I see that the Chronicle‘s This Week section contains a story about the city of Houston’s eminent domain land grab attempt on a parcel of land belonging to Spring Branch ISD. Earlier this week, I suggested we needed a follow-up story to a Chronicle Wrap-up story on the subject, because the story was so confusing. After reading the This Week story, I am left to assume that the condemnation process is still underway:
City of Houston and Spring Branch school officials have agreed to meet and discuss the fate of a piece of property near Valley Oaks Elementary School that has been the subject of controversy — and confusion — in recent weeks.
The debate centers on whether the city needs to exercise eminent domain proceedings to acquire the property for a Pech Road widening project.
The city of Houston project calls for widening Pech Road between Westview and Long Point roads from a two-lane asphalt road with open ditches to a four-lane, concrete street with curbs and gutters. There also will be sidewalks along both sides with wheelchair ramps.
Wes Johnson, city of Houston public works spokesman, said the 20-foot-by-20 foot tract of land is needed to improve handicapped access at the corner.
Spring Branch Superintendent Duncan Klussman said if that’s the case, a condemnation proceeding against part of the district’s property is not necessary.
“Typically, if an entity needs land for a handicapped access, it doesn’t require condemnation,” Klussman said.
District A City Councilwoman Toni Lawrence, whose district includes Valley Oaks, said the Pech Road project has been on the city’s capital improvement plan since 2002. She said information about the project was distributed to area residents, school officials and business owners at a town hall meeting in early 2004.
You’ll remember that Councilwoman Toni Lawrence made herself unavailable to Spring Branch ISD officials and the media (before this article), when asked about the condemnation.
And again a Houston spokesman says that this project is about handicapped access, but a Spring Branch ISD official bats that one down.
This seems mighty suspicious. It seems unlikely that the city would turn a “two-lane asphalt road with open ditches [in]to a four-lane, concrete street with curbs and gutters” and sidewalks, just for handicapped access. Nope, the skeptical side of me wonders who this land grab/road improvement is really for.
