I always associated the word “Riviera” with a coastal region in France and Italy on the Mediterranean. But being a student of language, I frequently look up words that I think I know. Much to my surprise, I learned that the word has a second meaning. It also applies to any coastal region with a subtropical climate and vegetation. The origin of the word stems from 18th century Italian. It literally meant “seashore.”
History and Meanings of Riviera
The 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary (OED), which is really a history book of the language, indicates that railroad barons frequently used the word in the 1900s to lure vacationers to coastal areas around the world. OED’s last entry is from the October 19, 1943 edition of the Saturday Review, an influential magazine at the time. The OED quoted the Saturday Review as saying, “Every properly equipped nation must have a Riviera.”
Getting From There to Here
The term occurred to me when I saw the scene below while flying up the San Jacinto West Fork last Sunday near River Grove Park. So it is with tongue in cheek and humor in my heart that I apply the term to River Grove.
Looking NW. Partying on the sand dune outside Kingwood’s River Grove Park on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Looking northeast at the same sand bar two weeks after Harvey.At this point, the River Grove parking lot was still covered with 4-5 feet of sand.
No Burger Barns or Tatoo Parlors, But…
Now the sand bar seems to be a popular stopping off point for people running the river and trying to squeeze a little more sunshine out of the day.
It may not be the French/Italian Riviera. Nor is it the Redneck Riviera. You won’t find people here for spring breaks, water parks, tattoo parlors, beer joints, crab shacks, burger barns or t-shirts.
But the sunshine is warm, the water cool, and it doesn’t require a trans-Atlantic flight or a 14-hour drive.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200530-DJI_0128-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-06-06 19:22:032020-06-06 19:41:43River Grove Riviera: Park Adds New Feature
One thousand and twelve days ago, Hurricane Harvey destroyed the Forest Cove townhomes between Hamblen and the West Fork San Jacinto. Yet most still stand – mute reminders of Harvey’s fury and mankind’s folly. They illustrate: a) the need to re-engineer business processes surrounding buyouts and b) rethink multi-family housing in flood-prone areas.
The Love It/Leave It Relationship With Rivers
Jennifer Parks, who lived there for five years and had her wedding ceremony by the river. She and her neighbors loved the area for its quiet, natural beauty and the tightly knit community. People cared for each other. But her family flooded eight times in five years.
During Harvey, her 4-story townhome took on 20 feet of water, a measurement documented by FEMA.
The Parks’ townhome is the 4-story unit behind the one in the foreground.
Three other units in this same building were totally lost to the flood. They extended south (toward the right) in the photo above.
Since the flood, the units have become a magnet for arsonists, looters, squatters, drug dealers, illegal dumpers, and graffiti artists. An arsonist torched the building next to Parks’ last July. See below.
Arson damage last July to a six-unit building on Timberline Drive.Illegal dumping near another unitMore illegal dumping.
Xs represent buildings that have already been torn down.
Green rectangles represent units that have already been purchased.
Purple rectangles represent units that are in the process of being purchased.
Four white rectangles with red arrows pointing to them are in a special category. They appear to be units that were swept away in the flood. HCFCD says, “We’re working with the State on approval for these 4 in the first alternate request we submitted in our HMGP grant. (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program).”
A Flood Control spokesperson said, “As soon as entire buildings are purchased, we’re requesting demolition. We’ve demolished six (red x’s) already.”
The two (red circles) are scheduled for demolition. The district says it is still working on five remaining buildings (numbered). However, Building Number Five appears to be torn down already. (That’s why I say the map is slightly dated. See below.) The flood swept away many of those units. At this point, they may be just land purchases.
Usually, until every unit in a building is purchased, nothing can be torn down.
It’s a complex process made more complex by the facts that owners have all moved and Harvey swept away some units.
Picture of building #5 (nearest river) taken two weeks after Harvey shows only two of seven units left standing. The rest were in pieces and mostly downstream. Residents say they were lucky to escape with their lives when the massive SJRA release arrived in the middle of the night without warning.By March of this year, the rest of Building #5 was just a pile of rubble waiting for a dump truck.
Is It Wise To Build Multi-Family Homes in Floodway?
The length of time it has taken to negotiate these buyouts and the blight that looters have created during the process raise a question.
Should construction of multi-family housing be allowed in a floodway? Or even a floodplain?
Unfortunately, developers like the cheap land in floodways. And young people with little life experience like the romantic views. It’s a marriage made in hell and a recipe for disaster. Greedy sellers meet eager, unknowledgeable buyers.
I raise this question because last year, about a mile downriver from these townhomes, Romerica applied for permits to build 5,000 condos and 50-story high-rises in an equally flood-prone area.
My opinion: The best, cheapest way to avoid these subsidized cycles of building, destruction, buyouts and decay is to avoid building in flood-prone areas in the first place.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/6/2020
1012 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/2020/06/20200604-DJI_0027.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-06-06 15:26:302020-06-06 15:36:21Buyouts of Forest Cove Townhomes Progressing, But Slowly
Within the Forest Cove Townhome complex, currently being bought out by Harris County Flood Control, two wells, and three oil and gas storage tanks have been abandoned. The operator, Noxxe Oil and Gas, LLC went out of business in February this year for failure to pay franchise taxes. At least one of the wells has a history of a recent leak that affected the West Fork San Jacinto. The tanks sit rusting and leaning at odd angles. And the pipes connecting them are broken and twisted.
The Texas Railroad Commission has investigated the site numerous times since Harvey and required cleanup and remediation by the operator until the company went out of business.
Because the operator is now defunct, the Railroad Commission plans to step in and complete the cleanup process once additional funds become available in the next fiscal year starting September 2020.
According to Harris County Flood Control, the Railroad Commission does not believe there is an imminent danger at this time from the existing tank battery and facilities.
However, the Commission says it will likely be an expensive cleanup. At public expense.
However, as fields and wells near the end of their producing life, the economics of production become marginal. Near the end, stripper wells may produce only 10-15 barrels per day – or less. Only operators on shoestring budgets can afford to keep such wells producing at that point. They become hand-me-down wells from operators with deep pockets and big costs to smaller companies with less capital and lower costs.
In theory, that’s how to maximize recovery from a well. However, when problems develop, the smaller companies are sometimes ill-equipped to handle them.
These pictures below show part of the legacy Noxxe left behind.
Some of the equipment left behind by Noxxe in Forest Cove: tanks and pump-jacks.This tank seems to lean at about a ten degree angle.These lean even more.The plumbing connecting the tanks is disconnected and in disarray.Tanks are rusted, dented, overgrown and covered with graffiti.
The collapse of oil prices in response to COVID restrictions earlier this year hurt small producers more than large ones. It will be interesting to see how many other stories like this emerge in coming days.
If you see similar problems, reach out to the local office of the TRRC at 713-869-5001.
Posted by Bob Rehak on June 6, 2020
1012 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/2020/06/20200604-RJR_3084.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-06-05 20:04:232020-06-05 21:26:43Cleanup of Forest Cove Oil Wells, Tanks Scheduled for Fall
River Grove Riviera: Park Adds New Feature
I always associated the word “Riviera” with a coastal region in France and Italy on the Mediterranean. But being a student of language, I frequently look up words that I think I know. Much to my surprise, I learned that the word has a second meaning. It also applies to any coastal region with a subtropical climate and vegetation. The origin of the word stems from 18th century Italian. It literally meant “seashore.”
History and Meanings of Riviera
The 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary (OED), which is really a history book of the language, indicates that railroad barons frequently used the word in the 1900s to lure vacationers to coastal areas around the world. OED’s last entry is from the October 19, 1943 edition of the Saturday Review, an influential magazine at the time. The OED quoted the Saturday Review as saying, “Every properly equipped nation must have a Riviera.”
Getting From There to Here
The term occurred to me when I saw the scene below while flying up the San Jacinto West Fork last Sunday near River Grove Park. So it is with tongue in cheek and humor in my heart that I apply the term to River Grove.
This giant sand dune is the remnant of an even larger quarter-mile-long dune left by Hurricane Harvey. It took the Army Corps of Engineers to cut through it so that the Kingwood Diversion Ditch could empty into the San Jacinto West Fork. Then KSA still had dredge the area near the boat dock before the area became accessible.
No Burger Barns or Tatoo Parlors, But…
Now the sand bar seems to be a popular stopping off point for people running the river and trying to squeeze a little more sunshine out of the day.
It may not be the French/Italian Riviera. Nor is it the Redneck Riviera. You won’t find people here for spring breaks, water parks, tattoo parlors, beer joints, crab shacks, burger barns or t-shirts.
But the sunshine is warm, the water cool, and it doesn’t require a trans-Atlantic flight or a 14-hour drive.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/7/2020
1013 Days after Hurricane Harvey
Buyouts of Forest Cove Townhomes Progressing, But Slowly
One thousand and twelve days ago, Hurricane Harvey destroyed the Forest Cove townhomes between Hamblen and the West Fork San Jacinto. Yet most still stand – mute reminders of Harvey’s fury and mankind’s folly. They illustrate: a) the need to re-engineer business processes surrounding buyouts and b) rethink multi-family housing in flood-prone areas.
The Love It/Leave It Relationship With Rivers
Jennifer Parks, who lived there for five years and had her wedding ceremony by the river. She and her neighbors loved the area for its quiet, natural beauty and the tightly knit community. People cared for each other. But her family flooded eight times in five years.
Three other units in this same building were totally lost to the flood. They extended south (toward the right) in the photo above.
Since the flood, the units have become a magnet for arsonists, looters, squatters, drug dealers, illegal dumpers, and graffiti artists. An arsonist torched the building next to Parks’ last July. See below.
Current Status of Buyouts and Demos
So where do buyouts stand? Harris County Flood Control provided the slightly dated map below.
Four white rectangles with red arrows pointing to them are in a special category. They appear to be units that were swept away in the flood. HCFCD says, “We’re working with the State on approval for these 4 in the first alternate request we submitted in our HMGP grant. (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program).”
A Flood Control spokesperson said, “As soon as entire buildings are purchased, we’re requesting demolition. We’ve demolished six (red x’s) already.”
The two (red circles) are scheduled for demolition. The district says it is still working on five remaining buildings (numbered). However, Building Number Five appears to be torn down already. (That’s why I say the map is slightly dated. See below.) The flood swept away many of those units. At this point, they may be just land purchases.
It’s a complex process made more complex by the facts that owners have all moved and Harvey swept away some units.
Is It Wise To Build Multi-Family Homes in Floodway?
The length of time it has taken to negotiate these buyouts and the blight that looters have created during the process raise a question.
It’s difficult enough to buy out single-family homes. The process stretches through three levels of government. From Houston to Austin to Washington D.C. One of these buildings had twelve units. Aligning all those dominos takes time. And as we have seen, during that time, criminals have turned this neighborhood into a cancer infecting surrounding areas. In fact, the twelve unit building was burned to the ground. And that was just one of three fires.
Unfortunately, developers like the cheap land in floodways. And young people with little life experience like the romantic views. It’s a marriage made in hell and a recipe for disaster. Greedy sellers meet eager, unknowledgeable buyers.
I raise this question because last year, about a mile downriver from these townhomes, Romerica applied for permits to build 5,000 condos and 50-story high-rises in an equally flood-prone area.
My opinion: The best, cheapest way to avoid these subsidized cycles of building, destruction, buyouts and decay is to avoid building in flood-prone areas in the first place.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/6/2020
1012 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.
Cleanup of Forest Cove Oil Wells, Tanks Scheduled for Fall
Within the Forest Cove Townhome complex, currently being bought out by Harris County Flood Control, two wells, and three oil and gas storage tanks have been abandoned. The operator, Noxxe Oil and Gas, LLC went out of business in February this year for failure to pay franchise taxes. At least one of the wells has a history of a recent leak that affected the West Fork San Jacinto. The tanks sit rusting and leaning at odd angles. And the pipes connecting them are broken and twisted.
The Texas Railroad Commission has investigated the site numerous times since Harvey and required cleanup and remediation by the operator until the company went out of business.
Because the operator is now defunct, the Railroad Commission plans to step in and complete the cleanup process once additional funds become available in the next fiscal year starting September 2020.
However, the Commission says it will likely be an expensive cleanup. At public expense.
Old Oil Field, Old Equipment
These tanks and wells represent a common problem around Lake Houston and the old Humble Oil Field. The Humble field was discovered in 1905 and, to date, has yielded more than 150 million barrels of oil.
However, as fields and wells near the end of their producing life, the economics of production become marginal. Near the end, stripper wells may produce only 10-15 barrels per day – or less. Only operators on shoestring budgets can afford to keep such wells producing at that point. They become hand-me-down wells from operators with deep pockets and big costs to smaller companies with less capital and lower costs.
Noxxe Problems Started Early and Persisted
Shortly after incorporation in 2009, Noxxe ran into legal troubles when the company’s own lawyers sued it for non-payment. Noxxe lost the case. Then Noxxe appealed, but the company’s owner failed to appear for a deposition. Eventually, Noxxe’s appeal was denied because it failed to pay court costs.
Other Noxxe problems blew up into headlines after the Memorial Day flood in 2016 when oil slicks were photographed floating from its storage tanks. Another problem surfaced in 2017 when a pipeline from one of their wells on Marina Drive started leaking into the West Fork.
Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC) regulates oil and gas production. Its documents show that Noxxe ignored state regulators on more than one occasion.
The company’s problems with TRRC became visible on April 4, 2017. The Railroad Commission ordered certificates of compliance for the operator cancelled and all pipeline/carrier connections severed.
Then, during Harvey, Noxxe’s operations near the Forest Cove Townhomes and elsewhere on the West Fork became inundated. Again!
One month after Harvey, Steve Shaffer, the company’s president, took over as his own registered agent.
Days after that, Noxxe moved from 324 Forest Cove Drive to 1120 NASA Parkway.
On October 16, 2018, the Railroad Commission found that Noxxe failed to appear or respond to charges which included:
Finally, on February 28, 2020, the company forfeited its right to do business in Texas for failure to pay franchise taxes. (However, it still has until this June 28th to get its accounts in order and have its charter reinstated.)
Part of Noxxe’s Legacy in Forest Cove
These pictures below show part of the legacy Noxxe left behind.
The collapse of oil prices in response to COVID restrictions earlier this year hurt small producers more than large ones. It will be interesting to see how many other stories like this emerge in coming days.
Where to Report Similar Problems
While the abandoned equipment shown above may not represent an imminent threat, it still represents a threat that must be remediated by the state. It is adjacent to the drinking water supply for 2 million people and subject to frequent flooding. Jennifer Parks who used to live in one of the townhomes on Timberline Drive flooded eight times in five years.
If you see similar problems, reach out to the local office of the TRRC at 713-869-5001.
Posted by Bob Rehak on June 6, 2020
1012 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.