Project InFocus: Chambers Creek (CPS)

EHRA was selected by Caldwell Companies (Caldwell), a premier real estate development firm in the Houston region, to provide surveying and design and construction phase services (among others) for the master planned Chambers Creek community near Conroe, Texas. The Chambers Creek community consists of 1,200 acres of land featuring a golf course and water access to Lake Conroe. Caldwell’s vision for this community is to become the largest and most active 55+ community in Texas. In order to achieve a successful grand opening in 2022, EHRA Construction Phase Services (CPS) was engaged to provide infrastructure construction management services.

EHRA assembled a dedicated team of construction professionals to provide construction management, inspection and overall project coordination services. Over the course of project execution, the EHRA CPS team prepared multiple bid packages to facilitate simultaneous construction with different contractors and streamline the project delivery schedule. Separate construction contracts were developed for clearing, excavation, underground utilities, wastewater, drainage and paving and lot grading. Bid packages also addressed additional development activities such as golf course construction, lake access improvements, initial marina construction and various other community components.

Being a part of the Chambers Creek construction management team since inception has been an honor and a pleasure. CPS Project Manager, Kara Jackson, fondly recalls walking the project site years ago, prior to a shovel ever touching the ground, and when the overall community was just a vision. She shared how exciting it has been to watch the raw land with rolling hillsides transform into a beautiful community with resort-style amenities such as a nine-hole golf course, private marina, vineyard, extensive trails, greenspaces, activity centers, breathtaking views and lake access. Peter Barnhart, Caldwell Companies President and Chief Development Officer, stated that “The main amenity at Chambers Creek is going to be FUN!”

Project construction was initiated with clearing and mass grading in 2019. Phase One of project execution saw the completion of roads and infrastructure, the dredging of Weir Creek to create a tie-in to Lake Conroe, construction of the marina, installation of a large storm sewer roughly 17 feet deep, completion of four sections, a lift station, detention ponds and a spillway. The CPS team also worked with a tree preservationist to save many massive, mature pecan and oak trees.

One challenge the EHRA CPS team faced was managing the complexity of working simultaneously with multiple contractors, additional design teams and other project contributors such as landscape architects, golf course designers, specialty contractors and the Utility District Operator. To address this challenge, EHRA held weekly on-site meetings to coordinate and organize the activities of each of the various overlapping contractors. Staying abreast of, and adjusting to, multiple project changes and redesigns required the team to remain vigilant and flexible. Meeting agendas were prepared, minutes recorded and action items assigned in order to achieve the completion of concurrent subprojects expeditiously. Providing these communication tools and forums for collaboration kept all parties on the same trajectory and proved critical to delivering various project components within schedule.

In addition to conquering scheduling and coordination challenges, the CPS team encountered and resolved several installation issues in the field. For example, certain rock formations made installation of the offsite sanitary sewer lines difficult in section two of the community. The solution for this issue was to call in a special track-hoe with a jack hammer to help chip, grind and cut through the problematic rock formations. Similarly, the elevation changes throughout the acreage created impositions to the initial installation of both gravity and sewer lines, a challenge that the CPS team resolved to the client’s satisfaction. While the natural terrain generated unexpected installation challenges, it was also important to Caldwell Companies to retain as much of the natural features of the land as possible. To honor this goal, EHRA engineers and CPS experts worked together to develop solutions to minimize the use of retaining walls. Fewer retaining walls enhanced the natural land characteristics and allowed the integration of subdivision sections with panoramic views, such as views of the golf course.

In order to achieve the project vision and expedited delivery schedule, unique constructability challenges can arise over the course of the various projects that require a creative design and construction management solution. One such solution was the enhanced entryway to the new community to create a grand entrance. Caldwell requested an extra dark, almost jet-black asphalt to give a rich, modern and exclusive feel to the main entrance. During the bidding phase, the EHRA CPS team went the extra mile to reach out to multiple paving suppliers and contractors for guidance on the proper specifications that would achieve the desired level of elegance for the new roadway. Another unique feature of the grand entrance was the decorative curbing for the entry road which required hand forming and finishing to match the entry features and high-end architectural entrance designs. CPS made certain to source a craftsman capable of utilizing an intricate hand pattern for tooled lines that ultimately resulted in curbs that appear to be composed of natural stones.

In addition, the EHRA team cleverly delayed the installation of the final surface layer of asphalt until all other items on the entry road, such as the headwalls, landscaping, guard house and cart paths were completed. This simple, yet effective sequencing choice ensured the special asphalt finish was not compromised, and the stylish entrance was presented to potential residents at peak attractiveness.

EHRA enjoys a rewarding 15-year history working with Caldwell on various communities, and therefore partnering on this important project came naturally. EHRA and Caldwell joined forces on the award-winning Towne Lake community in Cypress-Fairbanks, Texas, so both companies were thrilled to recreate the magic for Chambers Creek. Fred Caldwell, Chief Executive Officer of Caldwell Companies, shared that, “It all comes down to trust. Is EHRA a partner we can trust? The answer is yes!”

While the transformation up to this point has been achieved in an unprecedented timeframe, this project still has work ahead. The grand opening of this extraordinary community is planned for October of 2022. As residents and businesses move in, EHRA will continue to provide CPS and other engineering services presently and into the future until every element of Caldwell’s ultimate vision is a reality.