Hurricane Harvey: One Year Later and Flood Management
It was one year ago when Hurricane Harvey landed on the Texas coast and devastated much of our region. One year later and partly due to Harvey, new city floodplain regulations went into effect September 1. The Planning and Development Department (P&D) has been working with other city departments and agencies to address flooding issues raised by Hurricane Harvey and other flooding incidents in the area. After extensive community feedback and consideration by multiple agencies and departments, City Council adopted amendments to Chapter 19 in April that pertain to development in the floodplain and floodway that became effective September 1, 2018.
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Downtown Houston Harvey images by former Planner Chris Andrews |
What do these changes mean? Among other functions, P&D administers platting, which is an initial step in the development process. Beginning August 31, all final subdivision plat applications submitted to P&D for review, that lie within the City corporate limits AND within the 500-year floodplain, must include an approved (stamped, conceptual) drainage plan to be promoted to the Planning Commission agenda. Being listed on the Commission's agenda does not guarantee an approval. Once an application or item is promoted to an agenda, the Commission may take several actions, such as approving, deferring, or denying the application's requests. If you have any questions about this process, please call our Planner of the Day at 832-393-6600.
This initial drainage plan, required at platting, is related to the overall engineered drainage plans that are subsequently approved with the construction plan review during permitting. The City's Floodplain Management Office, which is part of the Houston Public Works Department, has personnel in place to consider engineering requirements and other aspects of property development or redevelopment within the City of Houston limits. The Floodplain Management Office can be reached at 832-394-8854.
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Moving Ahead: Transportation Highlights
Several public engagement meetings took place over the summer for various projects, including bike plan implementation. In June, meetings were held to gather input on the Near Northside Bikeways project that will be funded by Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Meetings were also held in Inwood Forest and Acres Home, and staff received 32 community responses on bike lane preferences at the Juneteenth Parade held in Acres Home. As part of the annual Major Thoroughfare & Freeway Plan amendment request process, three meetings were held, and in August, the Planning Commission approved the proposed changes to the 2017 MTFP map and forwarded the plan to City Council for possible adoption.
North Houston Highway Improvement Project:
The upcoming North Houston Highway Improvement Project West Open House on September 13 is hosted by our department. This Texas Department of Transportation project will reroute Interstate 45 around downtown. P&D is soliciting community input from residents along the project corridor on future enhancement opportunities to reconnect the neighborhoods. See our Facebook event page and please share on social media.
Southeast Houston Mobility Plan:
P&D is working on the Southeast Houston Mobility Plan.
The Plan will analyze existing transportation and mobility conditions within the area, identify multimodal mobility gaps, and implementation projects to improve mobility and access within the area .
The first public meeting is on September 8, 2018, from 9 am - 12:30 p.m., Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church, 7701 Jutland Rd., Houston, TX 77003. For more information contact [email protected].
For more information on other projects, visit the Transportation Planning website.
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Platting Workshop
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| Presenters at the 2017 PSEFI Workshop included Julian Boxhill of Harris County Engineering, and P&D's Dorianne Powe-Phlegm, Arica Bailey (Coordinator), Lyndy Morris, Devin Crittle (Co-Coordinator), Dipti Mathur-Ghorpade, and Suvidha Bandi (front row, from left to right) |
The annual platting workshop, hosted by Professional Surveyor Educational Foundation Inc. (PSEFI), will be held on Friday, October 5, 2018. It's a once a year opportunity to get updated on many aspects of Chapter 42 and other regulations that affect your professional surveying, land planning, and civil engineering consulting businesses.
With many in our city still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, special emphasis for 2018 will center around the new Chapter 19 Floodplain regulations.
Register now via Frank Petrosky or Christy McClosky at 713-861-7068.
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It is with great sadness that the Planning and Development Department informs you that Donald Perkins passed away on August 15, 2018 after a brief but serious illness. Donald served 20 years with the City of Houston, first as a Planner in the Planning Department, and later as the Chief of Staff for City Council District K. Donald was a great public servant and provided exemplary service to Houston residents. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Donald will be greatly missed by all.
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Program Updates
 Complete Communities: City Council recently passed a motion of support for the five Complete Communities Action Plans! A variety of action plan items are moving into implementation. Visit the program page for updates.
Walkable Places Committee: The August 8 meeting was rescheduled to September 19, 4 - 6 pm, at City Hall Annex, 900 Bagby St. You can find updated information on the Committee's work on their website.
Houston BCycle Expansion: Four of six planned BCycle stations at the University of Houston were installed at the campus in August and the eighth and final station, BioScience Research Center, was installed at Rice University. The new bike stations are part of the City's Houston BCycle expansion project that is funded by a federal grant. Other campuses on the expansion schedule include Texas Southern University and University of Houston-Downtown. Visit the P&D project page for information about the bike share program expansion and ride a Houston BCycle today!
Historic Preservation Tracker: New! As of July 30, 2018, all Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) Applications must be submitted through the
Historic Preservation Tracker
online. The Preservation Tracker allows historic property owners and their agents to more efficiently submit COA applications. Applicants and the public will be able to track the progress of COA applications, and view and download HAHC agendas and meeting minutes. For more information on the Tracker and to view the Applicant User Guide, visit the
Historic Preservation page
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Plat Notification Reminder: Once the Planning Commission sets a public hearing date for a Class 3 with notification plat application (C3N), applicants are to complete the newspaper, sign, and mail-out notification requirements. Helpful information on the entire process can be found on the P&D website. If you have any questions about these requirements, or questions about any deadlines, contact staff as soon as possible. Failure to meet timely and complete notification requirements can be a reason for disapproval of a plat application.
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