Bay Area Edition | April 2023

ENVIRONMENT Exploration Green nal phase set to be completed this summer

BY JOVANNA AGUILAR

This 20-year exemption saved around $50 million. Without those savings, Exploration Green may not have been possible, Branch said. The authority is planning a grand opening event for Phase 5 on Sept. 30 to celebrate the completion of the project, Branch said. According to Branch, one of the main reasons the project was split into ve phases was to prevent tax increases. Allowing bonds to expire over time gave the authority the opportunity to issue new bonds at the same tax rate throughout the project, he said. According to Branch, Exploration Green will provide the community with 500 million gallons of stormwater storage. After the project is completed, the authority plans to work with the Harris County Flood Control District and FEMA to re-evaluate the ooding potential in the Clear Lake area. The authority expects Exploration Green to improve ood risk zones and reduce ood insurance rates in the area, Branch said. According to Branch, over 15,000 hours of volunteer hours have been recorded during the span of the project. Community members’ contribution toward the project saved taxpayers $6.5 million, Branch said. “They’ve done a fantastic job,” Branch said regarding volunteers. “And it really has built community spirit.” The entire project, including the cost of the land, will be almost $43 million upon completion, according to Branch.

The nal phase of Exploration Green, a project to convert a Clear Lake golf course into a nature conservatory with a series of detention ponds, will be nished this summer. The Clear Lake City Water Authority, an entity that provides water services to the Clear Lake area, began the Exploration Green project in 2005. Phase 5, the nal phase, was originally projected to be completed by the end of 2022 but was delayed due to weather, said John Branch, vice president of the authority’s board. “They had a lot of rain for a while, and we do give them credit for rain day work and getting on dirt when it’s all wet out there,” Branch said, referring to the contractors. Branch explained the contractor is penalized $800 per day after the timeframe of the project is exceeded. Contractors now have an incentive to nish the project before they incur too many penalties, Branch said. Phase 5 cost $9.2 million. Due to a large pipeline that had to be moved in order to maximize the stormwater storage capacity, this parcel was more expensive than the others, Branch said. Branch added that although Houston enacted a drainage fee on residential owners near Exploration Green around the time the project ocially started, the authority was able to negotiate a 10-year exemption for the properties in the area. After the 10 years passed, they received an extension for an additional 10 years.

The nal phase of Exploration Green is scheduled to wrap up this summer.

JAKE MAGEECOMMUNITY IMPACT

EXPLORATION GREEN THROUGH THE YEARS

The project to convert a golf course into a series of detention ponds has been ongoing for nearly eight years.

In progress Completed

1B 1A

RESEDA RD.

Phase 1A Started: November 2015 Completed: April 2016 Phase 1B Started: June 2016 Completed August 2017 Phase 1C Started: March 2017 Completed: February 2018 Phase 2 Started: May 2018 Completed November 2019

Phase 3A Started: November 2019 Completed: May 2021 Phase 3B

Started: October 2021 Completed: March 2023 Phase 4 Started: July 2020 Completed: September 2022 Phase 5 Started: April 2022 Estimated completion: summer 2023

SOURCE: CLEAR LAKE CITY WATER AUTHORITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM