Between US59 and Sorters-McClellan Road, a few blocks south of Kingwood Drive, New Caney ISD High School #3 is finally taking shape. And it now has an official name: West Fork High High School.
On January 1, 2021, contractors were just starting to pour concrete for the foundations and parking lots. According to the New Caney ISD’s June update:
Site work storm drainage is 95 percent complete
Sanitary sewer system – 85 percent.
Electrical system – 98 percent.
Water system – 90 percent.
Building concrete slab – 90 percent.
Form and pour tilt-up panels – 99 percent.
Erect panels – 95 percent.
Structural steel – 55 percent.
Metal decking – 20 percent.
Concrete masonry unit (cinder block) masonry – 10 percent.
Aerial Photos Taken 7.12.21
Here’s how all that looked on the afternoon of July 12, 2021.
Looking NE from over Sorters-McClellan Road toward Kingwood Medical Center and Insperity (top center).Looking east toward Field House and where playing fields will go just beyond it. US59 and Lowe’s in background.Looking south at entire site. Sorters-McClellan Road on right. US59 on left and top.A peak into New Caney ISD’s West Fork High School three-story structuresLooking north at entire site. Huge detention pond in foreground. Looking North. Corrugated metal installed as base for roofing on four buildings.
Site Plan, Architectural Renderings for New Caney ISD West Fork High School
Here’s how it should all look when finished.
Architectural Rendering courtesy of New Caney ISD.
Architectural Rendering courtesy of New Caney ISD.
Architectural Rendering courtesy of New Caney ISD.
General plan for New Caney High School #3
New Caney ISD expects to finish construction on the 60-acre site in the summer of 2022. The site is in Montgomery County, but also the City of Houston’s Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction.
Detention Pond Requirements
The dry-bottom detention pond takes up approximately 5 of the 60 acres – or one twelfth of the site. Assuming it’s 12 feet deep, it would hold a foot of rain falling on the entire site. The new minimum recommendation for a site this size in Harris County and the City is .65 acre feet of detention per acre. That would be about 40 acre-feet of detention, which a pond 8 feet deep would hold.
Because the construction site is closed, and the plans I have don’t specify depth, it’s hard to say exactly how much capacity the detention pond has. But I’m guessing it’s deep enough to meet the new minimum requirements under Atlas 14. I say that judging by the height of the pond walls compared to the pipes leading into it.
I would expect no less from a public school system.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/12/2021
1413 Days after Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20210712-DJI_0066.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-07-12 17:54:312021-07-12 17:55:11New Caney ISD’s New West Fork High School Taking Shape
On Thursday last week, Stephen Costello, PE, the City of Houston’s Chief Recovery Officer, gave an update on Lake Houston dredging. Costello said that mechanical dredging was starting to move from the West Fork to the East Fork of the San Jacinto River.
Next Phase of Dredging Starting
This marks the beginning of the next phase in dredging after Harvey. Since 2018, dredgers have focused on the West Fork, which was 90% blocked by sediment in places, according to the Army Corps. The Corps and the City removed 2.9 million cubic yards of sediment from the West Fork. Now the focus will migrate to the East Fork, and then Lake Houston itself.
But to get to the East Fork mouth bar, dredgers must first deepen the channel south of Royal Shores that connects the two forks…or else take the long way around to the placement area.
Yellow dot represents most recent focus of dredging on West Fork. The dotted line branching off to the right through the channel is how dredger’s will get back and forth to the East Fork Mouth Bar (big yellow circle) and the placement area south of River Grove Park on the West Fork.
Channel Filled with Silt, Too
Costello said silt in the channel made it too shallow for pontoons and equipment to navigate back and forth safely.
Photos taken this afternoon show that the first equipment is starting to dredge the channel inside two ancient cutoff meanders of the West Fork.
Looking west toward West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge from over the channel connecting the West and East Forks.Wider shot from farther back shows the dredge area within the cutoff meanders.Looking East toward the East Fork and Luce Bayou (upper right).
As the last photo shows, at this time, no dredging activity has yet reached the East Fork.
Boaters: Exercise Caution Around Dredging Equipment
This cut-through is a popular shortcut for boaters. Boaters may wish to take the long way around for the next few months or, at a minimum, use extra caution. Those excavators have long arms and can turn suddenly. Remember: operators don’t have eyes in the backs of their heads. Make sure they acknowledge your presence before zipping past them.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/11/2021
1412 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20210711-DJI_0062.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-07-11 17:40:332021-07-11 17:40:38Lake Houston Dredging Starts Moving to East Fork
While far from complete, Humble ISD contractors have made steady progress with the construction of the new Kingwood Middle School (KMS), despite heavy and steady rains in May, June and July. Back in late March, I reported that steel was going up. Since then, the contractors have finished erecting steel on 80-90% of the new KMS building.
I took all the photos below on 7/10/2021.
Overview of campus, looking south. Woodland Hills Blvd on right. The white area in the foreground appears to be roofing.
The new KMS is being built on the site of the old athletic fields. When complete, the old school will be demolished and the athletic fields will be relocated there.
A prominent feature of the new construction is a temporary detention pond (foreground) to reduce flood risk for neighbors. Looking NNW. Note the concrete slab between the detention pond and the crane, where contractors have not yet started erecting steel.The new building will be much taller and “airier” than the old one which had solid brick walls over most of the exterior.Portions will be 3-stories tall, letting more students learn on a smaller footprint. Looking north across old KMS campus toward new construction shows the variation in the respective footprints.
When demolition of the old KMS has finished, the temporary detention pond will reportedly turn into a permanent one near the location of the semi-circular drop off zone above.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20210710-DJI_0038.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-07-10 20:33:522021-07-10 20:33:56Contractors Almost Finished with Framing New KMS, Starting on Roof
New Caney ISD’s New West Fork High School Taking Shape
Between US59 and Sorters-McClellan Road, a few blocks south of Kingwood Drive, New Caney ISD High School #3 is finally taking shape. And it now has an official name: West Fork High High School.
On January 1, 2021, contractors were just starting to pour concrete for the foundations and parking lots. According to the New Caney ISD’s June update:
Aerial Photos Taken 7.12.21
Here’s how all that looked on the afternoon of July 12, 2021.
Site Plan, Architectural Renderings for New Caney ISD West Fork High School
Here’s how it should all look when finished.
New Caney ISD expects to finish construction on the 60-acre site in the summer of 2022. The site is in Montgomery County, but also the City of Houston’s Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction.
Detention Pond Requirements
The dry-bottom detention pond takes up approximately 5 of the 60 acres – or one twelfth of the site. Assuming it’s 12 feet deep, it would hold a foot of rain falling on the entire site. The new minimum recommendation for a site this size in Harris County and the City is .65 acre feet of detention per acre. That would be about 40 acre-feet of detention, which a pond 8 feet deep would hold.
Because the construction site is closed, and the plans I have don’t specify depth, it’s hard to say exactly how much capacity the detention pond has. But I’m guessing it’s deep enough to meet the new minimum requirements under Atlas 14. I say that judging by the height of the pond walls compared to the pipes leading into it.
I would expect no less from a public school system.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/12/2021
1413 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Lake Houston Dredging Starts Moving to East Fork
On Thursday last week, Stephen Costello, PE, the City of Houston’s Chief Recovery Officer, gave an update on Lake Houston dredging. Costello said that mechanical dredging was starting to move from the West Fork to the East Fork of the San Jacinto River.
Next Phase of Dredging Starting
This marks the beginning of the next phase in dredging after Harvey. Since 2018, dredgers have focused on the West Fork, which was 90% blocked by sediment in places, according to the Army Corps. The Corps and the City removed 2.9 million cubic yards of sediment from the West Fork. Now the focus will migrate to the East Fork, and then Lake Houston itself.
But to get to the East Fork mouth bar, dredgers must first deepen the channel south of Royal Shores that connects the two forks…or else take the long way around to the placement area.
Channel Filled with Silt, Too
Costello said silt in the channel made it too shallow for pontoons and equipment to navigate back and forth safely.
Photos taken this afternoon show that the first equipment is starting to dredge the channel inside two ancient cutoff meanders of the West Fork.
As the last photo shows, at this time, no dredging activity has yet reached the East Fork.
Boaters: Exercise Caution Around Dredging Equipment
This cut-through is a popular shortcut for boaters. Boaters may wish to take the long way around for the next few months or, at a minimum, use extra caution. Those excavators have long arms and can turn suddenly. Remember: operators don’t have eyes in the backs of their heads. Make sure they acknowledge your presence before zipping past them.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/11/2021
1412 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Contractors Almost Finished with Framing New KMS, Starting on Roof
While far from complete, Humble ISD contractors have made steady progress with the construction of the new Kingwood Middle School (KMS), despite heavy and steady rains in May, June and July. Back in late March, I reported that steel was going up. Since then, the contractors have finished erecting steel on 80-90% of the new KMS building.
I took all the photos below on 7/10/2021.
The new KMS is being built on the site of the old athletic fields. When complete, the old school will be demolished and the athletic fields will be relocated there.
When demolition of the old KMS has finished, the temporary detention pond will reportedly turn into a permanent one near the location of the semi-circular drop off zone above.
Humble ISD expects the school to open for the 2022 school year. For more information about the plans for the building, see the District’s web site. Find updates on other new construction from the 2018 bond here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/10/21
1411 Days since Hurricane Harvey