10/18/2025 – Yesterday, on 10/17/2025, the Northpark Expansion project reached a major milestone. Some might say the project cleared a major hurdle, except the hurdle is about 15 feet below the UnionPacific Railroad tracks.
Whatever you call it, the completion of the second bore under the railroad tracks caused jubilation among board members of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10. Utility conflicts and buried debris delayed completion of the bores and forced construction crews to tackle other parts of the project out of sequence.
A collective sigh of relief could be heard … even through emails.
The twin bores will convey stormwater under the railroad tracks from the west side of Loop 494 to the east side, and from there to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
Path of drainage from entry ponds. Additional drainage from the businesses along Northpark will go through culverts under the street where the center ditch used to be.
The boring operation began in May 2025 after years of negotiation with the railroad. Crews had completed the first bore with little trouble, but then ran into a buried, out-of-place water line with the second bore that set them back months.
Next Major Steps
Crews must still place culverts under Northpark itself west of Loop 494 to get stormwater from the south side to the north side. Not necessarily in this order, they must also:
Complete new surface lanes on the south side of inbound Northpark
Finish driveways on the north side of outbound Northpark
Build junction boxes in the two bore pits
Work with UnionPacific as it rewires its signals for the new railroad crossing configuration
Clear “Ditch One” behind the businesses on the north side of Northpark
Pave the surface lanes that will go on either side of the bridge
Begin work on the foundation for the bridge and its abutments
Install permanent traffic lights at I-69
Finish paving Loop 494.
Photos Taken on 10/16-17/25
The photos below show progress made this week.
The yellow truck and crane in the center are demobilizing boring equipment.
This ten second video shows the augur breaking through into the receiving pit.
Video provided by Northpark project manager Ralph De Leon
Here’s how the two pits looked today.
(Looking E.) Crews have removed all equipment from the bore pit on the east side of the tracks.In the receiving pit west of the tracks, you can now clearly see twin 5′ bores...all the way through.When I visited the site, the bore contractors were already demobilizing their equipment.After crews build junction boxes in the pits and connect the drainage under Loop 494, paving crews will be able to complete this last segment and eliminate backups like you see above (upper right).
Elsewhere along Northpark
Friday afternoon, crews were busy working from one end of the project to the other.
Looking W toward I-69 at top of frame. Inbound lanes on the left still need to be paved. The bridge will begin in the foreground where the outbound lanes bow to the right.From opposite direction, looking E, outbound surface lanes will connect across the two bore pitsto the lane already paved in front of the Shell Station (lower left).That will straighten out a major kink in the traffic.Closer to I-69, private contractors hired by the Exxon jobber, Honey Farms, are reworking the stations apron to make room for drainage, sidewalk, street and lighting improvements.
10/17/25 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger wants to remind the entire Kingwood Community about Median Madness Round 3.
The event will be held on Northpark from 8:30am to noon on Saturday, 10/18/25 between Forest Bluff and Bassingham. That’s just east of the commercial area around Northpark and Woodland Hills.
Parking
For parking, HPD will block off both the east and westbound lanes closest to the median. Kingwood Family Dentistry has kindly volunteered to let people use their parking lot as well. And a third option is next to the drainage ditch immediately east of the dentist.
Please remember to bring water and gloves. Also wear closed-toe shoes. All ages are welcome, but adults should accompany anyone under 16.
Chick-fil-A has joined the list of sponsors. Please support them.
Please register here for additional information: MEDIAN MADNESS SIGNUP. And don’t forget to pack a smile.
There’s a chance of rain tomorrow increasing from the single digits in the morning to double digits at noon. But don’t let that dampen your enthusiasm. Cloud cover can make working conditions more enjoyable.
Hope to see you there. Previous Median Madness events have brought together volunteers from across Kingwood. Their enthusiasm and camaraderie were inspiring.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/25
2971 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20251009-Median-Madness-3-cropped.jpg?fit=1100%2C678&ssl=16781100adminadmin2025-10-17 17:13:452025-10-17 17:21:17Reminder: Join Median Madness Saturday 8:30 to 12 on Northpark
Update 10/16/25 at 10am – The Planning Department intends to recommend deferring consideration of the general plan discussed below until after the City of Houston District E and Harris County Precinct 3 have have met with the new owner.
10/15/2025 – San Jacinto Preserve and a sister company, Scarborough Houston LLC have purchased approximately 5300 acres of land west of Kingwood from Ryko Development and its sister company, Pacific Indio Properties.
Ryko tried for years to develop the property, most of which is floodplains, floodways and wetlands where the San Jacinto West Fork, Spring Creek, Turkey Creek and Cypress Creek all converge.
Concerns about flooding may have triggered Ryko’s sale after a succession of rapid-fire setbacks:
May 2024 floods and the second largest release from Lake Conroe in the history of the SJRA rekindled memories of Harvey’s devastation.
A Townsen Blvd. extension through the property was taken off Montgomery County’s 2025 Road Bond at the request of neighboring residents and MoCo Precinct 3 commissioner Ritch Wheeler.
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ramsey lined up against a bridge that would connect the area to Humble.
Sale of Property to San Jacinto Preserve, LP, Scarborough Houston LLC
Under public pressure on all sides and faced with the loss of connectivity and critical infrastructure support, Pacific Indio sold the property to San Jacinto Preserve, LP and Scarborough Houston LLC in August of this year. Here is the Special Warranty Deed.
Both buyers have common ownership and management, as with Ryko and Pacific Indio. Companies often try to limit liability by setting up different companies for different projects. That way, if one part of the empire encounters trouble, it won’t bring down other parts.
In this case, the names of two men keep showing up: Ryan Burkhardt and James R. Feagin. Among the many companies under their control:
Scarborough Lane Development appears to be at the top of the food chain and headquarters in Addison, TX, a north Dallas suburb. All the other companies list the same address. So even though company names change, the same people control everything.
Scarborough Lane Development’s website says its “always committed to protecting the environment.” And it brags that it is “capable of handling the most challenging development projects.” We shall see.
Land Virtually Covered by Floodplains, Floodways
This project will test their talent as this map in Ryko’s drainage analysis shows. Only the small, dark gray areas in the red outline are above the 500-year floodplain.
Ryko’s drainage impact analysis showed this map of floodplains, floodways and streams on their property (outlined in red).
But keep in mind, that the floodplains will soon expand when FEMA releases new maps based on data acquired after Hurricane Harvey. The floodplain mapping above is from 2014. It predates the Memorial Day Flood, Tax Day Flood, Harvey, and the May 2024 flood.
On Houston Planning Commission Agenda for 10/16/25
San Jacinto Preserve’s (SJP) general plan is on the Houston Planning Commission’s consent agenda for Thursday, 10/16/25. See below. Their engineers chose to render the floodplains in barely distinguishable shades of gray this time.
Lisa Clark, who Chairs the Houston Planning Commission, also represents the San Jacinto Preserve.
Both Harris County Precinct 3 and City of Houston District E have requested the planning commission to postpone consideration until they have had the opportunity to meet with the developer and learn more about the plans.
Here is the General Plan that SJP submitted to the Planning Commission.
This is a pretty high-level plan. It shows planned major thoroughfares, easements, pipelines, property boundaries, drill sites, and floodplains/floodways. But it’s not yet a plat that shows the street layouts of neighborhoods or homesites.
However, it does still show a Townsen Blvd. extension bridging across Spring Creek into Humble. That piqued my interest.
I called Mr. Burkhardt in Addison for clarification, but he did not return my phone call to confirm exactly what their plans are. So we shall have to wait and see. They will have challenges, no doubt.
MoCo Residents Successfully Protest Connectivity Plan
Yesterday, Benders Landing Estates (BLE) Property Owners Association (immediately north of the SJP property had a proposal on the Montgomery County Commissioners Court Agenda. SJP wanted to connect their new neighborhoods through a quiet, residential street (Shady Hills Landing Lane) in BLE.
They felt the street was not suited to handling the volume of traffic that a 5000+ acre development would generate. And their plan to block SJP access through the street succeeded.
Commissioners voted to abandon a one-foot-wide portion of Shady Hills Landing Lane in Benders Landing Estates Section 7. The land will vest to adjoining property owners, who can then effectively block SJP residents from exiting any new subdivisions through their property.
The San Jacinto Preserve development comes with inherent flood risks. At this point, we need to wait and see what they propose. At a minimum, it will likely include:
A new drainage-impact analysis
New plats that show the exact location of homes and their density relative to floodplains
Street layouts
The amount of impervious cover added
How much forest is lost
Flood-mitigation plans
A no-adverse-impact statement from Texas-certified engineers.
Environmental/wetlands studies including impacts on water quality in Lake Houston
Wetlands in SJP floodplain
One seasoned hydrologist held out little hope for the safe development of this property. She told me that developing it would be like aiming a firehose at Kingwood. She also suggested that the developer was putting “profits over people” and that the people of Humble and Kingwood should oppose it for their own safety. Check back often as news develops.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/15/25
2969 Days since 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/2025/10/20250622-DSC_2654.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2025-10-15 21:12:412025-10-16 18:02:16Developer Buys 5300 Acres of Floodplains, Floodways, Wetlands from Ryko
Major Northpark Milestone: Bore Under Tracks Completed
10/18/2025 – Yesterday, on 10/17/2025, the Northpark Expansion project reached a major milestone. Some might say the project cleared a major hurdle, except the hurdle is about 15 feet below the UnionPacific Railroad tracks.
Whatever you call it, the completion of the second bore under the railroad tracks caused jubilation among board members of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10. Utility conflicts and buried debris delayed completion of the bores and forced construction crews to tackle other parts of the project out of sequence.
The twin bores will convey stormwater under the railroad tracks from the west side of Loop 494 to the east side, and from there to the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
The boring operation began in May 2025 after years of negotiation with the railroad. Crews had completed the first bore with little trouble, but then ran into a buried, out-of-place water line with the second bore that set them back months.
Next Major Steps
Crews must still place culverts under Northpark itself west of Loop 494 to get stormwater from the south side to the north side. Not necessarily in this order, they must also:
Photos Taken on 10/16-17/25
The photos below show progress made this week.
This ten second video shows the augur breaking through into the receiving pit.
Here’s how the two pits looked today.
Elsewhere along Northpark
Friday afternoon, crews were busy working from one end of the project to the other.
For More Information
Visit the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website to see a discussion of the next steps and a 3-week lookahead schedule.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/18/25
2972 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Reminder: Join Median Madness Saturday 8:30 to 12 on Northpark
10/17/25 – Houston City Council Member Fred Flickinger wants to remind the entire Kingwood Community about Median Madness Round 3.
The event will be held on Northpark from 8:30am to noon on Saturday, 10/18/25 between Forest Bluff and Bassingham. That’s just east of the commercial area around Northpark and Woodland Hills.
Parking
For parking, HPD will block off both the east and westbound lanes closest to the median. Kingwood Family Dentistry has kindly volunteered to let people use their parking lot as well. And a third option is next to the drainage ditch immediately east of the dentist.
Please remember to bring water and gloves. Also wear closed-toe shoes. All ages are welcome, but adults should accompany anyone under 16.
Please register here for additional information: MEDIAN MADNESS SIGNUP. And don’t forget to pack a smile.
Weather
There’s a chance of rain tomorrow increasing from the single digits in the morning to double digits at noon. But don’t let that dampen your enthusiasm. Cloud cover can make working conditions more enjoyable.
Hope to see you there. Previous Median Madness events have brought together volunteers from across Kingwood. Their enthusiasm and camaraderie were inspiring.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/17/25
2971 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Developer Buys 5300 Acres of Floodplains, Floodways, Wetlands from Ryko
Update 10/16/25 at 10am – The Planning Department intends to recommend deferring consideration of the general plan discussed below until after the City of Houston District E and Harris County Precinct 3 have have met with the new owner.
10/15/2025 – San Jacinto Preserve and a sister company, Scarborough Houston LLC have purchased approximately 5300 acres of land west of Kingwood from Ryko Development and its sister company, Pacific Indio Properties.
Ryko tried for years to develop the property, most of which is floodplains, floodways and wetlands where the San Jacinto West Fork, Spring Creek, Turkey Creek and Cypress Creek all converge.
Concerns about flooding may have triggered Ryko’s sale after a succession of rapid-fire setbacks:
Sale of Property to San Jacinto Preserve, LP, Scarborough Houston LLC
Under public pressure on all sides and faced with the loss of connectivity and critical infrastructure support, Pacific Indio sold the property to San Jacinto Preserve, LP and Scarborough Houston LLC in August of this year. Here is the Special Warranty Deed.
Both buyers have common ownership and management, as with Ryko and Pacific Indio. Companies often try to limit liability by setting up different companies for different projects. That way, if one part of the empire encounters trouble, it won’t bring down other parts.
In this case, the names of two men keep showing up: Ryan Burkhardt and James R. Feagin. Among the many companies under their control:
Scarborough Lane Development appears to be at the top of the food chain and headquarters in Addison, TX, a north Dallas suburb. All the other companies list the same address. So even though company names change, the same people control everything.
Scarborough Lane Development’s website says its “always committed to protecting the environment.” And it brags that it is “capable of handling the most challenging development projects.” We shall see.
Land Virtually Covered by Floodplains, Floodways
This project will test their talent as this map in Ryko’s drainage analysis shows. Only the small, dark gray areas in the red outline are above the 500-year floodplain.
But keep in mind, that the floodplains will soon expand when FEMA releases new maps based on data acquired after Hurricane Harvey. The floodplain mapping above is from 2014. It predates the Memorial Day Flood, Tax Day Flood, Harvey, and the May 2024 flood.
On Houston Planning Commission Agenda for 10/16/25
San Jacinto Preserve’s (SJP) general plan is on the Houston Planning Commission’s consent agenda for Thursday, 10/16/25. See below. Their engineers chose to render the floodplains in barely distinguishable shades of gray this time.
Lisa Clark, who Chairs the Houston Planning Commission, also represents the San Jacinto Preserve.
Both Harris County Precinct 3 and City of Houston District E have requested the planning commission to postpone consideration until they have had the opportunity to meet with the developer and learn more about the plans.
Here is the General Plan that SJP submitted to the Planning Commission.
This is a pretty high-level plan. It shows planned major thoroughfares, easements, pipelines, property boundaries, drill sites, and floodplains/floodways. But it’s not yet a plat that shows the street layouts of neighborhoods or homesites.
However, it does still show a Townsen Blvd. extension bridging across Spring Creek into Humble. That piqued my interest.
I called Mr. Burkhardt in Addison for clarification, but he did not return my phone call to confirm exactly what their plans are. So we shall have to wait and see. They will have challenges, no doubt.
MoCo Residents Successfully Protest Connectivity Plan
Yesterday, Benders Landing Estates (BLE) Property Owners Association (immediately north of the SJP property had a proposal on the Montgomery County Commissioners Court Agenda. SJP wanted to connect their new neighborhoods through a quiet, residential street (Shady Hills Landing Lane) in BLE.
They felt the street was not suited to handling the volume of traffic that a 5000+ acre development would generate. And their plan to block SJP access through the street succeeded.
Commissioners voted to abandon a one-foot-wide portion of Shady Hills Landing Lane in Benders Landing Estates Section 7. The land will vest to adjoining property owners, who can then effectively block SJP residents from exiting any new subdivisions through their property.
Commissioners Court unanimously approved the measure. It was a minor victory and likely will not affect the long-term war. But it showed the will of the community.
Profits Over People?
The San Jacinto Preserve development comes with inherent flood risks. At this point, we need to wait and see what they propose. At a minimum, it will likely include:
One seasoned hydrologist held out little hope for the safe development of this property. She told me that developing it would be like aiming a firehose at Kingwood. She also suggested that the developer was putting “profits over people” and that the people of Humble and Kingwood should oppose it for their own safety. Check back often as news develops.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/15/25
2969 Days since 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.