A highly talented Kingwood photographer named Emily Murphy contacted me this week. The proposal to build high-rises near the river alarmed her. The impact on wildlife terrified her.
The Seldom-Seen World In Your Backyard
Emily often kayaks on the river with her camera. She has documented a world that few of us will ever see in person. But it’s there for everyone to see…with a little bit of effort. When she showed me her work, the beauty she revealed took my breath away.
It reminded me of a quote from Ansel Adams, America’s greatest landscape photographer. Adams, who died in 1984, was also one of the early leaders of the Sierra Club. He said…
“If you want to preserve something, inspire people with its beauty.”
– Ansel Adams
Below are some of the quiet, peaceful moments Emily Murphy experienced while paddling the San Jacinto River. All of these photos were taken within a few minutes of River Grove Park and the proposed site of the high-rise development.
Eagle photo Courtesy of Emily Murphy. Taken across the West Fork from where the proposed new high-rise development would go.
Taken from River Grove Park, looking east in morning mist toward the site of the proposed high-rise development. Photo Courtesy of Emily Murphy
American white pelicans and double-crested cormorants on the West Fork. Photo Courtesy of Emily Murphy
Quiet morning light in the backwaters of the West Fork. Photo Courtesy of Emily Murphy
Eagle flying near West Fork and Lake Houston, downstream from proposed high-rise development. Photo Courtesy of Emily Murphy.
Juvenile eagle easting fish east of River Grove Park. Photo Courtesy of Emily Murphy.
Roseate spoonbill on West Fork. Photo Courtesy of Emily Murphy
Feel Free to Use Images for Letters to Corps and TCEQ
Emily Murphy encourages people to submit her photos with their letters to the TCEQ and Army Corps of Engineers. They illustrate why these wetlands are unique and irreplaceable. (However, please do not use them for any other purposes; respect the photographer’s copyright.)
A mitigation-bank credit purchased by the developer in some far-off watershed cannot begin to compensate for the loss of a unique habitat like this…inside the limits of America’s fourth largest city.
A Community Living in Harmony with Nature
Murphy’s photography reminds me of two things. First, it reminds me of why I moved to Kingwood 35 years ago. The fact that Emily can still photograph moments like these is eloquent testimony to the founding vision for Kingwood – a community living in harmony with nature. The density of development was sufficiently low that wild animals such as these still live among us.
Second, it reminds me of a Navajo prayer that I first learned in Canyon De Chelley (pronounced ‘de SHAY’) in northeastern Arizona. The title of the prayer was inscribed on a plaque at Spider Rock, another of the world’s most beautiful places. The inscription simply said, “May you always walk in beauty.” No matter how beautiful architecture is, it can’t match the beauty of nature.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/18/2019
507 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Image-1-7.jpg?fit=1829%2C1569&ssl=115691829adminadmin2019-01-17 06:37:312019-01-17 13:32:14May You Always Walk in Beauty
Someone must have forgotten to tell the developers of the proposed high-rise development. Friendswood Development Company’s Commercial Development Guidelines prohibit buildings taller than 60 feet in Kingwood. Romerica Investments, LLC hopes to build multiple 250 to 500 foot buildings. They would exceed the maximum building-height requirements by 4X to 8X.
Section 2-13: Building Height
Section 2-13 of the guidelines, states, “Building height within master planned residential communities is limited by the use and location in each community as provided for in the deed. When the site is immediately adjacent to single family resident construction, the maximum building height is limited to thirty-five (35) feet at a point twenty-five (25) feet back from the property line. The building height may increase from that point at a 1:1 ratio to a maximum height of sixty (60) feet.”
The proposed development would surround the Barrington. It would also face Deer Cove, Trailwood and Kingwood Lakes.
Map of the proposed high-rise development in relation to surrounding residential subdivisions.
The development fronts another single family residential structure, too – on the east.
Eagle’s nest on 16th hole of Kingwood Country Club’s Island Course.
Benefits of Master Planned Community
Like many people, I moved to a master-planned residential community to avoid the specter of a high-rise building in my back yard. Friendswood Development Company actively sold their deed restrictions and development guidelines as a defense against that.
When I built my building opposite Kingwood Park High School in the late 1990’s, I had to abide by these restrictions like everyone else.
Friendswood Development’s Commercial Development Guidelines, Page II-13
Romerica Investments, LLC markets their proposal as the KINGWOOD Marina Resort. Have the rules suddenly changed?
To download the complete Friendswood Development Company Commercial Guidelines, click here.
As always, these are my opinions on matters of public interest and they are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/16/2019
505 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_0105.jpg?fit=1500%2C1010&ssl=110101500adminadmin2019-01-16 01:26:152019-01-22 21:24:36Commercial Development Guidelines for Kingwood Limit Building Height to 60 Feet
A resident of The Commons on Lake Houston contacted me about some severe erosion in her community. I can only describe it as stunning. It destroyed trails owned by the Property Owners Association that people used for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The loss of these trails limits recreational opportunities and has physically divided large parts of the community.
Sadly, it didn’t have to be that way. Infrastructure and ditch maintenance did not keep pace with development.
As development crept closer to the East Fork of the San Jacinto over the years, the erosion worsened. In older neighborhoods on higher ground, a series of small check dams in a major drainage canal reduced erosion.
A check dam is a small dam constructed across a drainage ditch to counteract erosion by reducing water flow velocity.
Wide grassy, gentle slopes and check dams keep erosion at bay in areas first developed. The last check dam. Downstream, it’s different.
Below Check Dams, Uncontrolled Erosion
The dams stop short of the East Fork. A tiny swale that residents used to step over has expanded into a steep-sided gully approximately 20 feet deep and 50-75 feet wide. Not even concrete can stop the erosion now.
Concentrated runoff below the check dams has peeled away concrete used to reduce erosion around this pipe.
Trails used to run alongside and across this ditch. Now they’ve been swallowed. Residents have nicknamed the ditch “The Grand Canyon.” They fear walking near the edge because of potential for cave-ins.
Water exits the other side of the pipe with the force of a fire hose. It has eroded a huge bowl, now eating trails and trees.Further downstream, a shallow ditch has turned into what residents now call “The Grand Canyon.”Resident points to where part of a horseback riding trail caved in.Trees falling into the center force the water wider during floods, worsening erosion.This tree created an eddy that ate away a foot path. It went from lower left to upper right.
Causes of Erosion
Erosion can result from many things. Multiple factors played a role in the Commons.
As the developer built up land to elevate foundations, he increased the slope. That accelerated runoff.
Clearing land for a new subdivision along the ditch also accelerated erosion of soft, sandy soil.
Finally, concentration of runoff also played a major role. When runoff spreads out over over acres, it poses no threat. But concentrating it turns a thousand trickles into a firehose aimed at loose, sandy soil. The result: severe erosion every time it floods.
Residents of The Commons have already seen how that erosion can destroy recreational opportunities and infrastructure. They pray that their developer will fix the Grand Canyon before it starts eating homes.
Lessons for Kingwood
This Commons story contains timely lessons for the residents of Kingwood as we consider a potential high-rise development in the floodway and floodplain of the San Jacinto.
The Commons erosion reminded me of the Kingwood Rapids. Whitewater enthusiasts gave that name to the drainage ditch that runs between Kingwood and Forest Cove near Deer Ridge Park, just south of Walnut Lane (see below).
The drainage ditch between Walnut Lane and Deer Ridge Park has jokingly been dubbed the Kingwood Rapids by whitewater enthusiasts. Ditch erosion now threatens yards and fences. Image courtesy of Google Earth.
The proposed new high-rise development would use this ditch to drain hundreds of acres that they intend to pave with concrete.
“Kingwood Rapids” in 2009 shows same processes at work here that threaten the Commons.
High-Rise Concern: Erosion and Incision
As you can clearly see, the ditch can barely handle existing runoff during storms. It’s severely eroding.
Draining high-rise, high-density commercial space into these ditches will cause them to “incise.” Incise means “cut into.” Runoff will deepen and/or widen ditches. But ditch erosion already threatens nearby homes.
This same ditch runs through River Grove Park, which already cost Kingwood residents more than half a million dollars in repairs after major storms in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The soccer program at River Grove still has not fully recovered. The lacrosse league has abandoned its lease there. One shudders to think of the damage that the loss of River Grove to do to the entire community.
Impact on Water Quality
All this erosion also has a direct impact on water quality in several ways. First, the sediment flows into the lake. There, it reduces lake capacity. The sediment also increases turbidity, which increases water treatment costs and harms riparian vegetation. That vegetation helps stabilize banks, protect property and provide cover for fish which waterfowl and eagles feed on6
More food for thought as you compose your letters to the TCEQ and Army Corps.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/16/2019
506 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/CommonsErosion07-copy.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000&ssl=110001500adminadmin2019-01-15 23:10:272019-01-16 18:34:20Dangers of Erosion when Developing Floodplains
May You Always Walk in Beauty
A highly talented Kingwood photographer named Emily Murphy contacted me this week. The proposal to build high-rises near the river alarmed her. The impact on wildlife terrified her.
The Seldom-Seen World In Your Backyard
Emily often kayaks on the river with her camera. She has documented a world that few of us will ever see in person. But it’s there for everyone to see…with a little bit of effort. When she showed me her work, the beauty she revealed took my breath away.
It reminded me of a quote from Ansel Adams, America’s greatest landscape photographer. Adams, who died in 1984, was also one of the early leaders of the Sierra Club. He said…
Below are some of the quiet, peaceful moments Emily Murphy experienced while paddling the San Jacinto River. All of these photos were taken within a few minutes of River Grove Park and the proposed site of the high-rise development.
Feel Free to Use Images for Letters to Corps and TCEQ
Emily Murphy encourages people to submit her photos with their letters to the TCEQ and Army Corps of Engineers. They illustrate why these wetlands are unique and irreplaceable. (However, please do not use them for any other purposes; respect the photographer’s copyright.)
A Community Living in Harmony with Nature
Murphy’s photography reminds me of two things. First, it reminds me of why I moved to Kingwood 35 years ago. The fact that Emily can still photograph moments like these is eloquent testimony to the founding vision for Kingwood – a community living in harmony with nature. The density of development was sufficiently low that wild animals such as these still live among us.
Second, it reminds me of a Navajo prayer that I first learned in Canyon De Chelley (pronounced ‘de SHAY’) in northeastern Arizona. The title of the prayer was inscribed on a plaque at Spider Rock, another of the world’s most beautiful places. The inscription simply said, “May you always walk in beauty.” No matter how beautiful architecture is, it can’t match the beauty of nature.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/18/2019
507 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Commercial Development Guidelines for Kingwood Limit Building Height to 60 Feet
Someone must have forgotten to tell the developers of the proposed high-rise development. Friendswood Development Company’s Commercial Development Guidelines prohibit buildings taller than 60 feet in Kingwood. Romerica Investments, LLC hopes to build multiple 250 to 500 foot buildings. They would exceed the maximum building-height requirements by 4X to 8X.
Section 2-13: Building Height
Section 2-13 of the guidelines, states, “Building height within master planned residential communities is limited by the use and location in each community as provided for in the deed. When the site is immediately adjacent to single family resident construction, the maximum building height is limited to thirty-five (35) feet at a point twenty-five (25) feet back from the property line. The building height may increase from that point at a 1:1 ratio to a maximum height of sixty (60) feet.”
The proposed development would surround the Barrington. It would also face Deer Cove, Trailwood and Kingwood Lakes.
The development fronts another single family residential structure, too – on the east.
Benefits of Master Planned Community
Like many people, I moved to a master-planned residential community to avoid the specter of a high-rise building in my back yard. Friendswood Development Company actively sold their deed restrictions and development guidelines as a defense against that.
When I built my building opposite Kingwood Park High School in the late 1990’s, I had to abide by these restrictions like everyone else.
Romerica Investments, LLC markets their proposal as the KINGWOOD Marina Resort. Have the rules suddenly changed?
To download the complete Friendswood Development Company Commercial Guidelines, click here.
As always, these are my opinions on matters of public interest and they are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP statute of the Great State of Texas.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/16/2019
505 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Dangers of Erosion when Developing Floodplains
A resident of The Commons on Lake Houston contacted me about some severe erosion in her community. I can only describe it as stunning. It destroyed trails owned by the Property Owners Association that people used for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The loss of these trails limits recreational opportunities and has physically divided large parts of the community.
Sadly, it didn’t have to be that way. Infrastructure and ditch maintenance did not keep pace with development.
As development crept closer to the East Fork of the San Jacinto over the years, the erosion worsened. In older neighborhoods on higher ground, a series of small check dams in a major drainage canal reduced erosion.
A check dam is a small dam constructed across a drainage ditch to counteract erosion by reducing water flow velocity.
Below Check Dams, Uncontrolled Erosion
The dams stop short of the East Fork. A tiny swale that residents used to step over has expanded into a steep-sided gully approximately 20 feet deep and 50-75 feet wide. Not even concrete can stop the erosion now.
Trails used to run alongside and across this ditch. Now they’ve been swallowed. Residents have nicknamed the ditch “The Grand Canyon.” They fear walking near the edge because of potential for cave-ins.
Causes of Erosion
Erosion can result from many things. Multiple factors played a role in the Commons.
As the developer built up land to elevate foundations, he increased the slope. That accelerated runoff.
Clearing land for a new subdivision along the ditch also accelerated erosion of soft, sandy soil.
Finally, concentration of runoff also played a major role. When runoff spreads out over over acres, it poses no threat. But concentrating it turns a thousand trickles into a firehose aimed at loose, sandy soil. The result: severe erosion every time it floods.
Residents of The Commons have already seen how that erosion can destroy recreational opportunities and infrastructure. They pray that their developer will fix the Grand Canyon before it starts eating homes.
Lessons for Kingwood
This Commons story contains timely lessons for the residents of Kingwood as we consider a potential high-rise development in the floodway and floodplain of the San Jacinto.
The Commons erosion reminded me of the Kingwood Rapids. Whitewater enthusiasts gave that name to the drainage ditch that runs between Kingwood and Forest Cove near Deer Ridge Park, just south of Walnut Lane (see below).
The proposed new high-rise development would use this ditch to drain hundreds of acres that they intend to pave with concrete.
High-Rise Concern: Erosion and Incision
As you can clearly see, the ditch can barely handle existing runoff during storms. It’s severely eroding.
Draining high-rise, high-density commercial space into these ditches will cause them to “incise.” Incise means “cut into.” Runoff will deepen and/or widen ditches. But ditch erosion already threatens nearby homes.
This same ditch runs through River Grove Park, which already cost Kingwood residents more than half a million dollars in repairs after major storms in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The soccer program at River Grove still has not fully recovered. The lacrosse league has abandoned its lease there. One shudders to think of the damage that the loss of River Grove to do to the entire community.
Impact on Water Quality
All this erosion also has a direct impact on water quality in several ways. First, the sediment flows into the lake. There, it reduces lake capacity. The sediment also increases turbidity, which increases water treatment costs and harms riparian vegetation. That vegetation helps stabilize banks, protect property and provide cover for fish which waterfowl and eagles feed on6
More food for thought as you compose your letters to the TCEQ and Army Corps.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/16/2019
506 Days since Hurricane Harvey