very little grass on/in detention basin.

…while it lays more rebar and pours concrete.

Laying rebar for more acres of concrete.

The developer estimated that when complete, concrete would cover only two-thirds of the site. Get out the tape measure.

Preserve At Woodridge

The developer of the Preserve At Woodridge is beginning to lay rebar before pouring concrete for more roads and the last rows of houses. Contractors are also busy building a retaining wall around the detention pond. Since a TCEQ investigation, I have not caught them pumping any more silty water into Bens Branch. The developer also finally posted his permits, but still has not posted the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).

Contractors have approximately two thirds of the homes in various stages of completion.
They’re also starting to lay rebar for the remaining streets and homes on the last third of the site.

These will become rent homes, some as large as 668 SF on Woodridge Parkway between St. Martha Catholic Church and Kingwood Park High School. This developer also claims it will have 65% impervious cover…with homes as close together as four to five feet and 11 homes to the acre.

Note the retaining wall going up around the detention pond. And the lack of a silt fence protecting adjoining property.

TCEQ has not yet finalized its investigation into construction practices at this job site.

Royal Pines

At the north end of West Lake Houston Parkway, contractors have been clearing land for several months for a new subdivision called Royal Pines.

Corpses of once-Royal Pines
Contractors piled tree stumps two stories high at the entrance.

This land used to be owned by the Guniganti family, which also owns the Triple PG Sand Mine immediately to the east. The Texas Attorney General is suing Guniganti for more than a million dollars, for alleged violations of TCEQ regulations. That case, which began in October 2019 was still in discovery last week.

New Caney ISD West Fork High School Construction Update

South of Kingwood Medical Center on Sorters-McClellan Road, New Caney ISD’s West Fork High School is nearing completion.

Entrance and courtyard of new three-story high school. Looking south toward 59 bridge over West Fork.
Contractors widening Sorters-McClellan Road to accommodate high school traffic. Note new landscaping bordering road.
First things first. This IS Texas after all.

New Caney ISD posted a new web page about the high school. They’ve:

In a way, I envy these students starting out on their journey with a chance to start their own traditions.

Let’s hope this hurricane season doesn’t spoil the party. We’ll have another construction update next month, featuring other projects.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/30/2022

1766 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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