Construction activity at the Laurel Springs RV Resort near Lakewood Cove kicked into overdrive today as workers laid forms to prepare for concrete and more pipes went into the ground. Also, the detention pond seemed to change shape in ways that could reduce its capacity.
Getting Ready for Concrete
The shot below shows what will become the main entrance/exit opposite Mystic Glen Loop in Lakewood Cove.
Entrance/Exit to RV Resort. Concrete building pad for recreation center. The two rectangular areas in front of the three cargo containers will be the first RV pads. Blue pipes will carry fresh water.Plans that correspond to the photo above.Concrete forms also extend south toward the detention pond, out of sight at bottom of frame.
Baffling Work at Detention Pond
The work at the detention pond today was hard to explain. For the last few days, workers have pulled dirt and tree debris up onto the southwestern wall of the detention pond. Here’s how it looked yesterday around noon.
SW wall of RV Resort detention pond photographed on 2/17/2022.
Trucks have moved a portion of it to the western wall.
Looking east. Excavator loading debris onto truck which will back it around to the western wall (out of frame to the lower left). This and all photos below taken 2/18/22.Truck transplanting debris on western wall.
The wide shot below shows where they have been piling it on the western wall and puts the activity in context.
Looking South toward Edgewater Park in background.But it wasn’t all going to the western wall. Bulldozers spread some into the Laurel Springs RV Resort detention pond. The area where contractors laid pipe between the pond (left) and ponding water (right).Meanwhile, another bulldozer seemed to push dirt from the outside of the pond’s southern wall to the inside. It appeared as though contractors were attempting to shift the entire wall to the north. If accurate, that could reduce the pond’s already constrained capacity.
Did the developer’s surveyors make a mistake initially? We shall know soon enough if the County conducts its own survey.
If that tree debris gets plowed into the pond wall, it could weaken the structural integrity of the pond as the woody material decays.
The further along construction gets, the harder it is to undo mistakes if they happen. So we need to monitor this closely.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/18/22
1634 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/2022/02/20220218-DJI_0059.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-02-18 20:45:272022-02-18 20:45:31RV Resort Getting Ready to Pour Concrete, Baffling Activity at Detention Pond
They must have had their ears close to the ground. By noon, I got a call from McKay. Within another hour, he had inspected the ditch and agreed it was a mess. Then by 2PM, he had trucks and backhoes onsite. And by 4PM, they were packing up and hauling away the last piles of dirt left in the ditch from last weekend’s repair effort.
It all happened so fast, I barely had time to get there to take photos. And it all happened before rush hour!
Photo submitted by reader of work on Thursday afternoon, 2/17/22.Backhoe scoops up dirt left behind that was in danger of slumping back into ditch during a heavy rain.Traffic was slightly backed up, but it kept moving. It took about five minutes to get from 494 to the car wash at Russell-Palmer Road.By the time I got my drone up, the last of the dirt was excavated……and drivers were hauling it away.
McKay apologized for not returning my call earlier this week. He said he had a dental emergency that kept him out of the office until today.
Having worked near this area for more than 20 years, I watched Northpark go underwater with regularity – on average at least once or twice a year. Scary for an evacuation route!
I hope MoCo can improve the maintenance intervals on this ditch. Northpark and the areas around it have seen tremendous growth in recent years.
My thanks to Commissioner Metts and Mr. McKay for the heavy lifting on this one. And especially for their fast response! They got ‘er done this time!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/17/22
1533 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/20220217-RJR_9233.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2022-02-17 17:34:182022-02-17 17:48:24Northpark Drainage Ditch: Got ‘Er Done This Time!
At daybreak, it became clear, the county cleaned out the ditch between Russell-Palmer and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch, not 494. County crews DID clear blocked drains leading into the ditch west of Russell-Palmer. But they left the dirt piled on the sides of the ditch where it can slump back down and re-block drains.
Looking west along Northpark toward Dunkin’ Donuts and Public Storage.Facing same direction from the other side of the crossover shows the “improvement” to drainage.Looking east along Northpark.Still looking east toward Russell-Palmer from the Kings Mill Entrance.
“Git ‘Er Done”
I called Metts’ office earlier this week and asked whether they intended to finish the job. The receptionist told me she would have someone call me back to discuss the project. No one ever did. Then Metts posted the “Conquering Earth” video.
I’m grateful for what Metts’ team did do. But I’m also fearful of what they didn’t do.
Metts’ followup post makes no mention of a timetable for finishing the job.
Please! In the immortal words of Larry the Cable Guy, “Git ‘er done!” This is one way people and businesses flood.
RV Resort Getting Ready to Pour Concrete, Baffling Activity at Detention Pond
Construction activity at the Laurel Springs RV Resort near Lakewood Cove kicked into overdrive today as workers laid forms to prepare for concrete and more pipes went into the ground. Also, the detention pond seemed to change shape in ways that could reduce its capacity.
Getting Ready for Concrete
The shot below shows what will become the main entrance/exit opposite Mystic Glen Loop in Lakewood Cove.
Baffling Work at Detention Pond
The work at the detention pond today was hard to explain. For the last few days, workers have pulled dirt and tree debris up onto the southwestern wall of the detention pond. Here’s how it looked yesterday around noon.
Trucks have moved a portion of it to the western wall.
The wide shot below shows where they have been piling it on the western wall and puts the activity in context.
Did the developer’s surveyors make a mistake initially? We shall know soon enough if the County conducts its own survey.
Reducing Pond Capacity?
I’m especially concerned about the potential loss of capacity in the detention pond. It already had only half the current capacity required to meet current City of Houston standards.
The further along construction gets, the harder it is to undo mistakes if they happen. So we need to monitor this closely.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/18/22
1634 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 Drainage Ditch: Got ‘Er Done This Time!
This morning, I posted about what appeared to be a premature victory lap on the repair of the Northpark Drive drainage ditch with a plea to Git ‘Er Done. Well, this afternoon, Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner James Metts and his drainage supervisor Mike McKay Got ‘Er Done.
Barely Enough Time to Take Photos
They must have had their ears close to the ground. By noon, I got a call from McKay. Within another hour, he had inspected the ditch and agreed it was a mess. Then by 2PM, he had trucks and backhoes onsite. And by 4PM, they were packing up and hauling away the last piles of dirt left in the ditch from last weekend’s repair effort.
It all happened so fast, I barely had time to get there to take photos. And it all happened before rush hour!
He said they hauled more than 30 truckloads of dirt out of Northpark on Saturday night and Sunday morning before knocking off at around 2AM. The temp had dropped below freezing at that point.
Regular Maintenance Key to Reducing Flooding
McKay apologized for not returning my call earlier this week. He said he had a dental emergency that kept him out of the office until today.
Having worked near this area for more than 20 years, I watched Northpark go underwater with regularity – on average at least once or twice a year. Scary for an evacuation route!
I hope MoCo can improve the maintenance intervals on this ditch. Northpark and the areas around it have seen tremendous growth in recent years.
My thanks to Commissioner Metts and Mr. McKay for the heavy lifting on this one. And especially for their fast response! They got ‘er done this time!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/17/22
1533 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Northpark Ditch Repair Half Done
Update: 6PM Thursday 2/17/22. After I posted the article below on Thursday morning, MoCo returned and finished the job on Thursday afternoon. Use the post below only for context.
Last Saturday night, Montgomery County closed Northpark Drive to excavate the ditch in the median between Northpark Drive and Russell-Palmer Road. Here’s a nighttime video Precinct 4 Commissioner Metts’ posted on his Facebook page to promote the results. It contains eleven minutes of close-up shots of a backhoe scooping dirt into a truck, complete with a triumphant, pounding music track. You’d think this was MoCo’s moon shot!
What Video Doesn’t Show
At daybreak, it became clear, the county cleaned out the ditch between Russell-Palmer and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch, not 494. County crews DID clear blocked drains leading into the ditch west of Russell-Palmer. But they left the dirt piled on the sides of the ditch where it can slump back down and re-block drains.
“Git ‘Er Done”
I called Metts’ office earlier this week and asked whether they intended to finish the job. The receptionist told me she would have someone call me back to discuss the project. No one ever did. Then Metts posted the “Conquering Earth” video.
I’m grateful for what Metts’ team did do. But I’m also fearful of what they didn’t do.
Metts’ followup post makes no mention of a timetable for finishing the job.
Please! In the immortal words of Larry the Cable Guy, “Git ‘er done!” This is one way people and businesses flood.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/17/22
1633 Days since Hurricane Harvey