First Houston Matching Grant Beautification Project in Kingwood Dedicated

6/19/25 – The first City-of-Houston Matching Grant Project designed to help beautify and reforest Kingwood was dedicated on Wednesday, June 18th. And City Council Member Fred Flickinger is working to make sure others will soon follow.

Hopefully, the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) Project in the median of Kingwood Drive just east of Woodland Hills will be the first many similar projects.

It actually began last year when BBTA applied for a matching grant from the City of Houston’s Department of Neighborhoods and District E.

Before/After Photos

The intersection looked like this before the start of the project.

“*Before” shot, looking NE at Kingwood Drive median from across Woodland Hills. Note dense thicket of vines and underbrush behind signs.* *Photo Chris Bloch*.

After Bear Branch Trails volunteers spent 200 hours cleaning out vines, deadwood and underbrush, they helped plant trees, shrubs and grass. When complete, the same area looked like this.

“*After” shot of same area*. *Photo Chris Bloch*. *Blue-green color is hydromulch which should quickly sprout into grass.*

Photos of Dedication Ceremony

*(L to R) Lee Danner, BBTA; Debra Knebel, BBTA; Dee Price, KSA/Trees for Kingwood; and Chris Bloch, BBTA* receive recognition from *Council Member Flickinger.*

See the extended team below.

(L to R) Tom Sanders, BBTA, Chris Bloch, BBTA; Vernon Autrey, A-Z Wright’s Tree Service; Dee Price, KSA/Trees for Kingwood; District E Council Member Fred Flickinger: Dustin Hodges, CoH District E; Lee Danner, BBTA; Paul Wright, A-Z Wright’s Tree Service; and Debra Knebel, BBTA.

*Traffic visibility had become a major problem at this corner resulting in many traffic accidents. The improved visibility will help greatly.*

How Project Came About

Early last year, the City announced it was willing to offer to match expenditures up to $5,000 for projects that improved the appearance of City-of-Houston property. The BBTA Grant application identified this section of the Kingwood Drive median as a project.

The application process for Matching Grants started on July 1^st last year, as it does each year.

BBTA submitted its application in October, 2024. City Council Member Fred Flickinger approved the project, which uses money from his discretionary funds allocated to each Council Member. The City notified the Trail Association of the award in January of 2025.

BBTA generated and submitted a plan for approval to the City Department of Parks and Recreation. After approval, the project went out for bids to local landscaping contractors. A-Z Wright’s Tree Service won the bid and performed the final landscaping of the project which included planting seven more native trees, 17 bushes, and grass.

Total cost of the completed project was $10,224.15 of which the City will fund $5,000.

More Applications Being Accepted Starting July 1

The application period for 2025-2026 Matching Grant Projects will open on July 1^st. Any Community Association or Trail Association in Kingwood can apply. Due to extensions granted after Hurricane Beryl last year, several grants are still pending. So more projects may soon follow that use 2024 funds.

In the meantime, Flickinger will sponsor an informational meeting at the Kingwood Community Center on Tuesday, 6/24/25, at 6 PM.

He invited all community and trail associations interested in enhancing the appearance of Kingwood to apply.

About Trees for Kingwood

Trees for Kingwood, which operates as part of the Kingwood Services Association has planted more than 3,000 trees to date. It is soliciting support from local businesses and individuals to help support Matching Grant Applications made by neighborhood organizations.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/19/25

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