After photos showed clear construction permit violations at the Laurel Springs RV Resort, a City inspector said he found no problems there. Then, 311 closed the case. But Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office said another group was investigating. Martin’s chief of staff did not elaborate.
RV Park Drains its construction pond into Harris County Precinct 4’s new Edgewater Park in background.
This violated the terms of the developer’s construction permit. The trees behind the trench belong to Harris County Precinct 4 Park System. And the construction permit clearly states that “stormwater runoff shall not cross property line.”
Contractors covering up pipe that will convey future discharges. Photographed yesterday.
So I filed a complaint with the City’s 311 system at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s District E staff.
Finally, today (Tuesday morning), I tried to photograph the drain/trench again. But contractors had covered it up and repaired the dike. If you hadn’t seen the previous pictures, you would never suspect a drainpipe was there (except for some black silt fencing around the intake which will be taken down).
By Tuesday morning, contractors had repaired the pond wall. Area circled in red is the outfall, covered with water.
Extent of Silty Runoff
The silty stormwater ran almost all the way down to Hamblen Road.
Water should have gone under Laurel Springs Lane and into the detention pond above via COH storm sewer. However, the contractor discharged it into the park instead. Note sediment-laden water in foreground.A large portion of the park appears to be inundated with silty discharge.Looking north toward detention pond on RV site from over Edgewater Park. Note silty water in foreground.
City Inspector Found No Violations
As I reviewed Tuesday’s images, I received an email from 311 saying the inspector found no problems and that 311 had closed the case. Obviously, the 311 operator didn’t clearly communicate the nature of my complaint. It was about stormwater runoff and construction-permit violations, not a fence line encroachment.
And clearly, the inspector didn’t:
Look at the approved drainage plan that showed the outfall should be going into the City storm sewer under Laurel Springs Lane.
Understand that draining water onto neighbor’s property violates the construction permit and state regulations.
Know the trees below the construction site belong to the County Park. He thought they belonged to the contractor. (See below.)
Response from 311 to complaint about construction stormwater violations.No pictures were attached despite text of email.
Inspector Felt Discharging into County Park Was Best Management Practice
To add insult to injury, the inspector characterized discharging into Edgewater Park’s vegetation as a contractor best management practice (BMP). Obviously, he thought the trees belonged to the contractor. He didn’t bother to explore who owned the land below the construction site or how far south the discharge had traveled.
Responses like this give the City a black eye.
I immediately emailed Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office about the 311 response. Jessica Beemer, his chief of staff, responded that the case wasn’t really closed. She said a different group had been assigned to investigate the complaint. But, as of this writing, she did not elaborate.
The TCEQ hopes to respond to a separate complaint by tomorrow. And I met several Harris County employees investigating the construction this morning in response to other complaints.
Stay tuned. More news to follow. This isn’t over yet.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/1/2022
1617 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/2022/02/20220201-DJI_0728-2-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-02-01 19:44:112022-02-01 20:49:24City Inspector Finds No Problems At RV Park. 311 Says “Case Closed.” Martin’s Office Says “Not So Fast.”
Contractors drain the RV Park detention pond Saturday afternoon, 1/29/22, into Edgewater Park at top of frame.
The pipe leads from the inside to the outside of the pond near Harris County Precinct 4’s new Edgewater Park. This is not an overflow measure. The intake is at the bottom of the pond.
The RV owners are burying a permanent conduit to drain silty stormwater into the park’s wetlands and cypress ponds.
See below.
Same trench on Monday morning, 1/31/22. Pond is in lower left; park in upper right.Contractors are filling the trench to bury the pipe.
Furthermore, the City explicitly prohibits letting runoff cross another’s property.
Detail from approved drainage plan.See first sentence under “Approved Storm Drainage.” “Stormwater runoff shall not cross property line.”It now is.
Does the second sentence about exceeding capacity of the City of Houston storm sewer system have the developer worried? Could that be the reason for the pipe?
I became suspicious on Saturday when I saw black pipe piled near where plans called for reinforced concrete pipe (see below). That pipe looks suspiciously like the pipe now being covered up by the contractor, although in fairness, I did not see them move the pipe.
Image from Saturday afternoon, Jan. 29, 2022. Note black pipe near adjacent work area.But on Monday morning, there was no sign of black pipe or any kind of pipe entering the pond from this cornerwhere plans said it should be.
Controversy Continues to Swirl Around Pond
From the start, controversy has swirled about the size of the detention pond. The RV park received its construction permits one day before new regulations went into effect. The new regs would have required virtually doubling the size of the pond.
How they operate with such impunity bewilders me. We definitely need the county attorney to investigate.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/31/2022
1616 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/2022/01/20220131-DJI_0669-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-01-31 17:49:232022-01-31 18:06:28RV Contractor Laying Pipe To Run Stormwater Through Detention Pond Wall Into Park
Only about 4.4% of the land in the U.S. has estimated impervious cover greater than 40%. Usually, high percentages of impervious cover are associated with shopping malls; large apartment complexes; manufacturing and warehouse districts; and densely populated urban neighborhoods. Now there’s a new entry in that category: the Preserve at Woodridge – single-family housing so close together that you can spread your arms and touch two homes.
If you like living close to neighbors, the Preserve at Woodridge will be for you. Guefen, the developer, claims 65% impervious cover. Assuming their calculations and claims are accurate, what does that look like?
We can now see. Builders have framed the first cluster of homes. I’ve posted before about how close together these homes would be. But until you see them, the proximity is hard to fathom. They certainly don’t pass the eyeball test for 65% impervious cover.
Pictures Dramatize Proximity of Homes
The good news is that these homes, some as large as 660 square feet, definitely have more space than a porta-potty or a cargo container. You’ll be able to vacuum the home in world-record time. And you’ll never have to wonder where you left your cell phone. It would be impossible to lose in a home this small.
The cluster of homes shown above is also shown in the schematic below.
Note 4.95-foot width between home in middle and one below it. See actual space below where ladder is.
You know things are tight when the developer measures the distance between homes down to the hundredth of a foot (1/12th of an inch).
Notice how the ladder leaning on one home is braced against the foundation of another.Those two homes have less than five feet of separation.
Regardless, the engineers claim the development has 65% impervious cover for the purposes of calculating detention pond volume. That means 35% would be pervious, i.e., grass. See below.
From developer’s drainage calculations, page 20.
But Where Do You Put the Lawnmower?
But with so much shade between the homes, can you really get grass to grow? And if you can, where do you put the lawnmower? The developer has only 34 garage spaces for 131 homes. Perhaps you can put the mower under your Murphy bed. Or in your gym bag.
More pads for the next batch of homes.Status of Preserve-at-Woodridge construction as of 1/29/2022.
Guefen plans to rent, not sell these homes. I guess you could consider these a step up from apartment living. But the developer has not preserved much at the Preserve. They certainly won’t live up to the reputation of the Livable Forest.
This is going to feel more like high-density, inner-city living … without the public transportation. We’ll soon see if there really is a market for this concept in the Kingwood Area.
How Impervious Cover Can Contribute to Flooding
The higher the percentage of impervious cover, the less stormwater soaks into the ground. It runs off faster. And without sufficient detention pond capacity, flood peaks build higher.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/30/2022
1615 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.
City Inspector Finds No Problems At RV Park. 311 Says “Case Closed.” Martin’s Office Says “Not So Fast.”
After photos showed clear construction permit violations at the Laurel Springs RV Resort, a City inspector said he found no problems there. Then, 311 closed the case. But Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office said another group was investigating. Martin’s chief of staff did not elaborate.
Discharging Silty Stormwater into County Park
On Saturday, I photographed the contractor digging a trench to let silty stormwater out of the detention pond into Harris County Precinct 4’s Edgewater Park.
This violated the terms of the developer’s construction permit. The trees behind the trench belong to Harris County Precinct 4 Park System. And the construction permit clearly states that “stormwater runoff shall not cross property line.”
Discharging across property lines also violates state law. See Chapter 11.086 of the state water code.
Then on Monday morning, I photographed the contractor covering up pipe that creates a permanent outfall onto County property.
So I filed a complaint with the City’s 311 system at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s District E staff.
Finally, today (Tuesday morning), I tried to photograph the drain/trench again. But contractors had covered it up and repaired the dike. If you hadn’t seen the previous pictures, you would never suspect a drainpipe was there (except for some black silt fencing around the intake which will be taken down).
Extent of Silty Runoff
The silty stormwater ran almost all the way down to Hamblen Road.
City Inspector Found No Violations
As I reviewed Tuesday’s images, I received an email from 311 saying the inspector found no problems and that 311 had closed the case. Obviously, the 311 operator didn’t clearly communicate the nature of my complaint. It was about stormwater runoff and construction-permit violations, not a fence line encroachment.
And clearly, the inspector didn’t:
Inspector Felt Discharging into County Park Was Best Management Practice
To add insult to injury, the inspector characterized discharging into Edgewater Park’s vegetation as a contractor best management practice (BMP). Obviously, he thought the trees belonged to the contractor. He didn’t bother to explore who owned the land below the construction site or how far south the discharge had traveled.
I immediately emailed Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office about the 311 response. Jessica Beemer, his chief of staff, responded that the case wasn’t really closed. She said a different group had been assigned to investigate the complaint. But, as of this writing, she did not elaborate.
The TCEQ hopes to respond to a separate complaint by tomorrow. And I met several Harris County employees investigating the construction this morning in response to other complaints.
Stay tuned. More news to follow. This isn’t over yet.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 2/1/2022
1617 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.
RV Contractor Laying Pipe To Run Stormwater Through Detention Pond Wall Into Park
This morning I returned to the Laurel RV Springs Resort construction site and found contractors burying pipe in the trench they dug through the wall of the detention pond last Saturday.
The pipe leads from the inside to the outside of the pond near Harris County Precinct 4’s new Edgewater Park. This is not an overflow measure. The intake is at the bottom of the pond.
See below.
Pipe Not On Plans
This pipe does not appear anywhere on approved drainage plans for the RV Park’s detention pond.
Furthermore, the City explicitly prohibits letting runoff cross another’s property.
Does the second sentence about exceeding capacity of the City of Houston storm sewer system have the developer worried? Could that be the reason for the pipe?
I became suspicious on Saturday when I saw black pipe piled near where plans called for reinforced concrete pipe (see below). That pipe looks suspiciously like the pipe now being covered up by the contractor, although in fairness, I did not see them move the pipe.
Controversy Continues to Swirl Around Pond
From the start, controversy has swirled about the size of the detention pond. The RV park received its construction permits one day before new regulations went into effect. The new regs would have required virtually doubling the size of the pond.
The approved plans explicitly state that stormwater will be pumped from the pond into the Lakewood Cove storm sewer system. From there it would run downhill into the Lakewood Cove detention pond on the east side of Laurel Springs Lane near Hamblen Road. But residents say that pond is now shallow from silt accumulations over the years. And they worry about trying to accommodate their own runoff as well as a developer’s.
This morning’s discovery of the contractor burying pipe into the park is just the latest irregularity. On Saturday, they trenched into the park to drain the pond. Before that they pumped water over the side of the pond into the park. And they’ve been bringing fill into the site instead of moving it from the detention pond.
How they operate with such impunity bewilders me. We definitely need the county attorney to investigate.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/31/2022
1616 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.
65% Impervious Cover?
Only about 4.4% of the land in the U.S. has estimated impervious cover greater than 40%. Usually, high percentages of impervious cover are associated with shopping malls; large apartment complexes; manufacturing and warehouse districts; and densely populated urban neighborhoods. Now there’s a new entry in that category: the Preserve at Woodridge – single-family housing so close together that you can spread your arms and touch two homes.
If you like living close to neighbors, the Preserve at Woodridge will be for you. Guefen, the developer, claims 65% impervious cover. Assuming their calculations and claims are accurate, what does that look like?
We can now see. Builders have framed the first cluster of homes. I’ve posted before about how close together these homes would be. But until you see them, the proximity is hard to fathom. They certainly don’t pass the eyeball test for 65% impervious cover.
Pictures Dramatize Proximity of Homes
The good news is that these homes, some as large as 660 square feet, definitely have more space than a porta-potty or a cargo container. You’ll be able to vacuum the home in world-record time. And you’ll never have to wonder where you left your cell phone. It would be impossible to lose in a home this small.
You know things are tight when the developer measures the distance between homes down to the hundredth of a foot (1/12th of an inch).
Regardless, the engineers claim the development has 65% impervious cover for the purposes of calculating detention pond volume. That means 35% would be pervious, i.e., grass. See below.
But Where Do You Put the Lawnmower?
But with so much shade between the homes, can you really get grass to grow? And if you can, where do you put the lawnmower? The developer has only 34 garage spaces for 131 homes. Perhaps you can put the mower under your Murphy bed. Or in your gym bag.
Guefen plans to rent, not sell these homes. I guess you could consider these a step up from apartment living. But the developer has not preserved much at the Preserve. They certainly won’t live up to the reputation of the Livable Forest.
This is going to feel more like high-density, inner-city living … without the public transportation. We’ll soon see if there really is a market for this concept in the Kingwood Area.
How Impervious Cover Can Contribute to Flooding
The higher the percentage of impervious cover, the less stormwater soaks into the ground. It runs off faster. And without sufficient detention pond capacity, flood peaks build higher.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/30/2022
1615 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.