Last year, New York State produced a series of model local laws to increase resilience. The 468-page document is a catalog of ideas for cities and counties to choose from. It covers everything from building in flood-prone areas to maximum lot coverage, land-clearing practices for new developments, stormwater controls, zoning, building elevation and more.
For those who can get past the not-invented-here syndrome, it could provide a valuable resource. As I read it, I found dozens of ideas that could reduce flooding in Houston.
Will New York Approaches Fly in Houston?
While some of the concepts, such as zoning, may seem radical to Houstonians, others have actually already been adopted by Houston. For instance, one of the suggestions was to record the extent of flood-plains on plats, a project the Houston Planning Commission recently adopted. Another is to require elevation of homes that flood repetitively to avoid substantial damage in the future. Houston adopted that one, too, after Harvey.
Another recommendation: prohibit land clearing by developers until AFTER plats are approved. This could likely have helped prevent a lot of flooding on the San Jacinto East Fork where Colony Ridge cleared thousands of acres before even getting plats approved.
The real target for this document is local government officials interested in addressing resiliency issues in their municipal codes. However, the discussions around each proposal also provide interesting background for flood advocates who are lobbying their elected officials.
Best Practices Codified into Local Regulations
The ideas provide of menu of what has worked elsewhere and why.
For greater resiliency, it is a wise best management practice, claim the authors, to ensure that developers design subdivision layouts in a manner that:
Minimizes land disturbance (tree clearing, land grading, soil compaction);
Avoids steep slopes, flood-prone areas and wetlands;
Protects important natural areas and habitats; Limits impervious surfaces;
Does not negatively impact public infrastructure;
Does not overload the roadway system, and
Provides effective stormwater control.
Other Major Areas of Focus
Other major sections deal with protection alternatives for:
The ideas presented here do not represent a complete program that must be adopted from start to finish. They are more like an à la carte menu. Take a little of this. A little of that. Whatever you need. Wherever you need it.
Once local officials identify ideas they could use, the document even provides templates for the wording of resolutions.
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.
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The Liberty County Hazard Mitigation Plan contains no mention of Colony Ridge, the largest and most vulnerable community in the entire county. Like Liberty County’s Strategic Plan, this is another example of shoot-yourself-in-the-foot planning. It, too, has Grand-Canyon-sized disconnects between intention and execution that could jeopardize thousands of lives.
Overlooked or Ignored?
Liberty County last updated its Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2017. Yet it contains no specific mention of Colony Ridge, a 12-13,000 acre development. At buildout, Colony Ridge projects it will cover 22,000 acres. By comparison, Kingwood occupies 14,000 acres.
The former Mayor of Plum Grove estimates more than 20,000 people currently call Colony Ridge home. Exact counts are difficult since many people are undocumented. But if the Mayor was correct, it would make Colony Ridge two timeslarger than the largest cities in the county. Plus…
Colony Ridge has extreme vulnerabilities caused by sub-standard drainage; poverty; language barriers; lack of street lighting and fire hydrants; poor electrical and communications infrastructure; a high percentage of mobil and self-built homes; poor access through flood-prone roads; and leaky sewage systems.
Such risk factors make residents especially vulnerable to floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and extreme temperatures. Moreover, poverty makes it harder for people to recover from such disasters.
Yet the plan does not contain one recommendation to address this high concentration of vulnerabilities in Colony Ridge. Even though the plan addresses vulnerabilities in much smaller areas, “the largest vulnerable population in the county” receives only one mention. That was as an unnamed area near Plum Grove. Plum Grove has a population of approximately 400-500 people compared to Colony Ridge’s 20,000.
It’s as though the people who live in Colony Ridge are invisible. For instance, the plan addresses two mobile homes in Dayton Lakes, but not the thousands in Colony Ridge.
Purpose of Plan
The purpose of Liberty County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is to “reduce the loss of life and property within the county and lessen the negative impacts of natural disasters.” The plan addresses specific vulnerabilities in a dozen communities, but never the largest.
Educational Programs Targeted to Government Officials
This section starts with the need to develop and implement educational programs for residents and government officials, that address, among other things, the need to improve existing local ordinances. That was a familiar theme from the Liberty County Strategic Plan (which also failed to mention Colony Ridge). The idea: better building codes can enhance survivability of structures during threats such as tornadoes, fires, hurricanes and floods.
But that idea hasn’t yet filtered down to Colony Ridge where the developer caters to a do-your-own-thing, follow-your-American-dream, build-it-yourself-on-weekends crowd. The results are predictably creative and eclectic. See below.
Colony Ridge D-I-Y housing. Photo taken 12/7/2020.Typical neighborhood in Colony Ridge. Photo taken 12/7/2020.Note how cream-colored home (bottom left) has apparently fallen off its base.
Public/Private Collaboration to Minimize Hazards
A similar objective to the one above: Foster collaboration between public and private partners throughout the county to create and implement local ordinances and county-level programs that minimize hazards. Here are several common problems:
No evacuation routes marked.
No traffic-control signals along what would be evacuation routes.
Unlit streets at night
People walk on streets because there are no sidewalks.
Only a handful of fire hydrants in 13,000 acres where residents commonly start brush fires and overwhelm the volunteer Plum Grove fire department.
No school-zone warning lights or signs
No grocery stores for emergency supplies.
Missing street signs make emergency response difficult in many areas.
On a special note, as of 9PM tonight, the temperature has dropped into the 30s and reports of widespread power outages are pouring in from Colony Ridge due to poor electrical infrastructure that has not kept pace with the area’s growth.
Improve Drainage to Reduce Flooding and Erosion
Another goal: improve drainage throughout the county to reduce the impact of flooding and erosion on residents and structures.
FM1010 at Rocky Branchhas gone un-repaired for the 3.5 years since Harvey. This road would be the major evacuation route for 20,000.
The Mitigation Plan was developed after Harvey and adopted by Liberty County Commissioner’s Court on October 9, 2018. But the Plan makes no mention of the repairing the washout above.
Create Drainage Ponds Throughout County
The plan calls for widening existing culverts and creating drainage ponds throughout the county. Yet for the entire 13,000 acres, Colony Ridge apparently has one functioning detention pond. A second pond seems to have largely silted in.
One of the few, if not the only functioning detention ponds in Colony Ridge. This is in Sante Fe Section 3 in the extreme southwestern corner of the development.Colony Ridge engineers claim such ponds would make flooding worse. See below.
Beat-The-Peak Analysis Applied to 22,000 Acres
LandPlan Engineering’s Hydraulic Analysis from March 2020 concludes on page 8 that “…detention would increase the overall peak release from [Sante Fe] Section 6 as well as those portions of upcoming Sections 7 and 8 discharging to the Luce Bayou.”
It’s hard to understand how detention ponds would increase the peak flow. The conclusion refers readers to two graphs in Appendix D. But neither mentions anything about detention assumptions such as volume or rate of release. This is yet another “beat the peak” claim which Liberty County Drainage Regulations don’t explicitly bar.
So the Hazard Mitigation Plan encourages detention ponds and the drainage regulations give developers financial incentives NOT to build them. Again, the Grand-Canyon-sized gap between intentions and execution.
As we have seen in Montgomery County, beat-the-peak claims don’t consider changes to upstream or downstream conditions. They rely on infrequently updated data that becomes increasingly out of date with the development of each new subdivision. And they encourage all developers to get their water to rivers ASAP in heavy rains, which is exactly the opposite of what you want people to do in floods.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/16/2020
1205 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 454 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/2020/10/20201025-DJI_0919.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-12-16 21:09:122020-12-16 21:46:46Liberty County Hazard Mitigation Plan Contains No Mention of Largest, Most Vulnerable Community in County
In August 2016, Liberty County released a Strategic Plan. Officials intended it to be the official policy guide for the county’s growth. However, most of the growth experienced by the county since then contrasts sharply with the vision, strategies and goals outlined in the plan. The contrast is so great, it’s tragicomic.
Colony Ridge V. Liberty County Goals
The massive 12-13,000 acre Colony Ridge development has provided most of the county’s growth since the plan’s inception. The development was not even mentioned in the plan but is now larger than the largest cities in the county (Liberty, Cleveland and Dayton).
Below are quotes from the Strategic Plan paired with pictures from Colony Ridge. You be the judge. Is Liberty County delivering on its mission, vision and values? Or mortgaging its future?
Vision Statement
“Liberty County supports a high quality of life by nurturing a family-friendly, resilient, and equitable community, and welcomes sustainable growth while conserving natural assets” – County Vision Statement
High-Level Goals
Development Goals include “Developing in a safe and resilient way that will last for generations to come.”Environmental Goals include promotion of ecotourism, expansion of parks, and wetland preservation.Housing Goals include improving the quality of housing.Transportation Goals include expanding connectivity throughout the county. “The mobility of both people and goods is vital to the region’s success and its citizens’ quality of life.” Shown above: FM1010, washed out since Harvey, has traffic backed up for hours during morning and evening commutes.
Drainage/Water Concerns
Planners are concerned about “fast growth that will change the nature of the community, and place more pressure on existing services and storm water infrastructure.”
Building and Development Guidelines
“Strengthening building codes is an effective way to lessen damage from disasters...For example, there would have been 40% less damage in Hurricane Andrew had building codes been enforced.”“Encourage an intense tree canopy as a tool for reducing energy consumption and thermal pollution while also increasing value.”“Establish development regulations to reduce hazard exposure within the County.”“We envision a county abundant in natural, environmental, and wildlife resources that are protected and carefully managed to ensure the integrity of the ecosystem as the county grows.”
Promote an Overall Increase In Quality of Life
“…ensure that there is equitable access to resilient, high-quality housing to promote an overall increase in the quality of life.”
Such plans are always aspirational. They provide both direction and guideposts to measure success. People always make concessions to reality along the way.
However, what strikes me about thisparticular plan is that Liberty County gleefully accepted the first growth that fell into its lap. Judging by the pictures and statements above, and Wayne Dolcefino’s interviews, county officials were too busy licking their lips to say, “Hey now!”
They apparently made no attempt to influence the developer to follow even the most basic tenets of their plan.
From the Liberty County Strategic Plan.
It’s almost as if Colony Ridge exists in a parallel universe. I wonder how the structures above will hold up in a tornado, Toto?
An immutable law of biology states that “If you’re not growing, you’re going.” But I hope people down at the county courthouse remember that not all growth is good.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/14/2020
1203 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 452 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/2020/12/20201207-Aerial-Dec-2020_734.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-12-14 09:00:262020-12-14 09:00:31Liberty County Strategic Plan … Dead On Arrival
Wayne Dolcefino, one of the country’s great investigative journalists, has been digging into Colony Ridge, as I have. So when he asked me last week if his videographer could hitch a ride on my helicopter, I said “sure.”
New Dolcefino Video Covers More Dimensions of Flooding Problem
While I shot hundreds of stills over Colony Ridge, his videographer shot 90 minutes of video. Dolcefino edited it together with other footage. His 8-minute video includes:
The most recent Liberty County Commissioner’s meeting
Attempted interviews with Trey Harris, the Colony Ridge developer
Some mind-boggling political donations made by Harris
An interview with a Harris County flood official
Articles from ReduceFlooding.com, including my recent Colony Ridge post, Rivers of Mud.
Wayne Dolcefino begs Liberty County Judge Jay Knight and commissioners to watch video of drainage violations at Colony Ridge before voting on new plats for the developer. They approved the plats without watching his video.
While I have focused primarily on the physical issues involved in flooding, Dolcefino has also focused on political issues. He literally digs deeper into the problem.
From Colony Ridge to the Liberty County Courthouse
The background for Dolcefino’s latest video is a Liberty County Commissioner’s Court meeting in which he attempted to show Commissioners video of drainage violations in Colony Ridge before they voted on additional plats for the developer.
Commissioners approved the plats after refusing to watch the video. Then, incredibly, one said he didn’t see any proof of violations.
And that – in one brief soundbite – explains why flooding is such a difficult problem to solve.
Colony Ridge violates Liberty County drainage standards because ditches have no backslope interceptor swales to reduce erosion.Most also lack grass.
I highly recommend Dolcefino’s video if you want to understand – in your gut – how politics can affect local flooding.
Out-Scrooging Scrooge
You may also find Trey Harris’ refusal to answer questions about deplorable living conditions in Colony Ridge, coupled with interest rates up to 13% on land purchases, quite interesting. It only took 177 years for someone to out-Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist from Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. But, in my opinion, the Colony Ridge developer now sets the standard.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/13/2020 based on reporting by Wayne Dolcefino
1202 Days since Hurricane Harveyand 451 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/2020/12/20201213-Screen-Shot-2020-12-13-at-5.14.33-PM.jpg?fit=1200%2C680&ssl=16801200adminadmin2020-12-13 18:08:472020-12-13 18:22:09Rivers of Mud, Part Dos: Wayne Dolcefino Uncovers More Liberty County Dirt
But aerial photos taken this week show that drainage ditches in the massive Colony Ridge development rarely have grass on their banks. And while criss-crossing the development in a helicopter on Monday, December 7, 2020, I did not see one backslope interceptor swale. This, DESPITE Colony Ridge being the largest development in Liberty County. Or maybe it’s BECAUSE Colony Ridge is the largest development in the county. Perhaps they think they can flaunt regulations.
Colony Ridge is even larger than any of the cities in Liberty County – by far. You would think that would make violations more visible. But apparently, it makes them less so. Much to the detriment of downstream communities.
What Ditches Should Look Like If Regulations Were Followed
Regs in Liberty County are similar to those in Harris County. Here’s a photo of a drainage ditch in Harris. It shows both grass and interceptor swales in use and how they help prevent erosion. Note the swales behind the shoulders of the ditch. Also notice the concrete structures that help pipe rainwater from the swales to the bottom of the ditch. They prevent water from washing down the ditch slopes and causing erosion. Had the developer followed the regs, which represent best practices, his ditches should look like the one below.
Backslope interceptor swales with drain pipes leading to bottom of ditch help prevent erosion. Photographed in Humble in Harris County.
Erosion Control as Practiced in Colony Ridge/Liberty County
Now, compare that to the following 18 photos. I took all of them over Colony Ridge on Monday. Some show newly developing areas subject to the latest regulations adopted in 2019. Others show areas already developed under regulations from 2004. The older regs required grass, but no interceptor swales. The newer regs require both. No attempt has been made to bring the older ditches up to newer standards despite obvious erosion problems.
Note how the developer has a habit of piling dirt next to the ditches. The TCEQ cited the developer for that practice earlier this year because dirt could wash back into ditches during rains. However, the developer obviously doesn’t fear the TCEQ. He’s still doing it. On a grand scale.
Ditch on right has grass on banks but no backslope interceptor swales.Note dirt piled on banks and how it’s already eroding into ditch. No grass. No swales. Piles of dirton the ditch’s shoulders.Again. No grass. No swales. More dirt on shoulders.Some weeds, but no grass. No swales. And a river of mud.Another river of mud.Rio de Lodo. “Lodo” translates to mud, sludge or mire in English.This ditch has more corrugations than a cardboard factory thanks to the total absence of erosion-control measures.Ditch in new area without erosion control measures near Highway 99 extension (in upper left of frame). Note eroded sediment already moving down the ditch.See close-up detail below.Regulations say that grass should be planted on ditch shoulders immediately after ditch construction.Detail from upper right of previous photo.Note erosion in ditch in foreground and other ditch T-ing into it.Pipe from resident’s home enters ditch at top, accelerating erosion. Enlargement shows brownish liquid dripping from pipe.Even newer stick-built homes on left don’t get erosion protection.Note a wheelbarrow next to the man. Perhaps he’s trying to excavate blockages in the ditchbehind his house.Note how erosion has taken dirt from under fences.Better keep the dog on a leash!The mud in ditches has made them playgrounds for ATVs, further contributing to erosion.The mother of all eroding ditches in Colony Ridge.(BTW, note the absence of fire hydrants on the long street left of ditch.)Baby ditch with another river of mud.Erosion has created a training ground for mountain goats in Colony Ridge.
Externalizing Development Costs
All this erosion (from approximately 12-13,000 acres) eventually winds up in the East Fork of the San Jacinto and Lake Houston. There, taxpayers must pay to have it dredged and filtered out of the water supply.
Meanwhile, the developers cheaping it out are counting their change all the way to the bank.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/10/2020
1199 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 448 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/2020/12/20201207-Aerial-Dec-2020_1103.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-12-10 14:12:222020-12-11 13:16:11Rivers of Mud: Largest Development in Liberty County Openly Flaunts Drainage Regulations
In my lifetime, I’ve taken more than half a million pictures. I spent four years photographing in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, which was the poorest neighborhood in that city at the time. I’ve also photographed in Appalachia and the poorest parts of Central America. But in the heartbreak department, nothing compares to a photo I took this afternoon while flying over Colony Ridge in Liberty County. The developer there has reportedly foreclosed on 1900 properties so far this year.
Colony Ridge home, December 7, 2020.
Plastic Sheeting for a Roof in 40 Degree Weather
The photo in question: a mobile home with plastic sheeting for a roof. Duct tape held down the sheeting. The temperature last night fell into the low forties. It’s hard to believe that this is probably someone’s dream home. But everything is relative. And I have no idea where the owner came from. This could be a step up.
Capturing this photo took 1/8,000th of a second. But I’ve stared at it for hours since downloading it. I can’t take my eye off the crib and the children’s toys strewn around it. Nor the breakfast table with a cup of coffee and a half eaten meal.
It’s hard to believe that people live in conditions like this. To be fair, most homes in Colony Ridge don’t approach this level of poverty. But it’s not unusual for the development.
A Reminder at Christmas
I hope this image serves as a reminder this Christmas that despite our wealth, tremendous need exists in our midst. Please support the charity of your choice this year if you can.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/7/2020
1196 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/2020/12/20201207-Aerial-Dec-2020_1210.jpg?fit=1200%2C813&ssl=18131200adminadmin2020-12-07 20:00:512020-12-08 08:03:13Merry Christmas from Colony Ridge
Drainage ditches in Colony Ridge appear to violate Liberty County drainage standards from both 2004 and 2019.
Both 2004 and 2019 regulations require developers to plant the slopes of ditches with grass to control erosion.
In addition, 2019 regulations require backslope interceptor swales, another erosion-control measure. These prevent stormwater from running down the sides of ditches.
According to residents, the developer has made little effort to do either or to bring older ditches up to current standards.
The violations contribute to sedimentation of the East Fork San Jacinto and its tributaries, and flooding from Lake Houston to Plum Grove.
Soil-Stabilization Violations
2004 Liberty County Road and Drainage Standards for Subdivisions and Development stipulate in Section 3.72 on Page 28 that, “All channels, and adjacent area, which has been disturbed by construction equipment shall be seeded with Bermuda grass or other grass as approved by the Precinct Commissioner or Designated Agent at the rate of eight pounds per acre (8 lb/ac). Seeding shall conform to Item 164 Seeding for Erosion Control of the “TxDOT Standards”.
Note erosion on sides of ditches. Colony Ridge 6/16/2020
2019 regulations also mandate additional erosion-control measures. The section on Erosion Control on page 100 states: “All drainage facilities must be designed and maintained in a manner which minimizes the potential for damage due to erosion. No bare earthen slopes will be allowed. Various slope treatments, including turf establishment, concrete slope paving, and rip-rap, are accepted. Flow velocities should be kept below permissible values for each type of slope treatment. Interceptor structures and backslope swale systems are required to prevent sheet flows from eroding the side slopes of open channels and detention facilities.” [Emphasis added.]
The emphasis on “All” and “maintained” would seem to require developers to bring all ditches up to the 2019 standard, but that clearly has not happened.
Colony Ridge 6/16/2020. Note severe erosion, lack of grass on slopes and absence of backslope interceptor swales.
What Backslope Swales Look Like
Liberty County regulations don’t provide schematics of backslope interceptor swales, but Harris County Flood Control regulations do. See below. At the top of the ditch embankment, a notch is cut into the horizontal area. This notch collects rain and channels it to a series of corrugated metal or HDPE drains that empty into the bottom of the channel. This prevents water from pouring over the banks of the channel and eroding them.
As you look at the pictures below, see if you can spot the:
Backslope swales (notches)?
Drain pipes?
Grass-lined banks?
You can’t. They aren’t there.
Colony Ridge 6/26/2020. Note severe erosion on banks. This ditch was built in 2015.Colony Ridge 6/26/2020Colony Ridge ditch draining into Maple Branch. 4/25/2019.Colony Ridge 6/14/2020 in newly developing area.
But construction technique does not seem to be the problem in Colony Ridge. They simply have not been built. That’s why erosion on the sides of the channels is so rampant.
Consequences of Erosion
All this eroded sediment has to go somewhere. And it did.
Between Kingwood and Huffman, the East Fork Mouth Bar downstream from Colony Ridge grew 4000 feet during Harvey and Imelda. Average water depth through this area decreased from 18 feet to 3 feet.
Colony Ridge isn’t 100% responsible for ALL this sedimentation. Natural erosion and sand mines also contributed. But substandard drainage practices in a 12-13,000 acre development had to play a large role.
The City of Houston is still dredging the West Fork Mouth Bar, more than three years after Harvey. Cost to taxpayers to date: more than $100 million. No one yet knows how much it will cost to remove the East Fork Mouth Bar.
Backslope interceptor swale on Taylor Gully in Harris County.12/4/2020Taylor Gully in Harris County 9/7/2020.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/5/2020
1194 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 453 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/2020/12/20200616-RJR_4085.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-12-05 20:47:342020-12-06 10:08:27Colony Ridge Ditches Violate Liberty County Drainage Standards
“More than 200 families will lose their land and homes Tuesday as the controversial developer in Liberty County continues mass foreclosures,” says Dolcefino. “Nearly 97 percent of foreclosures in the county are now linked to a neighborhood housing a growing number of illegal immigrants.”
A small part of 13,000-acre Colony Ridge in Liberty County. Photographed last spring.
One in Eight Colony Ridge Lots Foreclosed on This Year
The developer foreclosed on more than 2,700 properties before Thanksgiving this year, according to Dolcefino. With another 200 on the auction block tomorrow, that will make 2,900 – out of a total of 22,356 properties (according to the developer’s website). That’s about 13% of all the lots in Colony Ridge, foreclosed on in ONE year. More than one in eight!
According to Dolcefino, the foreclosure auction should take place on the steps of the Liberty County Courthouse from 10 to 1 tomorrow. Dolcefino caught the developer’s employees faking an auction last time.
Colony Ridge So Far Has Managed to Repurchase Every Foreclosure
Dolcefino also says that Colony Ridge has repurchased 100% of the lots it has foreclosed on. Thus, the developer sells and resells the properties many times over in a revolving door arrangement.
Colony Ridge boasts that they finances land transactions themselves. The developer makes it exceedingly easy to purchase the property with down payments as low as a few hundred dollars. But then he charges up to 13% interest rates on the balance. And the fees for water and sewage hookups can be astronomical.
No wonder the developer and his team (a bunch of ex-boxers) have an undefeated record. It’s the perfect combination punch for unsophisticated buyers, many of whom barely speak English: a down-payment jab followed by uppercut interest rates, roundhouse fees, and the knockout at the County Courthouse.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 12/1/2020
1190 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/20200616-RJR_4059.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2020-11-30 22:49:002020-11-30 23:37:56Flood of Foreclosures: Hundreds to Lose Colony Ridge Homes Tomorrow
Not long ago, Colony Ridge, the world’s largest trailer park, went to war with the City of Plum Grove. Now they are taking on Wayne Dolcefino, one of the nation’s leading. investigative journalists, too.
Somebody needs to tell Colony Ridge developer Trey Harris to give his employees some media training. When Dolcefino set his sights on Colony Ridge, several employees greeted him with hostile language. The word “threatening” comes to my mind. Surely they should know that this will only focus more media attention on their dubious business model.
Dolcefino Credentials
Dolcefino and his television shows have won:
Thirty Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Five Charles Green Awards
An Edward R. Murrow award
A Jack Howard Award for investigative reporting
Numerous honors from the Associated Press and Texas Association of Broadcasters
An unprecedented three medals from the international journalism organization Investigative Reporters and Editors.
So it was ironic that Dolcefino titled his latest piece on the war between Plum Gove and Colony Ridge an “Unfair Fight.” If you want to see one of the nation’s top journalists at the top of his form, check out this story.
But Dolcefino goes way beyond those problems. Check out the revolving-door foreclosures, fake foreclosure auctions, and predatory lending practices that target the vulnerable.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/27/2020
1186 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.
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Welcome to Flood Notes. So much has been happening lately on the flood front, it’s hard to keep up with it all. So this post will be a digest of things that affect flooding on the local, state and national fronts.
Humble ISD North Transportation Center Construction Update
We have had ideal construction weather in the last month and contractors at HISD’s north transportation center on Ford Road in Porter had made a lot of progress. They have completed the detention pond. More than half the remaining site is covered with concrete parking lots. And it looks as if the foundation for a building has also been poured. Humble ISD anticipates shorter routes for half the district will save taxpayers $2 million per year. The District hopes to open the Center in 2021.
Humble ISD North Transportation Center 11.7 acre site. Photo taken 11/07/2020.
Colony Ridge
This massive development in Liberty County has turned into the world’s largest trailer park. The developer of Colony Ridge keeps expanding at a record clip. Perhaps he’s anticipating a sales boom when the Grand Parkway creates better access. At the moment, he appears to be cutting and burning another 3000 acres. Nearby Plum Grove residents have complained about the smoke.
Colony Ridge expansion. Photo taken 11/1/2020.Colony Ridge expansion. Photo taken 11/1/2020.Colony Ridge expansion. Photo taken 11/1/2020 after a long period without rain. Notice the wet areas covered up with fill. Wetlands once criss-crossed this area.
Chlorine Creek
Plum Grove residents who live next to Colony Ridge also report the strong smell of sewage and chlorine coming from a new sewage treatment facility along Maple Branch a quarter to a half mile away. TCEQ fined the company that provides these services not long ago for the illegal discharge of 48,000 gallons of raw sewage into the same creek from a lift station.
Sewage treatment plant creating strong odors for Plum Grove residents as well as those in Colony Ridge itself.Wastewater from this plant is apparently discharged into Maple Branch just inside the tree line at the top of the frame.The discharged water has a heavy chlorine smell to it. All life in the creek seems to have died according to residents. That includes, fish, tadpoles, minnows, etc.
Michael Shrader, a Plum Grove resident who lives adjacent to Maple Branch, has affectionately renamed it Chlorine Creek.
HUD Approves New GLO Plans for Disaster Funding
On 11/4, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced that the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved two state action plans detailing the distribution and eligible uses of more than $285 million. The Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds will assist in long-term recovery efforts following severe flooding in 2018 and 2019 in South and Southeast Texas. To view the action plans, please visit recovery.texas.gov/action-plans. To expedite the recovery process, the GLO will directly administer and oversee the funds.
TWDB Accepting FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Requests
This one affects government officials in Cities, Counties, Special Districts, etc.. FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program provides federal funding to help communities pay for cost-effective ways to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to flood prone structures that are insured under the National Flood Insurance Program. FMA program funds can be used for planning and projects. The deadline to apply to the Texas Water Development Board is December 1, 2020. For more information, please visit www.twdb.texas.gov/flood/grant/fma.asp.
FEMA Program Helps Enforce Building Codes, Floodplain Management
FEMA announced the release of a policy to provide communities with resources to enforce building codes and floodplain management following a major disaster declaration. The “Building Code and Floodplain Management Administration and Enforcement” policy can provide funding for the first 180 days following a major declaration for:
Costs associated with extra hires or contracted support
Reviewing and processing building permits and occupancy and compliance certificates
Conducting building inspections and initial substantial damage field surveys
Reviewing disaster-related development in the floodplain
Providing educational services to the public on floodplain requirements.
The policy is a result of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, Section 1206. This policy applies to all major disaster declarations declared on or after August 1, 2017.
CBS aired a chilling story tonight about the floods brought by Hurricane Eta. The storm dumped up to 7 inches of rain on the Carolinas. It washed out roads and bridges. In fact, a reporter was standing on one bridge when pieces of it started to fall into the raging floodwater. Very dramatic footage if you missed it.
Eta nearly tied Gordon for the longest hurricane on record. Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist, says that had the storm lasted until tomorrow, it would have taken the longevity record.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/12/2020
1171 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/2020/11/20201101-DJI_0009.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2020-11-12 20:28:362020-11-12 20:29:28Flood Notes: Highlights of Current Happenings
