What's happening?
Per the release, Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler, Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, are working with representatives from Gov. Greg Abbott's Office and General Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham to explore options for preserving the land, which is located between Spring Creek and the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.
Previously owned by RYKO Development and slated for the construction of 7,000 new homes, the land was sold to Scarborough Group earlier this year. During a town hall in April, Wheeler said area residents expressed concerns about the development's potential impact on traffic, flooding and drainage.
Wheeler told Community Impact in a Dec. 11 email that, at the time of the transaction, he tried to pull together enough money through various partnerships for Montgomery County to purchase the land, but it wasn't enough.
"Our recent meetings with representatives from the General Land Office and the Governor’s Office were focused on identifying potential state funding opportunities," Wheeler said. "We are exploring whether a collaborative approach could provide the resources necessary to pursue the purchase of this property.”
The latest
In October, Montgomery County Commissioners Court voted to abandon a right of way that was included in Scarborough Group's proposed traffic plans for the development, Wheeler said. This would have meant the county would not have had the responsibility of building the road, which would have connected to Shady Hills Landing Lane, located in Benders Landing Estates.
“That development appeared to prompt Scarborough to reassess their position, as we have not received any follow-up communication from them since that time,” Wheeler said.
However, Wheeler noted that since the October vote, Scarborough has approached the Houston Planning Commission with a site plan for the development as it falls within Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction.
“It’s clear the developer is continuing to move forward with their plans,” Wheeler said. “It appears they have shifted their immediate focus to coordinating with the city of Houston and its planning commission before re-engaging with Montgomery County.”
Why it matters
Wheeler noted the green space preservation, if successful, could be beneficial to residents in both Montgomery and Harris counties.
“Our priority is ensuring that any development does not negatively impact residents of Montgomery County, particularly regarding potential flooding concerns,” Wheeler said. “At the same time, we remain committed to being good regional partners. We want to ensure that actions taken within Montgomery County do not create increased flooding risks for neighboring communities in Harris County.”
If the joint effort is successful, Wheeler said the land could be used for regional detention, parks, trails and natural green space.
“We are approaching this issue with a broad community perspective to understand who may be affected and what outcome best serves the public,” Wheeler said. “If a collaborative effort allows us to preserve the property as green space and potentially include regional detention or park amenities, it would provide meaningful benefits to both Montgomery and Harris counties.”
Scarborough officials could not be reached by press time.
