EHRA worked with the District to create a comprehensive Parks Master Plan, which included recommendations for the development of over two miles of hike/bike trails adjacent to local streets, and within flood control and utility pipeline easements. The District began implementation of the Plan by prioritizing the beautification of West Road, a major arterial street that runs through the District.
EHRA completed preliminary engineering, phase one environmental site assessment and schematic development for the widening of Northpark Dr. between US 59 and Woodland Hills Dr. EHRA also provided program management, drainage analysis and design, traffic engineering, environmental documentation and schematic design for the roadway, as well as grade separation at the Loop 494/UPRR railroad crossing.
EHRA conducted traffic operations and access management studies for the Northpark Dr. corridor. This corridor is approximately 2.2 miles long and has major signalized and unsignalized intersections and driveways that access various subdivisions and industrial developments. These studies laid the groundwork for the widening of Northpark Dr. from a four-lane boulevard cross-section to a six-lane boulevard complete street. The new street design includes low impact development drainage, conventional drainage, a grade separation at the UPRR crossing with mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls, two at-grade crossings for bi-directional frontage access, reconstruction of two concrete bridges over a diversion channel, intersection improvements, a roadway-adjacent multiuse path and traffic signal improvements.
Drainage analysis and design included hydrologic and hydraulic studies of both existing and proposed conditions to demonstrate that proposed project components would not adversely affect the 100-year floodplain in the area. The roadway and traffic designs contained horizontal and vertical alignments, cross-sections, plan and profile, sidewalk and bicycle accommodations, intersection layouts, traffic control plans and signing and pavement markings.
As the program management firm, EHRA coordinated with TxDOT, UPRR, the City of Houston Council District E, COH Planning and Development Department, COH Public Works and Engineering Department, Montgomery County, Harris County, HCFCD and area residents throughout the project.
The facility features an activated sludge process system. Additionally, the facility is equipped with an emergency standby diesel generator.
EHRA planners, hydrologists and landscape architects worked together to propose an alternative use for the space, re-developing the basin into an amenity pond. EHRA carefully selected native plant materials for both their ability to survive in the harsh conditions of the basin as well as providing filtration for improved storm water quality.
EHRA assisted with the district creation of Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 126 to accommodate a ±329 acre master planned community located in northern Montgomery County in the City of Conroe, south of League Line Road, west of Longmire Road, and adjacent to Lake Conroe.
EHRA Engineering was proud and honored to work with the Houston Golf Association alongside a project team that included Finger Dye Spann (Golf Course Architect) and Heritage Links – Lexicon Inc. (Contractor) for the Gus Wortham Park Golf Course renovation project. This golf course has a history that dates back to 1903. It is known as one of the earliest 18-hole golf courses in Texas and the first in the City. In 1903, it was founded as The Houston Country Club, and in 1953, Gus Wortham purchased the golf course, naming it the Houston Executive Club. In 1973, the City of Houston acquired the property where it was renamed in honor of Gus Wortham. The course was in jeopardy of being redeveloped for other uses beginning in 2007, but Houston Golf Association stepped in and formed a partnership with the City of Houston, as well as raised private funds, to renovate and preserve the historical golf course.
The golf course is located in the City of Houston, adjacent to Brays Bayou and exists partially within the 100-year and 500-year floodplain along the stream. EHRA performed the detention and floodplain impact analysis for the renovation project on behalf of the Houston Golf Association. The proposed golf course improvements included reconfigurations and regrading of fairways, greens, bunkers and a driving range, construction of a proposed detention basin that also serves as an irrigation basin for water supply for the new irrigation system and removal and replacement of existing cart paths throughout the entire course and bridges that cross the D103-00-00 tributary. EHRA obtained the FEMA effective hydraulic model for Brays Bayou to analyze the floodplain impacts along Brays Bayou from the proposed golf course re-grading within the limits of the floodplain and floodway. The analysis was challenging and took a lot of back-and-forth coordination with the golf course architect to determine what grading and dirt moving would be required in order to not cause impacts to floodplain conditions, but also create the look and feel that was needed for the renovation. Holes along Brays Bayou had a tendency to become inundated by the Brays Bayou floodwaters, and it was a goal of the project to try to reduce the frequency of those holes being inundated and un-playable.
A cut-fill analysis was also performed for the grading project within the floodplain to show that no net fill would be placed within the floodplain as a result of moving dirt. Floodplain mitigation was provided within the new detention basin/irrigation lake in addition to the required detention volume for the project for new cart paths and additional pavement. A hydraulic HEC-RAS model had to be created for D103-00-00, an unstudied stream, which extends through the golf course draining areas upstream. The model analyzed the existing and proposed conditions for the renovation project to ensure the proposed re-grading and replacement cart path bridges to be constructed across the stream would cause no adverse impacts to the flood hazard conditions upstream or downstream of the golf course. EHRA prepared a report documenting the analysis performed for the renovation project and submitted it to Harris County Flood Control District and the City of Houston for approval.
In addition to the analyses performed for the project, EHRA prepared construction drawings for the re-grading of the golf course within the limits of the 100-year floodplain and the proposed detention basin to provide storm water and floodplain mitigation volume for the project. Construction plans for the basin included design of a vertical level-control/outfall structure that includes a trash rack screen for storm water quality. The grading of the golf course required extensive dirt modeling and calculations to show that no net fill would be placed within the limits of the floodplain and compensating floodplain mitigation would be provided within the lake/basin, as well as additional cut throughout the golf course.
This project required a strong team effort to ensure the successful completion of the renovation. Some challenges included working through wetland constraints in the location of the new basin and along the D103-00-00 tributary; working around or avoiding the existing City utilities (sanitary and water) that extended across the course that had to be located; meeting time constraints to ensure construction was completed on time for planting and sodding season and working in the area of the floodplain and floodway. Not many projects come without challenges, and this project made sure that it threw a few our way.
Gus Wortham Park Golf Course is alive and doing well thanks to the Houston Golf Association and the project team. EHRA Engineering is certainly grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of such a great project!