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
U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw helped secure another $3.2 million dollars for two crucial Kingwood flood-mitigation projects. The money is part of two EPA grants, each for $1.6 million. And they will cover final engineering for the Taylor Gully/Woodridge Village and Kingwood Diversion Ditch flood-mitigation projects.
U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw addressing Kingwood Townhall Meeting on October 8, 2024.
80:20 Matching Grants from EPA
The EPA will pay 80% of each project’s costs and HCFCD will pay the remaining 20% ($400,000 each), according to transmittals to Harris County Commissioners Court for the 10/28/24 meeting.
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is asking Commissioners to approve acceptance of the grants, as they obligate the county to spend $800,000 from the 2018 Flood Bond.
Four years ago this week, the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis identified these two projects as the two most important in the Kingwood Area. The projects will increase conveyance and reduce floodplains. In the meantime, HCFCD completed preliminary engineering plans on each project.
Projects’ Scope, Goals
Anticipated deliverables for both projects include final engineering plans and supporting documents for hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) analyses.
The scope includes identification of proposed alternatives and recommendation of one for final design, based on a detailed alternative analysis.
The EPA says the plans should lead to:
Conveyance improvements
Budget refinements for future funding assistance requests
Reduction in floodplain impacts during severe weather events
Improved resilience.
Anticipated Taylor Gully Benefits
HCFCD expects the Taylor Gully improvements will reduce riverine flood risk for the residents of Elm Grove, Mills Branch, North Kingwood Forest and Woodstream Village. It could reduce the 100-year floodplain by 116 acres, remove 276 structures from the floodplain, and lower floodwaters for structures still in the floodplain.
Anticipated Diversion Ditch Benefits
HCFCD expects the project will benefit structures in the vicinity of Bens Branch with additional reduction in street flooding. The Flood Control District also expects that this project will reduce the 100-year floodplain by 223 acres, remove up to 69 structures from the floodplain, and lower flood levels for structures still in the floodplain.
The alternative to not applying for grant funding? Flood risks will remain in place or the project will need to be funded locally.
Supporting documents do not address deadlines, which could come into play here unless HCFCD makes changes in other grant applications.
The Woodridge Village project includes the creation of two detention basins to reduce floodwater entering Taylor Gully.
However, the Woodridge detention basins are currently part of a disaster relief (DR) application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If they remain in the group of DR applications, there may not be time to complete the engineering study and construction before the construction deadline.
Rumor has it that HCFCD may be working on moving the Woodridge Project into the flood-mitigation category which has more time before construction must be completed.
Crenshaw’s Critical Role in Numerous Lake Houston Area Flood Projects
In the meantime, hats off to Congressman Dan Crenshaw. He has consistently succeeded in advocating for Kingwood and Lake Houston Area flood-mitigation projects. Among his other successes:
$8 million for Taylor Gully improvements
$8 million for Lake Houston Dam gates
$10 million for Woodridge Stormwater Improvements
$4 million for Walnut Lane Bridge Improvements over the Diversion Ditch
$12 million for Ford Road Improvements
$900 thousand for I-69 Southbound Frontage Road Drainage Improvements
$3.6 million for Highland, Huffman and Crosby roadway and drainage improvements
$1.12 million for FM1488 area street rehab and drainage improvements
$10 million for Cedar Bayou stormwater detention basin
$1.673 million for Huffman (Forest Manor) drainage improvements
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/25/24
2614 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241008-DSC_0923-1.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2024-10-25 20:51:372024-10-25 23:08:42Crenshaw Secures $3.2 Million for Final Engineering of Two Kingwood Flood-Mitigation Projects
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
Crenshaw Secures $3.2 Million for Final Engineering of Two Kingwood Flood-Mitigation Projects
U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw helped secure another $3.2 million dollars for two crucial Kingwood flood-mitigation projects. The money is part of two EPA grants, each for $1.6 million. And they will cover final engineering for the Taylor Gully/Woodridge Village and Kingwood Diversion Ditch flood-mitigation projects.
80:20 Matching Grants from EPA
The EPA will pay 80% of each project’s costs and HCFCD will pay the remaining 20% ($400,000 each), according to transmittals to Harris County Commissioners Court for the 10/28/24 meeting.
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is asking Commissioners to approve acceptance of the grants, as they obligate the county to spend $800,000 from the 2018 Flood Bond.
Four years ago this week, the Kingwood Area Drainage Analysis identified these two projects as the two most important in the Kingwood Area. The projects will increase conveyance and reduce floodplains. In the meantime, HCFCD completed preliminary engineering plans on each project.
Projects’ Scope, Goals
Anticipated deliverables for both projects include final engineering plans and supporting documents for hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) analyses.
The scope includes identification of proposed alternatives and recommendation of one for final design, based on a detailed alternative analysis.
The EPA says the plans should lead to:
Anticipated Taylor Gully Benefits
HCFCD expects the Taylor Gully improvements will reduce riverine flood risk for the residents of Elm Grove, Mills Branch, North Kingwood Forest and Woodstream Village. It could reduce the 100-year floodplain by 116 acres, remove 276 structures from the floodplain, and lower floodwaters for structures still in the floodplain.
Anticipated Diversion Ditch Benefits
HCFCD expects the project will benefit structures in the vicinity of Bens Branch with additional reduction in street flooding. The Flood Control District also expects that this project will reduce the 100-year floodplain by 223 acres, remove up to 69 structures from the floodplain, and lower flood levels for structures still in the floodplain.
The alternative to not applying for grant funding? Flood risks will remain in place or the project will need to be funded locally.
The grants are items #256 and #257 on Tuesday’s Commissioners Court agenda.
Deadlines
Supporting documents do not address deadlines, which could come into play here unless HCFCD makes changes in other grant applications.
The Woodridge Village project includes the creation of two detention basins to reduce floodwater entering Taylor Gully.
However, the Woodridge detention basins are currently part of a disaster relief (DR) application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If they remain in the group of DR applications, there may not be time to complete the engineering study and construction before the construction deadline.
Rumor has it that HCFCD may be working on moving the Woodridge Project into the flood-mitigation category which has more time before construction must be completed.
However, I saw no mention of that on next week’s commissioner’s court agenda. Let’s hope they lock that down quickly.
Crenshaw’s Critical Role in Numerous Lake Houston Area Flood Projects
In the meantime, hats off to Congressman Dan Crenshaw. He has consistently succeeded in advocating for Kingwood and Lake Houston Area flood-mitigation projects. Among his other successes:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/25/24
2614 Days since Hurricane Harvey