Last week, I started getting barraged by emails from stunned Lakewood Cove residents waking up to the sound of bulldozers and chainsaws. Someone was cutting down 22 acres of trees between them and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks that parallel Loop 494 – for an RV park – without any public notice.
I went to the site on Monday and started investigating. On Wednesday, I posted what I had learned. Then I kept researching. Half a day on Thursday. All day Friday. And all day Saturday. It’s like digging into a House of Mirrors. But it’s no funhouse. There are so many legal entities with so many similar names that it’s easy to confuse them. That may be the intention.
For instance, you might think that Higbie Ventures LP is the same as Higbie Ventures GP LLC or Higbie Ventures of Texas, Inc. Likewise, you might think Laurel Springs RV is the same as LS RV Resort. But it’s not an abbreviation. They play different roles. But what are they?
So Many Questions, So Little Time
The deeper I dig into the shadowy web of contractors, managers, and investors behind this venture, the more questions I had.
According to residents who have tried to contact them, they refuse to answer questions or meet with the affected community. Why?
The City of Houston Planning Commission, Public Works Department and District E office have not returned phone calls or emails. Why?
The Harris County Appraisal District website contains incomplete and dated records about the land. Why?
The Harris County Flood Control District said they were not given an opportunity to review the plans even though part of the property is in the flood plain of the San Jacinto West Fork.
The City permits for the work show a different legal entity than the TCEQ stormwater permit. Why?
According to the Secretary of State’s website, the two organizations supposedly responsible for the clearing haven’t filed franchise-tax public-information reports in more than two years – but are somehow still doing business in the State of Texas. Why?
Could that affect the validity of the building permits?
The contractor responsible for the clearing (according to the TCEQ permit) has NO website, and has apparently subcontracted the work to another company. Why?
The man behind the primary contractor has started at least 11 companies or partnerships in Texas. None have websites. Most operate out of a PO Box. Most use the same phone number. He’s lost four of the entities to tax forfeitures and dissolved two others. What’s going on there?
And the people who own the property operate a maze of more than 100 other partnerships and corporations. Will they keep and manage the property or sell it to investors?
How will:
The property be managed and marketed? Who will it cater to?
The RV park affect drainage in Lakewood Cove next door?
Heavy vehicles affect the streets?
The absence of trees affect train noise?
Trees Mostly Gone
Just before sundown tonight, I went back to see how many trees remained. And the answer was, “not many.” They seem to have cleared virtually the entire site with the exception of the southern end where the detention pond will go. There’s also a strip of trees about two trees wide next to the utility corridor that parallels the railroad tracks. Next to Laurel Springs, that narrows to one tree in some places and zero in others.
At this point, the battle to save the trees is over. They will all disappear faster than you can say “injunction.”
The developer has executed a perfect blitzkrieg attack that would make Hitler jealous.
Below are pictures taken on Saturday, 10/30/2021.
Looking SSE. Lakewood Cove on left. UP tracks run from bottom to top on right.
Detention pond will go approximately where red box is.
At this rate, clearing could be completed in a week or two.
Location of Project
For those of you who don’t know where Lakewood Cove is, see below. It’s the area immediately to the right of the red. Friendswood Development Company never owned this land, so it’s not technically a part of “Kingwood,” which is a Friendswood trademark. Therefore, it doesn’t legally enjoy the protection of Kingwood’s deed restrictions. However, in every other sense, it is very much a part of the Kingwood community.
Location of land being cleared for new RV Park is in red. Land between the red and the river will become Harris County Precinct 4’s new Edgewater Park.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/30/2021and revised on 10/31/2021 to include the “Location of Project” information immediately above.
1523 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/2021/10/20211030-DJI_0615.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-10-30 21:03:472021-11-11 17:33:03In One Week, More Questions than Trees Remain at Site of First Kingwood RV Park
In a straight party-line vote, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia approved a modified version of a plan presented weeks ago by Ellis. It contained an even bigger surprise than in Ellis’ original plan. And it takes gerrymandering to a whole new personal level that really strikes home.
The Old Switcheroo
The plan approved on 10/28/2021 creates two safe, predominantly Democratic precincts for Ellis and Garcia while forcing Republicans Cagle and Ramsey to run in each other’s precincts where they are relatively unknown. That will mean Republicans will have to raise and spend more money to compensate for low awareness.
County law specifies that precinct commissioners must livein the precincts they represent. Currently Ramsey lives in and represents Precinct 3; Cagle lives in and represents Precinct 4. So Ellis carefully gerrymandered the boundaries of the new Precinct 3 to include Cagle’s home and the new Precinct 4 to include Ramsey’s.
That means both Republicans would have to move their homes in order to represent their current districts.
Hidalgo Calls It Payback for Not Raising Taxes
Judge Lina Hidalgo supported the last minute entry in the redistricting sweepstakes. When Cagle questioned why, she said it was payback for Republican’s walking out and blocking a tax increase earlier this year. A tax increase must be approved by a 4-1 supermajority. So when Cagle and Ramsey walked out of the meeting, Democrats did not have the votes they needed.
The map below will now define the new precinct boundaries. The other major change: Garcia’s Precinct 2 loses the heavily Republican far northeast portion of the county. That will shore up his re-election chances. Last time, he won by just 2,000 votes and his seat was widely regarded as the most vulnerable in this election, given the old precinct boundaries.
The redistricting map adopted today by Harris County. Lines represent old boundaries. Colors represent new boundaries. Ellis switched the numbers 3 and 4.
Cities and counties without healthy checks and balances can devolve into blatant political corruption. The next election could determine the tenor of politics in Harris County for decades to come.
The next Harris County election will be the primary in May.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/28/2021
1521 Days after 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/2021/10/Ellis-3-Final_Page_1-copy.jpg?fit=1200%2C927&ssl=19271200adminadmin2021-10-28 19:21:322021-10-29 07:47:28Democrats Approve Modified Ellis Redistricting Plan Along Party Lines
Higbie Ventures LP, a construction company headquartered at 3733 Westheimer, has started clearing more than 20 acres immediately north of Harris County Precinct 4’s new Edgewater Park at US59 and the San Jacinto West Fork for a recreational vehicle park that would hold 182 RVs. The land sits between the Union Pacific Railroad Tracks and Lakewood Cove just west of Laurel Springs Drive.
Looking S from over Union Pacific tracks on right. Lakewood Cove on left. Edgewater Park is the big treed area to the left of the railroad tracks in the distance.Photo taken 10/26/2021.
Goodbye Towering Pines, Hello Oleander
Landscaping plans indicate that the company will clear all the trees that buffer neighbors to the east from the noise of freight trains. Oleander would replace the towering pines. Oleander is pretty but poisonous. It’s toxic to humans and pets if even small amounts are ingested.
Neighbors’ Fears
Neighbors worry about how a nearby RV park could impact their home values, safety and quiet neighborhood traffic patterns. They generate a lot of heavy vehicle traffic that streets weren’t designed for. And the RV owners sometimes also decide to become permanent residents.
This could disrupt replenishment cycles of the cypress ponds in Edgewater Park which will be one of the signature attractions of the park.
Moreover, even though part of the property sits in the floodplain, Harris County Flood Control says it was not given an opportunity to review the plans. And the floodplains shown on the plans correspond to a pre-Atlas 14 era with rainfall amounts roughly 28% lower than today’s.
It’s unclear how Higbie got permits without a public notice. But at a meeting of 150 Lakewood Cove residents last week, not one could remember receiving a notice about the RV Park development.
However, the City of Houston Permitting site shows eight permits issued to the developer for the RV Park.
The plan documents posted on the contractor’s website claim that ALL have received permits from the City of Houston, though they do not show permit stamps, only that they have been reviewed for compliance.
The permits above apply to site work only, not the construction of buildings on the site. These permits relate to site clearing, paving, sidewalks and utilities. However, there don’t appear to be any permits related to actual buildings shown on their plans.
Even though one of the permits shown in a database search is labeled “Building Pmt,” the actual permit says it is for “Structures Other than Buildings.” See below.
The “building permit” associated with the Higbie site says its for structures other than buildings.
Planned Buildings Not Yet Shown on COH Permit Site
The City of Houston District E office has not responded to enquires about whether the site is fully permitted or why the plans do not show permit stamps by city engineers.
Drone Photos Show Extent of Clearing To Date
Drone photos show the contractor has already cleared a large area on the northern portion of the site and is working south. These show the extent of clearing as of 10/26/2021.
Looking NW at site. Lakewood Cove in lower right. RV Park in Center. Lowes in upper right. US59 cuts across top of frame.Looking S again. Site clearing is moving south. The southern edge of the RV Park will roughly parallel the southern extent of homes in this photo. Looking N. The northern end of the site also roughly parallels the northern end of Lakewood Cove. So all homes in the subdivision would be affected.Contractor is leaving trees around the perimeter for now, but the landscaping plan calls for them to eventually be replaced by oleander.
Park Plan Update
Dennis Johnston, Harris County Precinct 4 Parks Director was kind enough to supply these most recent plans for Edgewater Park. The RV park would be above the black line at the top of the frame below. This first image shows trails within and around the park as well as an alternate route to connect Hamblen Road with the bridge over US59 leading to the Sorters-McClellan bridge. The alternate route would provide a way for traffic to avoid blind turns onto 494.
More than 160 Lakewood Cove residents have already signed a petition protesting the RV park. But it’s not clear whether anything can be done at this point to affect the developer’s plan. Neither the developer, Laurel Springs RV, LLC nor contractor have responded to pleas for meetings with residents according to one community leader that I have talked to.
This development raises many questions. I sincerely hope the developer choses to engage with the community to answer neighbor’s questions.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/28/2021and updated 10/29/2021 to reflect a difference between the contractor and developer.
1520 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/2021/10/20211025-DJI_0596-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-10-27 20:37:052021-10-28 13:48:36RV Park Developer Clearing Land Near Site of Precinct 4’s New Edgewater Park
In One Week, More Questions than Trees Remain at Site of First Kingwood RV Park
Last week, I started getting barraged by emails from stunned Lakewood Cove residents waking up to the sound of bulldozers and chainsaws. Someone was cutting down 22 acres of trees between them and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks that parallel Loop 494 – for an RV park – without any public notice.
I went to the site on Monday and started investigating. On Wednesday, I posted what I had learned. Then I kept researching. Half a day on Thursday. All day Friday. And all day Saturday. It’s like digging into a House of Mirrors. But it’s no funhouse. There are so many legal entities with so many similar names that it’s easy to confuse them. That may be the intention.
For instance, you might think that Higbie Ventures LP is the same as Higbie Ventures GP LLC or Higbie Ventures of Texas, Inc. Likewise, you might think Laurel Springs RV is the same as LS RV Resort. But it’s not an abbreviation. They play different roles. But what are they?
So Many Questions, So Little Time
The deeper I dig into the shadowy web of contractors, managers, and investors behind this venture, the more questions I had.
Trees Mostly Gone
Just before sundown tonight, I went back to see how many trees remained. And the answer was, “not many.” They seem to have cleared virtually the entire site with the exception of the southern end where the detention pond will go. There’s also a strip of trees about two trees wide next to the utility corridor that parallels the railroad tracks. Next to Laurel Springs, that narrows to one tree in some places and zero in others.
The developer has executed a perfect blitzkrieg attack that would make Hitler jealous.
Below are pictures taken on Saturday, 10/30/2021.
At this rate, clearing could be completed in a week or two.
Location of Project
For those of you who don’t know where Lakewood Cove is, see below. It’s the area immediately to the right of the red. Friendswood Development Company never owned this land, so it’s not technically a part of “Kingwood,” which is a Friendswood trademark. Therefore, it doesn’t legally enjoy the protection of Kingwood’s deed restrictions. However, in every other sense, it is very much a part of the Kingwood community.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/30/2021 and revised on 10/31/2021 to include the “Location of Project” information immediately above.
1523 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.
Democrats Approve Modified Ellis Redistricting Plan Along Party Lines
In a straight party-line vote, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia approved a modified version of a plan presented weeks ago by Ellis. It contained an even bigger surprise than in Ellis’ original plan. And it takes gerrymandering to a whole new personal level that really strikes home.
The Old Switcheroo
The plan approved on 10/28/2021 creates two safe, predominantly Democratic precincts for Ellis and Garcia while forcing Republicans Cagle and Ramsey to run in each other’s precincts where they are relatively unknown. That will mean Republicans will have to raise and spend more money to compensate for low awareness.
Ellis’ modified plan was posted just hours before today’s special meeting on redistricting. So the public did not really have a chance to review and discuss it. However, that didn’t stop Ellis from bragging about how open and transparent the redistricting process has been.
Clever Gerrymandering of Commissioners’ Homes
County law specifies that precinct commissioners must live in the precincts they represent. Currently Ramsey lives in and represents Precinct 3; Cagle lives in and represents Precinct 4. So Ellis carefully gerrymandered the boundaries of the new Precinct 3 to include Cagle’s home and the new Precinct 4 to include Ramsey’s.
Hidalgo Calls It Payback for Not Raising Taxes
Judge Lina Hidalgo supported the last minute entry in the redistricting sweepstakes. When Cagle questioned why, she said it was payback for Republican’s walking out and blocking a tax increase earlier this year. A tax increase must be approved by a 4-1 supermajority. So when Cagle and Ramsey walked out of the meeting, Democrats did not have the votes they needed.
The map below will now define the new precinct boundaries. The other major change: Garcia’s Precinct 2 loses the heavily Republican far northeast portion of the county. That will shore up his re-election chances. Last time, he won by just 2,000 votes and his seat was widely regarded as the most vulnerable in this election, given the old precinct boundaries.
What This Will Mean
Unless Republicans can win both Precincts 3 and 4, Democrats will have a supermajority after the next election. That would basically give Democrats the power to raise taxes at will. It would also let them override the will of voters. For instance, they could shift flood-bond money between watersheds and cancel flood-bond projects, as they tried to do last Tuesday.
Cities and counties without healthy checks and balances can devolve into blatant political corruption. The next election could determine the tenor of politics in Harris County for decades to come.
The next Harris County election will be the primary in May.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/28/2021
1521 Days after 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 Park Developer Clearing Land Near Site of Precinct 4’s New Edgewater Park
Higbie Ventures LP, a construction company headquartered at 3733 Westheimer, has started clearing more than 20 acres immediately north of Harris County Precinct 4’s new Edgewater Park at US59 and the San Jacinto West Fork for a recreational vehicle park that would hold 182 RVs. The land sits between the Union Pacific Railroad Tracks and Lakewood Cove just west of Laurel Springs Drive.
Goodbye Towering Pines, Hello Oleander
Landscaping plans indicate that the company will clear all the trees that buffer neighbors to the east from the noise of freight trains. Oleander would replace the towering pines. Oleander is pretty but poisonous. It’s toxic to humans and pets if even small amounts are ingested.
Neighbors’ Fears
Neighbors worry about how a nearby RV park could impact their home values, safety and quiet neighborhood traffic patterns. They generate a lot of heavy vehicle traffic that streets weren’t designed for. And the RV owners sometimes also decide to become permanent residents.
Neighbors also fear that changes in elevation could flood them. Dirt excavated from a large detention pond will be used to build up part of the site. The detention pond, which will have a dry bottom will occupy the southern end of the site and intercept all stormwater draining toward the cypress ponds in Edgewater Park to the south. The site’s grading plan states that “Stormwater runoff shall not cross property line.”
This could disrupt replenishment cycles of the cypress ponds in Edgewater Park which will be one of the signature attractions of the park.
Moreover, even though part of the property sits in the floodplain, Harris County Flood Control says it was not given an opportunity to review the plans. And the floodplains shown on the plans correspond to a pre-Atlas 14 era with rainfall amounts roughly 28% lower than today’s.
The contractor did not post a drainage analysis for the project but seems to be complying with Harris County Flood Control District guidelines of .65 acre-feet of floodwater detention capacity per acre.
Neighbors Claim No Public Notice Given
It’s unclear how Higbie got permits without a public notice. But at a meeting of 150 Lakewood Cove residents last week, not one could remember receiving a notice about the RV Park development.
However, the City of Houston Permitting site shows eight permits issued to the developer for the RV Park.
Permits Seem to Apply Only to Sitework
The plan documents posted on the contractor’s website claim that ALL have received permits from the City of Houston, though they do not show permit stamps, only that they have been reviewed for compliance.
The permits above apply to site work only, not the construction of buildings on the site. These permits relate to site clearing, paving, sidewalks and utilities. However, there don’t appear to be any permits related to actual buildings shown on their plans.
Even though one of the permits shown in a database search is labeled “Building Pmt,” the actual permit says it is for “Structures Other than Buildings.” See below.
Planned Buildings Not Yet Shown on COH Permit Site
But the site clearly contains buildings. They include a recreation center, comfort stations, dog wash facility, shop, cart storage buildings, outdoor fire pits, restrooms, laundry, showers.
Even though the contractor’s web site shows these structures as approved, the City of Houston Permitting Center does not.
Another possible permitting issue: Permits allow 182 pads for RVs but the site plan calls for 226!
The City of Houston District E office has not responded to enquires about whether the site is fully permitted or why the plans do not show permit stamps by city engineers.
Drone Photos Show Extent of Clearing To Date
Drone photos show the contractor has already cleared a large area on the northern portion of the site and is working south. These show the extent of clearing as of 10/26/2021.
Park Plan Update
Dennis Johnston, Harris County Precinct 4 Parks Director was kind enough to supply these most recent plans for Edgewater Park. The RV park would be above the black line at the top of the frame below. This first image shows trails within and around the park as well as an alternate route to connect Hamblen Road with the bridge over US59 leading to the Sorters-McClellan bridge. The alternate route would provide a way for traffic to avoid blind turns onto 494.
Petition Circulating
More than 160 Lakewood Cove residents have already signed a petition protesting the RV park. But it’s not clear whether anything can be done at this point to affect the developer’s plan. Neither the developer, Laurel Springs RV, LLC nor contractor have responded to pleas for meetings with residents according to one community leader that I have talked to.
Accordingly, Lakewood Cove is circulating a petition on Change.org targeted at community leaders and elected officials, pleading for help.
This development raises many questions. I sincerely hope the developer choses to engage with the community to answer neighbor’s questions.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/28/2021 and updated 10/29/2021 to reflect a difference between the contractor and developer.
1520 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.