Engineering Plans for Figure Four Development Near Elm Grove

Below are several links that allow you to download the engineering plans for Woodridge Village, sections one and two. I haven’t had time to read them yet. Frankly they make my eyeballs bleed. But maybe some younger eyes can help.

I’m posting these because Kingwood is full of engineers who are more qualified to evaluate them than I. All of us are smarter than one of us.

Cover page of first doc showing detention plans.

Woodridge Village, Sections One and Two, comprise those huge clearcut areas north of Elm Grove. During heavy rains last week, video shows water pouring out of the newly clearcut section into Elm Grove. Something appears to have gone wrong. Texas law prohibits flooding your neighbors.

Please Help Review Engineering Plans

The first talks about their constructions plans for Waterline Relocation and Detention Ponds.

The second talks about their Water, Sanitary Sewer and Drainage Facilities & Paving and Appurtenances for Section 1 of the development.

The third talks about their Water, Sanitary Sewer and Drainage Facilities & Paving and Appurtenances for Section 2 of the development.

I would love to hear from civil engineers who know about these things. Reply in confidence through the contact form on this web site.

A shout-out to Houston City Council Member Dave Martin and his staff for supplying these documents. And another to Montgomery County for supplying them to him.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/15/2019

624 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Rustling Elms Bridge over Taylor Gully in May 2019

Webster, Spurlock Law Firms File Suit on Behalf of More Than 100 Flood Victims

The Webster and Spurlock law firms today jointly filed a lawsuit on behalf of more than one hundred flooded home owners in the Elm Grove area. Webster and Spurlock list Figure Four Partners, LTD., PSWA, Inc., and Rebel Contractors, Inc. as the defendants.

Details of Suit

The lawyers say they may amend the suit to add Perry Homes and LJA Engineers. In addition, they say more homeowners could soon join the suit. Elm Grove Homeowners Association reportedly held another meeting with the lawyers at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church tonight.

The suit alleges negligence, negligence per se, gross negligence, nuisance, and violation of Section 11.086 of the Texas Water Code. Plaintiffs see exemplary damages and a permanent injunction among other things.

Read the text of the their legal filing here.

A statement by Figure Four Partners, LTD, claims the flood was an act of God. However, 93% of all the homes that flooded in Kingwood and Forest Cove were within a few flocks of the land that Figure Four clearcut.

Background

Also, videos and photographs that have surfaced since the flood show water pouring out of their new development into the streets of Elm Grove that already were retaining rain. Elsewhere in Kingwood, there was little street flooding that entered homes. So it appears that the combination of sheet flow from Figure Fours’ development with street flooding made the difference.

One resident sent me these pictures last night via the submissions page on this web site. They show water in the streets that appears to be higher than water in Taylor Gully.

Taylor Gulley just before the flood peaked, according to the photographer. Image taken at Rustling Elms shows that ditch was mostly within its banks at this point, though certainly, some overflow can be seen.
Water over bumper of school bus.
Never park your car in the street during a flash flood.
Same scene from lower angle a little later in the flood.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/14/2019

623 Days since Hurricane Harvey

93% of Flood-Damaged Homes in Kingwood and Forest Cove Are Near Area Clearcut by Figure Four Partners

I spent four hours driving around Kingwood and Forest Cove this afternoon counting flood-damaged homes from the heavy rains last week. I counted a total of 211. Of those, 196 were in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest. That means 93% were near the 262 acres that Figure Four Partners clearcut for its new development in Montgomery County.

Approximate area where vast majority of damage occurs. Arrow represents direction of drainage from lower third of Figure Four Partners’ new development.

The remaining 15 homes appeared to be isolated, low-lying homes or homes with blocked drains. Only four of those in Woodland Hills and Bear Branch appeared related to creek or ditch flooding. The rest were scattered around Kingwood and Forest Cove.

Breakdown by Location

Here’s the breakdown of what I could find … in descending order.

  • Elm Grove – 175
  • North Kingwood Forest – 21
  • Bear Branch – 5
  • Forest Cove – 4
  • Woodland Hills – 3
  • Trailwood – 2
  • Kings Forest – 1

Most damaged homes outside of Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest appeared to be isolated instances in low-lying areas. In two places, I saw two damaged homes next to each other.

I could only find four homes (plus the St. Martha school and Kids in Action) that flooded near Bens Branch. Bens Branch is another stream about the size of Taylor Gully and not far from it.

I expected to find many more flooded homes near Bens Branch. But after going down dozens of cul-de-sacs and finding no damage, I abandoned that search.

Massive Concentration Raises Legal Questions

The concentration of damage within a few blocks of Figure Four Partners’ 262 clearcut acres will certainly raise legal issues for the developer and its contractors. So does the fact that all the other creeks in the Kingwood and Forest Cove area put together did not flood more than six homes/businesses that I could see. Several law firms are already reportedly filing law suits on behalf of flood victims. More on that later.

Figures Understated

These numbers may be understated because I may have missed some homes where trash had already been picked up. I was looking for the tell-tale wallboard residue in grass where people had piled sheetrock, but trash crews were doing a pretty good job.

Social media reported damage in Hunters Ridge, Sherwood Trails, Kings Mill and Kings Point. But I did not see the damage. If someone flooded in these areas, please send me your address through the contact form on this web site and I will update the count.

Also, I have not yet ventured to Atascocita, Huffman, or Porter. More on those areas in a subsequent post.

People on ten streets in Porter reported damage; all streets appear to be close to the new development, but I have not verified the proximity of damaged homes on those streets to the clearcut area. That 93% figure could rise or fall depending on what I find in Porter.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/14/2019, with thanks to Regan McMahon-Cohen for compiling a list of streets and neighborhoods from social media

623 Days since Hurricane Harvey

All conclusions expressed in this post are opinions on matters of public policy. They are protected by the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas and the First Amendment of the US Constitution.