Park People Recognize Sugar Land’s

Commitment to Brazos River

The Park People, a nonprofit group that promotes the expansion of parks, recognized Sugar Land with a Project Award for the city ’s commitment to the development of Memorial Park along the Brazos River.

The first phase of the 420-acre Sugar Land Memorial Park includes a 2.5-mile walking/jogging/biking trail, picnic pavilion, restrooms, parking areas, playground, open space for sports activities and a lake.

As part of ongoing reforestation projects, hundreds of volunteers annually plant thousands of trees, including a mix of oaks and other native trees to provide shade and wildlife habitat.

A two-mile mountain bike trail south of University Boulevard and Commonwealth Boulevard is expected to be ready by September. The trail will be named for Justin P. Brindley, a local outdoor enthusiast who died last year while rafting on the Colorado River.

Other planned amenities include a canoe/kayak launch, the first of several that could link future park development along the Brazos River.

Sugar Land owns and/or has agreements for approximately 1,200 acres of land along the banks of the river. Ultimately, the city hopes to own almost 3,600 acres for parks, open space and conservation along the corridor. The Brazos River Park will be developed over many years.

The Park People will celebrate this year’s annual awards winners the 30th Anniversary Gala on May 1 at the Hotel ZaZa in Houston.  

Commuter Bus Service to Texas
Medical Center to Stop

At the request of the Texas Medical Center, Fort Bend County ceased its commuter bus service route traveling to the Texas Medical Center campus effective March 6.

County Judge Bob Hebert stated, “We knew going in that this was a test-bed project for the Texas Medical Center and I'm sorry the numbers didn't work as well as they had hoped. We ’ll keep working with them to find a formula that can provide a positive cost-benefit for them so hopefully we can reinitiate this valuable service in the near future. ”

Fort Bend County is continuing the operation of the TREK Express service from Sugar Land to Greenway Plaza. Interested riders can transfer to Houston Metro's West Bellfort Park and Ride located at 11415 Roark Road, at West Bellfort, with a final destination of the Texas Medical Center. The TREK Express Greenway route serves both the University of Houston Sugar Land and First Colony AMC Theatre parking lots.

Cost for the TREK service from Sugar Land to the West Bellfort lot is $1 per person each way.   Passengers with Fort Bend Express tickets can seek a refund for unused tickets from the Texas Medical Center through May 8. After May 8, no tickets will be refunded. To request a refund, contact the Customer Relations Department with The Texas Medical Center at 713-791-6161.

Ashford Lakes Forms Neighborhood Watch

Residents of Ashford Lakes subdivision worked with Sugar Land police to create a Neighborhood Watch Program, the first in many years formed north of U.S. Highway 90A.

Neighborhood Watch is a community policing partnership program that depends on citizen involvement to prevent and discourage crime and reduce fear by taking certain home, property and personal self-protection precautions.

Residents who are interested in starting new programs should enlist the support of half the neighbors on their block. A crime prevention officer will then meet with neighbors to discuss details of the program. To learn more, contact the Sugar Land Police Department ’s Crime Prevention Division at 281-275-2500.

Stormwater Tips To Keep Waterways Clean

The city of Missouri City wants residents to be aware of what’s washing down their storm drains, and eventually into their drinking water.  

The city, in partnership with 15 Municipal Utility Districts, facilitates a Stormwater Management Program to minimize the pollution that enters the city ’s water system through storm drains.

For details on the Stormwater Management Program or to report dumping into storm drains, contact Jing Chen at 281-403-8500. To volunteer with the program, contact Claudia Notestine at 281-403-8500. For more information,go to www.missouricitytx.gov, and click on the “Stormwater Management” link under “For Your Information.”

El Dorado Renovation

As construction begins on the Quail Valley golf property with the renovation of the El Dorado course, the city of Missouri City is working to ensure the impact to the environment is minimized while the course is being renovated to the safest standards.

About 100 to 150 of approximately 4,000 trees on the overall project will be removed to make the golf course greens safer for play. The city will be replanting new trees on the El Dorado course by late 2009, after construction is complete.

“Other trees must be cleared away because as they have matured, their shade has impeded the growth of the bermuda grass along the course, ” said golf course architect Jeffrey Blume. “Some trees will be removed because they are adjacent to the golf cart path, which must be demolished and replaced to facilitate safe and efficient drainage on the property. ”

“Any time we have a major construction project, there are some initial disruptions, but every effort is made to follow up with a beautification solution to enhance the final appearance of the property, ” said Scott Elmer, the city’s director of public works. “As we work swiftly these next six months, it will become clear that the renovated El Dorado is a world-class golf property  every resident can be proud of.”