San Jacinto Rail Project Won't Happen

[Guest danax]

SHIPPING

Deal completed between railroads

A deal was finalized Friday between Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe that does away with the need for the proposed $80 million San Jacinto Rail project.

House Majority Leader Tom Delay, R-Sugar Land, and Houston Mayor Bill White said negotiations between the railroads were a success.

The deal means increased rail competition for some of the biggest shippers in the Bayport Industrial District, which had accused Union Pacific of operating a monopoly.

The San Jacinto project was proposed in 2001 by Burlington Northern and four chemical companies to circumvent Union Pacific. They sought a rail line from Texas 3 to the Bayport district east of Texas 146.

However, several weeks ago, CEOs of the railroads met with DeLay, White, Rep. Gene Green and County Judge Robert Eckels. The elected officials pushed for negotiations.

BILL HENSEL JR.

I attended the final protest against this project. It was obvious that absolutely nobody who lived anywhere near this was for it, only the interested chemical companies. Despite such overwhelming opposition, not just from residents but from the City of Houston, the project was OKed shortly thereafter. After that, I felt as if the whole public forum process was nothing but a dog and pony show and, when it came right down to it, the Federal Government must feel like they can pretty much do whatever they think they can get away with. I tip my hat to those who continued to fight.

[Guest danax]

Oops.I checked before posting but I guess I missed that.

[TheNiche]

Anyone know what ever came of all that land acquired by various subsidiaries of BNSF near Ellington Field?

I'm involved in some work down in the Clear Lake area, and it seems strange to me that BNSF would continue to tie up all that valuable dirt even after the deal had been worked out with UP. Seems like a business park or something would be in order.

EDIT: For that matter, I'd appreciate any speculation as to whether Gas Tejas, Exxon, or Kinder Morgan may at some point be willing to relinquish the lands that they've used previously for oil fields to residential developers.

[MidtownCoog]

Exxon has alreday relased some land along Scarsdale Blvd, and some of their land near Bay Area is in the process of being cleared.

[brerrabbit]

EDIT: For that matter, I'd appreciate any speculation as to whether Gas Tejas, Exxon, or Kinder Morgan may at some point be willing to relinquish the lands that they've used previously for oil fields to residential developers.

They will most definitley release the land at some point. I mean that was what Friendswood Development was all about. Years ago Exxon, then Humble Oil aquired thousands and thousands of acres of land to drill for oil and gas. They decided to start developing a lot of it and thats how Clear Lake City was born, as a Friendwood Development. As a matter of fact there are areas in Clear Lake neoghborhoods usually on cul-de-sacs that were fenced and retained by Exxon for potential future drilling pads. I know from my friend who works with the Houston Parks Board that two such areas in Clear Lake have been sold or turned over to the homeowners associations by Exxon as Exxon no longer thinks they will ever need them. As Coog pointed out there is already development along Dixie Farm Road and Beamer next to San Jacinto South that was Exxon land and also East of 45 at Scarsdale where there is a new subdivision and the land closer to the freeway has a sign saying they are going to build a WWII museum there. I think as the Clear Lake gas fields play out you will see more and more of that area being developed.