Residents call for immediate action on flooding at Kingwood town hall

Beth Guide, HOA director for Elm Groove, had the neighborhood wear orange to symbolize that they were flooded by the Houston Astros official home builder, Perry Homes. Beth Guide, HOA director for Elm Groove, had the neighborhood wear orange to symbolize that they were flooded by the Houston Astros official home builder, Perry Homes. Photo: Savannah Mehrtens/Staff Photo / Savannah Mehrtens/Staff Photo Photo: Savannah Mehrtens/Staff Photo / Savannah Mehrtens/Staff Photo Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Residents call for immediate action on flooding at Kingwood town hall 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

About 400 residents filled the Kingwood Community Center to let Kingwood and Houston officials know their concerns about persistent flooding problems during Houston council member Dave Martin’s town hall on Oct. 17.

The biannual town hall was held to present information about ongoing projects, issues and community news about Kingwood and the Lake Houston area in District E. Topics included additing 10 gates to the Lake Houston dam, updates on the Northpark Drive expansion and an agreement from Perry Homes about drainage issues that has impacted flooding in Elm Grove.

Perry Homes is building a subdivision behind Kingwood neighborhood Elm Grove that many residents believe has caused the neighborhood to flood twice in the last six months.

A question and answer session followed the presentations, which proceeded late into the night as residents asked for answers for problems, such as flooding and human trafficking.

Texas State Senator Brandon Creighton, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Stephen Costello, City of Houston Chief Recovery Officer, Carol Haddock, Director of Houston Public Works, TIRZ 10 Chairman Stan Sarman, Chuck Gilman, San Jacinto River Authority Director of Flood Management, Chip Place, Managing Director of Capital Programs at Houston Parks Board were all part of the town hall.

Northpark expansion moves forward

Sarman was able to touch on the Northpark Drive expansion and overpass but said there will be more information available at the first public meeting for the project on Feb. 6. The $86 million expansion will turn Northpark Drive into a six-lane road from Hwy. 59 to Woodland Hills Road.

“We’re going to open it to the public,” Sarman said. “... We’ll have tables set up showing the plans and what we’re going to do, the environmental issues, then we’ll have a presentation and we’ll have it open to the public.”

Related: TIRZ $86 million Northpark Drive expansion

Residents seek immediate results

Both Martin and Turner stayed past 10 p.m. to answer questions from concerned community members after speeches on updates for the community were presented.

“My wife and I live in Kingwood. We’re never leaving. We raised our kids here, it’s home,” Martin said. “I feel their pain. I want this more than they want it for themselves. I want to make sure that we’re bulletproof. I want to make sure that we don’t flood again, me more than anybody in this room tonight. So from that standpoint I feel their pain, I understand their frustrations, but we’re doing everything expeditiously as possible, and we’re moving at the most critical and fast pace that we can.”

Each presenter explained the timelines of flood mitigation and improvement projects, but the crowd became restless with the extended days, months, and years it will take for them to see any improvement. Many residents who flooded during Harvey or Imelda wanted to see immediate solutions.

“I understand everyone’s expectations [are] that they want this done tomorrow,” Martin said. “But we talked about the dam structure. To build the dam structure we were originally told five to seven years. Now it looks like we’re going to finish it in three years. So as Steven Costello said, this is going at warp speed to get it done in three years… but I get everybody wants this stuff done today, and we are trying as much as possible to get it done today.”

Related: Kingwood officals look to balance development, flooding

Elm Grove flooding

Beth Guide, HOA director for Elm Groove, had everyone from the neighborhood wear orange to symbolize that they were flooded by the Houston Astros official home builder, Perry Homes. The Astros game against the New York Yankees happened during the town hall.

“This is an unprecedented action from the city of Houston, and I am surprised that Mayor Turner has backed us as much as he had,” Guide said. “I have some grave concerns because some of the items listed in the Mayor’s letter seem to have been done, like the retention pond S2 and the berm that they say needs to be completed we thought had already been done.”

Turner and Martin announced at the town hall that they had received an agreement from Perry Homes to build drainage and retention ponds before building the homes. Although this agreement comes after the cease and desist order sent to Perry Homes and other associated companies, the agreement was not taken well by the audience once someone pointed out during the Q&A that this was already a requirement for developers.

savannah.mehrtens@chron.com