Park Construction Projects Underway
"Taking care of our parks is part of our attempt to develop family togetherness," says Commissioner Jerry Eversole.
"If parents are taking their children to parks to play, whether it's for organized sports or just to enjoy the park, it's keeping them out of trouble," concludes Commissioner Eversole. More than one million people attend functions at Precinct 4 park facilities each year.
To follow is a list of current and future park projects in Precinct 4’s vast parks system:
A recent land acquisition of approximately six acres brings the park’s total acreage to just over 26 acres. A $500,000 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) grant will be used to rehabilitate the five-acre lake, and construct barbecue pavilions, a spray park playground, a fishing pier, and habitat plantings.
Status: Commissioner Eversole hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of the expansion project Friday, December 14, 2007 at 10 a.m.
The purchase of an additional 6.5 acres will accommodate a new triplex softball field, concession stand, rest room facility, and parking lot.
Status: A ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of this project was held Thursday, October 18, 2007.
Precinct 4 is pursuing the acquisition of right-of-way along Cypress Creek that would connect Meyer and Collins Parks.
Crosby Park is expanding! In the first quarter of 2007, Precinct 4 completed two football fields, two soccer fields, two parking lots, a detention pond, and electrical infrastructure.
Status: Construction has begun on a double-sided concession and rest room facility.
Precinct 4 is a supporter of the grass roots activities and projects associated with the movement to create a greenway along Cypress Creek. We are working at both the upper and lower ends of Cypress Creek to set aside land that will be developed as parkland, and that will also create natural floodplain buffer zones, contiguous trail connectivity, and linear wildlife habitat.
Middle Cypress Creek: Development includes acquisition of property once owned by Hewlett-Packard and that is now owned by V&W Partners LTD. Currently, Precinct 4 is working with local leaders to help set aside the lakes on this beautiful property for future generations to enjoy. Other plans include trail development that will connect Meyer Park to Collins Park and add additional mountain bike trails heading east out of Collins Park to the new T.C. Jester bridge crossing over Cypress Creek.
Lower Cypress Creek: Land acquisitions and future development will connect the Spring Creek Greenway to Cypress Creek by creating connectivity of 52 miles of equestrian trails at Bush Intercontinental Airport to a 7.5-mile corridor of Spring Creek Greenway (SCG). This connectivity project will provide a launch site for a new pedestrian bridge across Cypress Creek into the SCG.
Lindsay/Lyons Park is expanding! A ribbon cutting held August 29, 2006 for the all-inclusive playground, soccer fields, concession stand, rest rooms, and parking area marked the opening of the playground and park expansion. Precinct 4 partnered with the nonprofit group, Be An Angel Fund, Inc., to fund and implement the new all-inclusive playground and rest room facility for children of all physical abilities.
Status: Future plans include a sensory garden for sight-impaired children, a trail around the playground, picnic facilities, and additional trees
This 58-acre preserve is the result of a public/private partnership between Precinct 4 and Legacy Land Trust (LLT), a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting natural areas in the Houston region (www.llt.org). Together, Precinct 4 and LLT secured land mitigations from 10 separate developers to create this preserve that future generations can enjoy for years to come. Precinct 4 has installed fencing around the site, which was experiencing devastation from four-wheeler activity, and planted thousands of dollars worth of trees.
Status: The preserve is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The preserve is staffed by LLT volunteers, and off-road bicycling is allowed only on Sundays; hiking is allowed only on Saturdays.
Eagle Scout projects at LCCP include amphitheater-style seating for an outdoor classroom and a kiosk at the front of the preserve that lists bird sightings, nature tours, and other activities/projects planned for the preserve.
A joint development project with the Association for Better Community Schools (ABCS), Precinct 4 has spent over $2 million in land acquisition, and engineering and design work. Initial construction of this 19-acre park included the installation of a cricket field (which also doubles as two soccer fields), an 80-space asphalt parking lot along Copeland Road; water, sewer, and electrical infrastructure; a rest room facility; fencing along Grant Road; a butterfly garden; and 4,500 linear feet of asphalt-paved trails. Four soccer fields are also maintained at the park.
Status: Future plans include a barrier-free playground—provided by ABCS and Be An Angel Fund, Inc., and picnic facilities.
The Harris County Flood Control District is currently in the process of a major creek side restoration project to prevent erosion and the loss of the duck pond adjacent to Cypress Creek. Precinct 4 is also pursuing the acquisition of right-of-way along Cypress Creek with the intention of connecting Meyer and Collins Parks.
The potential for a 33-mile corridor is the result of the combined efforts of Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole and Montgomery County Precinct 3 Commissioner Ed Chance. Texas Parks & Wildlife recently awarded a $1 million Regional Grant, to be split equally between Harris County Precinct 4 and Montgomery County Precinct 3, for development of this project. Precinct 4 plans to use their portion of the grant to fund trail construction and development at Pundt Park.
Phase I: Focused on acquiring land necessary to create a 7.5-mile corridor between Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center and Pundt Park.
Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center: Acquisition of a 15-acre (Alonso) tract connects Jones Park to Cypress Creek, and construction of a new canoe launch has begun.
Jones-Bender Trailhead at Jones Park: A ribbon cutting ceremony held April 22, 2006, and hosted by Commissioner Eversole, marked the completion of construction of this 1.5-mile trail that connects neighborhoods to the SCG. Precinct 4 received an 80 percent grant from TPWD to fund this project, and partnerships with area developers, Appaloosa Land Company and Kenswick Meadows, provided land donations and construction of necessary bridge crossings.
Appaloosa Land Company owner Vic Botrie secured a 48-acre land donation and constructed two bridge crossings along the trail system.
Pundt Park: The purchase of seven out-tracts has completed land acquisitions that now provide a contiguous 380-acre park site. The park, to be located at the end of Spring Creek Drive, is in the final design phase and will feature a meeting room, rest room and pavilion facility, playground, picnic area, canoe launch, and trails.
Contiguous Trail
Precinct 4 is currently working with the Harris County Flood Control District and Charter Development Partners, a developer, towards land tract purchases and donations of floodplain property to bridge the lower section of Cypress Creek to the Spring Creek Greenway to form linear connectivity.
Equestrian Trail
Working with Bush Intercontinental Airport’s “Ranger Rider Program,” Precinct 4’s plans are to develop equestrian trails that run along lower Cypress Creek to Spring Creek.
Forging partnerships with other agencies such as municipal utility districts (MUDs), developers, community organizations, and public and private agencies has increased the level of public support Precinct 4 has received for park improvement projects.
As the 2001 park bond funds are expended and tax dollars are stretched farther during this period of rapid growth in Harris County, we appreciate your comments and involvement as we move towards the common goal of improving the quality of life in Precinct 4.
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