10/28/24 – After posting about maintenance dollars per square mile in Harris County’s different watersheds, an astute reader suggested I look at maintenance dollars per stream mile.
Why? Stream miles don’t always vary proportionally with square miles and may be a more appropriate metric for maintenance. Certainly, when considering activities, such as channel mowing and clean outs, that makes sense. Especially when you consider “open stream miles,” as distinct from natural channels.
So I ran the numbers. Rankings varied slightly, but overall, maintenance money still goes disproportionately to watersheds with a high percentage of low-to-moderate (LMI) residents. Maybe more so.
Different Metric, Similar Results
Last week, at the start of early voting, I posted about the proposed 63% tax increase called Proposition A. Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is pitching it as a tax increase dedicated to maintenance, even though the ballot language does not limit it to maintenance.
In last week’s post, I examined maintenance dollars spent per square mile in each watershed. To see what would happen with maintenance dollars per stream mile, I transferred stream miles from the HCFCD website into my spreadsheet and recomputed everything.
While some watersheds rose and others fell in the rankings, watersheds with a majority LMI-population still floated to the top. Even moreso.
Coincidentally, those with the highest concentrations of spending also tend to have Democratic precinct commissioners. And the eight lowest ranking watersheds (with one exception) all fall into the lone Republican-led precinct on Commissioners Court.
Here’s the new table. Gold colored watersheds have a majority of LMI residents.
HCFCD maintenance spending per stream mile since from Hurricane Harvey through 3Q24.Does not include County-wide spending.$89,471 is average in last column.
Will You See Any Benefit from Proposition A?
Why is this important? HCFCD’s proposed tax increase, Proposition A, would raise your flood control taxes by 63%.
Also, HCFCD is trying to increase the percentage of HUD dollars going to LMI-watersheds to 70%, even though HUD only requires 50%.
When looking at maintenanc data, it seems we may already have an Equity Prioritization Index for maintenance dollars – in practice if not in policy.
If you vote for the “maintenance-tax” increase, understand that you may not see as much benefit from it as other parts of the county…if you see any benefit at all. Nothing in the wording of the ballot item guarantees a fair share to each watershed. For instance…
The difference between Halls and Luce Bayous’ maintenance spending per stream mile since Harvey is 28:1!
Data obtained from HCFCD via FOIA request shown in table above.
Compare Watershed Map, Precinct Map and Spending
Most people don’t know the location of all of the watersheds in Harris County. Nor are they familiar with precinct boundaries. So I will reprint both maps below. Compare them, then look up the maintenance dollars for your watershed in the table above.
Harris County Watershed mapMany watersheds cut across precinct boundaries. But P3 is the only precinct with a Republican commissioner.
Past is Prologue
As Shakespeare said in The Tempest, “What’s past is prologue.” Before you vote on Prop A, understand where your money has gone until now. Maintenance dollars often follow capital improvement dollars. And capital improvement spending has also leaned heavily toward LMI areas, since Harvey. So the trend is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Is Harris County Misusing LMI?
All other things being equal, I believe that LMI should be used as a tie-breaker when allocating funds. But all other things are not equal. Some of the watersheds that receive the fewest maintenance dollars have the worst flooding.
Chart showing feet above flood stage of 33 gages of misc. bayous in Harris County during Harvey.
Politics has trumped public safety in Harris County for some time now. I urge you to use your vote to send a message to Commissioners Court if you want to see your fair share of HCFCD spending.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/28/24
2617 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 9 More days until Election Day
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Maintenance-per-Stream-Mile-e1730162628470.png?fit=1100%2C1212&ssl=112121100adminadmin2024-10-28 20:45:332024-10-29 17:49:04Another Way to Look at Prop A: Maintenance Dollars Per Stream Mile
10/27/24 – Meritage Homes of Texas LLC has placed an estimated 5 feet of fill above street level in Phase 1 of its new development in Atascocita. The height has raised concerns among surrounding residents, who fear that runoff from the Meritage site could flood them.
Meritage Site Phase 1 fill bordering Texas Laurel Trail.Height of curb and silt fence = 2 feet.Top of fill is minimum 2.5X higheror 5 feet.Most surrounding homes are elevated about knee high above street level.
It’s hard to see the interior of the site from street level. That has fueled residents’ fears. Virtually all surrounding homes are knee high above street level, not head high, as here.
In February, I received preliminary construction plans and a drainage analysis from Harris County Engineering. But they had numerous problems and were not approved.
So, I can’t say for certain whether the fill is needed or whether it will raise flood risk in surrounding neighborhoods. Similar disparities have flooded homes elsewhere, so residents have cause for worry.
However, it appears that the developer is sloping the land toward a detention basin on the far side of the property (out of sight behind the car and ridge above).
Aerial photos taken today show distinct tiers in the landscape leading down to the detention basin. (See below.) So, runoff should be channeled away from Kings Park Way, Texas Laurel Trail and parts of Pinehurst Trail Drive.
Photo with car above was taken from other side of pipe in background of this photo.
Why So Much Fill?
Meritage, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, began clearing and grading 40.2 acres between Kings River and Pinehurst of Atascocita in February this year. Shortly, thereafter, it began excavating the detention basin for Phase 1, shown below.
Land on left slopes toward detention basin.Photo taken 10/27/24.
Meritage exceeds the minimum. But calculation shows that the amount of fill excavated would have only raised the rest of Phase 1 (the area outside of the detention basin) by approximately 1-2 feet, not 5. Plus multiple residents independently reported seeing trucks bringing fill into the location.
I could find no reference justifying the depth of fill in the preliminary plans supplied by Harris County Engineering.
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Conceptual plans that Meritage shared with surrounding communities earlier this year. They show one detention basin in Phase One and three in Phase 2.
I have requested the final, approved plans from Harris County Engineering, but still have not received them.
Building Codes Also Require 2 Feet Above 500-Year Floodplain
Post-Harvey building codes also require new structures to be built two feet above the 500-year water-surface elevation. But the Meritage development is not close to a mapped floodplain. So that’s not the likely cause for the all the fill.
From FEMA Flood Hazard Layer viewer. Meritage development is about a half mile from the current mapped 500-year floodplain (tan color).
Protecting Neighbors
What should the developer do to ensure surrounding properties are not flooded by runoff?
As a rule, the engineer who prepares civil plans for the development must include drainage area maps and account for all runoff generated by the subdivision. This would include everything up to extreme 100-yr storms.
So, Meritage’s drainage plan should account for all that fill and capture flows before they impact adjacent properties.
In general, the size of the detention basin is a positive thing. But the height of the fill it generated during excavation has the potential to flood surrounding homes – if not handled properly.
More news to follow when/if Harris County reveals the construction plans and drainage analysis.
Excess fill may smother tree roots around perimeter of site.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/27/24
2616 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/2024/10/20241027-DSC_1085.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-10-27 22:25:402024-10-28 15:42:15Concerns About Fill Height in New Atascocita Development
10/26/24 – Say goodbye to the old Northpark Drive.
Construction crews were hard at work all along Northpark Drive on this beautiful fall Saturday afternoon. One group focused on replacing the Northpark median at Russell Palmer Road.
Another focused on breaking up and carrying away pavement from the old westbound lanes.
Old Northpark westbound lanes being demolished west of Sherwin Williams. Photo 10/26/24.
A third group focused on Loop 494 expansion where it crosses Northpark.
Looking N across Northpark at Loop 494 expansion.
All this had Northpark traffic backed up for more than a half mile in each direction.
A Crawl Down Memory Lane
As I inched along in traffic, I felt somewhat nostalgic. I’ve lived in Kingwood for more than 40 years and had offices near or on Northpark for more than half that time.
Google Earth shows Northpark under construction back in 1978. It was a heavily wooded area back then. Google does not even have aerial imagery for the area west of the Diversion Ditch. And few homes existed beyond North Woodland Hills and Sherwood Trails.
Kingwood on 12/31/1977. Woodland Hills curves from bottom to near top of frame just left of center. Northpark intersects it at right angles near the top.
Kingwood Park high school didn’t exist. Neither did Kingwood High. And the Northpark Recreation Area had just been logged.
Northpark Drive served Kingwood well back then. It helped make Kingwood one of the finest master-planned communities in the Houston area, and one of the most unique in the country. To this day, Kingwood’s integration of homes and businesses with nature still astounds newcomers and sets a standard for the nation.
The vision appealed to so many, that now Northpark must expand from four lanes to six, with 10 at the widest point.
Photos Taken on 10/25/24
The gleaming, white, new concrete poured during the last three weeks stretches a half mile to where crews funneled westbound traffic onto the new lanes at the approximate location where they were tearing out the old westbound lanes.
Northpark Drive Expansion, looking west from Russell Palmer Road (bottom left).Lower shot shows concrete poured earlier this week is still drying.Saturday afternoon at 1:30 PM. Shot shows why we need more lanes.Father west, contractors are demolishing the old Westbound road.
This is the general area where a bridge will begin to carry traffic over Loop 494 and the UP Railroad Tracks. In addition to the three lanes of traffic in each direction going over the bridge, we will also have two surface lanes on each side of the bridge…in both directions. One of the lanes will be for left turns and the other for right turns.
Loop 494 Expansion
Contractors are also widening Loop 494 sound of Northpark. The extra lanes on 494 will help prevent traffic coming off Northpark from backing up into the new turn lanes.
Looking S across Northpark at where lanes will widen Loop 494.
The result of all this work: the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. The widened road will also increase mobility, cut commute times, increase safety, and keep Kingwood a premier community for the next generation.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241026-DJI_20241026130233_0047_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2024-10-26 17:15:062024-10-26 17:22:03Say Goodbye to the Old Northpark Drive
Another Way to Look at Prop A: Maintenance Dollars Per Stream Mile
10/28/24 – After posting about maintenance dollars per square mile in Harris County’s different watersheds, an astute reader suggested I look at maintenance dollars per stream mile.
Why? Stream miles don’t always vary proportionally with square miles and may be a more appropriate metric for maintenance. Certainly, when considering activities, such as channel mowing and clean outs, that makes sense. Especially when you consider “open stream miles,” as distinct from natural channels.
So I ran the numbers. Rankings varied slightly, but overall, maintenance money still goes disproportionately to watersheds with a high percentage of low-to-moderate (LMI) residents. Maybe more so.
Different Metric, Similar Results
Last week, at the start of early voting, I posted about the proposed 63% tax increase called Proposition A. Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is pitching it as a tax increase dedicated to maintenance, even though the ballot language does not limit it to maintenance.
In last week’s post, I examined maintenance dollars spent per square mile in each watershed. To see what would happen with maintenance dollars per stream mile, I transferred stream miles from the HCFCD website into my spreadsheet and recomputed everything.
While some watersheds rose and others fell in the rankings, watersheds with a majority LMI-population still floated to the top. Even moreso.
Coincidentally, those with the highest concentrations of spending also tend to have Democratic precinct commissioners. And the eight lowest ranking watersheds (with one exception) all fall into the lone Republican-led precinct on Commissioners Court.
Here’s the new table. Gold colored watersheds have a majority of LMI residents.
Will You See Any Benefit from Proposition A?
Why is this important? HCFCD’s proposed tax increase, Proposition A, would raise your flood control taxes by 63%.
But curiously, the revenue-increase request comes at a time when overall spending is declining and approximately 60% of the dollars remain in the flood bond.
Also, HCFCD is trying to increase the percentage of HUD dollars going to LMI-watersheds to 70%, even though HUD only requires 50%.
When looking at maintenanc data, it seems we may already have an Equity Prioritization Index for maintenance dollars – in practice if not in policy.
If you vote for the “maintenance-tax” increase, understand that you may not see as much benefit from it as other parts of the county…if you see any benefit at all. Nothing in the wording of the ballot item guarantees a fair share to each watershed. For instance…
Compare Watershed Map, Precinct Map and Spending
Most people don’t know the location of all of the watersheds in Harris County. Nor are they familiar with precinct boundaries. So I will reprint both maps below. Compare them, then look up the maintenance dollars for your watershed in the table above.
Past is Prologue
As Shakespeare said in The Tempest, “What’s past is prologue.” Before you vote on Prop A, understand where your money has gone until now. Maintenance dollars often follow capital improvement dollars. And capital improvement spending has also leaned heavily toward LMI areas, since Harvey. So the trend is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Is Harris County Misusing LMI?
All other things being equal, I believe that LMI should be used as a tie-breaker when allocating funds. But all other things are not equal. Some of the watersheds that receive the fewest maintenance dollars have the worst flooding.
Politics has trumped public safety in Harris County for some time now. I urge you to use your vote to send a message to Commissioners Court if you want to see your fair share of HCFCD spending.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/28/24
2617 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 9 More days until Election Day
Concerns About Fill Height in New Atascocita Development
10/27/24 – Meritage Homes of Texas LLC has placed an estimated 5 feet of fill above street level in Phase 1 of its new development in Atascocita. The height has raised concerns among surrounding residents, who fear that runoff from the Meritage site could flood them.
It’s hard to see the interior of the site from street level. That has fueled residents’ fears. Virtually all surrounding homes are knee high above street level, not head high, as here.
In February, I received preliminary construction plans and a drainage analysis from Harris County Engineering. But they had numerous problems and were not approved.
So, I can’t say for certain whether the fill is needed or whether it will raise flood risk in surrounding neighborhoods. Similar disparities have flooded homes elsewhere, so residents have cause for worry.
However, it appears that the developer is sloping the land toward a detention basin on the far side of the property (out of sight behind the car and ridge above).
Aerial photos taken today show distinct tiers in the landscape leading down to the detention basin. (See below.) So, runoff should be channeled away from Kings Park Way, Texas Laurel Trail and parts of Pinehurst Trail Drive.
Why So Much Fill?
Meritage, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, began clearing and grading 40.2 acres between Kings River and Pinehurst of Atascocita in February this year. Shortly, thereafter, it began excavating the detention basin for Phase 1, shown below.
At first, I thought the fill might have come from the detention basin on the property. After Harvey, changes made to City and County building codes require a minimum .65 acre feet of stormwater detention per acre.
Meritage exceeds the minimum. But calculation shows that the amount of fill excavated would have only raised the rest of Phase 1 (the area outside of the detention basin) by approximately 1-2 feet, not 5. Plus multiple residents independently reported seeing trucks bringing fill into the location.
I could find no reference justifying the depth of fill in the preliminary plans supplied by Harris County Engineering.
=
I have requested the final, approved plans from Harris County Engineering, but still have not received them.
Building Codes Also Require 2 Feet Above 500-Year Floodplain
Post-Harvey building codes also require new structures to be built two feet above the 500-year water-surface elevation. But the Meritage development is not close to a mapped floodplain. So that’s not the likely cause for the all the fill.
Protecting Neighbors
What should the developer do to ensure surrounding properties are not flooded by runoff?
As a rule, the engineer who prepares civil plans for the development must include drainage area maps and account for all runoff generated by the subdivision. This would include everything up to extreme 100-yr storms.
So, Meritage’s drainage plan should account for all that fill and capture flows before they impact adjacent properties.
In general, the size of the detention basin is a positive thing. But the height of the fill it generated during excavation has the potential to flood surrounding homes – if not handled properly.
More news to follow when/if Harris County reveals the construction plans and drainage analysis.
On a sad note, many of those trees along the perimeter next to the fill may die. Putting too much soil over tree roots can suffocate them and cause tree damage or death.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/27/24
2616 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.
Say Goodbye to the Old Northpark Drive
10/26/24 – Say goodbye to the old Northpark Drive.
Construction crews were hard at work all along Northpark Drive on this beautiful fall Saturday afternoon. One group focused on replacing the Northpark median at Russell Palmer Road.
Another focused on breaking up and carrying away pavement from the old westbound lanes.
A third group focused on Loop 494 expansion where it crosses Northpark.
All this had Northpark traffic backed up for more than a half mile in each direction.
A Crawl Down Memory Lane
As I inched along in traffic, I felt somewhat nostalgic. I’ve lived in Kingwood for more than 40 years and had offices near or on Northpark for more than half that time.
Google Earth shows Northpark under construction back in 1978. It was a heavily wooded area back then. Google does not even have aerial imagery for the area west of the Diversion Ditch. And few homes existed beyond North Woodland Hills and Sherwood Trails.
Kingwood Park high school didn’t exist. Neither did Kingwood High. And the Northpark Recreation Area had just been logged.
Northpark Drive served Kingwood well back then. It helped make Kingwood one of the finest master-planned communities in the Houston area, and one of the most unique in the country. To this day, Kingwood’s integration of homes and businesses with nature still astounds newcomers and sets a standard for the nation.
The vision appealed to so many, that now Northpark must expand from four lanes to six, with 10 at the widest point.
Photos Taken on 10/25/24
The gleaming, white, new concrete poured during the last three weeks stretches a half mile to where crews funneled westbound traffic onto the new lanes at the approximate location where they were tearing out the old westbound lanes.
This is the general area where a bridge will begin to carry traffic over Loop 494 and the UP Railroad Tracks. In addition to the three lanes of traffic in each direction going over the bridge, we will also have two surface lanes on each side of the bridge…in both directions. One of the lanes will be for left turns and the other for right turns.
Loop 494 Expansion
Contractors are also widening Loop 494 sound of Northpark. The extra lanes on 494 will help prevent traffic coming off Northpark from backing up into the new turn lanes.
The result of all this work: the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood. The widened road will also increase mobility, cut commute times, increase safety, and keep Kingwood a premier community for the next generation.
For More Information
Consult the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority project pages. Or see these ReduceFlooding posts:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/26/24
2615 Days since Hurricane Harvey