But some problems, like the trees will be hard to correct. It could take decades for newly planted trees to reach the height of the old ones.
It’s hard to say exactly how many square feet of trees were lost beyond the property. The distance varies along the southern perimeter of the RV site. But another resident and I, using a tape measure and eyeballs, estimated the damage extended into the park for up to 50 feet south of a surveyor’s stake at the southern property line. If the estimates are close, that would mean the contractor harvested almost an acre of County trees.
Attempts to Clean Up Site
Since a two-day shutdown after the discovery of contractors flooding Edgewater Park with silty stormwater, the construction site has bustled with activity. Some employees have continued laying pipe, spreading fill, and grading. Meanwhile, others try to fix problems pointed out by inspectors.
Yesterday, contractors tried to retrieve dirt that eroded into or was placed in Edgewater Park. Last night, they erected silt fence along most of the southern perimeter. The muck-retrieval team was still working this morning. The contractors created a new entrance with fresh bullrock. And they also placed silt filters in front of storm-sewer grates along Laurel Springs Lane.
Photos Show Extent of Tree Loss
The orange stake below represents the southernmost stake of the developer’s RV park. It lines up roughly with the southerns edge of the detention pond’s bank. Edgewater Park is to the left.
Photo taken yesterday, 2/11/22 from Laurel Springs Lane looking west.County’s Edgewater Park is left of stake.
The position of the orange stake in this wider shot lines up a little bit north of the left end of this traffic island in Laurel Springs Lane.
Note position of orange stake relative to tip of traffic island. Photo taken 2/11/2022.Note where southern boundary would cross southern tip of traffic islandon right – same place as in photo.Note how far clearcut goes below southern tip of traffic island.Silt fence (placed last night) does not mark property boundary. It was placed where ground was dry enough to hold stakes, hence its irregular shape.Photo taken today, 2/12/22.Photo taken 2/12/22. On the western edge of the property, the new silt fence lines up with the southern edge of the pond bank and a little bit north of the still-standing trees above the fence. Note the same trees in the first photo relative to the orange stake.
Had the silt fence been installed from the start of construction – as the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan said it should have been – perhaps contractors would not have cut down the trees.
Pipe Apparently Still Buried
After digging a trench in the southern wall of the pond to discharge silty stormwater into Edgewater Park at the top of the frame, contractors then buried a pipe to create a permanent conduit. They still have not removed it to my knowledge. I visit this site every day and would likely have noticed people working on that. But all I saw was some dirt placed in front of the inlet and outlet. If still embedded, leakage through the pipe could explain the continued presence of silty water below the pipe in the trees at the top of the frame.
Red line marks approximate path of pipe buried by contractors.Photo taken 2/12/22.
Sometimes trying to take shortcuts can cost you more money in the long run than you save. Developers and contractors often get away with things because neighbors rarely read plans and watch to make sure they are followed. The assumption is that regulators inspect these sites daily. They don’t. We just don’t have enough of them.
Tomorrow…details of the developer’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan filed with the TCEQ. You definitely don’t want to miss that one.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/12/2022
1628 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/2022/02/20220210-RJR_9202.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-02-12 19:22:452022-02-12 19:26:52RV Resort Contractor Cut Down Trees in County’s Edgewater Park
Northpark Drive between Russell Palmer Drive and Loop 494 will be closed this Saturday night (2/12/22) from 8PM to Sunday 4AM.
Simultaneous Railroad and Ditch Maintenance
Northpark Drive looking east across 494 and railroad tracks. Note ponding water in ditch not moving farther down. Also note traffic backed up past Russell-Palmer. That’s 0.8 miles from the railroad tracks in the foreground.Photo was taken at 12:33PM on a Wednesday afternoon last July.Northpark Drive looking west across Russell-Palmer Road. Note siltation in ditch.
Union Pacific will perform maintenance on the Northpark Drive railroad crossing. And Montgomery County will perform ditch maintenance in the median from 494 to Russell-Palmer. The coordinated effort will reduce disruption to the public.
Detour Map
During the closure, westbound traffic will be re-routed down Northpark and out Kingwood Drive.
Eastbound traffic will be rerouted down 494 to Kingwood Drive and then back north on Woodland Hills.
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin issued this traffic control plan with his press release.
Traffic detours in effect from 8PM Saturday through 4AM Sunday
Minimizing Traffic Delays
Since Union Pacific was shutting down the road anyway, Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Metts seized the opportunity de-litter and de-silt the ditch in the Northpark median between 494 and Russell-Palmer Drive. “Daytime/ weekday traffic in the area has become so heavy in recent years,” said Metts, “that it’s difficult to use heavy equipment. It causes major traffic problems and is dangerous for those working.”
Metts hopes to use the opportunity to improve drainage without causing unnecessary traffic delays.
Growth Pushing Ditch to Its Capacity Limit
In recent years, commercial growth has pushed the median ditch down Northpark to its limits. This will be welcome maintenance.
Water along this stretch of Northpark Drive flows toward the Kingwood Diversion Ditch behind the fireworks stand.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/11/22
1627 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/20210728-DJI_0259.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-02-11 10:09:432022-02-11 12:15:47Northpark Drive Closed Saturday 8PM to Sunday 4AM
At approximately 1:30 AM on January 9, 2022, a tornado swept through Kingwood. Hard hit areas included Forest Cove and Trailwood Villages. The supercells that spawned the EF-1 Tornado also dumped approximately 5 inches of rain that morning. When the rain stopped, I ventured out and found cleanup crews already clogging the streets. I drove through the same areas today to gage the progress of repairs.
Tornado Aftermath Remains
Many homes have been fixed, re-roofed and re-painted. But many blue tarps still remain. Roofers will not soon run out of business.
And I saw two empty foundations where it looked like homeowners decided to start over.
The scenes were a testament to the power of nature and the determination of humankind.
Among the memorable scenes that remain, these two stand out.
Top of tree has hung upside down on utility wire for a month.Home devastated by January tornado in Forest Cove.
Tornado, Like Harvey, a Defining Moment
To me, the first shot symbolizes the chaotic and capricious nature of a tornado.
And the second symbolizes the overwhelming heartbreak. A home sawed in half by a fallen tree. Torrential rains streaming through the breach. Ceilings caving in, destroying contents. Mangled garage door. Fallen timber. Sawed, but not removed. This was an ordeal that would have tested the strongest among us.
It reminds me of Harvey’s aftermath. As I drive around Kingwood, I still see reminders. Vacant homes. Ongoing repairs. Shops that remain empty. Businesses struggling to recover. Still.
Physical Vs. Emotional Recovery
The repairs may be over for most. But the financial and emotional scars will last a lifetime. Trials such as these become defining moments. For people. And for communities. They represent a fork in the tree of life. They can build character. Or destroy futures.
The temptation after making physical repairs is to repress the pain of the past and move on with life. But I hope we never forget those who still struggle.
Posted by Bob Rehak on February 10, 2022
1626 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 31 since the January Tornado
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/20220210-RJR_9212-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-02-10 14:04:272022-02-10 14:04:31Tornado Gone But Not Forgotten
RV Resort Contractor Cut Down Trees in County’s Edgewater Park
The contractors for the Laurel Springs RV Resort west of Lakewood Cove got a little overzealous with bulldozers. They killed up to 50 feet of mature trees in Harris County Precinct 4’s Edgewater Park along the entire property line. TCEQ and County inspectors visited the site last week and documented problems. According to one resident, the City also had inspectors there. Ever since, the contractors have been scrambling to correct problems, such as erosion, and to install pollution-prevention measures that should have been there months ago.
Mature Trees Hard to Replace
But some problems, like the trees will be hard to correct. It could take decades for newly planted trees to reach the height of the old ones.
It’s hard to say exactly how many square feet of trees were lost beyond the property. The distance varies along the southern perimeter of the RV site. But another resident and I, using a tape measure and eyeballs, estimated the damage extended into the park for up to 50 feet south of a surveyor’s stake at the southern property line. If the estimates are close, that would mean the contractor harvested almost an acre of County trees.
Attempts to Clean Up Site
Since a two-day shutdown after the discovery of contractors flooding Edgewater Park with silty stormwater, the construction site has bustled with activity. Some employees have continued laying pipe, spreading fill, and grading. Meanwhile, others try to fix problems pointed out by inspectors.
Yesterday, contractors tried to retrieve dirt that eroded into or was placed in Edgewater Park. Last night, they erected silt fence along most of the southern perimeter. The muck-retrieval team was still working this morning. The contractors created a new entrance with fresh bullrock. And they also placed silt filters in front of storm-sewer grates along Laurel Springs Lane.
Photos Show Extent of Tree Loss
The orange stake below represents the southernmost stake of the developer’s RV park. It lines up roughly with the southerns edge of the detention pond’s bank. Edgewater Park is to the left.
The position of the orange stake in this wider shot lines up a little bit north of the left end of this traffic island in Laurel Springs Lane.
Had the silt fence been installed from the start of construction – as the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan said it should have been – perhaps contractors would not have cut down the trees.
Pipe Apparently Still Buried
After digging a trench in the southern wall of the pond to discharge silty stormwater into Edgewater Park at the top of the frame, contractors then buried a pipe to create a permanent conduit. They still have not removed it to my knowledge. I visit this site every day and would likely have noticed people working on that. But all I saw was some dirt placed in front of the inlet and outlet. If still embedded, leakage through the pipe could explain the continued presence of silty water below the pipe in the trees at the top of the frame.
Sometimes trying to take shortcuts can cost you more money in the long run than you save. Developers and contractors often get away with things because neighbors rarely read plans and watch to make sure they are followed. The assumption is that regulators inspect these sites daily. They don’t. We just don’t have enough of them.
Tomorrow…details of the developer’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan filed with the TCEQ. You definitely don’t want to miss that one.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/12/2022
1628 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.
Northpark Drive Closed Saturday 8PM to Sunday 4AM
Northpark Drive between Russell Palmer Drive and Loop 494 will be closed this Saturday night (2/12/22) from 8PM to Sunday 4AM.
Simultaneous Railroad and Ditch Maintenance
Union Pacific will perform maintenance on the Northpark Drive railroad crossing. And Montgomery County will perform ditch maintenance in the median from 494 to Russell-Palmer. The coordinated effort will reduce disruption to the public.
Detour Map
During the closure, westbound traffic will be re-routed down Northpark and out Kingwood Drive.
Eastbound traffic will be rerouted down 494 to Kingwood Drive and then back north on Woodland Hills.
Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin issued this traffic control plan with his press release.
Minimizing Traffic Delays
Since Union Pacific was shutting down the road anyway, Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Metts seized the opportunity de-litter and de-silt the ditch in the Northpark median between 494 and Russell-Palmer Drive. “Daytime/ weekday traffic in the area has become so heavy in recent years,” said Metts, “that it’s difficult to use heavy equipment. It causes major traffic problems and is dangerous for those working.”
Metts hopes to use the opportunity to improve drainage without causing unnecessary traffic delays.
Growth Pushing Ditch to Its Capacity Limit
In recent years, commercial growth has pushed the median ditch down Northpark to its limits. This will be welcome maintenance.
Water along this stretch of Northpark Drive flows toward the Kingwood Diversion Ditch behind the fireworks stand.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/11/22
1627 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Tornado Gone But Not Forgotten
At approximately 1:30 AM on January 9, 2022, a tornado swept through Kingwood. Hard hit areas included Forest Cove and Trailwood Villages. The supercells that spawned the EF-1 Tornado also dumped approximately 5 inches of rain that morning. When the rain stopped, I ventured out and found cleanup crews already clogging the streets. I drove through the same areas today to gage the progress of repairs.
Tornado Aftermath Remains
Many homes have been fixed, re-roofed and re-painted. But many blue tarps still remain. Roofers will not soon run out of business.
And I saw two empty foundations where it looked like homeowners decided to start over.
The scenes were a testament to the power of nature and the determination of humankind.
Among the memorable scenes that remain, these two stand out.
Tornado, Like Harvey, a Defining Moment
To me, the first shot symbolizes the chaotic and capricious nature of a tornado.
And the second symbolizes the overwhelming heartbreak. A home sawed in half by a fallen tree. Torrential rains streaming through the breach. Ceilings caving in, destroying contents. Mangled garage door. Fallen timber. Sawed, but not removed. This was an ordeal that would have tested the strongest among us.
It reminds me of Harvey’s aftermath. As I drive around Kingwood, I still see reminders. Vacant homes. Ongoing repairs. Shops that remain empty. Businesses struggling to recover. Still.
Physical Vs. Emotional Recovery
The repairs may be over for most. But the financial and emotional scars will last a lifetime. Trials such as these become defining moments. For people. And for communities. They represent a fork in the tree of life. They can build character. Or destroy futures.
The temptation after making physical repairs is to repress the pain of the past and move on with life. But I hope we never forget those who still struggle.
Posted by Bob Rehak on February 10, 2022
1626 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 31 since the January Tornado