Three areas in northwest Humble are in various stages of development. Parts or all of these areas flooded during Hurricane Harvey. The flooding was deep enough that reportedly one of the developers is not even going to try to raise the area. Instead, he said he will raise the homes 6-7 feet. Let’s hope that’s enough.
The numbers in the satellite image correspond to the groups of photos below. I took all shots on 1/3/23.
#1 will become light industrial. #2 will become single family residential. #3 will become single- and multi-family residential.
Area #1 – Light Industrial
According to a 2016 map by Skymark, the developer, the first area will become light industrial.
A four-lane divided road leads from the NW corner of Townsen Boulevard to Spring Creek on the north. By Skymark Development.The road abruptly stops before reaching Spring Creek and the Spring Creek Nature Trail.
The unpaved area between Spring Creek and where the road ends is owned by another developer (Pacific Indio) who also owns the land on the far side of the creek.
The Spring Creek Nature Trail cuts through the woods near the creek and follows it north toward I-45.Reverse angle shot looking SE toward Deerbook Mall shows large cleared area with stormwater detention basin.
Area #2 – Single Family Residential
Contractors are in the process of building roads into an area west of Target and Kohls. Saratoga Homes reportedly plans to build 357 homes and townhomes on this location.
Looking S from over Townsen Blvd. we can see two large stormwater detention basins (lower and upper left) Same area, but looking east toward Kohls and Target.
The closer shot below shows that not all the roads have been built yet.
Saratoga plans to build elevated homes here.
Area #3 – Single- and Multi-Family Residential
Looking south toward Sam’s with Townsen Blvd West on right, we can see a large stormwater detention pond that already has grass growing. This area will become single- and multi-family residential, some of which will be dedicated to seniors.
Note last of trees in center foreground being cleared and shredded for mulch. Spillway from detention basin seems to have a detour built into it. The purpose? Likely to slow the water and avoid erosion at the base of the utility poles.The long ditch on the left will drain Areas 2 and 3.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20230103-DJI_0559.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2023-01-09 13:31:172023-01-09 13:39:27Development Update on 3 Areas in NW Humble
The new residential development going in along Townsen Boulevard West that I posted about last Saturday is just one of three new developments in northwest Humble. Of the other two, one will evidently be for light industrial use; the other for residential. A Townsen Boulevard extension toward Spring Creek is also under construction.
Townsen Extension
This conceptual plan by Skymark Development for Townsen Landing shows the Townsen extension in the upper left just below 94-acres designated for light industrial use. Skymark or its related companies own or owned all of the land in the colored areas below.
You may have noticed an entrance cut into the woods at the northwest corner of the Townsen loop. Several readers have asked about all the recent activity there.
Entrance to Townsen Boulevard extension at NW corner of Townsen loop. Reader photo used with permission.
On Monday 9/26/22, I took several aerial photos of work beyond the entrance. They show a four-lane divided roadway that stops at Spring Creek. The images also show a floodwater detention basin and a large clearing already surrounded by silt fence. See below.
Slightly NW of entrance on Townsen.Note drainage inlets surrounded by silt fences on roadway.Looking N. The detention basin already has grass-lined slopes and backslope interceptor swales to reduce erosion. Closer shot, still facing N, shows where road ends at Spring Creek.
I discussed that vast undeveloped area north of the creek more than a year ago. Suffice it to say, for now, that the same company owns that land and a small parcel shown in the foreground of the photo above. A bridge has been rumored for more than 10 years according to several sources I consulted. And a developer reportedly wants to build 7,000 homes on the far side of the creek. But the Montgomery County Engineer’s office claims to know nothing about it and Harris County has not yet responded to enquiries about a bridge. More on that area in a future post when I learn more.
Light Industrial?
Calls to Skymark were not returned. So it’s not clear who or what will go into that clearing by the detention pond. Harris County Appraisal District shows that the land is owned by Headway Estates, LTD, which is run by Clinton Wong.
Wong’s name is associated with hundreds of companies and partnerships in the Texas Secretary of State’s database, including Skymark, Headway Estates, Hannover Estates, and Townsen Landing. Wong and his companies own or control most of the land in the photo four photos below which comprise Townsen Landing.
Reverse angle looking back ESE. CostCo in upper leftand Deerbrook Mall in upper right.Looking SE toward two clearings for new residential developments at top of frame. Aldine ISD Jones Middle School in the upper right.
If the plans above remain unchanged, the big wooded area on the right above will also become light industrial. Light industrial land uses typically include final-stage or “clean” manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing and distribution, and the sale and servicing of vehicles and equipment. Light industry includes a broad spectrum of land uses, some of which can be compatible with urban, mixed-use development.
Looking East toward 59 at the entrance at Townsen Boulevard and areas cleared starting in 2015, two years before Harvey!Those cleared areas were originally intended to hold homes.Hannover Estates has owned the cleared land since 2013, according to HCAD.
I have not yet obtained construction plans or drainage analyses for the light industrial area.
Saratoga Homes Residential Development West of Kohl’s
West and slightly north of the Kohl’s store on Townsen is another new development underway in Humble. Signs on Townsen Boulevard suggest most of it belongs to Saratoga Homes. But Saratoga has not returned phone calls or emails either. Most of this area is in the current 500-year floodplain. However, that could soon change with new Post-Harvey flood maps.
Looking W.Extent of site work as of 9/27/22.Note large detention basin in foreground and Kohl’s on right.Close-up of one corner of detention basin. Looking W. Water and stormwater lines are now going in.Looking N. Entrance to development appears to be off of Townsen. Note corner of Costco in upper right.Looking back east toward Kohl’s and stormwater detention basin.Note the large drainage ditch that runs the length of this development on the right.
That detention pond is more than a mile from Spring Creek and yet this area flooded during Harvey.
The flooding was deep enough that reportedly the developer is not even going to try to raise the area. Instead, he said he will raise the homes 6-7 feet.
The Harris County Appraisal District shows that the area with the detention pond and a strip adjacent to the drainage ditch is owned by Hannover Estates LTD, a company controlled by Wong.
The rest of the cleared area appears to be owned by JNC Development, a company related to Saratoga Homes.
Floodplains
Much of the land under development in Humble is in a floodplain. See below.
Note: FEMA approved the floodplain map above in 2014. FEMA should release preliminary versions of Post-Harvey maps early next year. The floodplains shown above could expand 50% or more, according to preliminary guidance from HCFCD.
During Harvey, the gage at the West Fork and 59 registered the highest floodwater in northern Harris County – 20.5 feet above flood stage.
Chart showing feet above flood stage of 33 gages on misc. bayous in Harris County during Harvey.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/28/22
1856 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220926-DJI_0678.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-28 14:40:352022-10-11 10:15:32Land Cleared for Two More Humble Developments, Townsen Boulevard Extension
Developers have virtually finished clearing approximately 70 acres on Townsend Blvd. West in Humble. The land is immediately north of Sam’s Club and east of Walmart and Aldine ISD’s Jones Middle School. The image below from Google Earth shows the location of the land and the extent of clearing as of last April. At that time, about a quarter of the property had not been cleared. See red oval.
Trees in red oval are now gone.See pictures below.
The two photos below show the land in the red oval as of 9/24/22.
Looking west at newly cleared area toward Townsend and Aldine ISD’s Jones Middle School.Looking East toward Costco (upper left) and Deerbrook Mall (upper right).
Two Large Detention Basins Already Built
Since my original post on this property, the developers have also built two large stormwater detention basins that comprise most of the eastern boundary.
Two large detention basins sit between the development to the east and the land that developers will build on.A second basin lies between the larger one above and the drainage ditch to the north.
The basins are a bit hard to see in photograph above because everything is so monochromatic. But if you look closely, you can see backslope interceptor swales around them and drainpipes that lead down to the bottom of the basins. The purpose: to prevent erosion on the sides of the basins that could accelerate siltation in drainage ditches and reduce their conveyance. Such swales represent a best practice.
Leaving the stand of trees on the left above also represents a best practice. Why? The land slopes toward the trees. Had a heavy rain hit the site before the basins were built, the trees would have intercepted runoff and prevented silt from entering the ditch in the background by the power lines.
Three residential developers appear to own all parcels that comprise this cleared area. They include Hannover Estates, Townsen Landing LLC, and Headway Estates LTD. A three-year-old article in Community Impact quoting Saratoga Homes suggests that 357 single-family homes and townhomes are planned for this location.
The site is near the commercial center of northeast Harris County. But unfortunately, it’s also near the floodplain of the San Jacinto West Fork and Spring Creek. So flood risk is high. And will be going higher.
From FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer Viewer. Red oval indicates location of development.
Note the dates on the map above. One portion is 2014 and the other 2007. Both predate Harvey and NOAA’s new Atlas 14 rainfall statistics. These floodplains could soon expand and take in portions of the new development.
If that happens, these developers could be caught between rising interest rates and widening floodplains. That will squeeze profits. I talked to one developer last week who is choosing to retire now rather than ride out another recession.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/24/22
1852 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20220924-DJI_0669.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-09-24 17:57:562022-09-24 18:03:54New Development on Townsend in Humble Almost Finished Clearing
