Grand Parkway from I-45 to U.S. 59 opens Today The Houston Chronicle – March 29, 2016
Drivers around Spring and The Woodlands could have a very different Tuesday evening commute, once the latest piece of the long-awaited Grand Parkway opens for business.
The newest segment of the tollway from Interstate 45 eastward to U.S. 59 will open Tuesday following a ceremony.
“We fully (expect) the lanes to open before rush hour,” said Raquelle Lewis, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Transportation in Houston.
Lewis said for the first few days use of the lanes will be free, with tolls set to take effect April 4 at midnight.
The 12.5-mile segment will radically reduce the time it will take for drivers in The Woodlands and other northern Houston suburbs to access U.S. 59, and is expected to reduce demand on local streets such as Riley Fuzzel Road.
The opening is the second in less than two months along the Grand Parkway, which is planned as a third ring road around Houston. The stretch from U.S. 290 near Cypress to I-45 in Spring opened Feb. 5.
Though area drivers have embraced the tollway, with some reporting far less stress traveling in northern Harris County, the tollway’s use and effect has been difficult to gauge. TxDOT, which manages the tollway, has not released use data for the newest segments, citing the need to disclose this information first to holders of bonds issued by the state to fund the tollway construction.
Welcomed by many residents in northern Harris County and southern Montgomery County, the tollway is meant to relieve crippling congestion on local roads, caused by explosive growth and development in the region.
Opponents argue the tollway promulgates even more development and sprawl in once-rural and traffic-free communities.
The segments, built at a cost of $1.1 billion, were initially expected to open together by the end of last year. Heavy rains in May and October slowed progress by Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders, the consortium hired to build the latest segments.
Construction, meanwhile, frayed nerves of local drivers, especially near Rayford Road where detours and lane closings complicated commutes.
Tuesday’s opening is just the end of the road for the next four or five years. TxDOT officials later this year are expected to choose the builder of the next segments, from U.S. 59 north of Houston to Interstate 10 near Baytown. Work on that stretch is set to start next year, with completion tentatively expected in 2021.
DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
Home owners can overdo it when it comes to the upkeep of their home. This Old House recently spotlighted several ways that home owners’ enthusiasm for home ownership may actually harm the house.
1. Having light bulbs that are too bright. You want a well-lit home, but exceeding a lamp or light fixture’s recommended wattage can be dangerous ,particularly with incandescent or halogen lights, says John Drengenberg, consumer safety director for Underwriters Laboratories. “Using a bulb with too-high wattage will cause the fixture and its wiring to overheat,” he notes, which could then allow the heat to travel to the wall or erode the insulation on the wires and lead to a house fire. Check the fixtures label to make sure you use the correct wattage.
2. Planting trees near driveways or walkways. A line of trees to the house may up its curb appeal but adding young trees near driveways or walkways could be putting your slab at risk. As these trees grow taller, their roots will go outward, potentially pushing up the paving and causing it to buckle or crack. This Old House recommends planting small trees that will remain under 20 feet at maturity and that are at least 10 feet from paved areas. For larger trees, leave at least a 20-foot radius.
3. Overscrubbing a sink. Don’t overdo it with abrasive cleaners; they can scratch the sink. “Cleaners with a grit or grain to them will wear away at the finishand dull it,” Kohler’s Mike Marbuch told This Old House. “That will make the sink more prone to gunk sticking to it—actually making it look dirtier.” Try a liquid cleanser like vinegar or lemon juice on the sink and avoid scrubbing it every day.
4. Overdoing it with can lights. Excessive recessed lighting in a home can cause a lot of air leaks. Recessed lighting is known as causing heat-sucking air leaks, especially when the fixtures are unsealed in vaulted ceilings. Airtight recessed lighting fixtures are available that are rated for insulation contact (IC). Also, use as few recessed lights as you can, especially when it comes to adding them to cathedral ceilings or in rooms directly below unconditioned attics.
5. Spreading too much mulch outside. “Over-mulching will suffocate plants, confuse their root systems, and prevent water from percolating into the soil,” notes the article at This Old House. “If you’ve mulched so much that tree trunks and flowers’ and shrubs’ lower branches are covered by or dragging in it, you’ve gone overboard.” Have mulch no thicker than 3 inches.
6. Using glass cleaner on mirrors. Watch out for store-bought sprays that promise to make your glass sparkle. “A drop of liquid running around the mirror’s edge can cause the reflective backing to lift or craze,” This Old House notes. The black edge can occur from using ammonia- or vinegar-based cleaners. This Old House recommends using warm water and a soft, lint-free cloth to clean mirrors. Or if you do use the sprays, spray it onto a dry cloth first and not directly onto the glass.
7. Repainting too much. “Excessive paint is detrimental – especially on an older house, which may have layers of thicker oil-based paint, which becomes brittle with age,” notes This Old House. To avoid thick, cracked, or peeling paint, be sure to carefully power-wash prior to painting, sand areas that need it, and then use 100 percent acrylic-resin exterior paint.
8. Fertilizing too much. Fertilizing too often can spur more weeds to grow. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency warns over-fertilizing can cause “nutrient pollution,” which is when nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from lawn fertilizers and then leads to an overgrowth of algae that can even pollute local waterways. Some lawn experts recommend only fertilizing twice a year, late summer and fall only.
The Houston Chronicle– Trial set over land for new CISD high school. The Conroe Independent School District is in the midst of a legal battle over the site where a new Oak Ridge high school is planned to be built.
CISD is in ongoing litigation with six south Montgomery County property owners who jointly own a large tract of undeveloped land adjacent to the site for the new high school on Riley Fuzzel Road. With negotiations and special appointed commissioners failing to produce a result that was acceptable to both parties, a jury trial has been set for May 16.
Design plans for a new high school in the Oak Ridge feeder zone have been released. PBK Architects was contracted by CISD to design the new high school, which is expected to be built from a $487 million bond. The 3,000-seat ninth through twelfth grade campus is slated to be built off Riley Fuzzel road across from a planned Grand Parkway extension. The district hopes to have the new Oak Ridge high school completed and open in August of 2018. less
“We have rights to the land. The only thing debated here is, ‘What’s the dollar amount,'” said Datren Williams, a CISD trustee and second vice president of the board.
Construction of a new high school was approved by voters during a $487 million bond election in November, which included a total of five new schools, three of which are in the Oak Ridge area.
The district expects to construct the new Oak Ridge high school with $142 million from that bond. The district revealed design and construction plans for the new high school over the summer, which were approved by the CISD trustees.
Acquiring the land
The dispute arose after CISD purchased 37 acres of undeveloped land from Toll Houston TX LLC off Riley Fuzzel Road for $5.7 million in early 2015 as the new site of the second Oak Ridge high school.
The district bought the property with the intention of acquiring additional adjacent acreage since construction of a high school requires about 80 acres. Toll Houston TX LLC owns about 700 additional acres adjacent to the site of the school, according to court documents submitted by CISD.
“The availability of parcels this size in this area of CISD is very limited. CISD believes the site it has selected is the most appropriate site for this community high school,” said CISD Superintendent Don Stockton.
CISD is asserting a right to the property west of its 37 acres off Riley Fuzzel Road, which is owned by the Hilliard family and has been in the family for decades.
The six property owners named in the suit are Deborah-Doris Lisette Hilliard, Amy Hilliard Wills, Roy Hilliard, Christopher Hilliard II, Jennifer Elizabeth Hilliard Wilshusen and Eldorado, Texas-based Bell Endeavors Ltd., whose registered agent isHelen Hilliard Brame.
Before petitioning the court, the district offered to purchase the disputed 46 acres for $5.1 million, which it claimed was the fair market value after hiring a property appraiser, according to the final offer it mailed to the Hilliards. But after much back and forth, the family declined the offer.
The district did not accept the Hilliards’ refusal to sell 46 acres of its 364.7-acre tract near the site of the future high school and so CISD used eminent domain to condemn and acquire their property. No homes are located on the disputed property.
“To obtain a portion of the land needed for the new high school, the district, without success, approached the Hilliards on several occasions in an attempt to negotiate a price,” Stockton said. “Because no agreement was reached to purchase the unimproved land and because there was no other viable high school site option in that area of the district, CISD had to utilize the eminent domain process to acquire the Hilliard’s portion of the site.”
The eminent domain proceeding was started in June and has continued in the courts. Three disinterested property owners in Montgomery County were appointed to assess the value of the property and any damages in accordance with the law. The special commissioners ruled that the Hilliards should receive $10 million – more than the original $5.1 million the district offered – for the property and any damages during an oral hearing on Oct. 16.
Weeks later, both the school district and the Hilliards filed objections to the commissioners’ decision.
The attorney representing the district, J. Mark Breeding, asserted that the $10 million award “exceeds the just and adequate compensation,” according to court documents.
“It boils down to the compensation. I’m pretty sure we could get anything we want out of them if we gave them enough money. But that’s not what we’ve been charged to do as our fiduciary obligation to the taxpayers of the district. We don’t mind paying them … but we can’t just throw away taxpayer dollars because someone wants an unreasonable amount of money,” Williams said.
However, the Hilliards assert that the award was “insufficient to adequately compensate” them for damages suffered and, in particular, the devaluation of the remainder of the property that was not taken by CISD, according to court documents. The Hilliards also assert, according to court documents, that the district has committed a “clear abuse of its discretion,” stating that no public necessity exists for condemning the Hilliards’ property.
The Hilliards’ attorney declined further comment.
“It’s common place in any government entity. It’s how the Grand Parkway got built,” Williams said of utilizing eminent domain, referencing the new freeway that nudges up against the disputed property and the future site of the high school.
Construction plans
Although litigation is pending and the jury trial is months away, CISD is preparing for the construction of the new high school.
The district sold $138 million worth of bond money in its bond sale this month and expects to dedicate $77 million from that sale toward building the high school. Last year, CISD spent money from its surplus funds to clear the property off Riley Fuzzel Road to prepare for construction.
The new secondary school is considered a critical project for the district. The Oak Ridge area is the fastest-growing part of the district, with schools facing a large influx of students due to increased residential development in the area.
Schools like Birnham Woods and Cox Intermediate in the Oak Ridge area are expected to be close to 200 percent of capacity in less than nine years.
The current Oak Ridge high school is the most overcrowded campus in CISD. The combined student enrollment capacity at Oak Ridge High and its ninth-grade campus is 3,768. CISD expects enrollment at the high school campuses to far exceed 5,000 students by 2024, according to a 2015 demographic study. The senior campus is already 550 students over capacity.
In order to meet student demand, the district uses portable temporary classrooms. About 20 percent of CISD’s 155 portables are divvied up between Oak Ridge High School senior and freshman campuses. The district hopes that a new high school will relieve pressure.
CISD expects to begin construction on the new high school this year in time for opening in the fall of 2018. It’s proceeding with plans despite pending litigation. No delays are expected at the moment.
“Because the district now has the authority to take possession of the land and proceed with the project, construction of the high school has begun,” Stockton said.
The Oak Ridge area isn’t just getting a new high school. The district expects to build an intermediate and two elementary schools in the area to also meet demand.
The CISD board of trustees approved a $2 million deal for 17.67 acres of land for a new elementary school off Texas 242. The school is expected to be in the Harper’s Preserve residential community. The new elementary school is expected to relieve pressure from Oak Ridge and Houser elementary schools, which are both expected to be at 100 percent capacity by 2018, according to a demographic study commissioned by the district.
CISD by the numbers
$142 million: The total cost to construct the new Oak Ridge high school.
$10 million: The amount the special commissioners agreed should be paid to the Hilliards for the 46-acre property and any damages, according to court documents.
$5.7 million: The amount the district paid to Toll Houston TX LLC for 37 acres off Riley Fuzzel Road, which is the site of the new Oak Ridge High School.
$5.1 million: The amount the district offered the Hilliards for the 46 acres of their property, which was declined.
Almost three months after Montgomery County voters passed a $280 million road bond, the wheels are beginning to turn on widening Rayford Road. This project has been given the highest priority and allotted the most amount of funds.
The $60 million project will widen the road from four to six lanes on a three-mile stretch, from Richard Road to Riley Fuzzel Road, which will soon be the Grand Parkway. The project also consists of constructing a six-lane bridge over the Union Pacific train tracks.
As one of the only arteries channeling thousands of residents from the Imperial Oaks subdivision in southeastern Montgomery County to Interstate 45, Rayford Road has become infamous for its paralyzing congestion and safety hazards.
A study on mobility in south Montgomery County conducted by theHouston-Galveston Area Councilfound that Rayford Road was the most congested road in the study area.Texas Department of Transportationtraffic counts found that the four-lane road carried an average of more than 37,000 cars a day in 2012, classifying it as “severely over capacity.” From 2007 to 2013, nearly 900 accidents were reported on Rayford Road, according toPrecinct 3CommissionerJames Noack’s office.
In addition to widening the road to help with congestion, the project will include installation of new, synchronized traffic lights and additional traffic lights at neighborhood entrances, new street signage, improved drainage and a raised median to make left turns safer for motorists.
Noack plans to conduct two public meetings to keep residents informed as the project moves forward: one in March or April and another before construction begins in 2017. “Working closely with property owners, residents, local business owners and the community throughout the project is a priority for Montgomery County and Commissioner Noack,” Noack’s office wrote on the Precinct 3 website. “Both the county and project engineer will work with the community to collect input, identify opportunities to reduce impacts, and provide updates on the project as they become available.” Source: Chron.com
For just a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand, depending on how much you are willing to spend, you can make these fantastic upgrades that add value and quality to your lifestyle.
#1: Outdoor Outlets
Whether you want to be able to hold outdoor galas in your backyard or you use an electric grill for summer barbecues, adding outdoor outlets increases your home’s entertainment value. When you hire DJ’s or put up holiday lights, you don’t need yards and yards of extension cords. Your handy outlets provide you with your outdoor electric needs.
#2: Radiant Heating
Think of the type of warmth that you feel standing in front of a warm oven. That is similar to the type of heat that fills your home when you install radiant heat. Instead of relying on air that is blown out of vents or using furnaces to heat your home, hot stone slabs are laid on your floors and heated with either hot water, which is most energy efficient (hydronic heating systems), electric (less energy efficient), or air radiation, which, however, is rarely used in residential homes.
Walls and ceilings can also be heated but typically use electricity instead of hot water to prevent the danger from potential water leaks inside the walls. While it negates some of the energy efficiency, in combination with radiant heated floors, the savings can add up to thousands of dollars per year.
#3: Central Vacuum System
For anywhere from between $100 and $2,000 you can install a central vacuum system throughout your home. Tubes are installed in your walls in each room of your house and connected to a wall vacuum outlet.
Kits come with a vacuum head that connects to the wall outlet so that dirt and dust in the air is carried out of the house and through a HEPA filter. It is great for people with allergies and can improve the indoor air quality of your home.
#4: Energy-Efficient Appliances and Equipment
Energy savings are on everyone’s minds and when you can boast to potential homebuyers the number of energy efficient appliances and equipment that power your home, you have a better chance of selling at the price that you want. Add new energy efficient windows, storm doors, HVAC systems, and kitchen appliances for an excellent cost-effective upgrade. #5: Outdoor Oven or Fire Pit
Even if you live in a warm climate, a backyard fire pit or fireplace can improve the aesthetics of your home and makes enjoying the night air more comfortable. Particularly if you live in a state that gets cool weather, a fire pit allows you to hang outside with friends even on chilly nights.
Outdoor ovens or outdoor fireplaces also add style and pizzazz to your outdoor landscape as well as a practical feature that increases entertainment value. Backyard parties are more fun with an outdoor oven to cook on.
If you need help with ways to improved the appeal of your home, call the experts at Diamond Homes Realty 281-989-6934.
We sold this home in Cochran's Crossing, The Woodlands before it ever hit the market, ensuring construction was completed according to our out of town seller's wishes. Check out this amazing transformation!
