CITY & COUNTY
News from Montgomery County & The Woodlands
HIGHLIGHTS THE WOODLANDS The board of directors requested a voting position for The Woodlands on the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council at an April 26 meeting. The board approved Kyle Watson as the potential representative and Shelley Sekula-Gibbs as the alternate. OAK RIDGE NORTH A re- damaged Eastwood Lane home will be demolished following the recent death of the owners because it is a public health hazard, o cials said at an April 10 council meeting.
$1.35M needed for Montgomery County forensic center land
Residents continue protest against bathroom plan at Capstone Park
County OKs $65K to gauge animal shelter needs
Anniversary plans launch in township
SHELTER NEEDS A previous analysis indicated several needs at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
very long,” Danto said. Since the Capstone Park
issues, sizing issues, inadequate areas for disease isolation and infra- structure de ciency. The next phase would be a needs assessment. Paul Bonnette, a representative from PGAL, said the additional report will be more detailed, study- ing exactly what the shelter needs moving forward. If a new shelter is needed, Bonnette said the report will include square footage, oor plans, design and a budget. The $65,000 for the study will be taken from the county’s contingency budget, o cials said. • Insu cient capacity • Larger size needed • Inadequate areas for disease isolation • Infrastructure de ciencies Next phase: • Needs assessment • $65,000 slated for survey SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
THE WOODLANDS Dozens of residents lled The Woodlands Township meeting room April 26 in protest of the planned Capstone Park bathroom construction. “It’s our tax dollars they are spending, and we don’t want it,” said Ann Perry, a resident who organized a petition against the project. The restrooms were approved for construction at the Feb. 16 meeting of the board at a cost of $604,018. Some residents near the park have stated they believe the presence of freestanding bathrooms would only serve as a potential hub for criminal activity. However, Tricia Danto, president of the Cochran’s Crossing Village Association, spoke to the necessity of the facilities. “If a park doesn’t have a restroom, families can’t stay there
THE WOODLANDS Planning for a yearlong celebration leading up to the o cial 50th anniversary of The Woodlands Township in 2024 began with a discussion at the April 26 board of directors meeting. Visit The Woodlands President Nick Wolda said events will build up to Oct. 19, 2024. The celebration will kick o this Oct. 19, and the goal is to have a theme each month for the township to build around. A 50-day countdown will begin Aug. 30 next year building up to a grand gala and nale weekend. The board unanimously agreed to form a standing ad hoc committee with Directors Linda Nelson, Brad Bailey and Ann Snyder for coordination with sta on the planning for the celebration.
Montgomery County forensic center
MONTGOMERY COUNTY After learning the county’s new forensic center was built on Conroe-North Houston Airport property, Mont- gomery County commissioners on April 11 discussed how to address the $1.35 million needed to pur- chase the land. “It should be knowledge to some- body in the county that when we are constructing a facility that is not aviation use on airport grounds that we need approval to do so prior to, and there’s a fee involved for doing so,” Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack said at an April 11 Commissioners Court meeting. According to James Brown, the director of the Conroe-North Houston Airport, the property on which the $13 million forensic center was built at 9900 Carl Pickering Drive was thought to be county property, but it
bathroom project was not on the agenda, the board could not take action or discuss the issue during the meeting.
BY CASSANDRA JENKINS
MONTGOMERY COUNTY Com- missioners Court approved $65,000 to survey facility needs for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter at an April 25 meeting. “I think we all know [the current building] is a dilapidated, useless facility for an animal shelter,” Pre- cinct 3 Commissioner James Noack said during the meeting. County Judge Mark Keough, who took over shelter operations in September, said doing the needs assessment will provide commis- sioners with a dollar amount to move forward with funding options for a new or renovated facility. PGAL, an international design rm, already completed a building assess- ment analysis, which found shelter needs included animal capacity
CARL PICKERING MEMORIAL DR.
The restroom project at Capstone Park has received opposition from residents. FACILITIES DEBATED
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was later identi ed as airport property by the Federal Aviation Adminis- tration and the Texas Department of Transportation. The money will go to the Con- roe-North Houston Airport budget, according to Brown. Noack made a motion for the payment to come out of Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley’s budget, which failed in a 2-3 vote. The item was tabled to allow the county attorney’s o ce to explore possible solutions to the land owner- ship issue.
The Woodlands Township board of directors will meet at 6 p.m. May 24 at
2802 Technology Forest Blvd., The Woodlands. 281-210-3800. www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov Shenandoah City Council will meet at 7 p.m. May 24 at 29955 I-45 N., Shenandoah. 281-298-5522.www.shenandoahtx.us
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Capstone Park 155 Capstone Cir., The Woodlands
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Oak Ridge North City Council will meet at 7 p.m. May 22 at 27424 Robinson Road, Oak Ridge North. 281-292-4648. www.oakridgenorth.com
RESTROOM PLANS: Size: 252 square feet Cost: $604,018
SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY IMPACT
THE WOODLANDS 10491 Kuykendahl (281) 681-9110 FM 1488 3588 FM 1488 (936) 271-9606
RAYFORD SAWDUST 25044 IH 45 (281) 362-9131 OAK RIDGE NORTH 27490 IH 45 N (281) 296-6000
GOSLING ROAD SPRING 24527 Gosling Rd (281) 516-9404
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