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Kingwood Mobility Meeting - May 13th, 2014

Kingwood Mobility Meeting - May 13th, 2014

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by: KingwoodDotCom Active Indicator LED Icon 18 Site Admin  OP 
~ 9 years ago   May 13, '14 9:41pm  
Kingwood Mobility Committee Meeting Notes - May 13th, 2014:Here are my notes from the Kingwood Mobility Committee Meeting tonight (May 13th, 2014). These notes are roughly in chronological order. None of the notes here are exact quotes.-------------The Kingwood Mobility Committee Meeting was held at the Kingwood Community Center (the old library location), and began at 5:30pm.The initial portion of the meeting was an unstructured gathering for the public, with about 8 tables set up with large graph displays and map print outs at each. The print outs explained various issues with Kingwood Mobility, including traffic accident data, population data, congestion data, and more. Each station also included a representative from Gunda Corp, the consulting company that is gather data for the Mobility Study, to answer the public's questions one on one.( We're trying to get someone to give us the graphs at this meeting in digital format.  In the meantime, the data was much the same as the data discussed more in detail in the previous Meeting Notes, here:https://www.kingwood.com/message_board/view_message.php?message_board_parent_id=1053588&message_board_message_id=1053588  )This meeting was attended by 100+ members of the public, in addition to the Mobility Committee Members, members of the TIRZ group, Gunda Corp, and Councilman Dave Martin.After roughly 45 minutes, chairs were set up (thankfully, there were enough chairs for everyone this meeting), and there was a brief, structured presentation.  These are the meeting notes from the presentations and commenters:------------------------------------COUNCILMAN DAVE MARTIN'S DISCUSSION:-- Councilman Dave Martin opened the presentation saying the that the Mobility Study was all about "lifestyle" for Kingwood.-- The easiest thing to do would be to do nothing, which is what we've been doing over the past years.-- Streets are deteriorating.-- The Mobility Study covers all streets in Kingwood, not just Kingwood Drive (Kingwood Drive, North Park, Mills Branch, West Lake Houston Parkway, Woodland Hills, etc.)-- If / when we decide on changes, the construction would be planned for some time in 2017-2018.-- The City of Houston has a policy of "Worst First" policy -- fixing the worst streets first -- and Kingwood Drive, by their criteria, was the 2nd worst street in the City of Houston. Northpark was the 5th worst.-- We are taking our time to study the issue, gather data, feedback and ideas, before acting.------------------------------------STAN SARMAN'S DISCUSSION:-- Stan Sarman, chairman of the the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority, took the microphone to discuss the "TIRZ". -- TIRZ #10 was established in 1997 to encourage the development of remaining undeveloped land in 1997 within the Kingwood annexed area. -- Any increase in tax revenue due to development of the land that was undeveloped in 1997 (tax revenue above what was being collected at the time) comes back to the TIRZ board to be spent on Kingwood improvements.-- The intent of the TIRZ now, is to develop a Mobility Plan for that deals with the realities of current day traffic in the Kingwood area.-- Past TIRZ funded projects include the construction of the new library. The new Community Center was built with City of Houston money, but the TIRZ funded the furnishings for the building.-- The TIRZ board includes 6 representatives, all Kingwood residents.-- The Kingwood Mobility Steering Committee (separate from the TIRZ board) includes 9 people, who were selected by Stan Sarman. This includes Kingwood residents, as well as several major stakeholders (businesspeople) who live near Kingwood.-- You can give your feedback by filling out the survey at:http://surveymonkey.com/s/kingwoodmobility( Surveys must be finished by May 20th! See comments later in the article. )-- Or email comments to: kingwoodmobility@gundacorp.com-- They have received about 50 email comments already.( This is a low number of email comments -- be sure to send your comments at the email address above if you have an opinion! With so few emails, yours might actually make a real difference! )-- The presentation was interrupted by a commenter, who said that it seemed like there were many business people on the Committee. Commenter asked if there were any retirees (Stan Sarman raised his hand) or stay at home Moms. Another commenter asked if there was a way for the public to view the surveys as they came in. A woman yelled out that "You have a closed system out there!" Several people laughed or applauded.------------------------------------GUNDA CORP DUSCUSSION:-- Ramesh Gunda, head of Gunda Corp, took the microphone to briefly explain the work they are doing to gather data and feedback. Gunda Corp is doing the outside consulting company that is doing the study for Kingwood.-- Gunda said they would look at all issues and feedback, then com back again to the committee with the findings, and the committee would come back to the public again.-----------------------------------PUBLIC TAKES OVER:-- At this point, it seemed there were multiple, persistent members of the public who wanted to ask questions and interrupted the presentations to be heard. Eventually the microphone started being passed around the room.-- One attendees mentioned that some of the data seemed incorrect to him.-- One attendee from Mills Branch mentioned that charge was scary, and she would like to hear what everyone has to say.-- Dave Martin mentioned that he would stay at the meeting as long as necessary to help answer questions.-- One attendee mentioned that this was really a quality of life issue, not about traffic. He said that, after having driven many Kingwood streets, it was difficult to believe that Kingwood Drive was really the 2nd worst street in the City of Houston. -- Martin reaffirmed that this was a Qualify of Life issue, and that he had opened the meeting by saying this.-- One attendee asked when the surveys were due, and was given a date of May 20th. Several people in the audience complained that was too soon. Gunda mentioned that although the survey will have ended, they will still be taking comments by email.-- One attendee mentioned his fear that if Kingwood is connected by roads with everywhere else (Woodland Hills connecting to 1960, Mills Branch connecting to Ford Road, for example) that it will make Kingwood traffic explode, and most people there don't want that.-- At one point, Chairman Stan Sarman mentions that this is "not a public forum type discussion."  ( This was news to me, as it was one of only two meetings that is schedule to be open to public comment in 2014 ).-- There will be another Mobility Committee Meeting on May 27th, 2014, at the Kingwood Community Center. This next meeting will not be open to public comment.-- One attendee asked: Why not pick members from all of the villages in Kingwood to serve on the Mobility Committee? Why pick all of these business people? Several other attendees mentioned the number of business people on the Mobility Committee.-- A TIRZ representative took the microphone to explain that the TIRZ protects the future development of Kingwood. He said that people keep referring to "business people" like him, but he is a resident of Kingwood who lives, and grew up, in Kingwood.-- Dave Martin thanked the people on the Mobility Committee for their service, and said they are more than qualified for the job, and are doing a "damn good job," which garnered some applause.-- One attendee mentioned that more exits out of Kingwood really are needed, citing the recent suicide on the railroad tracks the blocked exit traffic for hours. Several in the crowd mentioned that this was a danger for emergency personnel.-- Another member of the Mobility Committee spoke up, saying that he had no idea what he would recommend, that many people at the meeting believe that there is a predetermined agenda, and that is not the case. He said there is no decision made yet, and he wanted to do what is best for Kingwood, and that he plans to live here for the rest of his life.-- At this point, despite a number of raised hands, public comments were shut down by the organizers of the meeting. Attendees were directed to visit with representatives afterward and ask their questions one on one.-- Dave Martin and Representatives from Gunda Corp stayed after the presentation/comments to answer all questions one on one. 4951
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Ducatisti Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 9 years ago   May 13, '14 9:59pm  
That looks pretty much as I saw the meeting.I was pretty insulted by the prevailing "change is scary" theme that was harped on by the one lady and by several of the committee members at the tables.  Also, I found some of the information misleading.One map showed crash incidents at areas throughout Kingwood.  It was presented as crashes that could have been prevented by road improvements.  However, two of the fatal crash incidents it noted were caused in one case by a severely drunk driver travelling well over the speed limit without concern for stop signs and another was a young, inexperienced driver...not road conditions.  Yet, when I mentioned that to the Gunda employee, they mumbled something about having to show all crashes in the past 7 years and walked away from me.  I had been skeptical of those on here who complained in the past about the lack of transparency in this whole process.  I now believe they were right. 4951
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KingwoodDotCom Active Indicator LED Icon 18 Site Admin  OP 
~ 9 years ago   May 13, '14 10:07pm  
I was disappointed that the public comments were shut down....I don't think it was malicious, they just didn't anticipate public comments and were thinking everyone would only be asking the Gunda Corp people questions tonight.  BUT, I felt like everyone had a lot of the same questions, and if they could answer them in a Q&A group session, it would go a lot further.  And since this is only one of two meetings for the entire year of 2014 that are open to the public, shutting them down so quickly felt wrong. 4951
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Drekonix Active Indicator LED Icon 5
~ 9 years ago   May 13, '14 10:33pm  
Something significant was said after you left @kingwooddotcom:Dave Martin while in conversation with myself and two others said he would not be seeking re-election. I can't recall his exact phrasing but he said something to the effect that the public's disposition towards him made him want to retire to private life. We discussed creative solutions to traffic problems that did not include widening Kingwood Dr. and he told me there was a plan in the works to extend a greenbelt trail from green oak to across 59 on the north side for Lone Star students that would require trees be removed, he asked for my support when this plan was announced at the next public meeting. This information about the proposed greenbelt construction leads me to believe the committee members and Gunda Corp have already laid out improvement options despite telling the public that no plan has at this time been formed.  4951
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Retired_Engineer Active Indicator LED Icon 13
~ 9 years ago   May 13, '14 11:34pm  
As much as I hate to see more trees removed, Kingwood Dr and North Park need to be widened. Two lanes (each direction) are more susceptible to blockages by wrecks/incidents than four lanes would be.  Both roads need to be repaired/ resurfaced.  Traffic will be horrible when they do this.  They could work on adding the additional lanes with minimal impact on traffic, then open the new lanes, then resurface the old lanes. After that, we would have fewer traffic problems on those two roads (if they also coordinate the traffic lights!).  Just imagine having to restrict traffic to one lane so they can repair/resurface the other lane!  That WILL happen sooner or later. Even adding just one lane in each direction would help.I would also like to see at least one more road in/out of Kingwood.  I'm retired, so I don't normally fight rush hour(s) traffic. I live in the "back" of Kingwood in Greentree Village.  Sometimes, it takes me almost as much time to reach Hwy 59 as it does to then drive downtown..... and that's not during rush hour!   Kingwood has grown a lot since we moved here 21 years ago.  I don't particularly like change, but sometimes we NEED change.  The days of Kingwood being an isolated little development are over.  We are a major suburb of Houston.  If we try to continue to act like an isolated hamlet, businesses will go elsewhere and our property values will decline.  It's time to either thrive or decay.I can drive around Kingwood and point out dozens of sites that have been clear-cut and developed since we moved here.  The slogan "Liveable Forest" lost its meaning long ago.I am not surprised that these meetings are being handled so poorly.  Obviously there are some hidden agendas at work.  After all, we are talking about the city of Houston.  The city that has spent some $587 MILLION on a rail system that has very limited usage. Think about how many buses they could have bought, paid for fuel and upkeep, and still have the flexibility of shifting routes as needed. Instead, we have a very inflexible rail that is six miles long, with a gap in the middle due to contaminated soil.  Sorry that I got "derailed" there. 4951
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Drekonix Active Indicator LED Icon 5
~ 9 years ago   May 13, '14 11:51pm  
@Retired_Engineer: I agree, the road needs to be resurfaced/maintained and that will need to happen at some point in the future before it falls into complete decay. The committee has an 18 million dollar grant (right now) that has a limited time frame to be utilized or else it goes elsewhere within the city. They are going to find some way to spend it regardless of what the public thinks. I just hope that we can influence committee members to spend it in ways that will make residents happy.
4951
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Ducatisti Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 8:06am  
I spoke with both committee members and some of the reps from the Gunda Corp. about my concerns that all the focus is on Kingwood Drive exclusively and none of the other roads in/out of Kingwood.  None of them would come out and say it directly, but it appears from what they said, if the money isn't spent on Kingwood Drive and ONLY Kingwood Drive, it will go somewhere else.  Northpark is #5 on the "bad roads" list.  That means there are a few roads somewhere else in the city that would have first dibs if we turn it away.What leads me to this conclusion is the repeated emphasis that Kingwood Drive is the focus of their plans, the continued emphasis that they are "studying" all the roads, the fact that 2 committee members told me flat out that they cannot do anything with Northpark currently because the problem areas are physically in Montgomery County and the money cannot go to it unless we annex the road...which they do not have as a priority in their plans.  The same goes for connecting Hamblen & Woodland Hills or improving, widening any other roads.  All their "study" maps show planned growth/neighborhoods north of Northpark and east of Mills Branch, but as far as they are concerned, additional quick routes out of Kingwood near the planned growth isn't an issue.  Those people, in their plans, will drive down Kingwood Drive, West Lake Houston & Northpark and like it.Heck.  Their plans are focused on improving biking in the area and some retarded trolley system.  A TROLLEY.  It's actually on their list!  The focus is on improving travel WITHIN Kingwood despite the reality that the problems are with people entering and exiting Kingwood.  So frustrating. 4951
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Nurse3 Active Indicator LED Icon 10
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 8:45am  
I would concede that Kingwood drive would be a much better road IF #1 the road is resurfaced, #2 there are better turn lanes off of and onto Kingwood drive #3 (I grudgingly give this) Kingwood drive is widened by one lane each way as long as we still have a median with trees and we have the greenbelt along side it.  My house actually backs up to Kingwood drive, so it would impact our lives 24/7 with more traffic.  It's already REALLY loud in my back yard, so I can't imagine how much louder it would be if there were more lanes!If it comes down to widening Kingwood drive, they really need to look at concrete walls between the road and the houses that back up to it.  We bought our house last year and knew the sound would be a bit of a problem, but we had no idea that plans were in the works to widen the road.  One of our fabulous neighbors is thinking really hard about moving due to this and they have lived here for almost 10 years and would have continued to live here if there was no talk of widening the road.  They are thinking about going ahead and putting it on the market now, because when/if a decision is made it will automatically decrease our house values. 4951
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KingwoodDotCom Active Indicator LED Icon 18 Site Admin  OP 
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 8:46am  
This information about the proposed greenbelt construction leads me to believe the committee members and Gunda Corp have already laid out improvement options despite telling the public that no plan has at this time been formed.
 
@Drekonix: That sidewalk has been in the works for a while...sidewalks are typically paid for through a different organization ( a representative was at the previous meeting ), and that sidewalk is going to be built regardless of what is decided to be done to the streets.  I don't think it means there's any predetermined agenda, by itself.
4951
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Ducatisti Active Indicator LED Icon 8
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 8:55am  
 I don't think it means there's any predetermined agenda, by itself.
 
@KingwoodDotCom: By itself? No.  But the more I think about the meeting last night, the more I believe it was an attempt at justification of their predetermined plans and they cut everything off because they were frustrated that we weren't going along with it without question.  I think a lot of people had very valid concerns that the committee would prefer they kept to themselves.
4951
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king Active Indicator LED Icon  New Member
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 9:09am  
I think they need to make another exit out of Kingwood. When the lady committed suicide at the train tracks, everybody decided to cut thru Kings Manor and they were all stuck in the neighborhood. It was qa gridlock and it took like 40 minutes to get out. It would of been faster for people to go thru North Park or Woodlands hills to Northpark.  Maybe they can expand Hamblen to Woodland Hills. 4951
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KTownTexican Active Indicator LED Icon 11
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 2:56pm  
sounds like a bunch of BS blabbering on "future plans" they don't really careThey have no idea what "they" want to do,, and they don't want the public (people who live here) to have a say. $$$$ is talking. Based on the 2nd worse road,, ,well ya,, if you include the entire City of Houston.We wouldn't be having these issues if this was the Richmond area, or the galleraia area.I bet if these people who were working on this project actually lived in the area,,, I know a few do, but the others,, they would be doing construction now.Another issue is that part of Kingwood roads are in Harris County, and the other (northpark - is Montgomery County. 4951
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alecktra Active Indicator LED Icon 10
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 3:34pm  
Proper synchronization of the lights on Kingwood Dr. would be a huge step forward! 4951
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GoldenGirl Active Indicator LED Icon 15
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 3:42pm  
For one thing the idea that Kingwood Drive is the 2nd worse street in Houston and Northpark is 5 is just CRAZY !!!   WTH are they getting this crap????   Northpark is worse than Kingwood Drive and neither is even close to the worst in Houston......  I'm telling you it is all big business running this thing....   So Sad.   Mark my words this will hurt Kingwood rather than help it.. 4951
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noel Active Indicator LED Icon 1
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 3:54pm  
@GoldenGirlYou are so right. The traffic in Kingwood is NOTHING compared to Houston! I know that Kingwood Dr and Northpark are really busy when people are going to work and coming home but honestly, I drive around Kingwood all day and at times there are only a handful of cars on Kingwood Dr. 4951
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Nurse3 Active Indicator LED Icon 10
~ 9 years ago   May 14, '14 4:03pm  
My husband laughs every time that statistic is thrown out.  He drives all over Houston for construction projects and says Kingwood Dr is not even in the top 10 of worse streets to drive.  I would like to know what they are basing that statement on and who conducted the survey giving credence to that statement. 4951
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