3/15/25 – Romerica, the company that was going to build a 50-story high rise and marina at the south end of Woodland Hills Drive in Kingwood, is back with a new proposal. Now, they want to build a $575 per night, luxury eco-resort around wetlands between two golf courses of the Kingwood Country Club.
The land lays between the Barrington and Kingwood Lakes, east of Deer Ridge Park and Trailwood.
Developer Presents Proposal to TIRZ Board
One of the Romerica partners, Gabriel Haddad, presented his more modest proposal to the board members of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 on 3/13/25.
The TIRZ does not have the ability to grant permit approval for the development; they are not a regulatory body.
But the TIRZ does have the ability to support the development by financing infrastructure that could favorably influence the economics of the proposal.
And any contribution the TIRZ makes gives the TIRZ a seat at the table and a chance to influence the nature of the development.
During his presentation and the Q&A that followed, Haddad did not articulate his “ask.” The purpose of the two-part presentation seemed to be to familiarize the board with the project and give members a chance to ask questions.
Here are two presentations that show the current plans for Phase I and Phase II of the development.
Phase I Plans
Haddad calls his resort “River Grove.” The northern 50 acres contains a 400-room Fairmont hotel, 90 condominiums and 21 acres of wetlands.
Phase I in white; Phase II outlined in purple. Barrington at bottom of frame. Woodland Hills Drive on left.
Haddad plans to build around, not over the wetlands.
The cross-hatched area represents wetlands.Side view of hotel and amenities
Phase II
A second, adjacent 54-acre parcel of land contains a second hotel with another 160 rooms and 37 “villas” built around 23 acres of wetlands.
Romerica would build these four to six years after Phase I. Phase II would have a much “higher level, more luxurious hotel than the Fairmont.” Haddad proclaimed there would be “nothing like it in Texas. Zero,” he said.
“Each of the villas would be 8,611 square feet.”
Hotel #2 and villa complexSide view of second hotelLooking east from over Woodland Hills Drive at Romerica land for proposed Eco-Resort Complex on left. Kingwood Lake in upper left, Barrington in upper right.
Phillip Ivy, Vice Chair of the TIRZ, said that the plans reminded him of a resort called South Hall in Franklin, Tennessee. He added, “They target a certain demographic and certain corporate demographics to come in for meetings and that sort of thing.”
Discussion of Traffic Impact
During the discussion of the ideas, board members asked about traffic and evacuation. To handle increased traffic, the intersection of Woodland Hills and Kingwood Drive would widen to accommodate turn lanes. They also discussed connecting Hamblen Road with Woodland Hills to alleviate Kingwood Drive traffic, but that is not financially feasible for decades given other TIRZ commitments.
They did not discuss what would happen if Hamblen went underwater during a flood. Nor did they discuss the increased traffic load on Kingwood Drive.
Tax-Increment Reinvestment Considerations
The City of Houston lets TIRZs (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones) keep a certain percentage of tax revenue increases within their boundaries. The TIRZ can apply that percentage to projects that help residents (like the Northpark Expansion Project) or projects that help developers expand the tax base.
For instance, a developer might need financial help to bring water or sewer lines to an area.
Another common “ask” is for help with landscaping or building trails to blend in with the surrounding community.
Some of those things might go beyond the developer’s cash flow. In which case, he/she might ask for a percentage of the increment. If the TIRZ board agrees, they donate X% to the project and keep the balance of the increment for new roads, road repairs, signalization of intersections, paying down bond debt, etc.
Haddad did not discuss what he needed. But he did say, “I am absolutely certain that the only way to make things happen is to work together.”
He added, “Each room (in the hotel) costs $785,000.” Altogether, he projected the entire project would require $450 million of investment.
Wetlands Preservation
“We’re not going to impact the flooding problem,” said Haddad. “We actually help it a little bit by improving the flow of the water.”
“We know that there’s a lot of wetlands. We’re not going to touch any of them.”
Because they don’t want to obstruct the flow of water, everything would be built on pylons. And building above Harvey-levels would “add cost pressure,” said Haddad.
Area to be developed (left) on May 3, 2024 before flood peak. Looking E from over Woodland Hills.One day later looking W from Kingwood County Club. Peak of May 2024 flood.
According to Harris County Flood Control District, rainfall for that time period was between a 2-year and 10-year flood on the nearby San Jacinto West Fork.
Move your Maserati to higher ground! Romerica is back.
Next Steps
In the end, the Board asked Haddad for examples of comparable resorts and made no decisions. To be continued.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/15/25
2755 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250315-Northern-50-acre-layout.jpg?fit=1100%2C765&ssl=17651100adminadmin2025-03-15 16:58:272025-03-15 23:29:09Romerica is Back!
The primary audience for the regulations is developers. However, neighbors near new developments may wish to study the regs, too, to ensure developers follow the rules.
On a separate but related note, MoCo’s new Drainage Criteria Manual is still on hold.
Changes
Montgomery County Subdivision Regulations were adopted in 1984 with an update in 2021. This rewrite includes many significant updates, such as:
Privacy fences at least 6-feet high between new commercial developments and existing single-family homes.
An entire section related to Traffic Engineering Study requirements.
Planting requirements along curbs
A new minimum lot width standard of 40′ for concrete curb and gutter and 65′ for asphalt open ditch lots
Commercial Drainage Plans will now be reviewed before acceptance of the entire permit submittal
A modified “impervious cover” threshold
New requirements for Stormwater Pollution Protection Plans.
What Developers Must Submit
Section Three outlines what developers must submit to Commissioners’ offices. This could come in handy if you ever need to submit a FOIA request. Requirements include:
Timelines
Maps
Construction traffic routing/access points
Drainage Reports and Studies
Spreadsheets used in calculations contained in those reports
Construction Plans including a Drainage Impact Analysis
Separate plans must be prepared for each subdivision.
Section 4 covers drainage plan requirements. Among other things, a drainage plan must provide for the disposition of runoff entering the development from adjacent property, runoff within the development and runoff leaving the development to an acceptable outfall.
Floodplain and Floodway Development
Section 5 specifies additional requirements for drainage studies when developers build in floodplains and floodways. For instance, they must obtain a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) from FEMA prior to the County’s approval of a drainage plan or study when:
Proposing to construct a detention pond or alter the floodway landscape
Relocating a stream
If Northpark Woods were being built today, the developer would have to comply with the new development regs because part of it is in the floodplain of the West Fork.
A CLOMR is a FEMA comment on a proposed project that could impact flood-hazard areas. And it indicates whether the project, if built as proposed, would meet National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) standards and warrant a change to the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
Alteration of a stream or river also requires TCEQ approval and the approval of any governing entities within 1,000 feet.
In February 2024, Montgomery County finally published a draft of a comprehensive new DCM. The draft brought the County’s standards up to date and in line with surrounding areas’.
Major changes included, but were not limited to:
Use of industry-standard modeling software by engineering companies submitting plans
A requirement that new developments produce “no adverse impact” on downstream areas
Mandates to use certain “roughness coefficient standards” when calculating flood peaks.
Stipulations that all projects shall mitigate and attenuate runoff for 5-, 10-, and 100-year storm events
Stormwater detention for all developments regardless of size
A discussion of flood mitigation measures
Identification of entities responsible for maintenance of stormwater detention facilities, channels, etc.
Adoption of Atlas-14 rainfall rates
A minimum detention rate of .55 acre-feet per acre (almost up to Harris County’s rate)
Prohibition of hydrologic-timing surveys (also known as flood-routing or beat-the-peak studies).
I’ll let you know when/if MOCO adopts these new drainage standards.
By the way, people always ask me why I list “days since Harvey,” on all my posts. I want to dramatize how long political change takes. And this is a prime example.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/14/25
2754 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20211231-DJI_0298.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2025-03-14 16:43:022025-07-21 11:31:54Montgomery County Development Regs Revised, New Drainage Criteria on Hold
3/13/25 – Just how wide will Northpark be when construction is complete? After the UnionPacific Railroad finished installing concrete road crossing panels last week we now have a visual cue. It’s going to be WIDE! With a capital W! Approximately three times wider than it currently is. See the pictures below taken this morning.
Looking E.See concrete panels in railroad tracks.
Northpark will expand from its current four lanes to 10 with two 10-foot-wide sidewalks.
In addition to accommodating extra traffic, one of the main reasons for expanding Northpark is to create an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood for 78,000 people.
Why So Many Lanes?
The 10 lanes will include:
Six lanes over a bridge that spans the tracks and Loop 494. It has yet to be built. The bridge will carry three lanes in each direction.
Two surface lanes on the north/outbound side of Northpark will let traffic turn left or right onto Loop 494.
Two surface lanes on the south/inbound side of Northpark will let Loop 494 traffic from the north and south turn onto Northpark.
Two sidewalks (one on each side of Northpark) will accommodate both pedestrians and bicyclists.
Northpark looking W toward 59. Again, concrete panels in UPRR tracks indicate eventual width of traffic corridor.
Loop 494 Width
Loop 494 will also expand to accommodate more traffic.
Looking North along Loop 494 at Northpark. The old road will expand to 5 lanes, two in each direction plus one dedicated turn lane from each direction.Looking S at Loop 494 from opposite direction.
The schematic below shows how the intersection will eventually look.
Between Russell Palmer Road and Loop 494, contractors are making good progress with the drainage that goes under the expanded roadway. On the North/Outbound side, the underground work is almost complete. And this morning, they were stabilizing the road bed.
Stabilizing road bed on outbound Northpark (north side).
At this morning’s Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 Board Meeting, project manager Ralph De Leon stated that contractors would soon bore underneath the railroad tracks. Once they connect the drainage on the east and west sides, they can begin paving. So you should see the pace of progress accelerate soon.
Spreading more road base and compacting it.
On the inbound/south side of Northpark, contractors are also making excellent progress with the drainage after resolving more utility conflicts.
Looking W at inbound side (left). The old concrete has been removed and drainage work is in full swing.Closer shot of new drainage on inbound Northpark.
Part of Phase II May Be Accelerated
Also at the board meeting this morning, De Leon introduced the idea of moving Phase II stormwater detention work forward. Phase II of Northpark expansion covers the area from Woodland Hills Drive to a block west of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
Phase II calls for building a detention basin to compensate for extra runoff caused by the road expansion. Just as the entry ponds at US 59 compensate for much of the extra runoff in Phase I.
De Leon discussed a combination of two types of detention. Together, they could add as much as 100 acre-feet of stormwater detention capacity to the project. They include:
In-line detention within the Diversion Ditch itself, down to the first bend south of Northpark.
A large, regional detention basin near where the Diversion Ditch and Bens Branch come together.
He stated that, right now, much of the water coming down Bens Branch shoots past the Diversion Ditch. That’s because the Diversion Ditch splits off the main part of Bens Branch at almost 90 degrees.
Diversion Ditch = white. Bens Branch = red.
Partially as a consequence, during Harvey, 100% of the businesses along Bens Branch in Town Center, dozens of homes, and Kingwood High School flooded badly and still have elevated flood risk.
For instance, during Harvey, large parts of Town Center had 4- to 8-feet of water. Moreover, 12 people died at a retirement home in Town Center as a result of evacuation or immediately after it.
A detention basin at the junction of Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch would slow incoming water down. That would give the stormwater a chance to drain into each channel the way it was originally designed to.
The volume of stormwater detention that De Leon discussed would provide enough to accommodate Phase II, insufficiently mitigated upstream development, future expansion, and part of HCFCD’s plans for the Diversion Ditch.
The community will need it eventually, especially when Northpark Drive bridges over the two channels are raised. The higher roadway will eliminate chokepoints that let more floodwater flow downstream. So, building more detention now could protect people along both channels – and sooner rather than later.
Engineering details are still being worked out. The board took no action on it this morning, nor were they asked to.
Note: Corrected volume of stormwater detention on 3/15/25. 300 acre-feet changed to 100 per Ralph De Leon
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250313-DJI_20250313112934_0246_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-03-13 16:24:402025-03-15 08:44:43How Wide Will Northpark Be When Done?
Romerica is Back!
3/15/25 – Romerica, the company that was going to build a 50-story high rise and marina at the south end of Woodland Hills Drive in Kingwood, is back with a new proposal. Now, they want to build a $575 per night, luxury eco-resort around wetlands between two golf courses of the Kingwood Country Club.
The land lays between the Barrington and Kingwood Lakes, east of Deer Ridge Park and Trailwood.
Developer Presents Proposal to TIRZ Board
One of the Romerica partners, Gabriel Haddad, presented his more modest proposal to the board members of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 on 3/13/25.
The TIRZ does not have the ability to grant permit approval for the development; they are not a regulatory body.
But the TIRZ does have the ability to support the development by financing infrastructure that could favorably influence the economics of the proposal.
And any contribution the TIRZ makes gives the TIRZ a seat at the table and a chance to influence the nature of the development.
During his presentation and the Q&A that followed, Haddad did not articulate his “ask.” The purpose of the two-part presentation seemed to be to familiarize the board with the project and give members a chance to ask questions.
Here are two presentations that show the current plans for Phase I and Phase II of the development.
Phase I Plans
Haddad calls his resort “River Grove.” The northern 50 acres contains a 400-room Fairmont hotel, 90 condominiums and 21 acres of wetlands.
Haddad plans to build around, not over the wetlands.
Phase II
A second, adjacent 54-acre parcel of land contains a second hotel with another 160 rooms and 37 “villas” built around 23 acres of wetlands.
Romerica would build these four to six years after Phase I. Phase II would have a much “higher level, more luxurious hotel than the Fairmont.” Haddad proclaimed there would be “nothing like it in Texas. Zero,” he said.
“Each of the villas would be 8,611 square feet.”
Phillip Ivy, Vice Chair of the TIRZ, said that the plans reminded him of a resort called South Hall in Franklin, Tennessee. He added, “They target a certain demographic and certain corporate demographics to come in for meetings and that sort of thing.”
Discussion of Traffic Impact
During the discussion of the ideas, board members asked about traffic and evacuation. To handle increased traffic, the intersection of Woodland Hills and Kingwood Drive would widen to accommodate turn lanes. They also discussed connecting Hamblen Road with Woodland Hills to alleviate Kingwood Drive traffic, but that is not financially feasible for decades given other TIRZ commitments.
They did not discuss what would happen if Hamblen went underwater during a flood. Nor did they discuss the increased traffic load on Kingwood Drive.
Tax-Increment Reinvestment Considerations
The City of Houston lets TIRZs (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones) keep a certain percentage of tax revenue increases within their boundaries. The TIRZ can apply that percentage to projects that help residents (like the Northpark Expansion Project) or projects that help developers expand the tax base.
For instance, a developer might need financial help to bring water or sewer lines to an area.
Another common “ask” is for help with landscaping or building trails to blend in with the surrounding community.
Some of those things might go beyond the developer’s cash flow. In which case, he/she might ask for a percentage of the increment. If the TIRZ board agrees, they donate X% to the project and keep the balance of the increment for new roads, road repairs, signalization of intersections, paying down bond debt, etc.
Haddad did not discuss what he needed. But he did say, “I am absolutely certain that the only way to make things happen is to work together.”
He added, “Each room (in the hotel) costs $785,000.” Altogether, he projected the entire project would require $450 million of investment.
Wetlands Preservation
“We’re not going to impact the flooding problem,” said Haddad. “We actually help it a little bit by improving the flow of the water.”
“We know that there’s a lot of wetlands. We’re not going to touch any of them.”
Because they don’t want to obstruct the flow of water, everything would be built on pylons. And building above Harvey-levels would “add cost pressure,” said Haddad.
According to Harris County Flood Control District, rainfall for that time period was between a 2-year and 10-year flood on the nearby San Jacinto West Fork.
Move your Maserati to higher ground! Romerica is back.
Next Steps
In the end, the Board asked Haddad for examples of comparable resorts and made no decisions. To be continued.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/15/25
2755 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Montgomery County Development Regs Revised, New Drainage Criteria on Hold
3/14/25 – Montgomery County Development Regs have been revised and became effective on 3/4/25.
The MoCo Engineer has posted them online. For convenience, I have also posted them under the Regulations Tab on the ReduceFlooding Reports Page.
The primary audience for the regulations is developers. However, neighbors near new developments may wish to study the regs, too, to ensure developers follow the rules.
On a separate but related note, MoCo’s new Drainage Criteria Manual is still on hold.
Changes
Montgomery County Subdivision Regulations were adopted in 1984 with an update in 2021. This rewrite includes many significant updates, such as:
What Developers Must Submit
Section Three outlines what developers must submit to Commissioners’ offices. This could come in handy if you ever need to submit a FOIA request. Requirements include:
Separate plans must be prepared for each subdivision.
Section 4 covers drainage plan requirements. Among other things, a drainage plan must provide for the disposition of runoff entering the development from adjacent property, runoff within the development and runoff leaving the development to an acceptable outfall.
Floodplain and Floodway Development
Section 5 specifies additional requirements for drainage studies when developers build in floodplains and floodways. For instance, they must obtain a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) from FEMA prior to the County’s approval of a drainage plan or study when:
A CLOMR is a FEMA comment on a proposed project that could impact flood-hazard areas. And it indicates whether the project, if built as proposed, would meet National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) standards and warrant a change to the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
Alteration of a stream or river also requires TCEQ approval and the approval of any governing entities within 1,000 feet.
Status of Updated Drainage Criteria Manual
On a separate note: MoCo will soon update its Drainage Criteria Manual (DCM). The county is still working off an old DCM from 2019 that was a minor revision of a 1989 document.
In February 2024, Montgomery County finally published a draft of a comprehensive new DCM. The draft brought the County’s standards up to date and in line with surrounding areas’.
Major changes included, but were not limited to:
I’ll let you know when/if MOCO adopts these new drainage standards.
By the way, people always ask me why I list “days since Harvey,” on all my posts. I want to dramatize how long political change takes. And this is a prime example.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/14/25
2754 Days since Hurricane Harvey
How Wide Will Northpark Be When Done?
3/13/25 – Just how wide will Northpark be when construction is complete? After the UnionPacific Railroad finished installing concrete road crossing panels last week we now have a visual cue. It’s going to be WIDE! With a capital W! Approximately three times wider than it currently is. See the pictures below taken this morning.
Northpark will expand from its current four lanes to 10 with two 10-foot-wide sidewalks.
In addition to accommodating extra traffic, one of the main reasons for expanding Northpark is to create an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood for 78,000 people.
Why So Many Lanes?
The 10 lanes will include:
Loop 494 Width
Loop 494 will also expand to accommodate more traffic.
The schematic below shows how the intersection will eventually look.
Elsewhere on Northpark
Between Russell Palmer Road and Loop 494, contractors are making good progress with the drainage that goes under the expanded roadway. On the North/Outbound side, the underground work is almost complete. And this morning, they were stabilizing the road bed.
At this morning’s Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 Board Meeting, project manager Ralph De Leon stated that contractors would soon bore underneath the railroad tracks. Once they connect the drainage on the east and west sides, they can begin paving. So you should see the pace of progress accelerate soon.
On the inbound/south side of Northpark, contractors are also making excellent progress with the drainage after resolving more utility conflicts.
Part of Phase II May Be Accelerated
Also at the board meeting this morning, De Leon introduced the idea of moving Phase II stormwater detention work forward. Phase II of Northpark expansion covers the area from Woodland Hills Drive to a block west of the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
Phase II calls for building a detention basin to compensate for extra runoff caused by the road expansion. Just as the entry ponds at US 59 compensate for much of the extra runoff in Phase I.
De Leon discussed a combination of two types of detention. Together, they could add as much as 100 acre-feet of stormwater detention capacity to the project. They include:
He stated that, right now, much of the water coming down Bens Branch shoots past the Diversion Ditch. That’s because the Diversion Ditch splits off the main part of Bens Branch at almost 90 degrees.
Partially as a consequence, during Harvey, 100% of the businesses along Bens Branch in Town Center, dozens of homes, and Kingwood High School flooded badly and still have elevated flood risk.
For instance, during Harvey, large parts of Town Center had 4- to 8-feet of water. Moreover, 12 people died at a retirement home in Town Center as a result of evacuation or immediately after it.
A detention basin at the junction of Bens Branch and the Diversion Ditch would slow incoming water down. That would give the stormwater a chance to drain into each channel the way it was originally designed to.
The volume of stormwater detention that De Leon discussed would provide enough to accommodate Phase II, insufficiently mitigated upstream development, future expansion, and part of HCFCD’s plans for the Diversion Ditch.
The community will need it eventually, especially when Northpark Drive bridges over the two channels are raised. The higher roadway will eliminate chokepoints that let more floodwater flow downstream. So, building more detention now could protect people along both channels – and sooner rather than later.
Engineering details are still being worked out. The board took no action on it this morning, nor were they asked to.
For More Information
See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project web pages. For more about topics raised in this post, see:
UPRR:
Evacuation Route:
Plan Details:
Phase II:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/13/24
2753 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Note: Corrected volume of stormwater detention on 3/15/25. 300 acre-feet changed to 100 per Ralph De Leon