CITY & COUNTY News fromMontgomery County, Oak Ridge North and The Woodlands Township
Discussions to proceed on new performing arts center in The Woodlands near Pavilion site
Robinson Road land acquisitions will allow Precinct 3 to proceed with I-45 overpass redesign
NEWARTS CENTER POSSIBLE A new performing arts center could be located near Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. “This is a major step in furthering the development of performing arts in The Woodlands,” board of direc- tors Chairman Gordy Bunch said in a statement. “It feels right that on the day aer acknowledging our founder George Mitchell’s th birthday this week, we are moving forward with one of his wishes to have a performing arts theater in The Woodlands.” and is intended to determine the viability of the township and center’s joint development of a new center, the release stated.
THE WOODLANDS A new performing arts center could be on the horizon for The Woodlands aer the town- ship board of directors agreed in May to discuss the matter with The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands. The Woodlands Township board of directors approved a memoran- dum of understanding May to discuss a potential agreement with the nonprot center, which operates the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The memorandum was not discussed in depth at the meeting. The possible new center would be located near the Pavilion’s current location on Lake Robbins Drive, according to a township news release. Details of what the center might include are still in development. The memorandum is nonbinding
OAK RIDGE NORTH Public Works Director Joe Sherwin said right of way acquisitions needed for the Robinson Road overpass redesign were nearly complete in late June. Aer the city ocially obtains the land, Mont- gomery County Precinct will begin working on the I- overpass. “The county’s ready to go, we’ve gotten all the properties secured and ready,” Sherwin said at the June City Council meeting. Andy DuBois, Precinct projects and logistics manager, said the county is prepared to launch its devel- opment work following conrmation of the acquisitions. “We’re ready to go out for bid on that project, we’re just waiting on the city of Oak Ridge North,” he said. The million overpass initia- tive, funded through the county’s road bond, will add signaled
intersections at both ends of the bridge and adjust its lane layout. The new intersections will be timed with exist- ing trac signals. At its June meeting, the City Coun- cil also approved a mph speed limit on Robinson from west of the overpass through the city limit to the east. redesign TO PROCEED With acquisitions complete at Robinson Road, Montgomery County Precinct 3 can move forward with its project to redesign the Woodlands Parkway overpass at I-45. OVERPASS
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THE CYNTHIAWOODS MITCHELL PAVILION
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Montgomery County applies for Hurricane Harvey home buyout program MONTGOMERY COUNTY Commissioners Court unanimously submitted a housing grant application to the federal Community Development Block Grant Program on June for the buyout of county homes ooded by Hurricane Harvey. Noack asked county Director of Emergency Management Darren Hess about the requirement for the low- to moderate-in- come, or LMI, housing requirement portion of the program since some areas—such as Timber subdivisions that we have that standing on their own would probably qualify for LMI, but they reside within census blocks that elevate those numbers,” Hess said. The county is request- LMI requirement can be reduced as the state reas- sesses its total number of LMI homes, Hess said. Director of Community Development Joanne Ducharme said there are likely more LMI homes available for buyout than the county can purchase. Hess said the county
BUYOUTS INMONTGOMERY COUNTY
Money is available for buying out flooded homes through Community Development Block Grants, but most of it is required to go to lower-income homeowners.
$12.9MILLION Montgomery County requested in Community Development Block Grants for flooding related to Hurricane Harvey.
70% of homes bought through the programmust be owned by low- to moderate- income households.
ing . million for the program, according to the application attached to the June meeting agenda. The county is working with the state and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine if its %
Lakes Timber Ridge— would not necessarily qualify as LMI homes and % of money in the program must go to LMI individuals, Hess said. “There are several
80% Low- to moderate-income is
The buyouts are done on a voluntary basis and must be owner-occupied homes, Precinct Commissioner James Noack said at the June meeting.
could potentially ask the state to lower the restrictive LMI amount and expand the program outside of that standard.
of the area median income, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
SOURCE:MONTGOMERYCOUNTY,U.S.DEPARTMENTOFHOUSING ANDURBANDEVELOPMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACTNEWSPAPER
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