5/11/2026 – Since my last update in April on the Northpark Drive expansion project, the most visible changes have occurred at the south entry pond on US59 and at the approach for the eastern ramp for the bridge over the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks.
Contractors have excavated the south pond deeper and paved up to the start of the ramp. Compare the photos below taken today with those taken on 4/24/26.
Photos Taken on 5/11/2026
Let’s start at 59. The south pond is still under construction. This morning, contractors were pumping it out. The Harris County Flood Warning System gage at 59 and the West Fork received 1.2 inches of rain overnight.
Looking S at southern entry pond.Note pump in upper right.Reverse angle. The north entry pond looks further along.Looking E toward 494 from over 59 shows comparative progress of both ponds.The western ramp for the bridge will go in unpaved area in the middle of the frame. However, they have not yet started on that.Intersection of Loop 494 and Northpark, looking E. When the inbound and outbound surface lanes are complete the bridge itself will go up where traffic now pinches down to the center lanes.However, before completion of the surface lanes, traffic and crossing signals must be moved out of the way.The last few feet on each side of the tracks remain unpaved for now.Father E, contractors have not yet paved the eastern ramp.Walls for the ramp appear virtually complete. Note fresh cement at base of ramp in upper right.That fresh cement is the second major change since the last update.The rest of the way to the eastern terminus of the project just past Russell-Palmer has not changed much since the last update. Looking E at Russell Palmer intersection
You can also search ReduceFlooding.com using the keyword “Northpark.”
Finally, Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ10 will hold a board meeting on 5/14/2026 starting at 8 AM at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods Drive, Kingwood, TX 77345. Here is the Agenda. They will discuss not only the current phase of the project, but a regional detention basin and the next phase of the road expansion as well. This board packet gives you a sense of what they will review.
The public will have a chance to ask question and make comments at the start of the meeting.
When complete, Northpark will be the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood for approximately 80,000 people.
5/9/2026 – During the 5/14/2026 Harris County Commissioner’s Court Meeting, Commissioners will discuss Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen in Executive Session with an eye to taking possible action.
Request by the Commissioner of Precinct 3 for an Executive Session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074(a) for discussion and possible action regarding the Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District.
Section 551.074 allows commissioners to conduct sessions in private when deliberating the employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee.
Performance Issues
Petersen’s performance has come under increasing scrutiny in the last few years as HCFCD projects have bogged down. For instance:
Construction of the Mercer Basin in Rodney Ellis’ Precinct One was started in 2022 on an expedited basis. But what should have taken one year took four. The project just finished. (See Item 389).
Funding for the reconstruction of Poor Farm Ditch in West U and South Side Place was announced in June 2023. But bid approval is on the May 14, 2026 agenda. (See Item 275).
The construction contract for the Woodridge/Taylor Gully project was awarded in March 2026. Seven weeks later, Item 124 on the agenda shows that HCFCD is just now requesting access to the site. As of yesterday, no construction equipment was onsite yet…not even a construction trailer.
Item 390 shows thathundreds of millions of dollars of CDBG-MIT and CDBG-DR projects have slipped so badly, they likely won’t meet state and federal deadlines. Of the 11 projects in the DR category only two are in construction and one of those is already seriously behind schedule. Construction bids have not yet been awarded on four others totaling approximately $90 million. Less than 9.5 months remain before deadlines kick in on projects that typically take one to two years.
Despite all that, Item 473 on the agenda shows that Petersen is requesting renewal of a $12 million contract to provide “program management, project management, construction management and inspection services for the development and implementation of CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects.”
$90,000 Raise Last Year
Despite her department’s less-than-stellar performance, Commissioners awarded Petersen a $90,000 raise last year. That brought her salary to approximately $434,000 per year.
The big question at this point is…
“Will commissioners start projects they may not have money to finish?”
The $868 million in CDBG-DR and -MIT projects is on a reimbursement basis only when the job is done. Commissioners could spend a lot of money and if the projects don’t get done, they might not get reimbursed.
Will 5/14/26 be Dr. Tina Petersen’s “Day of Reckoning” that Commissioner Ellis warned about last month?
The irony here is that we had management at flood control that was doing an excellent job…until Democrats on Commissioners Court pushed them out. You can see on the graph below what has happened since.
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/2026/04/2018-Bond-Spending-by-WS-Incremental.png?fit=2060%2C778&ssl=17782060adminadmin2026-05-09 21:55:412026-05-11 11:08:09Harris County Commissioners Will Discuss HCFCD Executive Director in Executive Session
The 5300+ acre development lies at the confluence of the San Jacinto West Fork, and Spring, Cypress and Turkey Creeks. It is some of the most flood-prone land in southeast Texas.
Scarborough purchased the land (outlined in red) from Ryko last year.
Scarborough Area in center. From FEMA’s Flood Hazard Layer Viewer. These are from old flood maps. New draft maps show the situation above is far worse. Cross-hatch = floodway. Aqua = 100-year floodplain. Brown = 500-year.
One of the leading hydrologists in the area has told me that developing this land would be like “aiming a fire hose at Kingwood and Humble.”
Information Blackout
Even worse, the GLO has stonewalled all attempts to determine the extent and nature of the PSF’s investment and terms of its contract with Scarborough, the Dallas-based developer, that bought the land from Ryko last year.
All they have told reporters is that “our plans are changing.” But how? What does that mean? Are they changing a street layout? Or backing out of the investment altogether? Could they even back out of the investment at this point? What are the conditions that would let the PSF and GLO back out even if they wanted to?
Flood victims still traumatized with PTSD need specifics, not vaguely worded generalities intended to soothe an anxious public before the election.
According to FEMA, flood mitigation typically costs six times more than flood prevention. So, the decision to finance this development could easily turn into a billion dollar public expense someday: $140 mm + (6 x $140 mm) = $980 mm.
Invitation to Buckingham
So, here’s an invitation to Commissioner Buckingham. Please come to Houston and explain the thinking behind this investment. Look your audience in the eye and be specific.
Don’t rely on vaguely worded press releases with prosaic flatulence like “Our plans are changing.” Tell us how they are changing. Do you intend to turn this land into a state park? To me, that’s the only positive that could come from this misguided episode of “As the Rivers Rise.”
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/2025/11/20251103-Layered-Maps.jpg?fit=1100%2C563&ssl=15631100adminadmin2026-05-08 18:15:012026-05-08 18:28:49An Invitation to GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham
May 2026 Northpark Expansion Update
5/11/2026 – Since my last update in April on the Northpark Drive expansion project, the most visible changes have occurred at the south entry pond on US59 and at the approach for the eastern ramp for the bridge over the UnionPacific Railroad Tracks.
Contractors have excavated the south pond deeper and paved up to the start of the ramp. Compare the photos below taken today with those taken on 4/24/26.
Photos Taken on 5/11/2026
Let’s start at 59. The south pond is still under construction. This morning, contractors were pumping it out. The Harris County Flood Warning System gage at 59 and the West Fork received 1.2 inches of rain overnight.
For More Information
See the project page of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website, including a three-week look-ahead schedule.
You can also search ReduceFlooding.com using the keyword “Northpark.”
Finally, Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ10 will hold a board meeting on 5/14/2026 starting at 8 AM at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods Drive, Kingwood, TX 77345. Here is the Agenda. They will discuss not only the current phase of the project, but a regional detention basin and the next phase of the road expansion as well. This board packet gives you a sense of what they will review.
The public will have a chance to ask question and make comments at the start of the meeting.
When complete, Northpark will be the first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood for approximately 80,000 people.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/11/2026
3177 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Harris County Commissioners Will Discuss HCFCD Executive Director in Executive Session
5/9/2026 – During the 5/14/2026 Harris County Commissioner’s Court Meeting, Commissioners will discuss Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen in Executive Session with an eye to taking possible action.
Item #490 on the Agenda reads:
Request by the Commissioner of Precinct 3 for an Executive Session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074(a) for discussion and possible action regarding the Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District.
Section 551.074 allows commissioners to conduct sessions in private when deliberating the employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee.
Performance Issues
Petersen’s performance has come under increasing scrutiny in the last few years as HCFCD projects have bogged down. For instance:
Despite all that, Item 473 on the agenda shows that Petersen is requesting renewal of a $12 million contract to provide “program management, project management, construction management and inspection services for the development and implementation of CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects.”
$90,000 Raise Last Year
Despite her department’s less-than-stellar performance, Commissioners awarded Petersen a $90,000 raise last year. That brought her salary to approximately $434,000 per year.
The big question at this point is…
The $868 million in CDBG-DR and -MIT projects is on a reimbursement basis only when the job is done. Commissioners could spend a lot of money and if the projects don’t get done, they might not get reimbursed.
Will 5/14/26 be Dr. Tina Petersen’s “Day of Reckoning” that Commissioner Ellis warned about last month?
The irony here is that we had management at flood control that was doing an excellent job…until Democrats on Commissioners Court pushed them out. You can see on the graph below what has happened since.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/9/2026
3175 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.
An Invitation to GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham
5/8/26 – The Texas General Land Office (GLO), despite all the good it does, has a serious conflict of interest under Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, MD.
Administratively, the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation resides within the GLO and Buckingham has a seat on its board.
The Permanent School Fund has reportedly invested $140 million in a floodplain development in the Lake Houston Area, according to State Representative Steve Toth.
The 5300+ acre development lies at the confluence of the San Jacinto West Fork, and Spring, Cypress and Turkey Creeks. It is some of the most flood-prone land in southeast Texas.
So, why does a state agency responsible for flood mitigation invest in a flood-prone development? That question has never been adequately answered.
One of the leading hydrologists in the area has told me that developing this land would be like “aiming a fire hose at Kingwood and Humble.”
Information Blackout
Even worse, the GLO has stonewalled all attempts to determine the extent and nature of the PSF’s investment and terms of its contract with Scarborough, the Dallas-based developer, that bought the land from Ryko last year.
All they have told reporters is that “our plans are changing.” But how? What does that mean? Are they changing a street layout? Or backing out of the investment altogether? Could they even back out of the investment at this point? What are the conditions that would let the PSF and GLO back out even if they wanted to?
Flood victims still traumatized with PTSD need specifics, not vaguely worded generalities intended to soothe an anxious public before the election.
According to FEMA, flood mitigation typically costs six times more than flood prevention. So, the decision to finance this development could easily turn into a billion dollar public expense someday: $140 mm + (6 x $140 mm) = $980 mm.
Invitation to Buckingham
So, here’s an invitation to Commissioner Buckingham. Please come to Houston and explain the thinking behind this investment. Look your audience in the eye and be specific.
Don’t rely on vaguely worded press releases with prosaic flatulence like “Our plans are changing.” Tell us how they are changing. Do you intend to turn this land into a state park? To me, that’s the only positive that could come from this misguided episode of “As the Rivers Rise.”
Until Then, Sign Petition
Absent that, I urge everyone in the Lake Houston region to sign the petition against the Scarborough development. Make your concerns heard. It’s your money and your safety.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/8/26
3174 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.