Community Project Requests

FY 2024 APPROPRIATIONS – COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS

 

Ford Road Improvement Project 

Recipient: Montgomery County 

Address: 23628 Roberts Road in New Caney, Texas 77357

Amount: $12 million 

Purpose: This request will support Ford Road improvements from US 59 in Montgomery County to the Harris County line. The current road is undersized and serves as one of only three evacuation routes for the Kingwood area. All three routes have drainage issues and only Ford Road is a two-lane road. The proposed project would make Ford Road a four-lane road, improve local drainage, and improve driver and pedestrian safety in the corridor. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because by improving surface transportation and drainage infrastructure.

Link to Member Certification Form

 

Tamina Economic Development Planning Project

Recipient: Montgomery County

Address: 501 North Thompson Street 200, Conroe, Texas, 77301

Amount: $3 million 

Purpose: The Tamina area is not served by modern street and stormwater management systems. The streets are in disrepair and the area drains very poorly, creating an elevated risk of flooding. The first phase of economic development planning, which this request would support, is to complete detailed engineering and environmental studies, provide new driveways and culverts, re-grade all of the ditches to allow them to drain. Future phases will include constructing new streets, drainage ditches, culverts, and stormwater detention basins.  The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the community is in an underserved area with aging infrastructure that is in urgent need of repair. 

Link to Member Certification Form

 

Highland / Huffman / Crosby Roadway & Drainage Improvement 

Recipient: Harris County, Texas

Address: 1001 Preston Street, Houston, TX 77002

Amount: $3.6 million 

Purpose: The project scope consists of the reconstruction of multiple poorly paved subdivisions throughout the Highlands, Crosby, and Huffman areas of northeast Harris County. The existing gravel roads and inadequate drainage facilities will be replaced with asphalt pavement, driveway culverts, and roadside ditches that will greatly improve the quality of life for residents. The projects will improve accessibility for law enforcement and emergency services, reduce flood risk, and bring the local infrastructure to a standard acceptable for long-term County maintenance. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because by improving surface transportation and drainage infrastructure, it will help the regional economy and provide flood mitigation benefits, helping to avoid more costly recovery efforts that would otherwise result. 

Link to Member Certification Form

FM1488 Area Street Rehabilitation and Drainage Improvement Project 

Recipient: City of Conroe

Address: 300 West Davis Street, Conroe, Texas 77301.

Amount: $1.12 million

Purpose: The project will fund roadway resurfacing, drainage improvements, and storm sewer upgrades of roadways connecting to FM1488 near IH-45 (southern part of Conroe). The City of Conroe has experienced severe weather and rainfall which causes considerable wear and tear on the roads and drainage network. The project will also benefit residential areas, including the Arella Forest at Woodland Senior Living Center and Stillwater neighborhood. Lastly, the project will also improve access to the WG Jones State Forest, which serves a community located in a Historically Disadvantaged Community Tract. 

Link to Member Certification Form

 

Active Shooter Defense Training Facility

Recipient: Montgomery County 

Address: 23628 Roberts Road in New Caney, Texas 77357

Amount: $2.3 million 

Purpose: This request is for funding to assist with the operations of our regional active shooter rapid response training facility.  This request will facilitate the operations through the purchase of training supplies and aids, and will equip graduates with medical response supplies, and ballistic equipment that will be used to respond to any number of actual threats. Since October of 2022, Montgomery County has operated and hosted a training facility that is a local, state and regional training center for first responders to receive critical training in the rapid response to an active threat. The request will ensure students have an adequate amount of training materials while taking the course and upon graduation they will be equipped with rapid response kits to triage wounded, and further equipped with adequate ballistic gear to protect them from an assailant while in the hot zone responding to a threat. To date graduates include over 1,600 law enforcement personnel, fire and EMS first responders who have successfully completed the nationally recognized ALERRT training. The project is an appropriate use of funds because it will help prepare first responders to respond to urgent public safety threats. 

Link to Member Certification Form

 

Montgomery County Bridge Project 

Recipient: Montgomery County 

Address: 23628 Roberts Road, New Caney, Texas 77357

Amount: $900,000

Purpose: This project will provide funding for several rural wooden bridges in Montgomery County that are past their design life and need to be replaced. They were not built to current criteria and increase the risk of flooding by backing up water during large storms. One bridge serves as the only way in and out of a subdivision presenting a life safety hazard. The funding request is for engineering, surveying, and permitting services to develop construction plans to replace five bridges. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will help improve evacuation routes in an area subject to repeated flooding. 

Link to Member Certification Form

 

San Jacinto River Wastewater System Replacement Project

Recipient: Army Corps of Engineers

Address: 2000 Fort Point Road, Galveston, Texas 77550

Amount: $1.8 million

Purpose: The purpose of this flood mitigation project is to increase the reliability of the San Jacinto River Authority Woodlands Division wastewater conveyance system and repair damage from recent storms. Lift stations (equipment that moves water from higher to lower elevation) were damaged by flooding during Hurricane Harvey and have yet to be repaired.  Both on-site lift stations, the control building, and the emergency generator were flooded and need to be replaced. This request would fund the demolition of the existing structure and build new systems. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events. 

Link to Member Certification Form

Kingwood Diversion Channel – Walnut Lane Bridge Project

 Recipient: City of Houston

Address: 901 Bagby St. Houston, TX 77002

Amount: $4 million 

Purpose: The project includes the widening and reconstruction of Walnut Lane Bridge in Kingwood. This bridge, in its current configuration, will restrict flood flows unless widened to accommodate the future expansion of the Kingwood Diversion Channel currently being designed by the Harris County Flood Control District. The purpose of the overall project is to intercept drainage from Montgomery County and route to Lake Houston to reduce flood damage to residents of Kingwood along Bens Branch. The funding is needed to construct improvements needed to facilitate the expansion of the Kingwood Diversion channel including reconstruction of the Walnut Lane Bridge.

Link to Member Certification Form

Taylor Gully Channel Conveyance Improvements Project

Recipient: Harris County Flood Control District

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77092

Amount: $8 million

Purpose: This project is designed to reduce flood risk in the Kingwood area of my district.  This area has experienced widespread flooding from multiple recent storm events, including Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda.  This project will create a detention basin and improve stormwater conveyance to minimize flood risks. Engineering studies show that completion of this project will result in substantial reductions in flooding along Taylor Gully.  The studies show that this project will remove the 100-year floodplain from over 115 acres of flood area and from 276 structures.

Link to Member Certification Form

Channel Conveyance Improvements along Goose Creek and Stormwater Detention Project

Recipient: Harris County Flood Control District

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77092

Amount: $8 million

Purpose:  This project is designed to reduce flood risk within the Goose Creek Watershed by creating a detention basin and improving stormwater conveyance. The project is estimated to  remove approximately 28 acres of inundated land, up to 77 structures and over 1.44 miles of inundated roadways for the 100-year event. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events.

Link to Member Certification Form

 

FY 2023 APPROPRIATIONS – COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUESTS

Lake Houston Dam Spillway Project

Recipient: City of Houston

Address: 901 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002

Amount: $8 million

Purpose: The Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project will increase the outflow capacity of the Lake Houston Dam. The project is located on Lake Houston along the San Jacinto River in Harris County. The primary function of the lake is to serve as the main source of municipal drinking water for Houston, Baytown, Deer Park Harris, and Fort Bend Counties, with a secondary function as flood control.  This project is critical for flood mitigation efforts in the district.  The funding will be used for the building of a coffer dam to help accelerate water level reduction in anticipation of and during major rain events.  The coffer dam will provide the ability to reduce upstream flooding and mitigate structural damage to the dam in the event of severe weather events. This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events.

Link to Member Certification Form

Woodridge Stormwater Detention Basin Project

Recipient: Harris County Flood Control District 

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77092

Amount: $10 million

Purpose: The project involves acquiring 267 acres in Montgomery County near Kingwood Park High School and constructing a detention basin to alleviate flood risks in the Kingwood area.  260 structures will be removed from the inundation area, and there are other structures outside the channel floodplain that will also benefit from the local drainage improvements. This project is critical for flood mitigation efforts the district. This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events.

Link to Member Certification Form

Cedar Bayou Stormwater Detention Basin Project

Sponsor: Harris County Flood Control District 

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77092

Amount: $10 million 

Purpose: The construction of the stormwater detention basin will provide immediate benefits by reducing the flooding inundation area and water surface elevations during high-intensity rain events.  This project sets the foundation for subsequent phases to build out a regional detention basin and channel improvements with the goal of providing a system capacity for a 100-year rainfall event. The project will reduce the flooding elevation through the watershed, removing many structures from the inundation area, reduce flooded roadways and will benefit the community of Huffman, TX.  This project is critical for flood mitigation efforts the district. This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events.

Link to Member Certification Form

Harris County Municipal Utility District (HCMUD) 468 Stormwater Detention Basin Project

Sponsor: Harris County Flood Control District 

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77092

Amount: $2 million

Purpose: This project is for the excavation of a stormwater detention basin located in the Cypress Creek watershed.  The Cypress Creek watershed is highly developed and has a lack of regional stormwater detention basins for flood mitigation.  This project is critical for flood mitigation efforts the districtThis project is a good use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events. 

Link to Member Certification Form

Bear Branch Dam Modification Project

Recipient: San Jacinto River Authority and the Woodlands Water Agency 

Address: 1577 Dam Site Road, Conroe, TX 77304

Amount: is $4.8 million 

Purpose: The Bear Branch Dam and 60-acre reservoir and drainage system was constructed in the early 1980s and has experienced surface deterioration.  The project will replace the soil cement armoring system with a reinforced concrete cap and reconstruct the service spillway that has experienced increasing surface deterioration and lacks effective joints. This project is important for detaining stormwater runoff in the district. The soil cement rehabilitation and spillway replacement will extend the service life of the Bear Branch Dam for another 40 plus years.  Stormwater and runoff drains to the reservoir and approximately eight miles of conveyance channels known as Bear Branch, Alden Branch, and Upper Panther Branch. Additionally, improving the drainage in the Bear Branch Dam area and lessening the risk of flooding on Research Forest, a major artery through The Woodlands. This would allow police and fire could more readily respond as needed during major weather events without the delay of navigating around high water. Enhanced drainage from this project also will positively impact neighborhoods along the corridor whose mobility has been compromised in the past due to high water in neighborhood streets. This project is critical for flood mitigation efforts the district. This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events.

Link to Member Certification Form

Bentwood Drainage Channel Project 

Recipient: Montgomery County Municipal Utility District Number 84  

Address: 1300 Post Oak Blvd., Ste 1400, Houston, TX 77056

Amount: $3 million

Purpose:  The Municipal Utility District (MUD) has suffered extreme flooding challenges due to Tropical Storm Imelda, Hurricane Harvey, and other severe rainfall events. As a response to these events, the MUD has worked together to prepare a comprehensive drainage master plan which identifies several projects to mitigate flooding both within and adjacent to the community. The project will improve, deepen, and widen an existing detention basin on New Caney Independent School District (ISD) property (since donated to the MUDs by the ISD). The project will also improve adjacent and connecting stormwater infrastructure to improve water retention and conveyance. The project will reduce community flooding and mitigate the impacts of severe rain events within the project area. It will also mitigate the potential for future flooding at White Oak Middle School and Bens Branch Elementary School. Previous rain events have trapped students within the facilities due to impassable roadways.  Additionally, the project will allow future improvements to Bens Branch / the Bentwood Diversion Channel which will provide additional regional benefit to include that to low- and moderate-income areas, will reduce erosion and sedimentation of the San Jacinto River. 

This project is critical for flood mitigation efforts the district.   This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because by preventing flooding, it will avoid the need for more costly recovery efforts after flooding events.

Link to Member Certification Form

Community Project Funding Requests - Appropriations Committee

 

Huffman (Forest Manor) Drainage Improvement Project

Recipient: Harris County

Amount: $1.673 million

Purpose: The project is to improve drainage and infrastructure to reduce the risk of flooding in the Forest Manor community in Huffman, Texas. This community suffered from 98 flooded homes during Hurricane Harvey and 17 flooded homes during Tropical Storm Imelda. The project would help reduce flood risk for 98 homes. Forest Manor and Lake Houston Woodland Terrace Subdivisions are located in Huffman, Texas in Northeast Harris County, east of Lake Houston. Less than 15% of the homes in the subdivision are in the regulatory FEMA 100- year floodplain, yet more than 40% of the homes have reported flood claims in recent years (with 30% consisting of repetitive losses). This mitigation project is a good use of taxpayer because it will prevent future flooding and by dedicating resources to flood mitigation will help avoid spending on other more costly post-disaster recovery programs.  

Link to Member Certification Form

Updated Member Certification Form

 Kingwood Diversion Channel

Recipient: Harris County Flood Control District

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77092

Amount: $1.6 million

Purpose: The Kingwood Diversion Channel improvements are proposed to divert stormwater runoff from the Bens Branch channel to lower the risk of structural flooding along the portion of Bens Branch within the Kingwood area.  This project will also provide capacity to allow for future local City of Houston neighborhood drainage improvements to outfall into the Kingwood Diversion Channel h and Bens Branch. When the Kingwood Diversion Channel was originally constructed, additional right-of-way (ROW) was purchased to allow for future channel conveyance improvements to alleviate future anticipated runoff from areas expected to develop in the portion of the Bens Branch watershed in Montgomery County.  The proposed improvements for the channel will fully utilize the existing available ROW with minimal additional ROW acquisition needed for a new outfall into the West Fork San Jacinto River. The proposed project includes channel conveyance improvements, a concrete diversion structure from the confluence at Bens Branch in Montgomery County, and a new proposed outfall into the West Fork San Jacinto River.  This project proposes to remove the 100-year floodplain inundation area from 62 structures and provide capacity for future City of Houston local neighborhood drainage improvements which will benefit an additional estimated 586 structures (295 structures and 291 structures from Ben’s Branch Diversion and Ben’s Branch, respectively).  The proposed improvements also provide increased flood protection for Kingwood High School and the Saint Martha Catholic School. This mitigation project is a good use of taxpayer because it will prevent future flooding and by dedicating resources to flood mitigation, we will avoid spending on other more costly post-disaster recovery programs. 

Link to Member Certification Form

W140 Detention Basin Improvement Project

Recipient: Memorial City Redevelopment Authority

Address: P.O. Box 22167, Houston, Texas 77227

Amount: $3.394 million

Purpose: The request is for $3.394 million to improve and deepen an existing detention basin located in Memorial City and to extend stormwater improvements along adjacent roads (Windhover, Westview, Cedardale, and Demaret) to better connect area stormwater management infrastructure. The purpose of the project is to mitigate structural and roadway flooding and reduce floodwater related non-point source pollution. Preliminary engineering for the project is completed. The W140 Detention Basin Improvements Project will provide a level of protection against severe rain events for the community. This protection will be provided in the form of stormwater capture to prevent structural and roadway flooding and a reduction in non-point source pollutants from flood events. These non-point source pollutants result from structural and private property flooding and include pollutants such as oil, grease, debris, and other contaminants. If flooding is not mitigated and if there is no capture mechanism for these pollutants, these items end up in local watersheds and ultimately in Galveston Bay.  This mitigation project is a good use of taxpayer because it will prevent future flooding and by dedicating resources to flood mitigation, we will avoid spending on other more costly post-disaster recovery programs. 

Link to Member Certification Form

Taylor Gully Channel Conveyance Improvements

Recipient: Harris County Flood Control District

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77092

Amount: $1.6 million

Purpose: This project allows for engineering of storm water channel improvements in a gully in Kingwood. The upper portion of Taylor Gully was determined to be insufficient with a large number of structures subject to flooding upstream of Rustling Elms Drive.  To provide a 100-year level of service for Taylor Gully, two miles of conveyance improvements are recommended from the upper limits of the channel to an existing channel drop structure located near Maple Bend Drive.  Taylor Gully channel improvements include maintaining the existing top of banks, and constructing a concrete 20 foot by 6 foot (max) low flow channel section.  The reduction in water surface elevations from the proposed improvements results in the removal of the 100-year floodplain inundation area from 387 structures and provides capacity for future City of Houston local neighborhood drainage improvements that could benefit an additional 62 structures. This mitigation project is a good use of taxpayer because it will prevent future flooding and by dedicating resources to flood mitigation, we will avoid spending on other more costly post-disaster recovery programs. 

Link to Member Certification Form

TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basin Project

Recipient: Harris County Flood Control District

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77092

Amount: $15 million

Purpose:  This request is for TC Jester Detention Basin, which is a stormwater detention mitigation project within the Cypress Creek Watershed that is intended to address current flood damage reduction needs within the Cypress Creek Watershed. The benefit of this project is to mitigate the risk of future riverine flooding in the project area by providing a storm water detention basin that will retain storm runoff and reduce the limits of the floodplain and lower the water level within the floodplain. There are approximately 2689 structures located in the 100-year existing floodplains that are at risk of experiencing inundation due to riverine flooding. This proposed project will utilize an existing Harris County detention pond with an additional 0.18 acres of wetlands to create a basin footprint of 25 acres. The proposed project will mitigate against the risk of flooding by creating a detention basin to capture the overbank volume in the project area. The proposed detention basin will achieve a maximum water surface elevation reduction of 0.49 feet for the 100-year storm event. This proposed project will remove 87 structures from the existing 100-year floodplain. When complete, the full detention basin will remove 271 structures from the existing floodplain.  This mitigation project is a good use of taxpayer because it will prevent future flooding and by dedicating resources to flood mitigation, we will avoid spending on other more costly post-disaster recovery programs. 

Link to Member Certification Form

Westador Stormwater Detention Basin Project

Recipient: Harris County Flood Control District

Address: 9900 Northwest Freeway Houston, Texas 77092

Amount: $8.25 million

Purpose: The Westador Basin is a stormwater detention mitigation project within the Cypress Creek Watershed that is intended to address current flood damage reduction needs within the Cypress Creek Watershed.  The benefit of this project is to mitigate the risk of future riverine flooding in the project area by providing a storm water detention basin that will retain storm runoff and reduce the limits of the floodplain and lower the water level within the floodplain. The proposed project is a functionally independent Phase I of a multi-phase project to bring significant flood risk-reduction to this area.  The proposed project will mitigate against the risk of flooding by creating a detention basin to capture the overbank volume in the area. This plan provides the opportunity to remove 128 structures from the existing 100-year floodplain. This mitigation project is a good use of taxpayer because it will prevent future flooding and by dedicating resources to flood mitigation, we will avoid spending on other more costly post-disaster recovery programs. 

Link to Member Certification Form

Project Sponsor: City of Houston – Houston Public Works

Project Name: Clay Road Bridge Reconstruction Project

Project Location: Houston, TX

Requested Amount: $9,929,577

Link to Member Certification Form