5/8/25 – Several crucial operations that are part of the Northpark expansion project should soon begin in the quest to create the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. Contractors are about to begin:
Boring under the the UnionPacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks to connect the drainage on either side
Installing two junction boxes west of Loop 494 on the south side of Northpark to convey stormwater to the north side.
Relocating an electrical distribution box next to Exxon at US59.
Modifying the Exxon station itself.
Separately, contractors have already started clearing surface lanes on the south side of Northpark between Loop 494 and Marco’s Pizza. The lanes will carry traffic next to the bridge going over 494 and the UPRR tracks.
This post will also discuss utility-related delays to date and the timetable for completing project components. Those include Phase II, a new detention basin, and widening of the northernmost portion of the Kingwood Diversion ditch.
Prep for Bore Under Tracks Started Today
Preparation for the bore under the tracks started today. An auger started drilling holes that will define the edges of the bore pit.
Auger drilling first hole.
The pit will contain a steel framework to protect contractors from cave-ins as they work.
See line of holes dug by auger and covered by boards.
Junction Boxes for Drainage West of Loop 494
The Northpark expansion plan calls for two junction boxes to link culverts on both sides of Northpark – one by Sonic, the other by the dry cleaners on the corner of Loop 494.
Looking west toward 59. The junction boxes will collect stormwater from the south (left) side of Northpark and convey it under the street to the north side.
Contractors will build the junction boxes first. Then they will link 6′ x 6′ reinforced concrete culverts by digging trenches across Northpark in stages. Each stage will disrupt traffic on one side of the road while traffic is routed to the other.
Changes near Exxon Station
There are two major operations closer to 59 in the Northpark expansion plan. First, Entergy must move an electrical junction box out of the right of way near the Exxon station.
Second, Exxon will lose part of its canopy and one pump island. Both encroach on the right of way.
Electrical box is circled. Dotted line shows approximateright-of-way.Setback appears wider in the foreground because of wide-angle-lens distortion.
Surface Lanes East of 494 on South Side of Northpark
In the last few days, contractors have begun clearing underbrush for what will become two surface lanes on the south side of the bridge over 494 and the railroad tracks. See below.
The tall pine trees are too large to move and will likely go to a sawmill.
Perhaps for the first time, one can truly appreciate how wide Northpark expansion will be compared to the four lanes we had. See below.
Looking E. A six-lane bridge will taper down to ground level through this area with two surface lanes on each side.Reverse angle.Looking W toward 59.
This road will move some traffic!
194 Days of Delays to Date
Due to multiple utility-related delays, the Phase I Northpark expansion project has slipped 194 days to date. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 board reviewed that this morning.
The screen capture below shows the financial impact of LHRA/TIRZ 10 projects on the City of Houston’s Capital Improvement Plan.
It also shows expected completion dates. Phase I should wrap up next year.
Phase II should finish in 2028. It includes the portion of Northpark expansion that extends past Woodland Hills.
A detention basin, previously part of Phase II has become its own project to accelerate it. That will reduce flood risk sooner for residents along Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch.
The detention basin project includes widening of the northernmost portion of the diversion ditch. It should start next year and finish in 2027.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250508-DJI_20250508123557_0485_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-05-08 19:08:102025-05-09 09:17:58Crucial Operations Begin In Northpark Expansion
5/7/25 – A developer named Ryko has announced plans to build 7000 homes on floodplain land that could be inundated with 7 to 25 feet of floodwater in the next 0.2% annual chance storm. The Houston area has had four such storms in the last 10 years.
From a public policy perspective, that raises three questions:
Could homeowners on Ryko land survive a major flood?
Would evacuating them put first responders at risk?
Is there a better use for the land?
Developer’s Entire Property Likely Under Water During Harvey
Benders Landing Estates (BLE) is currently the southern extent of development in the triangle bounded by Spring Creek, the San Jacinto West Fork and the Grand Parkway. Several of the southernmost homes in BLE flooded during Harvey.
From there, the Ryko land drops 30 feet in elevation to the confluence of Spring Creek and the West Fork. So, it stands to reason that virtually everything on Ryko’s land flooded, too.
Flood height above land near confluence of Spring Creek and West Fork. From FEMA Base Flood Elevation Viewer.
Would Such Flooding Be Survivable?
At the deeper end of Ryko’s property, such a flood might not be survivable. Look at what that much water did to the townhomes in Forest Cove a little more than a mile downstream from Ryko.
Townhomes cut in half by Harvey’s floodwaters. Photo: September 14, 2017.
Close up, the damage looked like this.
Forest Cove Townhome destroyed by Harvey.
Of course, damage at the higher elevations on Ryko’s land would not be as severe. Whether Ryko’s residents could survive would depend on how deep in the floodplain they lived and whether they could evacuate before floodwaters rose.
One resident of Benders Landing Estates told me of helicopter rescues during Harvey.
Comments on this social media post during Harvey went on for five pages.
If BLE residents had to be rescued by helicopter, imagine the logistics of rescuing thousands more deeper in the floodplain.
Assuming an average population density of about 2.5 people per household, Ryko’s 7,000 homes could hold 17,500 people.
Rescuing that many residents by helicopter would be an air traffic control nightmare…especially in heavy weather with limited visibility.
Putting First Responders at Risk
Harvey’s floodwaters rose at night as people were sleeping…without warning or time to evacuate. A few miles downstream, a dozen people died as a result of injuries sustained during evacuation by boat. A first responder told me that HFD estimated the West Fork water speed at 22 MPH. That’s dangerous!
Clearly, there are no good ways to rescue that many people when floodwaters rise that high next time.
Is There a Better Use for the Land?
Yes. This land would make an ideal park. And we already have an ideal model in the nearby Lake Houston Wilderness Park. Both areas:
If wilderness floods, it won’t endanger people or property. When water recedes, life goes back to normal without:
Presidential disaster declarations
Congressional appropriations
Bankrupting the national flood insurance program
Decades of flood-mitigation grants and rebuilding efforts.
To end on a positive note, parks enhance home values for humans. Multiple studies have shown that proximity to parks enhances the value of homes.
Perhaps it’s time for Ryko to recognize that developing this land is too risky. Doing so would open themselves up to multi-million dollar lawsuits if people died in a flood…especially after they were warned by Montgomery County that developing the land was unsafe.
In my opinion, Ryko should put a reasonable price on the property that lets the State, County and/or City turn the land into a park. Then everyone could win and walk away whole.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/25
2808 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20250507-Ryko-Confluence-BFE-Viewer-25-ft.jpg?fit=1100%2C633&ssl=16331100adminadmin2025-05-07 17:14:112025-12-14 18:30:03Is It Safe to Build 7,000 Homes on Ryko Land?
5/6/25 – ReduceFlooding has obtained an uncharacteristically blunt letter via a Freedom of Information Act request to Montgomery County’s Engineering Department. The letter blasts Ryko’s Drainage Study for its proposed 5,500-acre development deep in the floodplains near the confluence of four major streams across US59 from Kingwood.
Base map from Ryko Drainage Study. Emphasis added to property boundary (red) and stream names for readability. Shades of blue show floodways and floodplains.
Overview of Drainage Study Objections
The letter, which brims with frustration, strongly objects to Ryko’s Preliminary Drainage Impact Study based on safety concerns. It then lectures Ryko’s engineers about their responsibility to protect the public and goes on to address seven specific concerns.
The author of the letter has since left the Montgomery County Engineering Department after James Noack, who was Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner at the time, reportedly objected to the letter’s objections.
Letter Later Rescinded
A month later, Montgomery County’s Director of Engineering Services sent a second letter to Ryko’s engineers. The terse, three-sentence letter rescinded the first letter and said that the head county engineer would re-review the drainage study.
Montgomery County did not supply any additional details regarding the re-review. Nor did it supply the drainage study submitted by Ryko (although I separately received a copy from Harris County).
Noack was voted out of office last year and replaced by a new Precinct 3 Commissioner, Ritch Wheeler. In a town hall meeting last month, Wheeler said he tried to buy the land from Ryko, but the company wanted an outrageous sum of money for it – more than four times the appraised value. Harris County also reportedly tried to buy the land, but could not afford Ryko’s price either.
Litany of Safety Objections
The first letter to Ryko’s engineers is a classic for its lack of ambiguity. It states that the deceased County Engineer, Dan Wilds, “provided a considerable amount of objection to this development over the years.”
“The most obvious objection,” it continues, “being that that this proposed development is located at the confluence of four major streams: Turkey Creek and Cypress Creek, Cypress Creek and Spring Creek, and finally Spring Creek and the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.”
“Given both the history of this development and a sincere concern for the safety of the public, I can in no way approve this preliminary drainage study nor should anyone as the risk is too high.”
Red and underlined emphasis was in original letter.
The letter then reminds the two engineers for Ryko of their responsibilities under Section 137.55 of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS). The regulations outline the duty of engineers to protect the public by ensuring their work does not endanger health, safety, property, or welfare. This includes preventing unsafe practices.
The letter concludes with a litany of concerns about the drainage impact study and the proposed development. The last concern states, “The County Engineer’s office believes that any development in the subject area, at the confluence of Spring Creek and the San Jacinto River, will be at a higher risk of flooding during extreme events and thus should be avoided.”
To See the Original Letters
For a printable PDF of the first letter, click here. For the second letter rescinding the first letter, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/6/25
2807 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
If any responsible parties have opposing or additional points of view on this subject, I will be happy to publish them.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Ryko-Floodplains-Streams.jpg?fit=1100%2C723&ssl=17231100adminadmin2025-05-06 16:57:292025-05-06 21:05:20Montgomery County Engineering Letter Blasts Ryko’s Drainage Study
Crucial Operations Begin In Northpark Expansion
5/8/25 – Several crucial operations that are part of the Northpark expansion project should soon begin in the quest to create the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. Contractors are about to begin:
Separately, contractors have already started clearing surface lanes on the south side of Northpark between Loop 494 and Marco’s Pizza. The lanes will carry traffic next to the bridge going over 494 and the UPRR tracks.
This post will also discuss utility-related delays to date and the timetable for completing project components. Those include Phase II, a new detention basin, and widening of the northernmost portion of the Kingwood Diversion ditch.
Prep for Bore Under Tracks Started Today
Preparation for the bore under the tracks started today. An auger started drilling holes that will define the edges of the bore pit.
The pit will contain a steel framework to protect contractors from cave-ins as they work.
Junction Boxes for Drainage West of Loop 494
The Northpark expansion plan calls for two junction boxes to link culverts on both sides of Northpark – one by Sonic, the other by the dry cleaners on the corner of Loop 494.
Contractors will build the junction boxes first. Then they will link 6′ x 6′ reinforced concrete culverts by digging trenches across Northpark in stages. Each stage will disrupt traffic on one side of the road while traffic is routed to the other.
Changes near Exxon Station
There are two major operations closer to 59 in the Northpark expansion plan. First, Entergy must move an electrical junction box out of the right of way near the Exxon station.
Second, Exxon will lose part of its canopy and one pump island. Both encroach on the right of way.
Surface Lanes East of 494 on South Side of Northpark
In the last few days, contractors have begun clearing underbrush for what will become two surface lanes on the south side of the bridge over 494 and the railroad tracks. See below.
Perhaps for the first time, one can truly appreciate how wide Northpark expansion will be compared to the four lanes we had. See below.
This road will move some traffic!
194 Days of Delays to Date
Due to multiple utility-related delays, the Phase I Northpark expansion project has slipped 194 days to date. The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 board reviewed that this morning.
I extracted the 18 relevant pages from the 473-page board packet for you. They detail hundreds of unexpected utility delays.
The screen capture below shows the financial impact of LHRA/TIRZ 10 projects on the City of Houston’s Capital Improvement Plan.
It also shows expected completion dates. Phase I should wrap up next year.
Phase II should finish in 2028. It includes the portion of Northpark expansion that extends past Woodland Hills.
A detention basin, previously part of Phase II has become its own project to accelerate it. That will reduce flood risk sooner for residents along Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch.
The detention basin project includes widening of the northernmost portion of the diversion ditch. It should start next year and finish in 2027.
For More Information
See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project web pages or these posts on ReduceFlooding:
UPRR:
Evacuation Route:
Plan Details:
Phase II:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/8/25
2809 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Is It Safe to Build 7,000 Homes on Ryko Land?
5/7/25 – A developer named Ryko has announced plans to build 7000 homes on floodplain land that could be inundated with 7 to 25 feet of floodwater in the next 0.2% annual chance storm. The Houston area has had four such storms in the last 10 years.
From a public policy perspective, that raises three questions:
Developer’s Entire Property Likely Under Water During Harvey
Benders Landing Estates (BLE) is currently the southern extent of development in the triangle bounded by Spring Creek, the San Jacinto West Fork and the Grand Parkway. Several of the southernmost homes in BLE flooded during Harvey.
From there, the Ryko land drops 30 feet in elevation to the confluence of Spring Creek and the West Fork. So, it stands to reason that virtually everything on Ryko’s land flooded, too.
FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation Viewer shows that in a 500-year flood, land at the southern end of Ryko’s property near the confluence of Spring Creek and the West Fork would be under 25 feet of water. And at the northern end, higher land would be under 7 feet.
Would Such Flooding Be Survivable?
At the deeper end of Ryko’s property, such a flood might not be survivable. Look at what that much water did to the townhomes in Forest Cove a little more than a mile downstream from Ryko.
Close up, the damage looked like this.
Of course, damage at the higher elevations on Ryko’s land would not be as severe. Whether Ryko’s residents could survive would depend on how deep in the floodplain they lived and whether they could evacuate before floodwaters rose.
One resident of Benders Landing Estates told me of helicopter rescues during Harvey.
If BLE residents had to be rescued by helicopter, imagine the logistics of rescuing thousands more deeper in the floodplain.
Assuming an average population density of about 2.5 people per household, Ryko’s 7,000 homes could hold 17,500 people.
Rescuing that many residents by helicopter would be an air traffic control nightmare…especially in heavy weather with limited visibility.
Putting First Responders at Risk
Harvey’s floodwaters rose at night as people were sleeping…without warning or time to evacuate. A few miles downstream, a dozen people died as a result of injuries sustained during evacuation by boat. A first responder told me that HFD estimated the West Fork water speed at 22 MPH. That’s dangerous!
Clearly, there are no good ways to rescue that many people when floodwaters rise that high next time.
Is There a Better Use for the Land?
Yes. This land would make an ideal park. And we already have an ideal model in the nearby Lake Houston Wilderness Park. Both areas:
If wilderness floods, it won’t endanger people or property. When water recedes, life goes back to normal without:
To end on a positive note, parks enhance home values for humans. Multiple studies have shown that proximity to parks enhances the value of homes.
Perhaps it’s time for Ryko to recognize that developing this land is too risky. Doing so would open themselves up to multi-million dollar lawsuits if people died in a flood…especially after they were warned by Montgomery County that developing the land was unsafe.
In my opinion, Ryko should put a reasonable price on the property that lets the State, County and/or City turn the land into a park. Then everyone could win and walk away whole.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/7/25
2808 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
Montgomery County Engineering Letter Blasts Ryko’s Drainage Study
5/6/25 – ReduceFlooding has obtained an uncharacteristically blunt letter via a Freedom of Information Act request to Montgomery County’s Engineering Department. The letter blasts Ryko’s Drainage Study for its proposed 5,500-acre development deep in the floodplains near the confluence of four major streams across US59 from Kingwood.
Overview of Drainage Study Objections
The letter, which brims with frustration, strongly objects to Ryko’s Preliminary Drainage Impact Study based on safety concerns. It then lectures Ryko’s engineers about their responsibility to protect the public and goes on to address seven specific concerns.
The author of the letter has since left the Montgomery County Engineering Department after James Noack, who was Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner at the time, reportedly objected to the letter’s objections.
Letter Later Rescinded
A month later, Montgomery County’s Director of Engineering Services sent a second letter to Ryko’s engineers. The terse, three-sentence letter rescinded the first letter and said that the head county engineer would re-review the drainage study.
Montgomery County did not supply any additional details regarding the re-review. Nor did it supply the drainage study submitted by Ryko (although I separately received a copy from Harris County).
Noack was voted out of office last year and replaced by a new Precinct 3 Commissioner, Ritch Wheeler. In a town hall meeting last month, Wheeler said he tried to buy the land from Ryko, but the company wanted an outrageous sum of money for it – more than four times the appraised value. Harris County also reportedly tried to buy the land, but could not afford Ryko’s price either.
Litany of Safety Objections
The first letter to Ryko’s engineers is a classic for its lack of ambiguity. It states that the deceased County Engineer, Dan Wilds, “provided a considerable amount of objection to this development over the years.”
“The most obvious objection,” it continues, “being that that this proposed development is located at the confluence of four major streams: Turkey Creek and Cypress Creek, Cypress Creek and Spring Creek, and finally Spring Creek and the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.”
The letter then reminds the two engineers for Ryko of their responsibilities under Section 137.55 of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS). The regulations outline the duty of engineers to protect the public by ensuring their work does not endanger health, safety, property, or welfare. This includes preventing unsafe practices.
The letter concludes with a litany of concerns about the drainage impact study and the proposed development. The last concern states, “The County Engineer’s office believes that any development in the subject area, at the confluence of Spring Creek and the San Jacinto River, will be at a higher risk of flooding during extreme events and thus should be avoided.”
To See the Original Letters
For a printable PDF of the first letter, click here. For the second letter rescinding the first letter, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/6/25
2807 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
If any responsible parties have opposing or additional points of view on this subject, I will be happy to publish them.