The Kingwood Observer & Sun, Wednesday, March 24, 1999

Houston eyes sites in Kingwood for parks
Report shows city's green spaces come up short to national and state standards

By MELISSA BACHARA
Contributing Writer

Over 500 acres of community parks and 60 miles of greenbelt trails help to make Kingwood one of the greenest areas in Houston, but according to Oliver B. Spellman Jr., director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Kingwood is definitely included in the recent master plan unveiled by Houston Mayor Lee Brown on March 16.

Brown's plan includes several sites in Kingwood for proposed parks, either new ones or expansions of existing parks. "Kingwood's parks have been inventoried and are included in the report," said Spellman, noting that many communities in Kingwood have their own private park areas. "What we intend to build is public green space," he said.

The city's green spaces and park areas were held up against national and state standards and came up short, resulting in the recommendation that the city add another 68 parks, at least 6,700 acres, to its current inventory and continue to renovate existing parks.

Designed to consider park needs over the next 10-15 years, the Master Plan focuses on the creation of a park classification system, facility development and land acquisition in Houston's 88 "super neighborhoods" and seven area sectors.

Although specific locations have not been determined, the report recommends adding new parks and expanding existing parks north of Beltway 8. "Our goal is to get specific by the end of the year," said Spellman.

Vernon G. Henry and Associates, Inc. composed the Master Plan and after thorough research recommended the expansion of Kingwood's current park and the addition of a linear park along the San Jacinto River and a new neighborhood park.

All Houston parks are classified as pocket parks, neighborhood parks, community parks, regional parks, Metro parks and special purpose parks. Pocket parks are smaller than one-acre, have a half-mile service area and are centrally located within a neighborhood. A neighborhood park is one to ten acres (five acres optimum) and has a half-mile to one-mile service area. Community parks are five to l0 acres and service one to three miles. Regional parks are 50-200 acres and provide large-scale development for both active and passive recreational pursuits with sizable areas left natural. Metro parks are over 200 acres, serve both active and passive needs and provide for cultural activities and special events. They are designed to preserve ecologically unique area, provide places to observe and learn about nature and are left at least 50 percent undeveloped. Park preserves, natural areas, plazas or squares and cultural or historical parks are called special purpose parks.

Through the process of public hearings, the department hopes to find out what the citizens would like to see in their neighborhoods. He encouraged residents to attend the hearings. "Optimally, we would like to create a citizen-friendly park system that people can and will take advantage of," said Spellman.

Mayor Brown's transition team, who noted the lack of a long-range plan for the Parks and Recreation Department, first conceived the Master Plan that was later commissioned by Brown. Although recommendations have been made in the past, Spellman said this Master Plan marks the first time that the entire Houston park system was held up to national and state standards and the administration has said, "This is what we believe the system should look like."

The city of Houston continues to renovate many of its 509 parks with funding expected to run out by the year 2002. The Master Plan allows for the continuation of work in progress on these parks while at the same time looking into creative ways, such as utilizing undeveloped land already purchased by other city departments, to reach the recommended goals. "We are working between now and 2001 to insure that when the money runs out, there will be no gap in service" Spellman said.

The department plans to acquire property and land bank it for future development, push for additional funding and find creative, non-traditional ways to meet the recommendations in the report.