Senator Lindsay's Private Little Meeting!

[pineda]

New information regarding Grand Parkway, Segment F-2!

Senator Jon Lindsay holds private meeting with local developers to reach consensus regarding alignment of F-2!

Efforts to reach Lindsay, directors of Northampton MUD for comments have been unsuccessful!

Notes from the meeting:

(these notes are subjective and opinionated and biased, not necessarily everyone's version of the truth)

There were about fifty people present.

Lindsay called the meeting with the developers and Harris County Toll Road Authority in order to reach a consensus regarding the alignment of Segment F-2. (I thought the Grand Parkway Association people, such as David Gornet and Robin Sterry had already told us what the Preferred Alignment was going to be, but I may have misunderstood...)

Some of the developers called friends who happened to be directors of both Bridgestone and Northampton Municipal Utility Districts (MUD).

According to one account, a show of hands indicated that all persons present were in favor of the Grand Parkway being built in this area.

No one from Bridgestone or Northampton apparently voiced any dissent of any kind to any alignment. (This could be because they were there in an official position, and therefore were not able to comment either way.)

Senator Jon Lindsay may not care what the MUD's want anyway because he did not invite them, only developers.

Senator Jon Lindsay is also the head of the North Houston Association also. That group recently came out with their Strategic Mobility Plan. In it, they are working very hard to push the Grand Parkway project. In fact, more about this group a little later...)

Developers all preferred routes close to, but not through their properties. (DUH!)

Bob Jones of Jones and Carter presented a new map with "WHITE" and "BLUE" routes.

No one at the meeting could even tell how these new lines matched up, IF AT ALL, with the already proposed Alignments A, B, C, D, E, F-1, F-2, or G.

Harris County Toll Road Authority has now been charged with getting new aerial maps of the area in question (Segment F-2) with all the developers areas clearly marked so everyone can see how everyone is affected. (This is something that United To Save Our Spring has been pushing for for over four years now, and apparently, even at this late stage of the game, even the developers can't tell where the Segment F-2 is in relationship to their properties!)

Lindsay made it very clear that his goal there was to satisfy the developers. (Apparently, that's all that matters, no general public was informed or invited!)

Even though the traffic studies have not been finalized or released from the Wilbur Smith consulting firm, apparently HCTRA is interested in building E, F-1, F-2, and G. Even though the traffic counts from all segments except Segment F-2 are small, they want to build the entire 53 mile stretch.

There is a possibility that the Texas Turnpike Authority may also be interested in building this project. They are currently embroiled in the Tomball Tollroad nightmare. They may want to take over the design and build phase of the Grand Parkway, because if Texas Turnpike Authority is in charge of it, they money will go into state coffers. If HCTRA is in charge of the project, all monies generated from the revenue will go into only the counties coffers.

Apparently Senator Jon Lindsay did not invite David Gornet or Robin Sterry to this meeting, as neither was present. The Grand Parkway Association is supposedly continuing their supplemental studies even as HCTRA is announcing that they are interested in taking over the project now.

Since the traffic studies have not been completed, and Montgomery County is now working on a "Pass-Through" toll system, there is a possibility that Montgomery County may assemble their own Mobility Authority and put the Grand Parkway up in Montgomery County. The traffic studies for that particular area far exceed any traffic congestion problems to the immediate south in Spring.

When Wilbur Smith is finished with the traffic studies, that is not the end of their work. Then Wilbur Smith has to "certify" that the revenue projections that they came up in its' initial feasibility study are actually valid. If that is the case, then Wilbur Smith will try to find companies out in the market to sell bonds to in order to finance this project.

There will be NO GUARANTEES from Harris County if the Grand Parkway falls short of its' supposed revenue. They will have to make that up from somewhere else.

This project may have been "on the books" for over thirty years but everything that has happened out here since that time precludes any sensible human being from even considering destroying this area with a brand new roadway. Using existing projects that have stalled on the books, such as the widening projects for F.M. 242 and F.M. 1488 in the Woodlands area that Montgomery County is financing makes far more sense financially.

When asked about the possibility of getting sound walls, the response from HCTRA was "if the project encroaches upon any developed are, they will CONSIDER the POSSIBILITY of sound walls." Same song, different singer. We've heard the same from the Grand Parkway Association for years, and they have yet to construct any sound walls anywhere.

(information as seen on the website Stop the Grand Parkway!)

[The New Juniper]

Very interesting. Do you have a map of the proposed route, old and/or new?

[pineda]

No one at the meeting got a copy of the map presented by Jones & Carter. There have been requests made to that office for copies though. Nothing at this time.

The old map with Alignments A, B, C, D, E has now morphed into different versions of Alignment E, with three different proposals. All are located north of Spring Stuebner. It is phenomenally amazing that the directors of Northampton MUD have not fought vigorously against any or all of these alignments, and or instead happily welcoming whatever the Grand Parkway proposes. I see it as some sort of strange way to appease the Grand Parkway, and thinking by doing so, that they (Northampton MUD) are somehow protected. This is absolutely ludicrous though because all of the routes proposed are closer to Northampton than ever before. Bridgestone MUD vigorously opposed all alignments proposed within their district's boundaries and have been largely successful in keeping the Grand Parkway out of their area. Northampton has done nothing to oppose the project and hangs their hat on the "promise" of sound walls for protection. They give no thought AT ALL to increased crime, pollution or flooding, as well as the inherent drop in property values and loss of ingress/egress to Northampton.

[adagio]

No one at the meeting got a copy of the map presented by Jones & Carter. There have been requests made to that office for copies though. Nothing at this time.

The old map with Alignments A, B, C, D, E has now morphed into different versions of Alignment E, with three different proposals. All are located north of Spring Stuebner. It is phenomenally amazing that the directors of Northampton MUD have not fought vigorously against any or all of these alignments, and or instead happily welcoming whatever the Grand Parkway proposes. I see it as some sort of strange way to appease the Grand Parkway, and thinking by doing so, that they (Northampton MUD) are somehow protected. This is absolutely ludicrous though because all of the routes proposed are closer to Northampton than ever before. Bridgestone MUD vigorously opposed all alignments proposed within their district's boundaries and have been largely successful in keeping the Grand Parkway out of their area. Northampton has done nothing to oppose the project and hangs their hat on the "promise" of sound walls for protection. They give no thought  AT ALL to increased crime, pollution or flooding, as well as the inherent drop in property values and loss of ingress/egress to Northampton.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Has there been any mention of time frame of construction of this project or is it a case that someone still needs to commit to financing the construction of the Grand Parkway? Also... any mention of the Grand Parkway morphing into I-69 or has federal funding diminished and this may not happen?

[pineda]

Depends on who you ask and on what day you ask. Some say HCTRA could start buying property immediately and building soon thereafter. Some say the "design and build" phase could be five years to completion. I do know that with the passage of H.B. 3588, that TxDOT is eager to start buying "options" for different segments now. This would be difficult in the Segment F-2 though, because EVERYONE out here knows about the Grand Parkway, so the element of surprise is lost. No one has YET fully committed to building either. Texas Turnpike Authority may decide that they want to take over the project so that all revenues would go back into the state's coffers. Wouldn't that just set Eckels back on his heels? HA!

According to my sources at TxDOT, I-69 is on hold until further notice....

[westguy]

I've not heard of the Texas Turnpike Authority, although Austin's tollroads will potentially be privately operated, therefore the toll revenue will end up in private hands.

[pineda]

Texas Turnpike Authority got sort of "revived" with the passage of H.B. 3588. I think it's in response to the creation of different "mobility authorities" forming around the state. The Fort Bend Parkway toll revenues will go into the coffers of Fort Bend county. Brazoria County just formed their own also. I think HCTRA is trying to muscle in on the Grand Parkway keeping it within Harris County borders in the north, but if it ends up in Montgomery County, Montgomery County could form their own mobility authority and keep all the money to themselves!