When complete, the Cypress Creek Greenway project in Harris County will span 40 miles.[/caption]Rapid development in north Harris County in the last decade is prompting the addition of parks and trails along Cypress Creek. Since January 2004, 24 parks have been developed along Cypress Creek in addition to 15 pathway projects and 13 land acquisitions.
"I find it really encouraging to see the increased interest and recognition that parks and trails bring to the area," said Jim Robertson, chairman of the Cypress Creek Greenway Project. "There's been a tremendous effort all across the Greater Houston area to develop more of these over the last few years."
Park and trail development could continue along Cypress Creek. The CCGP and local municipal utility districts partnering on the Cypress Creek Master Trails Plan received results of the plan in February, which could encourage trail projects along the creek near Hwy. 249 and Louetta Road.
The Harris County Commissioners Court has also held preliminary discussions about putting a parks and road bond referendum on the ballot in November that could fund projects in the area.
"[Precinct 4] Commissioner [Jack] Cagle says that discussions about a potential bond this year are in the very early stages not only with the full commissioners court, but with the budget office," Precinct 4 Communications Director Mark Seegers said. "The commissioner is in conversations with them to see what kind of numbers could be financed without a tax increase."
Robertson attributed much of the interest in parks and trails to a newfound understanding on the part of communities of the benefits parks can provide.
"These new communities [such as Bridgeland and The Woodlands] promote their parks and trails," he said. "We're trying to retrofit in these established, more mature areas. I think if we successfully get them retrofitted, we can enhance the desirability [of these communities for] people who live in these areas."
A committee of the Cypress Creek Flood Control District, Robertson said the goal of the CCGP is to advocate for trails and parks along Cypress Creek and coordinate with partners on those projects.
In an unincorporated area with two precincts and 47 utility districts, Robertson said partnerships are key, citing relationships with Precincts 3 and 4, Harris County Flood Control District and Bayou Land Conservancy as well as the MUDs.
Even with all the partners working together to fund parks and trails along the creek, Robertson said funding projects can be difficult. MUDs can fund them through general funds, partnerships with the city of Houston or park bonds, thanks to legislation passed in 2005 that allows utility districts to take on debt to fund parks and trails.
Master trails plan
The CCGP partnered with five local MUDs and other local partners more than a year ago to develop a master trails plan near Cypress Creek and Hwy. 249.
The partners hired Houston-based consulting firm EHRA, which developed a trails plan for the area that would connect the communities within the 13.5-square-mile region to Cypress Creek and other local amenities.
"The benefits for the study area [are] most of the folks that live there are already using these trails; they're just not formalized trails," said Katie Golzarri, department manger of landscape architecture for EHRA. "They're looking to connect to Vintage Park, Lone Star [College-University Park], [the Hewlett Packard campus], and locations they may already travel to from a pedestrian standpoint."
EHRA completed its final plan recommendations in February, featuring more than 60 linear miles of pathways that would cost more than $21 million to construct. The plan outlines specific pathways for the five MUDs that partnered on the plan: Lake Forest Utility District, Prestonwood Forest Utility District, Malcomson Road Utility District and Harris County MUDs No. 286 and No. 468.
The plan features recommendations for major trail corridors that would follow Cypress Creek, Faulkey and Pillot gulleys as well as minor connecting trails, sidewalks and bike paths.
An older subdivision with little available land, Prestonwood Forest's plan includes mostly bike lanes and sidewalks. Meanwhile, MUD No. 468—which includes The Vintage—could feature sidewalks along many of the streets. Major trail corridors could also run through and between the two MUDs.
Precinct 4 projects
Harris County Precinct 4 already has several projects in the works, including those within the study area of the Cypress Creek Master Trails Plan. One such project includes a trail that would stretch the width of the 100 Acre Wood Preserve, connecting the western edge of the park to the D. Bradley McWilliams YMCA.
Johnston said design and engineering on the project is complete, and the trail could go out for bid as soon as a conservation easement has been agreed upon with the Bayou Land Conservancy. He said the county-funded project could cost $600,000–$700,000.
Precinct 4 continues design work on the Anderson Trail, a key connection for the region that would travel from Matzke Park north along Jones Road to trails at Cypresswood Drive. The county will fund about $100,000 for the $325,000 project.
"That will connect existing trails to the YMCA," Robertson said. "That will enable thousands of residents to get to the YMCA via trail. A lot of people ride their cars now, but they'll be able to walk or ride their bike."
Perhaps the largest park project on the horizon is the development of the 85-acre Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve within The Vintage. Although land was donated to the county during The Vintage's initial development years ago and a design for the park is in place, Johnson said the county could require as much as $6 million to construct the park.
Funding for a project that size would likely require a parks bond approved by voters, Johnston said. The last parks bond for Harris County was approved in 2007.
