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| Chairman's Message |
| John S. Moody, Parkside Capital |
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 I am excited to take on my new role as Chair of the West Houston Association. I have developed a deep respect for our organization and the role it plays within our community.
I would like to express my appreciation to all of my predecessors who have steadily maintained and furthered our mission, with a special thanks to Peter Houghton, the immediate-past Chair. Peter played a key role in reactivating our committee structure, energizing our Quality Growth Partners, and leading the search resulting in the hiring of Auggie Campbell, our new President. We welcome Auggie to the Association and are excited to have a leader with the energy, drive, and experience to advance our goals.
Finally, I want to thank Lindsey Woodard, Vice President, who has been the heart and soul of our organization for some time. Her judgment, organizational skills and commitment to the Association have literally kept our trains running. We owe her our gratitude.
Our Board had a half-day meeting on January 18th to discuss a variety of topics. The thrust of all of our discussions was how to make your Association more relevant, more visible, more effective, and, in so doing, deliver more value to our members. We will have another session on February 2nd, with our Committee Chairs to discuss how we will continue to improve the value to our members.
I will close by saying how much I appreciate this opportunity. I thank the Board and the Association for entrusting me with this honor. I will work hard to further our mission.
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| President's Message |
| Auggie Campbell, President, West Houston Association |
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 WHA’s mission is to bring together the collective strength and wisdom of our members to help guide the planning and delivery of high quality infrastructure in West Houston. Going on four decades, the Association’s leaders have made sure that WHA can and will deliver for its members in key infrastructure areas like mobility, water supply, drainage, and parks and open space.
With our board’s leadership and participation by the membership, WHA will increase its value our community in many areas. Thanks to our committee chairs, like Lee Lenard and Jim Russ, we are enabling smarter, future development and collaborating to help ensure public policy and regulation makes sense. The efforts of members like Kerry Gilbert, Steve Spillette, and Cheryl Perry are working to provide WHA with access to the best information, insights, and initiatives our area has to offer.
One outcome of the board’s retreat recent was a renewed focus on areas like education and workforce development. As WHA Board Member and U of H Vice Chancellor Dick Phillips pointed out, great communities and commercial centers need good educational infrastructure to attract and retain young, hard-working families and growing, sustainable companies.
We are better as an organization when you keep us better informed and better connected. You can improve WHA and the benefits that you receive by getting involved in one of our committees and letting me know when you have news or information of interest to other members. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you.
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| WHA's New Executive Officers |
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Since David Wolff, Sr. and Walter Mischer, Sr. and others founded the West Houston Association in 1979, WHA has been fortunate to have strong slates of executive officers. This year’s executive committee builds on this tradition of strength.
The 10th Chairman of the West Houston Association, John S. Moody, Sr., is WHA’s immediate-past Vice Chair and the CEO of Parkside Capital. Among other interests, Parkside has three business parks (West Ten, Mason Creek, and Verde Parc) in the I-10 corridor in West Houston. In spite of his role at Parkside, service on the boards of a few publicly traded companies, and service as Chairman of St. John’s School Board, John has already dedicated a remarkable amount of time to serve as WHA Chair. Read more
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| Quality Planned Development Goes Online and North |
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 The West Houston Association is proud to announce the launch of qualityplanneddevelopments.com. WHA has also reached an agreement with the North Houston Association to expand the Quality Planned Development (“QPD”) designation. Commercial and residential developments may obtain the QPD designation by adhering to stringent and meaningful standards that result in vibrant, sustainable communities and commercial centers. Examples of QPD developments include the Bridgeland, the Vintage, Cinco Ranch, Cross Creek Ranch, City Centre, and Towne Lake.
On behalf of WHA, Peter Houghton and Lindsey Woodard worked with North Houston Association Executive Director Paula Lenz to introduce QPD to NHA’s members and to create a shared website and joint application. The WHA QPD committee also recommended a marketing plan that is included in WHA’s 2016 approved budget.
Read more |
| WHA Supports the Center for Opportunity Urbanism’s Future of Suburbia Event |
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The West Houston Association invites you to join Dick Weekley, Walt Mischer, Jr., Kendall Miller, Alan Hassenflu, Larry Johnson, and Tom Lile for a complimentary luncheon on "America's Housing Crisis." This event will be held on February 19th, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the Houston Omni Hotel & Resorts, Four Riverway and is sponsored by the Center for Opportunity Urbanism.
Alan M. Berger, Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Advanced Urbanism is the featured speaker. He will discuss the Future of Suburbia and meeting the housing needs of people living and working in the Houston area and throughout the United States. WHA’s Sustainable Infrastructure Committee has identified recent shifts in suburban preference as one of the most pressing issues for our membership to address.
Read more |
| TARGET Takes Aim at EPA’s Texas Coastal Prairie Rule by Richard Chron |
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On June 29, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) finalized their controversial joint Clean Water Act “waters of the United States” definitions and rules. In less than a month, 27 states and dozens of business and agricultural groups sued to block the rule. None of these suits addressed a unique provision in the rule that, if implemented, would be extremely detrimental to development along the Texas Gulf Coast.
The new rule dramatically expands jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and the ramifications of the rule are enormous for business - especially for the homebuilding, land development, construction and transportation infrastructure sectors. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce concludes that under the new rule, “virtually any business that owns or operates a facility or has property would be adversely affected, particularly if it has ditches, retention ponds for storm water runoff, fire/dust suppression ponds, or other surface impoundments on site.” The rule has been blocked by two courts, temporarily putting off implementation of the new rule for now.
Read more |
| Energy Corridor and Memorial Management Districts Developing Bike Infrastructure |
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The Energy Corridor is beginning to implement its recently completed bike and pedestrian improvement plan. And with approval of a new bike-share program and a new Bike & Pedestrian Improvement Plan in the works, the Memorial Management District will soon increase bicycle accessibility within its boundaries as well.
On February 9th, the Texas Department of Transportation will let a contract for improvement of six bike and pedestrian crossings on I-10 between Kirkwood and Barker-Cypress. The Energy Corridor District’s transportation coordinator, Kelly Rector, said that the most significant improvements will be made at Highway 6, Eldridge, and Dairy Ashford. The Energy Corridor Management District, which is providing the local match, estimates that the cost to construct the project will be over $500,000. TxDoT plans to start construction as early as April and to complete by before the end of 2016. Read more |
| TWRC Wildlife Center Seeks a New Home by Cheryl Conley |
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Since 1979, TWRC Wildlife Center has been committed to providing quality emergency care and rehabilitation for injured, ill, and orphaned wildlife brought to TWRC by the public. Now, TWRC needs some assistance finding a new location.
TWRC was originally established to care for wildlife harmed by oil spills and has expanded its role to deal with the loss of habitats due to urban expansion. Most injuries to wildlife are sustained daily from encounters with cats, vehicles, windows, poisonings, and gunshots.
Read more |
| Committee Updates & Related News |
Quality Planned Development:
Expanding and Developing QPD |
| Chairman Peter Houghton, Howard Hughes Corp. - Bridgeland |
| Fresh off the launch of its new website and marketing plan, the QPD Committee will meet February 18th at noon at the WHA Office. The committee will plan its initiatives for 2016 and receive an update on marketing from Cheryl Perry. |
Flood Control, Drainage & Wetlands:
Guidelines Completion |
| Chairman Lee Lennard, Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc. |
The Flood Control, Drainage & Wetlands Committee will meet on February 8th at 2 pm in WHA’s office. The committee will review the Supplemental Guidelines and Criteria for Developing in the Addicks/Barker Watersheds and the Upper Cypress Creek Watershed Upstream of U.S. 290 (the “Supplemental Guidelines”).
The Harris County Flood Control District accepted most of WHA’s proposed revisions to the Supplemental Guidelines and associated modeling guidelines. HCFCD insists that an easement width of 500 feet is necessary to guarantee the integrity of the modeling underpinning the regulation. Lee Lennard, Chair of WHA’s Flood Control, Drainage, and Auggie Campbell have reviewed the final revisions with the Executive Committee and are working on a letter to HCFCD. |
Regional Mobility:
WHA Works with Partners on New Mobility and Thoroughfare Plans |
| Chairman Mark Kilkenny, Mischer Investments, L.P. |
The Regional Mobility will meet on March 7th at noon in WHA’s office and will focus on project priorities in the Greater West Houston Mobility Plan.
On January 11th, the Regional Mobility heard HGAC’s Alan Clark present a summary of the new Greater West Houston Mobility Plan, the Transportation Improvement Plan, and developments in West Houston transportation. The plan address needed mobility improvements in the region surrounding West Houston’s major employment centers (The Energy Corridor, Memorial City / City Centre and Westchase). In attendance were guests from the City of Houston, representative’s of these centers management districts, as well as Spring Branch and Near Northwest Management district’s. Kerry Gilbert followed with a presentation of proposed amendments to the City of Houston’s major thoroughfare plan and noted some key differences between the two plans.
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| Water Resources: |
| Chairman Jack Miller, R.G. Miller Engineers, Inc. |
The Water Resource Committee will meet again on March 24th from 2pm-4pm in the WHA Office to discuss water policy priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
The Water Resources Committee met on January 28, 2016 from 2pm-4pm. Wayne Ahrens, Dannenbaum and Senior Engineer for the West Harris County Regional Water Authority, presented an update on various projects that will take water from the Trinity River to Greater West Houston. Wayne leads the engineering team designing the Coastal Water Authorities’ Devers Canal Project, which will pump up to 450 million gallons of water into Luce Bayou for transfer into Lake Houston starting in approximately 2018. This water will be treated in the City of Houston’s expanded Northeast Water Purification Plant, which will treat up to 320 million gallons of water per day once completed in 2021. The treated water will then be conveyed in pipelines to Greater West Houston.
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| Sustainable Infrastructure: |
| Chairman Jim Russ, EHRA |
| The Sustainable Infrastructure committee met on January 12th at EHRA’s offices and discussed meetings and ideas for technical forums. The committee with meet again on February 9th at 7:30 am at EHRA’s offices to finalize its 2016 meeting schedule and technical forum program. |
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| Member News: |
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Walker Joins Parkside. This month, Brett Walker joined Parkside Capital as Executive Vice President. Brett began his career in commercial real estate in 2000 with The Gustafson Group, Inc., and in 2007 was named Director of Real Estate, managing the day-to-day real estate operations of the company, overseeing the entire property portfolio and directing all acquisitions and dispositions as well as equity investments. Brett has served on the board of the Young Friends of the Ronald McDonald House of Houston and in various volunteer capacities with the American Cancer Society. He obtained an advanced certification in professional selling from the nationally recognized Program for Excellence in Selling and earned degrees in Finance and Marketing from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston.
Campbell on TAC. WHA President & CEO, Auggie Campbell, was appointed to the HGAC Technical Advisory Committee, which reviews and recommends projects to HGAC’s Transportation Policy Council. The Transportation Policy Council is responsible for coordinating transportation policy in the region. Auggie’s appointment continues WHA’s representation on the TAC through 2018.
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| WHA on Social Media |
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| The West Houston Association is working to increase our presence on social media via Facebook and Twitter. Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to keep up with the endeavors, events, committees and current issues of the West Houston Association. |
2016 Planned WHA Events
Look for more details in 2016 as these event dates and times are confirmed. |
February 19
11:30 am - 1 pm |
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The Future of Suburbia
Houston Omni Hotel & Resorts, Four Riverway |
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Late March
12-2 pm |
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City Issues Forum
Marriot, Memorial City |
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Monday
April 18
1-6 pm |
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WHA Sporting Clays Tournament
American Shooting Centers |
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Tuesday
May 24
12-2 pm |
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County Issues Forum
Westin, City Centre |
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Thursday
August 11
6-9 pm |
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WHA Bowling Tournament
Bowl & Barrel, City Centre |
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August 30
5-8 pm |
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West Houston Delegation Reception
Westin, Memorial City |
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Week of
September 12
12-2 pm |
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State Issues Forum
Westin, Memorial City |
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Monday
October 3
12-6 pm |
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WHA Golf Tournament
Meadowbrook Farms Golf Club |
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Thursday
November 17
12-2 pm |
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Tri-County Forum
Marriot, Westchase |
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Thursday
December 15
6-9 am |
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Holiday Reception
Westin, Memorial City |
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| *Dates and venues are subject to revision based on scheduling and contract considerations. |
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