Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle and HCFCD had hoped to create a large scale detention basin to reduce Elm Grove and East Fork flooding. The resumption of construction makes that less likely now.
Reports Start Flowing In of Massive Construction Activity
All morning, I received reports of construction activity on the site. Near Woodland Hills. Near the N2 detention pond. Near the Webb Street entrance in Porter.
I also found this record of a City of Houston inspection dated 3/9/2020. It stated that work on the additional detention ponds was supposed to start on 3/16. It didn’t.
But Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller informed me today that Perry had started mobilizing construction equipment last week (see below) near the N1 pond. Thus, all the evidence started to support the theory that Perry was just executing the next phase of its promise to the Mayor when Commissioners failed to reach agreement last night.
Equipment staged near site of N1 Detention Pond on Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village. Photo taken 4/6/2020 by Jeff Miller.
Promises and Construction Activity Not Adding Up
One thing doesn’t quite add up, however – wherethe contractor started working today.
If Perry was fulfilling its promises to Turner, workers should have been excavating detention ponds. But they worked elsewhere, in planned residential areas near Woodland Hills Drive and adjacent to, but not in, the N2 detention pond.
N2 Detention Pond is second pond in northern section at SW corner. See triangular area in center and compare to photo below.
If Perry intended to work on the N2 Detention pond, they were in the wrong place.What were they doing?
The area labeled N2 in the photo above looks as though it has already been excavated. It was. By Montgomery County 15 years ago. Most likely as offsite detention for another project. According to plans, Perry was supposed to deepen this area to increase detention capacity. It has not yet done so. And that may have contributed to Elm Grove flooding.
However, instead of starting to deepen the pond today, or excavate N1 as Perry’s letter suggested they would, workers appeared to focus elsewhere. They worked on the other side of the tree line that separates N2 from the residential area. See above and below.
Shooting in a southerly direction toward the end of the crescent-shaped line of trees above. Note how excavation is taking place in front of the trees, not behind them.This work is not in the planned N2 pond, it’s in an area that was planned for residential.As I left the area, more equipment arrivedat Webb Street entrance.Construction activity was also evident near Woodland Hills Drive opposite Kingwood Park High School.
More Theories Than Answers At This Point
There’s no telling what’s going on. LJA, Perry and the City have not returned calls. The County was strangely silent today when notified of the construction activity.
If Perry planned to extend the N2 pond behind the trees all along, why did they leave the trees when they cleared and grubbed the rest of the site?
Why are they working by Woodland Hills?
Did Perry skip to Item #6 (swales) on their lawyer’s letter to the City?
Why did they not start with Pond N1 as their letter suggested?
Have they given up on a deal with the county or a sale to private interests?
Have they abandoned their promises to the Mayor?
Are they forging ahead with construction of their development?
Are they playing poker with the County?
Or are they just trying to get more detention capacity in before the rainy season starts?
Actions Reveal Intent More than Words
Regardless of the answers, there’s a truth to actions that’s often obscured by words.
The location of construction activity makes it appear that Perry has decided to forge ahead with the development of Woodridge Village.
Unfortunately, that could make a potential deal more remote. That will add to cost that Perry likely demands for a deal. Perhaps millions. And cost formed the primary barrier to consummating a deal last night.
Worse yet, there’s no assurance that anything Perry is currently doing to the site will further HCFCD’s goals for the property.
If there was an innocent explanation for all this, no one volunteered it Wednesday.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/8/2020 with help from Jeff Miller
953 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 202 since Imelda
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/2020/04/20200408-RJR_0466.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-04-08 22:59:202020-04-09 15:31:47Perry Homes Resumes Construction of Woodridge Village Day After County Commissioners Fail to Reach Deal
When I saw this meme, it made me realize that people feel walls closing in on them from the virus lockdown.
So take a quick getaway. Cruise down Ben’s Branch with Josh Alberson in his jet boat. Jetboats have a very shallow draft, so they can get into areas too shallow for propeller-driven boats.
First Video Shows HCFCD Excavation Work Up Close
Josh sent in two videos. One shows the area where Harris County flood control is currently excavating the last of almost 80,000 cubic yards of sediment. In this video, Josh’s boat moves slowly so as not to create wakes that endanger workers.
As he moves under the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge, you can see an excavator stacking wet soil on the shore where it will drain before trucks haul it away.
Video courtesy of Josh Alberson
Said Beth Walters of Harris County Flood Control, “The material placed along the south bank of Ben’s Branch is drying out. It will be disposed of offsite. The south bank of the bayou will remain in the same location. This is a maintenance project to restore the channel.”
Second Video: High Speed to Lake Houston
The second video is more exciting. It makes you want to go out and buy a jet boat and explore the river and its tributaries.
As Josh moves past the YMCA and approaches the Deerwood Club, he pulls the throttles out all the way to Lake Houston.
Says Josh, “The Mouth Bar really extends all the way to shore. From the visible island to the park in the Cove, it is all only 2 ft or so deep. While Ben’s Branch may be up to 6 ft deep, it dumps out into a 2 ft deep flat.”
Video courtesy of Josh Alberson
But that’s City property and another project for another day.
Plans for Area South of Kingwood Drive
These videos do not show Ben’s Branch immediately south of Kingwood Drive to the Kingwood Library. Many readers ask about the aesthetics of that reach. Even though the construction has moved past that area, it still looks ragged.
Said Walters, “The contractor will be required to dress up the site so that turf grass establishment can occur. Contractors typically dress up the site and complete all final grading just before moving off site. Once dressed, HCFCD’s vegetation team will place turf grass placed upon it. The final condition of the entire project site will be as it was before, with turf grass on all of the earthen berms and banks.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/8/2020with thanks to Josh Alberson, Beth Walters and HCFCD
953 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Screen-Shot-2020-04-08-at-11.51.22-AM.png?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=16761200adminadmin2020-04-08 11:53:552020-04-08 12:12:52Getaway During Lockdown: Cruise Down Ben’s Branch in Josh Alberson’s Jet Boat
A marathon 10-hour meeting of Harris County Commissioners Court ended on a hopeful note for Elm Grove Village. But it was an emotional roller-coaster ride. Commissioners discussed whether to purchase Woodridge Village from Perry Homes and use it to build a giant detention facility to protect Elm Grove from future flooding.
The northern part of the 268-acre flood-prone Woodridge Village
Recap of Meeting
Before adjourning to executive session, commissioners discussed their concerns about a potential deal in open session. If you watched it live, you probably worried at that point. Commissioners Ellis and Garcia seemed to look for ways to kill any deal.
For instance, Ellis asked pointed questions about line items in the Flood Bond. He wanted to know what line item the money would come from for Elm Grove. Russ Poppe, Executive Director of the Flood Control District, explained that they set aside money for “San Jacinto Watershed drainage improvements in general.”
Ellis said, “But it wasn’t set aside for this?” Poppe replied that Elm Grove flooding happened after the Bond election, but that it fit the criteria for drainage improvements in the SJR watershed. And Ellis again said, “So it wasn’t set aside for this.”
Video of the meeting has not yet been posted.
Ellis, Garcia, Hidalgo Always Vote as Block
I’ve been told by reliable sources that since the last election, Hidalgo, Garcia and Ellis have ALWAYS voted as a block on every issue. So when they went into executive session, I bit my fingernails.
But when the commissioners and county judge came back from executive session, the feeling was more hopeful. We don’t have an agreement to approve a deal. But we have an agreement to keep negotiating.
What Harris County Still Wants
Here’s what commissioners want:
HCFCD will formally request an extension from Perry Homes on its March 31 deadline. This should not be a problem. People aren’t exactly lining up to buy the jinxed Perry Homes property.
HCFCD will also pursue an inter-local agreement with Montgomery County (MoCo) requesting that MoCo follow Atlas 14 guidelines – especially within the City of Houston’s (CoH) extra territorial jurisdiction. MoCo already has adopted the new higher standard since approving Perry Homes’ permits. However, their Atlas-14 standards differ slightly from Harris County’s because MoCo is further north and receives less rainfall. This should not be a deal killer either.
HCFCD will also request an inter-local agreement with CoH. At a town hall meeting in March, the City made it abundantly clear that it would not contribute cash to a buyout. So in lieu of cash, Harris County will request that the City provide assets that could help Engineering or Flood Control complete County projects more cost effectively.
After that the meeting adjourned.
Thank You
Thanks to Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle who put this item on today’s agenda and has kept pushing it. Thanks also to everyone who wrote or called the commissioners requesting their support. Your efforts made a difference. Keep praying.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/7/2020
752 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 201 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/RJR_4421-2.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2020-04-07 21:24:352020-04-07 22:03:53Outcome of Commissioners Court Meeting Hopeful for Elm Grove
Perry Homes Resumes Construction of Woodridge Village Day After County Commissioners Fail to Reach Deal
In March, the City of Houston publicly refused to participate financially in any purchase of Perry Homes’ Woodridge Village property. Perry Homes then gave other parties still negotiating (i.e., Harris County) an end-of-month deadline. Perry extended that a week when it appeared that Harris County Commissioners might come up with the cash. However, when the Commissioners failed to reach agreement late last night, Perry resumed construction Wednesday morning.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle and HCFCD had hoped to create a large scale detention basin to reduce Elm Grove and East Fork flooding. The resumption of construction makes that less likely now.
Reports Start Flowing In of Massive Construction Activity
All morning, I received reports of construction activity on the site. Near Woodland Hills. Near the N2 detention pond. Near the Webb Street entrance in Porter.
It’s hard to imagine how Perry could react so fast. Then it occurred to me. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe this was in response to promises they made to Mayor Turner last October.
Perry’s Promise to the City
In February, I reported that LJA Engineering was soliciting bids to build the additional detention ponds for Perry mentioned in the letter above. Here is the invitation to bidders.
I also found this record of a City of Houston inspection dated 3/9/2020. It stated that work on the additional detention ponds was supposed to start on 3/16. It didn’t.
But Elm Grove resident Jeff Miller informed me today that Perry had started mobilizing construction equipment last week (see below) near the N1 pond. Thus, all the evidence started to support the theory that Perry was just executing the next phase of its promise to the Mayor when Commissioners failed to reach agreement last night.
Promises and Construction Activity Not Adding Up
One thing doesn’t quite add up, however – where the contractor started working today.
Here are the approved plans for the N2 Detention Pond.
The area labeled N2 in the photo above looks as though it has already been excavated. It was. By Montgomery County 15 years ago. Most likely as offsite detention for another project. According to plans, Perry was supposed to deepen this area to increase detention capacity. It has not yet done so. And that may have contributed to Elm Grove flooding.
However, instead of starting to deepen the pond today, or excavate N1 as Perry’s letter suggested they would, workers appeared to focus elsewhere. They worked on the other side of the tree line that separates N2 from the residential area. See above and below.
More Theories Than Answers At This Point
There’s no telling what’s going on. LJA, Perry and the City have not returned calls. The County was strangely silent today when notified of the construction activity.
Actions Reveal Intent More than Words
Regardless of the answers, there’s a truth to actions that’s often obscured by words.
Unfortunately, that could make a potential deal more remote. That will add to cost that Perry likely demands for a deal. Perhaps millions. And cost formed the primary barrier to consummating a deal last night.
Worse yet, there’s no assurance that anything Perry is currently doing to the site will further HCFCD’s goals for the property.
If there was an innocent explanation for all this, no one volunteered it Wednesday.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/8/2020 with help from Jeff Miller
953 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 202 since Imelda
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.
Getaway During Lockdown: Cruise Down Ben’s Branch in Josh Alberson’s Jet Boat
When I saw this meme, it made me realize that people feel walls closing in on them from the virus lockdown.
So take a quick getaway. Cruise down Ben’s Branch with Josh Alberson in his jet boat. Jetboats have a very shallow draft, so they can get into areas too shallow for propeller-driven boats.
First Video Shows HCFCD Excavation Work Up Close
Josh sent in two videos. One shows the area where Harris County flood control is currently excavating the last of almost 80,000 cubic yards of sediment. In this video, Josh’s boat moves slowly so as not to create wakes that endanger workers.
As he moves under the West Lake Houston Parkway Bridge, you can see an excavator stacking wet soil on the shore where it will drain before trucks haul it away.
Said Beth Walters of Harris County Flood Control, “The material placed along the south bank of Ben’s Branch is drying out. It will be disposed of offsite. The south bank of the bayou will remain in the same location. This is a maintenance project to restore the channel.”
Second Video: High Speed to Lake Houston
The second video is more exciting. It makes you want to go out and buy a jet boat and explore the river and its tributaries.
Says Josh, “The Mouth Bar really extends all the way to shore. From the visible island to the park in the Cove, it is all only 2 ft or so deep. While Ben’s Branch may be up to 6 ft deep, it dumps out into a 2 ft deep flat.”
But that’s City property and another project for another day.
Plans for Area South of Kingwood Drive
These videos do not show Ben’s Branch immediately south of Kingwood Drive to the Kingwood Library. Many readers ask about the aesthetics of that reach. Even though the construction has moved past that area, it still looks ragged.
Said Walters, “The contractor will be required to dress up the site so that turf grass establishment can occur. Contractors typically dress up the site and complete all final grading just before moving off site. Once dressed, HCFCD’s vegetation team will place turf grass placed upon it. The final condition of the entire project site will be as it was before, with turf grass on all of the earthen berms and banks.”
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/8/2020 with thanks to Josh Alberson, Beth Walters and HCFCD
953 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Outcome of Commissioners Court Meeting Hopeful for Elm Grove
A marathon 10-hour meeting of Harris County Commissioners Court ended on a hopeful note for Elm Grove Village. But it was an emotional roller-coaster ride. Commissioners discussed whether to purchase Woodridge Village from Perry Homes and use it to build a giant detention facility to protect Elm Grove from future flooding.
Recap of Meeting
Before adjourning to executive session, commissioners discussed their concerns about a potential deal in open session. If you watched it live, you probably worried at that point. Commissioners Ellis and Garcia seemed to look for ways to kill any deal.
For instance, Ellis asked pointed questions about line items in the Flood Bond. He wanted to know what line item the money would come from for Elm Grove. Russ Poppe, Executive Director of the Flood Control District, explained that they set aside money for “San Jacinto Watershed drainage improvements in general.”
Ellis said, “But it wasn’t set aside for this?” Poppe replied that Elm Grove flooding happened after the Bond election, but that it fit the criteria for drainage improvements in the SJR watershed. And Ellis again said, “So it wasn’t set aside for this.”
Video of the meeting has not yet been posted.
Ellis, Garcia, Hidalgo Always Vote as Block
I’ve been told by reliable sources that since the last election, Hidalgo, Garcia and Ellis have ALWAYS voted as a block on every issue. So when they went into executive session, I bit my fingernails.
But when the commissioners and county judge came back from executive session, the feeling was more hopeful. We don’t have an agreement to approve a deal. But we have an agreement to keep negotiating.
What Harris County Still Wants
Here’s what commissioners want:
After that the meeting adjourned.
Thank You
Thanks to Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle who put this item on today’s agenda and has kept pushing it. Thanks also to everyone who wrote or called the commissioners requesting their support. Your efforts made a difference. Keep praying.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/7/2020
752 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 201 since Imelda