Kleinwood - May 2014 by Peel, Inc.

KLEINWOOD

K leinwood Krier Official Publication of the Kleinwood Homeowners Association

May 2014

Volume 4, Issue 5 4/12 Swim Team Registration 4/28 Swim Practice

6/2 Swim Practice

4:00pm 9-10 / 4:45pm 7-8 5:25pm 6 & unders5:55pm 11-12 / 6

4:00pm 9-10 / 4:45pm 7-8 5:25pm 6 & unders / 5:55pm 11-12 / 6

5/5 Swim Practice

6/7 HomeMeet vs.Woodlands Riptides

4:00pm 9-10 / 4:45pm 7-8 5:25pm 6 & unders / 5:55pm 11-12 / 6

6/9 No Practice

5/10 Time Trials 5/12 Swim Practice 4:00 pm 9-10 / 4:45pm 7-8 5:25pm 6 & unders / 5:55pm 11-12 / 6

Kleinwood Dolphins SEASON IN FULL SWING!

5/31 Home Meet vs Colony Creek

5/16 Team Pictures 5/17 Home Meet vs. Champion Park 5/19 Swim Practice 4:00 pm 9-10 / 4:45 pm 7-8 5:25 pm 6 & unders / 5:55 pm 11-12 / 6

5/24 Away Meet @ Forest Oaks 5/26 Memorial Day No practice 5/27 Swim Practice 4:00pm 9-10 / 4:45pm 7-8 5:25pm 6 & unders / 5:55pm 11-12 / 6

6/10 Morning Practice 8:00am 9-10 / 8:45am 7-8 9:25am 6 & unders / 9:55am 11-12 / 10:5

6/14 Away Meet @ Imperial Oaks 6/16 No Practice 6/17 Morning Practice 8:00am 9-10 / 8:45am 7-8 9:25am 6 & unders / 9:55am 11-12 / 10:5

6/21 NWAL C3 Divisionals 6/23 No Practice 6/24 Invitational ONLY Practice 8-8:45: 10&under / 8:45-9:45: 11 & ups

6/28 Ponderosa Invitational 6/28 Allstars

Growth spurs new schools, expansions in Klein ISD By Matt Stephens Klein High School students will walk the halls of a completely new building in August, one of several significant projects funded by $646.9 million in bonds approved in 2008. As the student population continues to rise in Klein ISD, the district plans to propose another bond election in 2015. “[The growth] is not surprising to us because we know

ExxonMobil’s moving in, Noble Energy [is growing] and Baker Hughes is building a new training facility that’s going to impact Klein,” said Judy Rimato, associate superintendent for communications and planning. “So there’s a number of different corporations that are in the area that are going to support growth in Klein.” (Continued on Page 3)

The Kleinwood Krier - May 2014

KLEINWOOD IMPORTANT NUMBERS KLEINWOOD MAINTENANCE BOARD Larry Chamberlin, President............................ 281-580-2222 Ronnie Brod, Vice President............................. 281-370-9200 Tom Houser, Secretary..................................... 281-379-6517 Jeff Gobbell, Treasurer...................................... 281-251-7767 Kelly Smith, Director at Large.......................... 281-370-9735 KLEINWOOD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT Sherry Allard, President.................................... 281-923-8603 Joe Fratangelo, Vice President.......................... 281-251-3189 Bernie Bryl, Secretary-Treasurer........................ 281-251-2688 David C Guerrero, Assistant Secretary.............. 281-251-2773 Robert Ehmann, Asst. V.P. & Asst. Sec............. 281-251-8621 MANAGEMENT COMPANY Chaparral Management.................................... 281-537-0957 POOL MANAGEMENT COMPANY Southwest Pool Management........................... 281-370-2474 MUD FACILITY MANAGER & BUILDING RENTALS Roger Schuett................................................... 281-685-1275 NEIGHBORHOOD COORDINATORS Jeff Gobbel, Message Board Coord...... jeffgob1@sbcglobal.net Jeff Gobbell, Pool Liaison................................. 281-593-5405 Mona Currey, Newsletter Editor.......... mona@aegis-web.com Ronnie Brod, Tennis Liaison............................ 281-370-9200 Head Block Captain.....................................................OPEN SCHOOLS Mittelstadt Elementary..................................... 832-484-6711 Kleb Middle School......................................... 832-249-5500 Klein High School............................................ 832-484-4000

COMMUNITY SERVICES Emergency........................................................................911 Harris County Constable................................. 281-376-3472 C.C.E.M.S....................................................... 281-440-4300 St. Lukes Vintage Hospital............................... 832-534-5000 Methodist Willowbrook Hospital..................... 281-737-1000 Poison Control Center..................................... 281-654-1701 Waste Management.......................................... 713-686-6666 Klein VFD Business Office............................... 281-376-4449 Water/Sewer Repairs (24/7).............................. 832-467-1599 Water/Sewer Billing Questions......................... 832-467-1599 Reliant Energy/HL&P..................................... 713-207-7777 Centerpoint (report streetlight outings)............ 713-207-2222 Harris County Library, Barbara Bush Branch... 281-376-4610 Harris County, Precinct 4................................. 281-353-8424 Harris County Animal Control........................ 281-999-3191 Aircraft Noise Complaints................................ 281-233-3900 Environmental Development Partners.............. 832-467-1599 Harris County Dispute Resolution Center....... 713-755-8274 ....................................................... www.co.harris.tx.us/drc Domestic Violence........................................... 281-401-6250 Harris County Animal Control........................ 281-999-3191 Dead Animal Pick-up....................................... 713-699-1113 Harris County...........................................www.co.harris.tx.us Poison Control..............................................1-800-764-7661 Harris County Health Dept............................. 713-439-6000 .................................................................. www.hcphes.org Harris County Community Service.................. 281-353-8424 Ha.................................................................... www.hcp4.net Harris County Appraisal District...................... 713-757-7800 ......................................................................www.hcad.org Harris County Flood Control District.............. 713-684-4000 .....................................................................www.hcfcd.org NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER PEEL Inc.................................................... www.peelinc.com Advertising....................................................... 888-687-6444

Make an impact. 2

The Kleinwood Krier -May 2014

KLEINWOOD Klein ISD (Continued from Cover)

The district is expected to grow by 28.8 percent, or 13,902 students, in the next 10 years, which is less than the 35.69 percent growth experienced over the last 10 years, according to the most likely scenario of a 2013 demographic study performed by the firm Population & Survey Analysts. 2008 bond

Several new schools were funded by the 2008 bond package from 2009 to 2012 with French Elementary expected to open in the fall of 2015. Bernshausen Elementary was built with 2008 bonds using money originally allocated for an intermediate school. Planned as part of the 2008 bond package, the district’s fifth high school was estimated to cost about $131 million. However, Rimato said the project was delayed and the money was spent on other projects, including campus renovations, buses and an elementary school at FM 2920 and Mahaffey Road. About $64.1 million remains for the high school’s construction. She said the district constructs new schools once nearby schools reach a “tipping point” of about 120 percent of capacity, when the student population begins putting a strain on public spaces. “You can build the school with the bond money, but if you don’t have the maintenance and operation funds to support the teachers and the supplies and all the other employees that it takes to run a school, then you can’t operate it,” she said. Klein High School

Perhaps the most significant piece of the 2008 bond package was the reconstruction of Klein High School, the district’s oldest high school. Robert Robertson, associate superintendent of facilities, said the $123.3 million rebuild is nearly completed, with the final three buildings of the original school set to be demolished this summer. “The Klein High School Bearkats are tremendously excited about the completion of the new building and look forward to moving into the new spaces this summer,” KHS Principal Larry Whitehead said. “The new academic wing and athletic facilities allow our students to enjoy modernized classrooms, laboratories, library, gymnasiums and career technology spaces that better meet the needs of today’s learners.” The high school will be a completely new campus, Robertson Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.

said, and will use none of the old buildings that have been added since the first building opened in 1963. “With any school facility, when they start to hit that 40-50year point, you really have to ask yourself if the facility itself is meeting the needs of the instruction program,” he said. Robertson said none of the campus buildings were attached, which made campus management difficult and created safety concerns. He said some instructional spaces were not up to standard, and the campus had storm water runoff issues. Although the campus nearly doubled in size—from less than 400,000 square feet to just under 700,000 square feet— Robertson said the campus’ capacity will only increase from 3,000 students to about 3,500, because of the increase in the size of classroom and science lab standards. The bulk of the project will be completed in August, but some additional site work is planned for completion around November. 2015 bond Klein ISD has successfully passed nine bond elections since 1971. Although Robertson said the amount of a possible 2015 bond referendum is unknown, the district knows it will need at least one elementary school, one intermediate school and partial funding for the fifth high school. He said the district anticipates the referendum to be less than 2008’s bond package, although the property tax rate will increase. “Once we get the facility assessment with the educational adequacy and the repair renovation numbers from that, we’ll know just how big that number is,” he said. Robertson said all the new schools will be built toward the north of the district, including high school No. 5, which could break ground as early as January 2015. “The excitement’s not in the buildings,” he said. “It’s in the quality of the students that we’re turning out. The excitement for me is being able to support the instructional program with quality facilities that makes all that great stuff that happens in the classroom possible.” Reprinted with permission: Community Impact News http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/spring--klein/growth-spurs-newschools%2C-expansions-in-klein-isd/

The Kleinwood Krier - May 2014

KLEINWOOD Grand Parkway to Improve Mobility in Spring Area by Marie Leonard

Photo by Matt Stephens

Three segments of the Grand Parkway—Houston’s third outer loop—are expected to bring improved mobility and new developments to northern Harris County after the roadway opens to traffic at the end of 2015. Segments F-1, F-2 and G of the Grand Parkway will connect Hwy. 290 to Hwy. 59, bringing the proposed 184-mile roadway one step closer to completion. “A road like the Grand Parkway coming into our region will affect our economy because it allows us to have improved mobility from one region to another, it takes pressure off other roads and it draws traffic to itself,” Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said. “We’re already seeing property

Construction is underway on segments F-1, F-2 and G of the Grand Parkway, which crosses Hufsmith-Kohrville Road just south of Boudreaux Road in Spring. values increase and communities growing in areas that were previously inaccessible. All of this brings in a revitalization of economic energy.” The Grand Parkway was originally conceptualized in the 1960s, but ground did not break on the three northern segments until mid-2013. The Texas Department of Transportation signed an agreement in 2012 with developer Zachry-Odebrecht Parkway Builders to construct segments F-1, F-2 and G simultaneously for approximately $1 billion in an effort to move forward on the project that is expected to improve mobility in the Greater Houston area. “[The Grand Parkway] will assist with dispersing traffic off the existing, overcrowded arteries offering a shorter drive across

The Kleinwood Krier -May 2014

outer urban communities and improving safety on roadways,” said Linda Merritt, public information officer with ZachryOdebrecht. “The lessening of traffic time represents business opportunities to expand service areas and gives potential customers more choices.” Segment F-2 will run through the Spring/Klein area beginning at Hwy. 249 about 1,000 feet south of the existing Boudreaux Road. The segment will travel 12 miles east to I-45 at the southern edge of Springwoods Village north of Spring Stuebner Road. The design of Segment F-2 will be similar to the other segments of the Grand Parkway with two tolled lanes in each direction. There will be no continuous frontage roads along Segment F-2—instead the toll road will feature 10 exits to connecting roadways, not including the two direct connectors to I-45. However, there will be several areas with reasonably long frontage roads, such as west of I-45 to Springwoods Village Parkway and from east of Boudreaux Road past FM 2920. There are no direct connectors planned for the interchange at Hwy. 249 included in the scope of the project, but the building of future direct connectors will be determined by TxDOT at a later date, Merritt said. Drivers will need an EZ Tag, Texas Tag or North Texas Toll Road Authority tag to enter the roadway. David Gornet, executive director of the Grand Parkway Association, said drivers who use the toll road without a tag will be caught electronically and mailed a bill. Those motorists could be subject to additional fees and penalties, he said. The toll rate per mile will be the same as other Harris County Toll Road Authority toll roads. Gornet said the Grand Parkway was constructed as a toll road because of the lack of state funding. “We haven’t raised gas taxes since 1991,” Gornet said. “The state only takes in so much money and everyone wants to get roads built, but they’re not willing to raise taxes. The state has explored ways to fund them without raising taxes, and one of the ways of doing that is a user fee, or a toll.” Improved Mobility

Local officials said the Grand Parkway will provide better mobility options for getting to and from major highways around the Greater Houston area. “The Grand Parkway will open up mobility through the north side of the Houston metro area,” Gornet said. “It will allow for (Continued on Page 6) Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.

KLEINWOOD

New Residential Community Planned for Spring Cypress Corridor By Marie Leonard Stonebrook Estates, a new 54-acre gated community, is under development along Spring Cypress Road about a mile east of Hwy. 249. “The Spring Cypress corridor has always been a good place to sell homes,” said Jeff Dye, vice president of Newmark Homes. “With the schools and everything going on there, we thought it would be an excellent fit for our product.” Newmark Homes will have 135 70- and 80-foot home sites in the community. Pricing will range from the high $300,000s to $450,000 for homes on the larger sites. “Stonebrook Estates borders a stretch of Spring Cypress that has seen no new-home construction for probably five years,” Dye said. “With the opening of a new section of the Grand Parkway, the timing is right to introduce a new community to the area.” The new community will feature lake and nature trails, and it will be a low-impact development, Dye said.

“A l o t o f t h e storm water will be filtered through natural aquatic vegetation before it’s discharged back into the waterway,” he said. “It takes the place of traditional detention where Courtesy Newmark Homes you just hold all the water.” Construction will begin on two model homes in May, which are expected to be open by early August. Presales are expected to begin in the next 45 days.

Reprinted with permission: Community Impact News http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/cy-fair/new-residentialcommunity-planned-for-spring-cypress-corrido/

The Kleinwood Krier - May 2014

KLEINWOOD Grand Parkway (Continued from Page 4)

better access to jobs and residential and commercial areas.” Mobility has a substantial impact on people’s options and ability to access work, home and other places they need to go, said Barbara Thomason, president of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce. “The Houston area has been so smart about its freeway design, and I think [the Grand Parkway] is just a tremendous addition to our road system,” she said. The completion of the Grand Parkway comes at nearly the same time as 10,000 employees are expected to converge on an upcoming 385-acre ExxonMobil campus north of the toll road near I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road. Cagle said Harris County Precinct 4 is planning about half a dozen major transportation projects in Spring in preparation for the expected increase in traffic. Widening portions of Gosling, Riley Fuzzel, Spring Cypress and Spring Stuebner roads—all of which connect or run parallel to the Grand Parkway—are in the works. “We’re trying to put the infrastructure in place to handle the volume,” Cagle said. “Many of our roads won’t link directly to

The Kleinwood Krier -May 2014

the Grand Parkway, but they’ll be collectors as the traffic comes off the roadway.” Economic development

When Segment D of the Grand Parkway opened in Katy in 1994, it brought with it two decades of growth—a scenario local officials said they believe will also occur in northern Harris County. “If [businesses] can make more trips in a day, they can improve profitability and success rates,” Cagle said. “It’s as basic as simple economics—being able to move around improves the ability to do business and reduce costs. We can continue to draw and attract people and businesses to the region as long as we keep up with mobility needs.” Commercial developments are already planned along Segment F-2 in the Spring/Klein area. H-E-B is in negotiations for a possible grocery store just south of where the Grand Parkway will run near Gleannloch Farms. Additionally, NewQuest Properties is developing the Grand Parkway Town Center at the southwest corner of Hwy. 249 and the Grand Parkway, which will feature 570,000 square feet of retail. (Continued on Page 7)

KLEINWOOD Grand Parkway (Continued from Page 6)

David Meyers, broker for the project, said the developer is in talks with a grocer to anchor the center, but NewQuest is several months away from making an announcement. Farther east, Halberdier Real Estate plans to turn up to 47 acres at the southwest corner of Riley Fuzzel Road and the Hardy Toll Road into a mixed-use development, citing the Grand Parkway as a major consideration in buying the property. “We like it because the site is just far enough south of the off ramps so that we are the first truly accessible site after exiting onto Hardy,” president and founder Trey Halberdier said. The project, Hardy North Office Park, could be built-out in three years. “I think the key here overall is that you’ve got the perfect storm of Intercontinental Airport, Hardy Toll Road, Grand Parkway and ExxonMobil all being in that vicinity,” Halberdier said. “We are hedging on that 47 acres being a great affordable alternative to [the] Woodlands prices.” Reprinted with permission: Community Impact News http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/spring--klein/grandparkway-to-improve-mobility-in-spring-area/

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DROWNING IS FAST & SILENT KEEP KIDS IN ARM’S REACH

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May ar Calend

May is National Water Safety Month Ongoing: Volunteers needed to stuff & distribute water safety packets. info@colinshope.org Ongoing: Colin's Hope Athlete Ambassadors needed. www.tinych.org/AthleteAmbassador Now-June 21st: Donate $30, get a free Schlitterbahn ticket! www.tinych.org/tickets May 5th: Otter Spotter Day Storytime at Backwoods Austin from 10:30am-11:30am

Take our Water Safety Quiz. www.colinshope.org/quiz/

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Keep your children and families safer in, near and around all bodies of water.

LAYERS OF PROTECTION CAN PREVENT DROWNING STAY AWAY

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The Kleinwood Krier -May 2014

WEAR LIFE JACKETS

MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO WATER

KEEP BACKYARDS & BATHROOMS SAFER

CHECK POOL & HOT TUB FIRST

STAY AWAY FROM DRAINS

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BE SAFER AT THE BEACH

LEARN CPR & REFRESH SKILLS YEARLY