Hello, neighbors! Hope you had a great holiday weekend! Some news and notes from the past couple weeks including some very informative information from the Coffee with the Cops and Council Member event held on Thursday. As always, if you have any concerns or questions, please reach out to me via email.

Pool Update

In case you were unaware, the pool is now open for the summer and has expanded morning hours Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Check the pool information page for details.

Area Meeting

The meeting Thursday included Council Member Amy Peck as well as other at-large council members and representatives from the local police stations. Several neighbors were there as were a number of area residents – it was well attended. Below are some things we have found out from the meeting. We encourage all our residents to stay informed about area goings on. Amy Peck’s office is VERY responsive.

Heavy Trash

According to Amy Peck’s office, NOTHING has changed with regard to heavy trash. There have been proposals that made it into the news media, but nothing has yet to be decided. Yes, heavy trash is behind, but the pickup schedule for the city remains in place as of now. The proposed “call 311 to get your trash picked up” never made it out of committee and was something solid waste proposed but was rejected. The Mayor’s proposed garbage fee is still under consideration by city council. It would be added to everyone’s monthly water bill. But, that is still awaiting a vote from council.

The Creek and Our Fence

We are still working to replace the fence at the dead end of Lost Forest. The current fence is not in great shape and, apparently, is well into the easement. When it was built many years ago, it was approved by the city, but flood control rules have changed significantly since Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and we are still waiting for all the relevant parties – public works, the city, the county, flood control – to weigh in on what we need to do both in terms of where the fence can be and what kind of gate is required for access from work trucks like Centerpoint and others. I spoke directly with public works representatives and they are supposed to call me soon with an update.

Gunshots Along the Creek

This continues to be an issue, particularly for residents who back up to Cole Creek. We have been advised to call 911 whenever gunfire is heard. The difficulty is they often want a specific address where the shots were coming from and that isn’t always possible given how things echo and the number of apartments/condos across the creek from us. It’s pretty clear, however, that the more we report these shots, the more likely the police will respond. One officer told me that when they see the number of calls increase in one place in a month, it triggers a more significant response from the department. The squeaky wheel does indeed get the grease. You can also send concerns to Captain Ryan Watson, the division leader for the North Division responsible for our area: Ryan.Watson@houstontx.gov

Changes Coming to Antoine

Public Works provided an informative discussion of the plans for Antoine. As of now, the design plan from Little York north to 249 is complete and they expect to begin actual work next spring. The improvements to utilities, sidewalks and the street itself should be significant. Design plans have yet to be completed for the stretch from Little York south to 290, which includes the stretch that borders us. Some of you may have heard that the Mayor’s office had requested change to the designs last year, most specifically going from two to three lanes of traffic in each direction and reducing sidewalks to six feet from 10.

From what was told to us, there was some kind of compromise that went back to two lanes in each direction, something we ALL should want. However, there is still some discussion over the width of the sidewalks. As it stands, there will likely be six-foot sidewalks but with a buffer zone of perhaps two feet? It’s unclear and I made my concerns know to the council member and public works – we have a lot of people walking, pushing carts and even in wheelchairs on those sidewalks near us and they need as much space as possible. You can learn more about all public works projects at their new website https://www.engagehouston.org/

Inwood Forest Golf Course

Some of you probably walked around the old Inwood Forest Golf Course for years before they began renovations as part of a massive flood control project several years ago. The good news is the renovations will be completed this summer. That does NOT include new walking paths and re-planted vegetation, which is expected to commence immediately following the flood modifications, but the plans sound terrific and the updates will help mitigate flood for an area that has really suffered for years. You can get more information here at the Flood Control District website and here on the Houston Parks Board website.