Government
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
Residents ask for more project input
Diving in deeper
Nunes said the letters and surveys sent out to residents satised the legal requirements necessary for work to begin on projects, such as adding bathrooms to Capstone Park in 2023—a project also opposed by many residents—and articial turf at Falconwing Park in 2024. However, letters and emails tend to get lost or overlooked by residents, he said. “It’s usually not until the big white signs go up that residents notice and get involved,” Nunes said. About 7,600 surveys were sent in 2022, according to information from the township. However, a number of residents maintain they did not receive survey requests from the township, especially those immediately around the parks. “I know how precious the nature we enjoy here is, and I’m perplexed by this change. How was this decision made?” Indian Springs resident Malena Gomez said.
More than 700 The Woodlands residents this year have signed a petition against the arti cial turf being installed at Falconwing Park, but ocials said resident participation in surveys used to plan those kinds of improvements has decreased since 2016. According to township data, participation in resident surveys conducted every two years has fallen from about 24% in 2016 to 19% in 2022. The surveys are sent out via email and mail, Chief Operating Ocer Chris Nunes
said, and another impact survey was sent to residents surrounding the park in 2023. Wendy Everett, a resident of Indian Springs who spoke at the township meeting Feb. 28, said residents are unaware of the full scope of projects until work already begins. “All these changes were never voted on by the residents it has most aected,” Indian Springs resident Barbara Hefner said. “Surveys were apparently randomly sent out to residents. I didn’t get one, and nobody I know did.”
The Woodlands Township resident needs survey
Surveys returned
Surveys not returned
23.89%
22.67%
18.96%
76.11%
77.33%
81.04%
2016
2018
2022
NOTE: A SURVEY WAS NOT DISTRIBUTED IN 2020.
SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIPCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What’s next
before turf installation can begin. Changes to the current project are not planned and would mean millions of dollars for the township due to contractual obligations, o cials said. A new survey is expected to begin over the summer, which could include changes to the survey process, o cials said.
Work began in July at Falconwing Park as part of a $4.3 million renovation. Unlike other articial turf projects in The Woodlands, Falconwing will not have a cement-fortied base and is instead being built with a rubber and sand base, according to the township. Completion will depend on weather conditions as clay must be dry
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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