[ParagK]

Friends,
Hello. This is a wonderful forum, I really appreciate all the posts. They are incredibly helpful for newcomers to Houston like me. We moved to Houston about 8 months ago, and I have been a reader of this forum since then. This is my first post.

We really like Shadow Creek ranch and Pearland, we were going to sign the contract on a new Meritage home, but we came across the Landfill expansion issue, and we have delayed our plans since then (about 6 months ago). I follow every news item about the Blue Ridge expansion, that I can get my hands on (CABRLE website, FB news etc), but I really would like to know from someone within SCR and long timers from Pearland about what they think might happen with the grant of a "contested - case" hearing and TCEQ decisions.

What is the general mood in SCR itself ? Are residents just resigned to "whatever happens - happens" or is there an exodus from SCR in anticipation that once the expansion is approved the property values will drop, and slowly but surely, SCR will turn into something not very nice ??

There are several reasons for liking SCR ( educated residents, shorter commute to downtown, nice amneties, reasonable costs etc), but this BR landfill issue has turned an easy decision into a basically no-decision for us.

Once again,
thanks a lot, and awaiting your responses,
Parag

[HoustonRealtor]

As a new resident of SCR, it seems to me like people outside of SCR worry about the expansion much more than the people in SCR. That is not to say that we want the expansion or will sit by and let it happen without a fight, but it seems that people are not letting it comsume their daily lives. I can honestly say that I have never noticed a foul smell from the landfill from anywhere inside SCR, although I have occasionally smelled some nasty things on 521 and areas west. I do not know for certain if they are coming from the landfill.

I find it hard to believe, and hope that it is not the case, that there will be an exodus from SCR over this issue. The community is nice and the quality of people seems good. We hope to be here a long time.

[jbmurrah]

I know most of my neighbors are aware of it and not terribly excited. A couple of them are carpooling to the hearing in a few days. I hope they have success.

[brain]

I think there are two school of thoughts in SCR for the landfill issue.

One school thinks that they should fight agressively against the landfill at any cost and make their place safe to live. I think they are optimistc folks who think landfill expansion can be prevented by a collective protest.

Other school thinks that more protest and more media attention will only help to spread the news about the landfill and would reduce the property value irrespective of whether landfill expands or not. I think these folks are rather pessimistic and are doing the damage control by keeping the landfill issue within.

I think the general consesnsus is that, RCH will be granted on July 25 at the Austin hearing and the TV stations may be awarded a legal standpoint on the issue. But, a CH may take years to complete.

SCR is a great place but it appears sales are stand still now. Realtors were thinking that summer would bring a boost in SCR sales but the landfill spoiled those hopes. Recently Meritage offered a 50% off lake lot premiums, Perry offered $10K backyard upgrade and ryland reduced prices on their inventories by 15-20% on top of their other promotions

If (IF) landfill gets expanded, I am sure there will be some law suits against the builders and Newland (the owner). I am not sure howmany buyers were given a landfill disclosure form BEFORE buying a house in SCR. I visited some of the builder offices few months back and have received all their glossy blah-blah brochures and everything. Later, once I became aware of the Landfil issue, I replied (to one of their Sales emails) them asking about the landfill and got a response saying "The landfill is technically in Fresno, TX and has been there for approximately 11 years. It is non toxic and non hazardous". Obviously they were trying to imply that "Buddy, you are in Pearland and this landfill is in Fresno and last 11 years it dint create any issues" as if I do not know much on landfill. They were just acting ignorance on landfill expansion. When I replied back with all possible information, links and proofs - suddenly there was change of tone and it said " I would like to fax you our Landfill Disclosure form". So the bottomline is, all builders have a ready made disclosure available and it will be given only to someone who is educated about the landfill and asks for it. My understanding is that disclosures should have been voluntrarly given to all potential buyers.

This post has been edited by brain: Sunday, July 22, 2007 at 1:02 AM

[TheNiche]

HoustonRealtor, on Saturday, July 21st, 2007 @ 10:40pm, said:

I can honestly say that I have never noticed a foul smell from the landfill from anywhere inside SCR, although I have occasionally smelled some nasty things on 521 and areas west. I do not know for certain if they are coming from the landfill.

Yeah, Almeda (aka FM 521) is for some reason a refinery corridor. I'm not sure what the history behind it was, but if you use the EPA's Enviromapper tool, a lot of point-source emissions seem to be coming from plants along it.

[Trae]

brain, on Sunday, July 22nd, 2007 @ 12:39am, said:

I think there are two school of thoughts in SCR for the landfill issue.

One school thinks that they should fight agressively against the landfill at any cost and make their place safe to live. I think they are optimistc folks who think landfill expansion can be prevented by a collective protest.

Other school thinks that more protest and more media attention will only help to spread the news about the landfill and would reduce the property value irrespective of whether landfill expands or not. I think these folks are rather pessimistic and are doing the damage control by keeping the landfill issue within.

I think the general consesnsus is that, RCH will be granted on July 25 at the Austin hearing and the TV stations may be awarded a legal standpoint on the issue. But, a CH may take years to complete.

SCR is a great place but it appears sales are stand still now. Realtors were thinking that summer would bring a boost in SCR sales but the landfill spoiled those hopes. Recently Meritage offered a 50% off lake lot premiums, Perry offered $10K backyard upgrade and ryland reduced prices on their inventories by 15-20% on top of their other promotions

If (IF) landfill gets expanded, I am sure there will be some law suits against the builders and Newland (the owner). I am not sure howmany buyers were given a landfill disclosure form BEFORE buying a house in SCR. I visited some of the builder offices few months back and have received all their glossy blah-blah brochures and everything. Later, once I became aware of the Landfil issue, I replied (to one of their Sales emails) them asking about the landfill and got a response saying "The landfill is technically in Fresno, TX and has been there for approximately 11 years. It is non toxic and non hazardous". Obviously they were trying to imply that "Buddy, you are in Pearland and this landfill is in Fresno and last 11 years it dint create any issues" as if I do not know much on landfill. They were just acting ignorance on landfill expansion. When I replied back with all possible information, links and proofs - suddenly there was change of tone and it said " I would like to fax you our Landfill Disclosure form". So the bottomline is, all builders have a ready made disclosure available and it will be given only to someone who is educated about the landfill and asks for it. My understanding is that disclosures should have been voluntrarly given to all potential buyers.

No more than two years ago, SCR was the hottest thing in suburban Houston. Now, it is starting to sound like a dump (no pun intended).

[blocked writer]

Trae, on Sunday, July 22nd, 2007 @ 8:38pm, said:

No more than two years ago, SCR was the hottest thing in suburban Houston. Now, it is starting to sound like a dump (no pun intended).

I definitely wouldn't call SCR a dump. It's still a beautiful neighborhood, with very nice homes, and a number of residents who were caught off guard by this mess. It's unfortunate that things have gone down the way they have. I wish them the best.

[editor]

On the bright side, in 50 or 60 years after the landfill is closed and reclaimed, they'll have a big golf course in their backyard.

[jbmurrah]

I need some help guys. I live in Shadow Creek Ranch in Riverside Place which is just West of Kingsley and South of Trininty Bay. I'm trying to protest my property tax valuation. I signed the papers to build my home around April '06 and closed in November of 06. The cost was 180k for 1935 sqft. My tax valuation was at 174k. I went to the informal hearing today arguing that my value should be lowered because of possibility of the landfill expansion and that several neighboring houses were appraised at a much lower value. It turned out that the neighboring houses were valued lower because they were only partially completed. They dropped my valuation to 170K before I even mentioned the dump issue and then when I raised the issue he said it was the best he could do. He also mentioned that if I chose to continue to the formal hearing that the dump expansion would be the best way to go. Here's where I need the help. Is there any where I can find sales trends/closing prices over some time period? I also hired an independent appraiser. Besides these things are there any suggestions on what I should do?

Brian

This post has been edited by jbmurrah: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 6:19 PM

[blocked writer]

TCEQ Grants Contested Hearing On Blue Ridge Landfill

The Texas Commission On Environmental Quality just ruled this morning at a hearing in Austin that sufficient evidence did exist to allow for a contested case hearing on the proposed application for the Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion near Missouri City, Arcola, Fresno & Pearland. This is good news for the nearly 1100 homeowners who signed the petition against this project. We will update this section as time and information permits.

http://missouricityc...r.blogspot.com/

[brain]

http://www.chron.com...ws/4998528.html

Quote

A state environmental agency Wednesday granted a contested case hearing to opponents of a landfill expansion proposed in east Fort Bend County.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality decided that the opponents, including a group of residents dubbed Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, and three local television stations, KTRK (Channel 13), KRIV (Fox 26) and KHOU (Channel 11), are "affected parties" in the landfill project.

The opponents are backed by state Reps. Dora Olivo, D-Rosenberg, and Mike O'Day, R-Pearland, who spoke against the expansion by Allied Waste at Wednesday's meeting in Austin. The commission only allowed comments by elected officials.

After deliberation for about 20 minutes, the three-member commission referred the issue to the State Office of Administrative Hearings, granting the case "contested" status for a hearing by a judge with the office — similar to a civil trial — as requested by the opponents.

Gary McCuistion, a company spokesman who attended the commission meeting Wednesday, said he was not surprised by the referral.

"It would be highly unlikely for them not to make a referral. Any time when you have a major landfill in urban areas, sometimes even in rural areas, you can expect a contested case hearing," McCuistion said.

"We will continue to meet with the parties opposed to our project to address their concerns, but in the meantime, we will prepare to defend ourselves to show that the landfill is one of the best in the state of Texas and that our application meets all the rules and regulations."

Lisa Wheeler, a commission spokeswoman, said the case will be heard in Fort Bend County and it will take a year for a decision to be made by the state office from the date of the first contested case hearing.

The exact schedule for the hearing had not been set as of Wednesday afternoon, said Natalie Howard, a docket clerk with the state office.

The decision of the state office would not be final, Wheeler said.

"At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge will issue a proposal for decision, which is submitted to the TCEQ for formal consideration," Wheeler said. "The commissioners can then approve, deny or modify the proposal for decision."

Opponents have urged the commission to reject Allied Waste's expansion proposal, claiming that it would harm dozens of neighborhoods environmentally and economically.

The landfill is incompatible with the land use in the area, which is predominantly residential with schools and churches, they said.

McCuistion said the company has measures in place to ensure the environmental safety of the landfill operation should it be expanded and that the application for a permit for the proposed expansion has met all state guidelines.

The state commission has given preliminary approval to the plan that would add 1,345 acres to the 599-acre Blue Ridge Landfill at 2200 FM 521. Over 40 years, the height of the landfill would increase from its current 58 feet to 170 feet.

The landfill's capacity is up to 784 acres under an existing state permit, which will be in effect for 12 more years.

The three television stations are concerned about the potential for their weather-forecasting tower radar signals to be blocked if the expansion were to take place, posing a threat to public safety, according to their attorney Richard Lowerre.

"Whether or not the proposed expansion would interfere with the operation of the Doppler radar in the vicinity of the landfill, commissioners agreed that this would be considered," said Wheeler. "As to whether or not the landfill expansion is compatible with surrounding land uses. It will not be considered on its own."

Richard Morrison, an attorney for the opposition coalition, said the group is encouraged by the commission's decision Wednesday.

He said the group will hire experts to collect evidence of the landfill's adverse impact and review potential hazards to the environment that could result from the expansion, including the presence of barium, a poisonous metallic substance, at the site.

Although the commission has the final say on the matter, Morrison believes the state office judge's opinion will have an impact on the commission's decision.

"The commission most of the time goes with what the (State Office of Administrative Hearings) judge says," Morrison said. "I feel like because of the massive size of this landfill and what we believe to be the persistent leak of barium, the protesters could have as good a chance as a protester could have."

McCuistion said once the project is finally approved, the company will hire the "most experienced consultants" for the design.

Appears like TCEQ does not want another lawsuit to deal with like this one

This post has been edited by brain: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 2:35 PM

[scrres]

brain, on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 @ 2:37pm, said:

http://www.chron.com...ws/4998528.html







Appears like TCEQ does not want another lawsuit to deal with like this one

This is a great news.

We brought a home in shadow creek, will be closing soon in 1-2 months. We have decided to move to Shadowcreek even after hearing about landfill. We are not much worried about this, we really liked the location, price, businesses around, distance from downtown/galleria. I have some friends who moved to Shadow creek recently. They love the place.

I think once after the Pearland Town Center, Presidential Park, Promenade shops, Houston Library and Other shopping complexes in this area open to public there will be more opposition to the landfill.

[Chamo]

scrres, on Thursday, July 26th, 2007 @ 2:11pm, said:

This is a great news.

We brought a home in shadow creek, will be closing soon in 1-2 months. We have decided to move to Shadowcreek even after hearing about landfill. We are not much worried about this, we really liked the location, price, businesses around, distance from downtown/galleria. I have some friends who moved to Shadow creek recently. They love the place.

I think once after the Pearland Town Center, Presidential Park, Promenade shops, Houston Library and Other shopping complexes in this area open to public there will be more opposition to the landfill.

Welcome to the forum and welcome to Shadow Creek scrres. As the rest of your friends, you will love SCR; is a great place to live.

Personally I have never been worried about the landfill either, worst case we will have a great golf course in 50 years as editor pointed;

I doubt the big mountain will be approved, best case for Allied Waste I think is to get approval to increase acreage maintaining the height limit they currently have. The issue with the weather radars is to big IMO for anybody to give a green light to the expansion; and then you add Barium in water samples, inconsistencies with the flow of traffic in the expansion request, all the new housing and commercial development going up closeby, "tipping fees", etc.

[bostonaggiemd]

I am also buying a house in SCR; Will be closing in 1 month; I really fell in love with the neighborhood. I had no idea about the landfill issue when I put dwon my option money, and even after hearing, I still want to live there. I really hope this thing gets limited, but I cant wait to move in to my new home. BassPro, Town Center, Waterlights are all icing on the cake!

[lonestardude]

Finally good to hear from people who love SCR. Frankly I am a little concerned about the landfill expansion but not much. I am glad we have a great organization fighting against it along with Morrison. My main concerns were smell from the landfill and water supply. I know for sure water supply to SCR is not from underground water, so thats ruled out. And I have never smelled a foul smell from the landfill so far. We also will be closing in coming 1-2 months and cannot wait to move into SCR!!
I really hope that Allied is not successful in getting an expansion approved for the height. I do not mind the accreage approval because it will be on the farther side from SCR anyway.

[BWSchultz]

lonestardude, on Friday, July 27th, 2007 @ 9:30am, said:

Finally good to hear from people who love SCR. Frankly I am a little concerned about the landfill expansion but not much. I am glad we have a great organization fighting against it along with Morrison. My main concerns were smell from the landfill and water supply. I know for sure water supply to SCR is not from underground water, so thats ruled out. And I have never smelled a foul smell from the landfill so far. We also will be closing in coming 1-2 months and cannot wait to move into SCR!!
I really hope that Allied is not successful in getting an expansion approved for the height. I do not mind the accreage approval because it will be on the farther side from SCR anyway.

As has been mentioned on here by me and others there is an occasional smell in the area. I live in Brookglen and notice it about once every two weeks, usually in the morning. I don't know if it comes from the dump or from the chem plants.

The commercial construction going on is incredible right now. There need to be more infrastructure improvements ASAP, especially to SCR Parkway. I don't really know why all those buildings are empty up there. I know it all comes down to money and who's buying but I still think the state of 2234 and 518 east of 288 is ridiculous for this point in the development. Once a couple more of the big stores open, the entire area will change. Bass Shop, HEB, Macy's, Dillard's, Barnes and Noble. That's a ton of jobs in the SCR area which means there will certainly be a massive increase in smaller stores and restaurants, too. I really have no question that SCR will be a highly desirable area to live in 5 years from now and more.

[Cook911411]

I have worked in Southern Trails (just South of FM 518 & SCR) for 2 years and have never smelled anything!

Growing up in the 80's I lived at 2234 and S Post Oak and never smelled anything....

The wind usually blows inland from what I can tell! ...away form SCR and me...

[Timnwendy]

According to a CABRLE blogsite I found, a contested hearing on this issue will be held on October 16th at 10am in the Commissioner's courtroom, 309 South 4th street, Suite 701, Richmond, Tx.

[Timnwendy]

The outcome of the hearing is now available for reading here, at the Houston Chronicle site. My layman's interpretation is that the final resolution has been delayed once again, until next year. Even then whatever decision is made can be appealed in district court, by either party.

So the whole issue drags on. Still, this is good for those folks currently living in the vicinity of the landfill, since the expansion remains on hold. However those who are trying to decide whether or not it is safe to buy homes there (like me) are still left in limbo.

This post has been edited by Timnwendy: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 7:00 PM

[Chamo]

If you haven't, please fill below survey.

Landfill Survey

[Timnwendy]

Here is a brief update from the Missouri City Chatter blog about the developments this fall. It seems both sides are scoring points, and the issue drags on.

[Houston456]

It appears landfill/Foreclosures are hitting hard on SCR. This house (3,814 sq.ft) in SCR is listed for 240K. ie, around $62/ sq.ft. Granted, it's a foreclosure but asking prices this low is a definitely a sign of what lies ahead IMO



Since landfill expansion is not granted yet, this makes me to think that landfill will dent the image of SCR whether it expands or not. HUGE number of foreclosures adds oil to the fire. I doubt how much damage could be reduced by having an HEB/Accademey/WholeFoods/StarBucks/Barnes-Nobles/PresidentialHeadsPark/etc nearby.



Also, this particular house is on the EAST of Kirby and EXTREMELY adjacent to the new apartments. If you look at the first pic, you can see the apt JUST behind the fence. It appears that buyers (who bought in 2003-2004) were not aware that an apartment is going to built next to their backyard and now when they SEE it, many are trying to sell their homes but cannot find a buyer.

[Timnwendy]

Houston456, on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 @ 2:07pm, said:

Also, this particular house is on the EAST of Kirby and EXTREMELY adjacent to the new apartments. If you look at the first pic, you can see the apt JUST behind the fence. It appears that buyers (who bought in 2003-2004) were not aware that an apartment is going to built next to their backyard and now when they SEE it, many are trying to sell their homes but cannot find a buyer.

According to the maps I have, those are supposed to be 'luxury' apartments, but they still will be noisy and an eyesore. Too bad the current owners didn't check things out closer before they bought, because the maps of SCR I have (which came from the SCR visitors center) clearly showed those apartments going in there.

I'm not really surprised that many homes are for sale in SCR at discounted prices, but the fact that many of them are on the EAST side of SCR (away from the landfill), seems noteworthy. There must be several factors at work here, which are combining for a synergistic effect on the market prices.

[sarahiki]

Timnwendy, on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 @ 8:05pm, said:

According to the maps I have, those are supposed to be 'luxury' apartments, but they still will be noisy and an eyesore. Too bad the current owners didn't check things out closer before they bought, because the maps of SCR I have (which came from the SCR visitors center) clearly showed those apartments going in there.

I'm not really surprised that many homes are for sale in SCR at discounted prices, but the fact that many of them are on the EAST side of SCR (away from the landfill), seems noteworthy. There must be several factors at work here, which are combining for a synergistic effect on the market prices.

I must say I find these homes at these prices tempting. I don't like the look of SCR very much, but an inexpensive home on the east side of the community might be a pretty nice solution to our current where-to-live conundrum.

[HoustonRealtor]

Houston456, on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 @ 2:07pm, said:

It appears landfill/Foreclosures are hitting hard on SCR. This house (3,814 sq.ft) in SCR is listed for 240K. ie, around $62/ sq.ft. Granted, it's a foreclosure but asking prices this low is a definitely a sign of what lies ahead IMO

Since landfill expansion is not granted yet, this makes me to think that landfill will dent the image of SCR whether it expands or not. HUGE number of foreclosures adds oil to the fire. I doubt how much damage could be reduced by having an HEB/Accademey/WholeFoods/StarBucks/Barnes-Nobles/PresidentialHeadsPark/etc nearby.

Also, this particular house is on the EAST of Kirby and EXTREMELY adjacent to the new apartments. If you look at the first pic, you can see the apt JUST behind the fence. It appears that buyers (who bought in 2003-2004) were not aware that an apartment is going to built next to their backyard and now when they SEE it, many are trying to sell their homes but cannot find a buyer.

The apartments have been on the maps for years, so if they didn't know, it's their own fault.

As for foreclosures, I'm not seeing any more in SCR than anywhere else that has homes that are at least a few years old. The reason we have this mortgage crisis is that people bought houses (all over the country) that shouldn't have been buying them in the first place. Builders and their lenders were making it easy for almost anyone to qualify. These buyers are now being forced out of their homes because they just can't afford them.

The landfill will never be a positive for SCR, but it shouldn't have a huge long-term impact if the expansion isn't granted. If it is granted...well, we'll just have to wait and see.

[clearman]

TimWendy,
Just a little FYI for you...those maps from the SCR "visitor center" aka "The developer's marketing arm", change all the time. I can assure you that when those people built in 2001-2003 the apartments were not scheduled. There are still SEVERAL inaccuracies on the current map.

When we started building in 2004 they told us all of the area east of the property was zoned commercial, and we needed to be aware of that. They expected at least one of the hospitals to be built, but could not promise what else went in there.

[Timnwendy]

clearman, on Thursday, December 13th, 2007 @ 9:19am, said:

TimWendy,
Just a little FYI for you...those maps from the SCR "visitor center" aka "The developer's marketing arm", change all the time. I can assure you that when those people built in 2001-2003 the apartments were not scheduled. There are still SEVERAL inaccuracies on the current map.

When we started building in 2004 they told us all of the area east of the property was zoned commercial, and we needed to be aware of that. They expected at least one of the hospitals to be built, but could not promise what else went in there.

Ah, ok. We got our map from them in 2005, and it was marked then, so I can't attest to what they were showing earlier.

[Houston456]

I have lived in 'luxury' and 'non-luxury' apmts and I can say its all the same (more-or-less). Its not like the difference between 1-star motel and a 5-star hilton.

Another marketing gimmick.

When you go to starbucks and order a 'TALL' cup, you know that is the SHORTEST size. LOL!!

Timnwendy, on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 @ 9:05pm, said:

According to the maps I have, those are supposed to be 'luxury' apartments, but they still will be noisy and an eyesore. Too bad the current owners didn't check things out closer before they bought, because the maps of SCR I have (which came from the SCR visitors center) clearly showed those apartments going in there.

I'm not really surprised that many homes are for sale in SCR at discounted prices, but the fact that many of them are on the EAST side of SCR (away from the landfill), seems noteworthy. There must be several factors at work here, which are combining for a synergistic effect on the market prices.

This post has been edited by Houston456: Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 10:58 AM

[Timnwendy]

There have been some recent developments about the litigation revolving around this landfill expansion, which you can read about here.

My layman's opinion: Blue Ridge is making noise about wanting to talk to the other parties opposing their expansion of the landfill, to see if they can reach some kind of accomodation, but it's really just a smoke screen tactic.

[Timnwendy]

It looks like at least one SCR resident is complaining to the Pearland City Council about the landfill. Read this article for the details.

The quote from Mr. Scrutchin is interesting. The article implied he is a salesperson for new homes in Eden Cove, but it wasn't totally clear.

This post has been edited by Timnwendy: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 6:12 PM

[brain]

Timnwendy, on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 @ 6:06pm, said:

It looks like at least one SCR resident is complaining to the Pearland City Council about the landfill. Read this article for the details.

The quote from Mr. Scrutchin is interesting. The article implied he is a salesperson for new homes in Eden Cove, but it wasn't totally clear.

Eden cove is perry homes and the sales person said

Quote

Cliff Scrutchin, salesperson in the Eden Cove subdivision which he said is closest to the landfill, said he could count on one hand the number of times an odor was bothersome within the last year.

“I don’t have an issue with it,” Scrutchin said. “There’s nothing that would drive me crazy.”

It would not drive him crazy because all he wants is to sell homes. Would he build his own home there ?

This post has been edited by brain: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 11:02 AM

[scrres]

Timnwendy, on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 @ 6:06pm, said:

It looks like at least one SCR resident is complaining to the Pearland City Council about the landfill. Read this article for the details.

The quote from Mr. Scrutchin is interesting. The article implied he is a salesperson for new homes in Eden Cove, but it wasn't totally clear.

I think its not just Shadow Creek Residents that are going to be affected, it can affect other near by communties southern trails, silver lake/creek etc. One night around 11pm I could smell it near HEB and Walmart also.

[Timnwendy]

scrres, on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 @ 10:30am, said:

I think its not just Shadow Creek Residents that are going to be affected, it can affect other near by communties southern trails, silver lake/creek etc. One night around 11pm I could smell it near HEB and Walmart also.

Let's not forget the upcoming Waterlight District (located between 288 and Kirby). With all the $$$ the developers are/will be pumping into that project, you'd think they would lend their voice (and funding) to CABRLE and others who oppose the landfill, because that location could be affected also. Who would want to take an expensive boat ride if the air on the river smelled like a sewer?

This post has been edited by Timnwendy: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM

[Timnwendy]

Looks like the smell from this landfill is generating negative publicity again. Read this recent article about it.

Here's the article too, for when that link dies:

Landfill Odor causing a Stink
by NATALIE TORENTINOS

Like passing dark clouds, incomparable and scary odors have traveled through Jamie Lee’s neighborhood in Shadow Creek Ranch, the smell seeping through the garage, laundry, even the water faucet.

“This morning at 8 a.m. I left to take my daughters to school, and I could barely breathe outside,” Lee said. “It was nauseating.”

“How do we effectively record this and document?” she asked, having filed dozens of complaints with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, suspecting that Blue Ridge Landfill, which sits west of the housing development, was to blame.

Richard Morrison, a Sugar Land attorney representing grass-roots organization Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, was showered with similar questions July 16 at the Shadow Creek Ranch pool house, where more than 50 residents gathered recently to discuss ongoing litigation between affected citizens and the landfill’s operator, Allied Waste.

Allied Waste filed a landfill permit with the TCEQ in January of 2006, seeking to expand its waste footprint from a maximum of height of 60 feet and 302 acres to 170 feet in height and 784 acres.

The site has been in operation since 1993.

Morrison admitted their chances of beating the waste services company is, at best, 20 to 25 percent.

“They’re hard to beat. Allied will spend $5 million, and we may spend anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000. We’re going against a Fortune 500 company. But our strong point in the land use issue. Allied Waste wants to say it’s industrial. I don’t agree with that: it’s residential.”

Additional issues are geology and drainage –regarding contaminated groundwater and increased flooding, respectively. The landfill is attracting scavenger animals such as vultures, seagulls and rodents.

Morrison showed pictures taken of buzzards perching on the roofs of several homes, located in Green Valley Estates north of the landfill.

A contested case hearing is like a trial, he said, with two judges to overhear arguments over a two-week period. An administrative law judge makes the initial decision, and TCEQ makes the final call. In the event of losing the case, CABRLE may appeal to the Court of Appeals in Austin.

By seeking a settlement with outside parties that include CABRLE, the City of Pearland and three TV stations, Allied Waste delayed the previously scheduled hearing for June 16. The best case scenario for a hearing date, Morrison said, is October or November.

Morrison called the City of Pearland one of CABRLE’s most aggressive allies, though city officials also recognize the case’s “uphill” battle.

“We’re nowhere close to reaching a settlement,” said Pearland City Attorney Darin Coker of talks with Allied Waste. “We hired a lawyer from Austin representing the City, and three different experts are analyzing the permit application.

“The reason this is such an uphill battle is because the TCEQ already said, ‘we don’t have a problem with the permit.’”

The landfill’s height, smell and increased truck traffic are major concerns, Coker said, adding that odor the landfill generates produces a lot of methane gas.

“I’ve been complaining on the TCEQ web site as well,” said Neerag Zambare, a Fort Bend resident. “You can see a lot of complaints for this landfill for smell.”

[20thStDad]

Timnwendy, on Monday, July 21st, 2008 @ 8:45am, said:

The site has been in operation since 1993.

Same argument as the homeless in Midtown...it was already there, so what's the big surprise? Were people hoping that the wind would never blow a certain direction and maybe the landfill would just go away?

[Timnwendy]

20thStDad, on Monday, July 21st, 2008 @ 9:14am, said:

Same argument as the homeless in Midtown...it was already there, so what's the big surprise? Were people hoping that the wind would never blow a certain direction and maybe the landfill would just go away?

I'm guessing they didn't even know it was there prior to buying.

Since April, I've lived approx 2 miles east of the landfill. I have never smelled anything.

It's hard to know how close is too close, but from talking with people who live in various parts of SCR I've decided that Kingsley Drive is a fairly accurate smell boundary. I tell people who are looking for houses in SCR to beware of choosing a site west of Kingsley. The further east, the better.

[scrres]

Timnwendy, on Monday, July 21st, 2008 @ 10:02am, said:

I'm guessing they didn't even know it was there prior to buying.

Since April, I've lived approx 2 miles east of the landfill. I have never smelled anything.

It's hard to know how close is too close, but from talking with people who live in various parts of SCR I've decided that Kingsley Drive is a fairly accurate smell boundary. I tell people who are looking for houses in SCR to beware of choosing a site west of Kingsley. The further east, the better.

I have friends who live east, near Halfmoon Bay Dr (0.7 miles east of Kingsley Drive, opposite to Southern Trails Drive) who could smell this many times. The smell will not be thru out the day. Most of times I noticed was during the night after 11pm and before 8 am.

[BWSchultz]

scrres, on Monday, July 21st, 2008 @ 11:00am, said:

I have friends who live east, near Halfmoon Bay Dr (0.7 miles east of Kingsley Drive, opposite to Southern Trails Drive) who could smell this many times. The smell will not be thru out the day. Most of times I noticed was during the night after 11pm and before 8 am.

That is correct. It's mostly late at night and early in the morning. I live about 0.5 miles west of Kingsley and I could smell it 4 times in the last two weeks. Prior to that I hadn't noticed it for a couple of months.

I did not know about it before I bought my house three years ago. Did I not do enough due diligence? Probably not. But I still love my house and big backyard. And it's not like I'm going to live in SCR forever. I just don't want to take a loss which is what most people are doing right now selling homes in SCR. I know a few people who took 20k-50k losses just to get away from the landfill. That's not cool with me. I'm too young to take that kind of damage. But I do think home prices will stabilize in the next 2-3 years out there with better infrastructure and entertainment.

[Timnwendy]

scrres, on Monday, July 21st, 2008 @ 11:00am, said:

I have friends who live east, near Halfmoon Bay Dr (0.7 miles east of Kingsley Drive, opposite to Southern Trails Drive) who could smell this many times. The smell will not be thru out the day. Most of times I noticed was during the night after 11pm and before 8 am.

I'm sure the odor does drift further east sometimes. I live east of Southern Trails Drive, very close to Half Moon Bay. Even though I'm a little further south, I know someday I will probably get a whiff of it.

What kind of irks me is that the developers at this vaunted Waterlight District haven't gotten more involved in fighting the expansion. I wonder if they are just oblivious to it. They might have a rude awakening if their high-end restaurants and fancy canal begin to reek a few times each month.

At times it isn't hard for me to project this whole scenario playing out as a repeat of the Brio dump site/Southbend subdivision debacle in Friendswood in the late 80s. Time will tell.

This post has been edited by Timnwendy: Monday, July 21, 2008 at 2:58 PM

[BryanS]

Based on the satellite link in post #2 in this thread... and the discussion here on how you can smell it... I would say the value of those homes, near the landfill, is headed one direction: straight down. Regardless of the proposed expansion, the damage has been done. Every post to this thread and the value of those homes probably drops another $2000.

170 feet into the air is not that high. It's only half a football field, roughly. It's not like it would be a mile high or anything. The trash has to go somewhere, it doesn't just disappear into thin air.

This post has been edited by BryanS: Monday, July 21, 2008 at 10:51 PM

[bsienk]

A front page story in the Chronicle today is about gas from an Allied landfill in NE Houston being captured and used to power a brewery:
http://www.chron.com...iz/5915602.html

I wonder if/when this would be implemented at the landfill here, and if it would mitigate some of the odor concerns?

Having said that, I live west of Kingsley close to the Wilder Elementary School, and I almost never smell the landfill. I do oppose the height expansion, but that's a separate issue for me.

[njvisitor]

City Council had a special meeting this evening. One of the agenda items was:

Quote

SECTION 551.071 - CONSULTATION WITH CITY ATTORNEY – REGARDING PENDING AND POTENTIAL LITIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE BLUE RIDGE LANDFILL.
Mr. Darrin Coker, City Attorney.

Seems promising. Was anyone here in attendance?

[rem78]

Anyone have any updates on this? I know there was a meeting in the Quail Valley subdv last week, but I've been out of town and missed it.

[Timnwendy]

I haven't heard anything new since the news article about the testimony given at the Pearland City Council meeting. I'm a member of the CABRLE Yahoo group, but it is dead quiet...and has been for months.

I suspect there is probably quite a bit of discussion going on, but only among a select group.

[clearman]

I live on the far East side of SCR and I'm pretty sure I smelled the landfill a couple times this week. In the morning and evening. Very chemically smell.

[matchison]

clearman, on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 @ 11:13am, said:

I live on the far East side of SCR and I'm pretty sure I smelled the landfill a couple times this week. In the morning and evening. Very chemically smell.

There is also a chemical Plant nearby on 521. Axel Nobel, http://www.surface.akzonobel.com/, is a small chemical plant that produces surfacants. Some of these chemicals can be pretty dangerous, AND smelly. I have personally taken a tour of that plant. This is probably where you are getting the chemical smell.

Akzo Nobel Surfactants
Surfactants America, Houston Site
15200 Almeda Road
Houston, TX 77053

[Timnwendy]

I found this Inside Fort Bend blog entry that gives an update on the expansion, as of Feb. 2009. To me, it still seems like things are going bad for the opponents of the expansion.

[Timnwendy]

The Pearland City Council has an agenda item on their meeting for this coming Monday 05/11/2009 to consult with their city attorney about the Blue Ridge Landfill litigation. You can read about it here:

http://www.groupbuil...ncil_Agenda.pdf

These sessions are open to the public, if anyone wants to go. I thought some of you might be trying to get information on this.

[Timnwendy]

This following article was posted yesterday on the Pearland Journal website. I am still thinking about it, but it seems to me that if Blue Ridge adheres to its part of the agreement, then it seems at least a partial victory for the homeowners near the site. ~ Tim

City reaches Blue Ridge Landfill agreement

Updated: 05.20.09

The City of Pearland has reached a settlement agreement with Blue Ridge Landfill TX, L.P. regarding the City’s challenge of Blue Ridge’s permit application to expand its existing landfill.

The application was previously determined by the staff of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to meet all state requirements.

“The City initiated this litigation in October 2007 with the singular purpose of protecting its residents, especially those who reside on the west side of Pearland nearer to the landfill. Since then, the City has expended a substantial amount of resources and effort contesting Blue Ridge's permit,” said City Attorney Darrin Coker.

The City retained outside counsel from a prominent law firm in Austin, and hired two consultants with expertise in landfill design and operations, ground and surface water hydrology, and air quality. The City's vigorous pursuit of the litigation encouraged Blue Ridge to seek compromise at the bargaining table, where it offered meaningful changes to its permit - changes that the TCEQ would not have required.

When Pearland City Council initially adopted the resolution opposing the expansion of the landfill, the following items were listed as reasons for the City's opposition: the proposed height of the landfill, the increase in traffic, the potential for groundwater contamination, and other potential health risks to nearby residents. The concessions offered by Blue Ridge do address all of these concerns.

“Obviously, minimizing the potential health risks of air and water contamination by the landfill is of paramount importance to the City,” said Coker. “To that end, the City has won major concessions by Blue Ridge. First, Blue Ridge has agreed to reduce the total amount of Class I waste that it accepts by a full 50 percent. Blue Ridge has agreed to forgo less effective daily methods of covering Class I waste to minimize air emissions--methods acceptable to the TCEQ--and will instead cover all such waste with six inches of soil at the end of every day. Additionally, Blue Ridge will perform quarterly surface air-emission monitoring of landfill areas that contain Class I waste—testing not required by the TCEQ.”

“If Blue Ridge places Class I waste in certain excluded areas, it has agreed to construct a compacted clay liner to contain such waste, with a minimum thickness of 10 feet, or seven feet thicker than required by the TCEQ. Blue Ridge has also agreed to construct ten additional monitoring wells to supplement the 33 new monitoring wells proposed for the landfill expansion to detect any possible migration of leachate,” Coker explained.

Regarding the height, although the permit from the TCEQ allows the landfill to be 170 feet high (an issue unlikely to be addressed by the TCEQ), Blue Ridge has agreed to limit the height to a maximum of 60 feet for 12 years, and then a maximum of 130 feet for an additional eight years.

Additionally, Blue Ridge has agreed to place grade breaks and landscape screening along the eastern slope of the landfill to minimize the visual impact of the landfill’s height. Regarding the increased traffic, the TCEQ permit contained no restriction on hours of operation, thus allowing Blue Ridge to operate its landfill 24 hours a day, seven days week.

Under the settlement agreement, Blue Ridge has agreed to be closed on Sundays and limit the hours of its operations during the rest of the week, thereby reducing the amount of traffic generated by its operations. Blue Ridge has also agreed to prohibit its waste trucks from using Shadow Creek Parkway, east of FM 521. Truck traffic will not be allowed to use the section of Broadway between SH 288 and FM 521, which is designated as a no-truck route in the City. Blue Ridge will be responsiblefor paying $1,000.00 in damages to the City, per truck, for each instance one of its trucks travels on a prohibited route.

“Blue Ridge's offered concessions demonstrate their willingness to work with the City in good faith, and to achieve an outcome acceptable to all stakeholders”, said Coker. “City Council made the difficult decision to accept the settlement after careful consideration, weighing the uncertainty of proceeding through the contested hearing before the TCEQ versus accepting a negotiated resolution containing the numerous significant concessions outlined above.”

“These concessions substantially strengthen various safeguards beyond what TCEQ requires through its permitting system, and well beyond the terms of the draft permit previously approved by the TCEQ staff,” Coker concluded.

Coker says that it’s important to note that, in the end, Pearland City Council was persuaded by the advice of its own retained counsel and experts who agreed that Blue Ridge's permit, as approved by the TCEQ staff, is compliant with applicable laws and regulations. The City's burden at a contested hearing would be to demonstrate that the permit application fails to meet applicable standards; a burden the City’s experts believe would be virtually impossible to meet.

Should the City choose to proceed with the litigation and fail to meet its burden, Blue Ridge could be entitled to expand under a permit granted by the TCEQ without implementing any of the concessions it offered as part of the settlement.

“While City Council recognizes that there will be some residents who will not be satisfied with anything short of a complete victory at a contested hearing, the Council could not in good conscience decline a settlement that offers the residents of the City significant concessions just to litigate a case, the loss of which would potentially leave the City and its residents nothing to show for their efforts,” said Coker.

[Chamo]

Thanks for the post. As the author says, some people would only be happy if no expansion were to take place, but I personally take this as good news.

I have seen building activity picking up a little bit on the west side of SCR and hopefully this finally will give some closure to the issue and prospect residents can make their mind since probably we won't notice a big change in the landfill at least for more than a decade.

Once 518 opens all the way to 521 I hope it will also help with sales in the last section of the neighborhood.