The new residential development going in along Townsen Boulevard West that I posted about last Saturday is just one of three new developments in northwest Humble. Of the other two, one will evidently be for light industrial use; the other for residential. A Townsen Boulevard extension toward Spring Creek is also under construction.
Townsen Extension
This conceptual plan by Skymark Development for Townsen Landing shows the Townsen extension in the upper left just below 94-acres designated for light industrial use. Skymark or its related companies own or owned all of the land in the colored areas below.
You may have noticed an entrance cut into the woods at the northwest corner of the Townsen loop. Several readers have asked about all the recent activity there.
Entrance to Townsen Boulevard extension at NW corner of Townsen loop. Reader photo used with permission.
On Monday 9/26/22, I took several aerial photos of work beyond the entrance. They show a four-lane divided roadway that stops at Spring Creek. The images also show a floodwater detention basin and a large clearing already surrounded by silt fence. See below.
Slightly NW of entrance on Townsen.Note drainage inlets surrounded by silt fences on roadway.Looking N. The detention basin already has grass-lined slopes and backslope interceptor swales to reduce erosion. Closer shot, still facing N, shows where road ends at Spring Creek.
I discussed that vast undeveloped area north of the creek more than a year ago. Suffice it to say, for now, that the same company owns that land and a small parcel shown in the foreground of the photo above. A bridge has been rumored for more than 10 years according to several sources I consulted. And a developer reportedly wants to build 7,000 homes on the far side of the creek. But the Montgomery County Engineer’s office claims to know nothing about it and Harris County has not yet responded to enquiries about a bridge. More on that area in a future post when I learn more.
Light Industrial?
Calls to Skymark were not returned. So it’s not clear who or what will go into that clearing by the detention pond. Harris County Appraisal District shows that the land is owned by Headway Estates, LTD, which is run by Clinton Wong.
Wong’s name is associated with hundreds of companies and partnerships in the Texas Secretary of State’s database, including Skymark, Headway Estates, Hannover Estates, and Townsen Landing. Wong and his companies own or control most of the land in the photo four photos below which comprise Townsen Landing.
Reverse angle looking back ESE. CostCo in upper leftand Deerbrook Mall in upper right.Looking SE toward two clearings for new residential developments at top of frame. Aldine ISD Jones Middle School in the upper right.
If the plans above remain unchanged, the big wooded area on the right above will also become light industrial. Light industrial land uses typically include final-stage or “clean” manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing and distribution, and the sale and servicing of vehicles and equipment. Light industry includes a broad spectrum of land uses, some of which can be compatible with urban, mixed-use development.
Looking East toward 59 at the entrance at Townsen Boulevard and areas cleared starting in 2015, two years before Harvey!Those cleared areas were originally intended to hold homes.Hannover Estates has owned the cleared land since 2013, according to HCAD.
I have not yet obtained construction plans or drainage analyses for the light industrial area.
Saratoga Homes Residential Development West of Kohl’s
West and slightly north of the Kohl’s store on Townsen is another new development underway in Humble. Signs on Townsen Boulevard suggest most of it belongs to Saratoga Homes. But Saratoga has not returned phone calls or emails either. Most of this area is in the current 500-year floodplain. However, that could soon change with new Post-Harvey flood maps.
Looking W.Extent of site work as of 9/27/22.Note large detention basin in foreground and Kohl’s on right.Close-up of one corner of detention basin. Looking W. Water and stormwater lines are now going in.Looking N. Entrance to development appears to be off of Townsen. Note corner of Costco in upper right.Looking back east toward Kohl’s and stormwater detention basin.Note the large drainage ditch that runs the length of this development on the right.
That detention pond is more than a mile from Spring Creek and yet this area flooded during Harvey.
The flooding was deep enough that reportedly the developer is not even going to try to raise the area. Instead, he said he will raise the homes 6-7 feet.
The Harris County Appraisal District shows that the area with the detention pond and a strip adjacent to the drainage ditch is owned by Hannover Estates LTD, a company controlled by Wong.
The rest of the cleared area appears to be owned by JNC Development, a company related to Saratoga Homes.
Floodplains
Much of the land under development in Humble is in a floodplain. See below.
Note: FEMA approved the floodplain map above in 2014. FEMA should release preliminary versions of Post-Harvey maps early next year. The floodplains shown above could expand 50% or more, according to preliminary guidance from HCFCD.
During Harvey, the gage at the West Fork and 59 registered the highest floodwater in northern Harris County – 20.5 feet above flood stage.
Chart showing feet above flood stage of 33 gages on misc. bayous in Harris County during Harvey.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/28/22
1856 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220926-DJI_0678.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-28 14:40:352022-10-11 10:15:32Land Cleared for Two More Humble Developments, Townsen Boulevard Extension
While doing a construction update on the trouble-plagued Laurel Springs RV Resort, I learned that the property may have changed hands. At a minimum, it seems to be under new management. Excel Commercial Real Estate, a company run by the original developers, does not list the property on its website. A web search shows that another company named Jetstream Communities is looking for a property manager and an assistant property manager for the same RV park at the same address (1355 Laurel Springs Lane). The assistant manager posting is dated September 7, 2022, just two weeks ago.
About Jetstream Communities
The original developers of the property list many of their projects as “build-to-sell.”
However, Jetstream Communities says it specializes in the development, acquisition, and management of RV properties. There seems to be some overlap there.
But it’s not clear at this point whether the property has been sold or whether the two companies have reached some kind of management agreement. Neither was available for comment over the weekend.
For the last two weeks, little progress has been made on the site at a time when it should have been nearing completion. Usually companies are eager to start making money from properties after cash-draining construction. But the extent of paving at the north end of the site has not changed in at least three weeks.
The pictures below show the status of the construction and some of the “amenities” it will offer.
Grass Strips
Grass strips between parking slots will be wide enough to unfold a lawn chair.
Looking NW across Laurel Springs Lane. Sidewalk is new in last two weeks.
The original developer claimed 66% impervious cover, but I sure would like to see the calculations. See below.
Photo taken from a legal height and enlarged. Note width of strips between parking spots.
I must admit that concrete is a definite step up from the gravel parking lots found in many RV resorts.
Built-In Vibration
Those who miss those vibrating beds in motels will have freight trains rolling by 24/7 and the hum of high tension wires to put themselves to sleep at night.
Note Union Pacific tracks and Centerpoint lines on left.
Recreation Area
After being cooped up in a motorhome for a thousand miles, your dog can really stretch its legs in that 90-foot run behind the comfort station.
Length of dog run/recreation area will equal width of four parking slots behind comfort station.From permit plans. AS1.2 Partial Dimension Plan Zone 1.3,555 square feet is 1/12th of an acre.
On-Site Entertainment
Who needs vistas in the distance when you can see those mysterious reappearing black spots in the detention pond up close?
More news as it becomes available on the potential ownership change. None of the parties were available for comment over the weekend.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/25/22
1853 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/2022/09/20220924-DJI_0629.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-25 21:39:432022-09-26 09:23:42Controversial Laurel Springs RV Resort Apparently Under New Management
Developers have virtually finished clearing approximately 70 acres on Townsend Blvd. West in Humble. The land is immediately north of Sam’s Club and east of Walmart and Aldine ISD’s Jones Middle School. The image below from Google Earth shows the location of the land and the extent of clearing as of last April. At that time, about a quarter of the property had not been cleared. See red oval.
Trees in red oval are now gone.See pictures below.
The two photos below show the land in the red oval as of 9/24/22.
Looking west at newly cleared area toward Townsend and Aldine ISD’s Jones Middle School.Looking East toward Costco (upper left) and Deerbrook Mall (upper right).
Two Large Detention Basins Already Built
Since my original post on this property, the developers have also built two large stormwater detention basins that comprise most of the eastern boundary.
Two large detention basins sit between the development to the east and the land that developers will build on.A second basin lies between the larger one above and the drainage ditch to the north.
The basins are a bit hard to see in photograph above because everything is so monochromatic. But if you look closely, you can see backslope interceptor swales around them and drainpipes that lead down to the bottom of the basins. The purpose: to prevent erosion on the sides of the basins that could accelerate siltation in drainage ditches and reduce their conveyance. Such swales represent a best practice.
Leaving the stand of trees on the left above also represents a best practice. Why? The land slopes toward the trees. Had a heavy rain hit the site before the basins were built, the trees would have intercepted runoff and prevented silt from entering the ditch in the background by the power lines.
Three residential developers appear to own all parcels that comprise this cleared area. They include Hannover Estates, Townsen Landing LLC, and Headway Estates LTD. A three-year-old article in Community Impact quoting Saratoga Homes suggests that 357 single-family homes and townhomes are planned for this location.
The site is near the commercial center of northeast Harris County. But unfortunately, it’s also near the floodplain of the San Jacinto West Fork and Spring Creek. So flood risk is high. And will be going higher.
From FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer. Red oval indicates location of development.
Note the dates on the map above. One portion is 2014 and the other 2007. Both predate Harvey and NOAA’s new Atlas 14 rainfall statistics. These floodplains could soon expand and take in portions of the new development.
If that happens, these developers could be caught between rising interest rates and widening floodplains. That will squeeze profits. I talked to one developer last week who is choosing to retire now rather than ride out another recession.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/24/22
1852 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220924-DJI_0669.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-24 17:57:562022-09-24 18:03:54New Development on Townsend in Humble Almost Finished Clearing
Land Cleared for Two More Humble Developments, Townsen Boulevard Extension
The new residential development going in along Townsen Boulevard West that I posted about last Saturday is just one of three new developments in northwest Humble. Of the other two, one will evidently be for light industrial use; the other for residential. A Townsen Boulevard extension toward Spring Creek is also under construction.
Townsen Extension
This conceptual plan by Skymark Development for Townsen Landing shows the Townsen extension in the upper left just below 94-acres designated for light industrial use. Skymark or its related companies own or owned all of the land in the colored areas below.
You may have noticed an entrance cut into the woods at the northwest corner of the Townsen loop. Several readers have asked about all the recent activity there.
On Monday 9/26/22, I took several aerial photos of work beyond the entrance. They show a four-lane divided roadway that stops at Spring Creek. The images also show a floodwater detention basin and a large clearing already surrounded by silt fence. See below.
The four lanes end abruptly at the Spring Creek Parkway Trail.
I discussed that vast undeveloped area north of the creek more than a year ago. Suffice it to say, for now, that the same company owns that land and a small parcel shown in the foreground of the photo above. A bridge has been rumored for more than 10 years according to several sources I consulted. And a developer reportedly wants to build 7,000 homes on the far side of the creek. But the Montgomery County Engineer’s office claims to know nothing about it and Harris County has not yet responded to enquiries about a bridge. More on that area in a future post when I learn more.
Light Industrial?
Calls to Skymark were not returned. So it’s not clear who or what will go into that clearing by the detention pond. Harris County Appraisal District shows that the land is owned by Headway Estates, LTD, which is run by Clinton Wong.
Wong’s name is associated with hundreds of companies and partnerships in the Texas Secretary of State’s database, including Skymark, Headway Estates, Hannover Estates, and Townsen Landing. Wong and his companies own or control most of the land in the photo four photos below which comprise Townsen Landing.
If the plans above remain unchanged, the big wooded area on the right above will also become light industrial. Light industrial land uses typically include final-stage or “clean” manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing and distribution, and the sale and servicing of vehicles and equipment. Light industry includes a broad spectrum of land uses, some of which can be compatible with urban, mixed-use development.
I have not yet obtained construction plans or drainage analyses for the light industrial area.
Saratoga Homes Residential Development West of Kohl’s
West and slightly north of the Kohl’s store on Townsen is another new development underway in Humble. Signs on Townsen Boulevard suggest most of it belongs to Saratoga Homes. But Saratoga has not returned phone calls or emails either. Most of this area is in the current 500-year floodplain. However, that could soon change with new Post-Harvey flood maps.
That detention pond is more than a mile from Spring Creek and yet this area flooded during Harvey.
In 2019, Jack Bombach, division president/CCO of Saratoga Homes, described his vision for the property at the Lake Houston Chamber’s Humble BizCom. “We bought the land in 2014 and are so thankful that we hadn’t started building,” said Bombach, “because, if we would have, Hurricane Harvey would have flooded everything we built.”
The Harris County Appraisal District shows that the area with the detention pond and a strip adjacent to the drainage ditch is owned by Hannover Estates LTD, a company controlled by Wong.
The rest of the cleared area appears to be owned by JNC Development, a company related to Saratoga Homes.
Floodplains
Much of the land under development in Humble is in a floodplain. See below.
Note: FEMA approved the floodplain map above in 2014. FEMA should release preliminary versions of Post-Harvey maps early next year. The floodplains shown above could expand 50% or more, according to preliminary guidance from HCFCD.
During Harvey, the gage at the West Fork and 59 registered the highest floodwater in northern Harris County – 20.5 feet above flood stage.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/28/22
1856 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Controversial Laurel Springs RV Resort Apparently Under New Management
While doing a construction update on the trouble-plagued Laurel Springs RV Resort, I learned that the property may have changed hands. At a minimum, it seems to be under new management. Excel Commercial Real Estate, a company run by the original developers, does not list the property on its website. A web search shows that another company named Jetstream Communities is looking for a property manager and an assistant property manager for the same RV park at the same address (1355 Laurel Springs Lane). The assistant manager posting is dated September 7, 2022, just two weeks ago.
About Jetstream Communities
The original developers of the property list many of their projects as “build-to-sell.”
However, Jetstream Communities says it specializes in the development, acquisition, and management of RV properties. There seems to be some overlap there.
But it’s not clear at this point whether the property has been sold or whether the two companies have reached some kind of management agreement. Neither was available for comment over the weekend.
Project’s Troubled Past
The original developers insulated themselves from liability through a limited liability company and limited partnership. The property’s TCEQ permit still shows LS RV Resort LP as the primary operator/owner. However, that permit expires in three weeks.
Under the original management, the property ran into a lengthy litany of problems:
For the last two weeks, little progress has been made on the site at a time when it should have been nearing completion. Usually companies are eager to start making money from properties after cash-draining construction. But the extent of paving at the north end of the site has not changed in at least three weeks.
The pictures below show the status of the construction and some of the “amenities” it will offer.
Grass Strips
Grass strips between parking slots will be wide enough to unfold a lawn chair.
The original developer claimed 66% impervious cover, but I sure would like to see the calculations. See below.
I must admit that concrete is a definite step up from the gravel parking lots found in many RV resorts.
Built-In Vibration
Those who miss those vibrating beds in motels will have freight trains rolling by 24/7 and the hum of high tension wires to put themselves to sleep at night.
Recreation Area
After being cooped up in a motorhome for a thousand miles, your dog can really stretch its legs in that 90-foot run behind the comfort station.
On-Site Entertainment
Who needs vistas in the distance when you can see those mysterious reappearing black spots in the detention pond up close?
Pool with Steps
More news as it becomes available on the potential ownership change. None of the parties were available for comment over the weekend.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/25/22
1853 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.
New Development on Townsend in Humble Almost Finished Clearing
Developers have virtually finished clearing approximately 70 acres on Townsend Blvd. West in Humble. The land is immediately north of Sam’s Club and east of Walmart and Aldine ISD’s Jones Middle School. The image below from Google Earth shows the location of the land and the extent of clearing as of last April. At that time, about a quarter of the property had not been cleared. See red oval.
The two photos below show the land in the red oval as of 9/24/22.
Two Large Detention Basins Already Built
Since my original post on this property, the developers have also built two large stormwater detention basins that comprise most of the eastern boundary.
The basins are a bit hard to see in photograph above because everything is so monochromatic. But if you look closely, you can see backslope interceptor swales around them and drainpipes that lead down to the bottom of the basins. The purpose: to prevent erosion on the sides of the basins that could accelerate siltation in drainage ditches and reduce their conveyance. Such swales represent a best practice.
Leaving the stand of trees on the left above also represents a best practice. Why? The land slopes toward the trees. Had a heavy rain hit the site before the basins were built, the trees would have intercepted runoff and prevented silt from entering the ditch in the background by the power lines.
Three residential developers appear to own all parcels that comprise this cleared area. They include Hannover Estates, Townsen Landing LLC, and Headway Estates LTD. A three-year-old article in Community Impact quoting Saratoga Homes suggests that 357 single-family homes and townhomes are planned for this location.
Here’s what the site looked like in April 2022.
Near Floodplain
The site is near the commercial center of northeast Harris County. But unfortunately, it’s also near the floodplain of the San Jacinto West Fork and Spring Creek. So flood risk is high. And will be going higher.
Note the dates on the map above. One portion is 2014 and the other 2007. Both predate Harvey and NOAA’s new Atlas 14 rainfall statistics. These floodplains could soon expand and take in portions of the new development.
Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD) has submitted preliminary flood maps to FEMA for review. FEMA could release the preliminary maps as early as next year. Preliminary guidance from HCFCD is that floodplains will likely expand by 50%.
If that happens, these developers could be caught between rising interest rates and widening floodplains. That will squeeze profits. I talked to one developer last week who is choosing to retire now rather than ride out another recession.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/24/22
1852 Days since Hurricane Harvey