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."
See full PDF of Cypress Creek Greenway growth
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."
Although many projects were built or acquired independently of the organization in the last decade, the Greenway Project has helped coordinate many park and trail developments, Robertson said. 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.
MUDs can also seek grants through partners like the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.
Seegers praised how motivated and organized park partners have been along Cypress Creek.
"Wherever [Precinct 4] partner[s] with them, we can share their enthusiasm," Seegers said. "Of course, it's always tempered by funding and budgets."
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.
"I find it really encouraging to see the increased interest and recognition that parks and trails bring to the area. There's been a tremendous effort all across the Greater Houston area to develop more of these over the last few years."
- Jim Robertson, chairman of the Cypress Creek Greenway Project
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.
Golzarri said several developers in The Vintage have shown interest in the project and could act as possible funding sources.
"[Developers] were really excited because they can see the economic benefit for bringing folks in," she said.
Although the MUDs could fund many of the improvements within their districts, other avenues may need to be considered for funding many of the paths, such as grants and other partnerships. Also, as much as 50 percent of the major trails along Cypress Creek are not located within one of the five partnering districts.
Precinct 4 Parks Administrator Dennis Johnston said the MUDs will be critical to funding minor trails, but Harris County might help fund some of the major trails.
"If you're talking about Harris County being a partner in the spokes of the wheels, no," Johnston said. "If you're talking about Harris County being [a partner for] the trunk line and the hub, then yes."
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.
Timber Lane Utility District
Perhaps the district that has built the most parks and pathways along Cypress Creek in the last decade is the Timber Lane Utility District, whose population of 17,000–18,000 residents is located northeast of FM 1960 and the Hardy Toll Road.
"[Timber Lane has] done the most comprehensive park development of any district along the Cypress Creek Greenway," Robertson said.
Bud Gessel, director and parks coordinator for TLUD, said the district built several parks and trails in recent years.
"When we studied this [issue] probably in 2005, we saw these developers coming in and buying up all the property for houses," Gessel said. "We had a park plan and we said, 'We want to pick out all the greenspace we can and make sure the developers can't bulldoze everything.'"
The district completed Sandpiper Park, Herman Little Park and Cypress Creek Park since 2010. In addition to bond funds through a 2007 election, Gessel said the district received more than $1 million in TPWD grants for the projects.
In addition to parks, Gessel said TLUD is constructing two bridges, one of which will cross Cypress Creek into Mercer Arboretum. To pay for the $4.9 million project, 80 percent of funds will come from federal funding through the Houston-Galveston Area Council's Transportation Improvement Program, he said.
Construction began in December and could take about a year with an estimated opening in January or February 2016.
The utility district also recently worked with a graduate landscape architecture class from Texas A&M University, which created a master plan on the east section of the Cypress Creek Greenway from around I-45 to the Spring Creek Greenway. Gessel said he recognizes the importance of the greenway as he works with Robertson on the vision.
"We worked together on the overall greenway concept," he said. "Jim kind of works on the western part of the greenway, and I work on the eastern part of it."
