Contents:
1. Citizen's Environmental Coalition News
Update 7/18/2008
2. Coastal Update commentary by Jim
Blackburn April, 2006
3. Gulf Coast Institute "Gulf Coast
Growth News 10/4/2006
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CITIZENS' ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION
HOUSTON ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS UPDATE - 7/18/08
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NEWS
(1) Book review: Toolbox for Sustainable City Living
COALITION NOTES
(2) YardWise program Tuesday
(3) Commuter Rail - The First Step
(4) Bowling for Rhinos Friday
(5) Mayor's Proud Partner Award nominations open now
(6) Trees for Houston continues fight for Kirby Drive trees
ECO NOTES
UPCOMING EVENTS
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS
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NEWS
(1) BOOK REVIEW: TOOLBOX FOR SUSTAINABLE CITY LIVING
By Ella Tyler
I am intrigued by the idea of attending a Radical Urban
Sustainability Training workshop led by the Rhizome Collective,
an urban sustainability and community organizing project based
in Austin, but I haven't done it yet. I'm attached to my deed-restricted
lifestyle, and doubt that I'd learn anything I could use.
So, I was delighted to get a copy of Toolbox for Sustainable
City Living, written by the collective's co-founders Scott Kellogg
and Stacy Pettigrew. The book is easy to read and understand,
and unlike many guides to "green living" doesn't require
buying lots of expensive stuff. When I got to the section about
how to build a solar oven, I decided that all I need is the book
and a few supplies and I'm ready for hurricane season.
One of the important features of the book is that, as it teaches
the reader how to build a system, it explains the principles behind
the design. For example, the reason to have green stuff and brown
stuff in a compost heap is for the carbon-nitrogen ratio. Organisms
that decompose organic matter use carbon as a source of energy
and nitrogen for building cell structure. They need more carbon
than nitrogen.
Once the reader knows why something is built a certain way,
it is easier to reproduce a design using materials that are easily
accessible, reinforcing the book's emphasis using cheap, salvaged
and recycled materials when possible.
The book shows the apartment dweller how to grow mushrooms
in an old log and use worms for composting. Other urbanites can
learn how to keep chickens, raise tilapia, harvest rainwater,
and make alternate fuels. The book's approach to deed restrictions
is "out of sight, no one complains", which is generally
a good approach.
The Rhizome Collective is housed in a building that was a burnt
out shell in 2000. The asphalt parking lot was removed and the
warehouse rebuilt. Now, using the principles of permaculture,
it is a lush, thriving garden with rainwater harvesting, a polyculture
pond, a constructed wetland to clean greywater, a food forest
and more.
The book is full of ways to accomplish many different projects
to enable any urban dweller to have a more sustainable life. One
of them will inspire you.
South End Press, <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322194>,
publishes the book. It can also be ordered from <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322195>.
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COALITION NOTES
(2) YARD WISE PROGRAM TUESDAY
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Houston-Galveston
Area Council announce a free workshop for facility managers, landscape
service providers, and homeowners on "YardWise" techniques
for maintaining a beautiful, low-maintenance, and environmentally
friendly landscape. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, July
22, from 9 am to noon at the H-GAC offices, 3555 Timmons, 2nd
Floor Conference Room A. Yard care practices encouraged by the
YardWise program maximize the natural beauty of urban landscapes,
while minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
By adopting YardWise practices, Texans can save time and money,
while conserving water and reducing the discharge of pollutants
into streams, lakes, and aquifers. Workshop participants will
have the opportunity to hear local experts address a variety of
issues, including tips for planning and planting native and adapted
plants, building and maintaining soil health, and using integrated
pest management. Please RSVP by as soon as possible by contacting
Christy (Corse) Tompkins at (832) 681-2564 or <christy.tompkins@h-gac.com>.
(3) COMMUTER RAIL - THE FIRST STEP
Christof Spieler of Citizens' Transportation Coalition and
Tory Gattis of Houston Strategies will present their plan for
the first step in pursuing regional commuter rail for the Houston
region. They believe their plan would be a cost-effective short-term
solution that would provide short-term connectivity to job centers
via the 2012 Light Rail System and could still be part of a more
comprehensive long-term solution. They will present their ideas
at the upcoming Livable Houston / Smart Growth Initiative meeting
on Wednesday, July 23 from Noon - 1:30pm at the H-GAC building,
3555 Timmons, second floor. The event is free and open to the
public. Bring your own lunch. For more information call (713)
523-5757.
(4) BOWLING FOR RHINOS FRIDAY
The Houston Zoo's Bowling For Rhinos party will be Friday,
July 25 from 6 to 10 pm at Palace Bowling Lanes, 4191 Bellaire
Blvd. Only five species of rhino exist today and all are endangered.
The event fee, $25 for adults and $10 for children, includes unlimited
bowling for four hours, an event T-shirt, free shoe and ball rental
and food. The silent auction will feature zoo animal paintings
and the bowling alley a snack bar, full service bar, and a DJ
with karaoke fun! All proceeds will go towards rhino conservation.
For detainl, see < http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322196>.
If you aren't a bowler, you're still invited to the party and
will still get a (totally cool) tee shirt.
(5) MAYOR'S PROUD PARTNER AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN NOW
For the past twenty-three years, Keep Houston Beautiful has
recognized individuals and projects that help make Houston a cleaner
and more beautiful city with the Mayor's Proud Partner Award.
To nominate an individual or group project for this prestigious
honor, go to <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322197>.
Nominations must be received by Friday, August 15.
(6) TREES FOR HOUSTON CONTINUES FIGHT FOR KIRBY DRIVE TREES
Trees for Houston presented a plan to Upper Kirby to save the
trees on the east side of Kirby Drive, but that plan was not accepted.
However, Trees for Houston is asking residents to urge the city
act. For more information, see the press release and fact sheet
at <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322198>.
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ECO NOTES
(7) CRITICS: HOUSTON'S ANTI-SMOG PLAN TOO FOCUSED ON OZONE
Houston Chronicle 7/16/08
Texas will spend the next five years and millions of dollars
to develop a new smog-fighting strategy for the Houston area.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322199>
(8) GRANT FROM EPA LETS HOUSTON STUDY SHIP CHANNEL POLLUTION
Houston Chronicle 7/16/08
Houston received nearly $650,000 Tuesday from the federal Environmental
Protection Agency to conduct measurements of toxic chemicals emitted
from large refineries and chemical plants along the Ship Channel.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322200>
(9) ONLY SURPRISE OF GALVESTON TOXIC-FISH ALERT -- WHY NOW?
Houston Chronicle 7/13/08
For a time, the folks fishing lower Galveston Bay had faith
that the speckled trout and catfish pulled from its waters were
safe to eat.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322201>
PCB WARNINGS DON'T DETER FISHERS FROM THEIR PASTIME
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322202>
(10) TEXAS GIVES EARLY OK TO WIND ENERGY POWER LINE PROJECT
Houston Chronicle 7/17/08
A divided Public Utility Commission gave preliminary approval
today to construct $5 billion in transmission lines to bring wind
power from West Texas to urban areas.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322203>
TEXAS APPROVES PLAN FOR 18,000 MW OF WIND
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322204>
(11) TROUBLE ON 'THE HILL'
Baytown Sun 7/14/08
The issue of drilling on Mont Belvieu's " hill" has
resurfaced after Enterprise Products L.P. came to a settlement
agreement with city officials and residents nearly a year ago.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322205>
(12) ACTIVISTS, HARRIS COUNTY MOVE PRAIRIE TO MAKE WAY FOR
ROAD
Houston Chronicle 7/12/08
Nature lovers armed with shovels and spades, along with county
employees maneuvering huge tree-moving machines, have formed an
unusual partnership to save acres of pristine prairie grass that
otherwise will be plowed under for a road project.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322206>
(13) GREEN HOUSES IN NEW DEVELOPMENT
Houston Chronicle 7/17/08
Energy prices at an all-time high, the national housing market
flailing and mortgages hard to come by: It's not surprising that
on Houston's outer edges, new houses are as hard to sell as used
SUVs.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322207>
(14) SOUTHEAST RAIL IMPACT STUDY WINS APPROVAL
Houston Chronicle 7/17/08
The Federal Transit Administration has approved the Metropolitan
Transit Authority's revised environmental studies for its planned
Southeast light rail line, opening the door for possible federal
funding.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322208>
(15) WASTE MANAGEMENT LAUNCHES CFL RECYCLING PROGRAM
Houston Business Journal 7/16/08
Waste Management Inc. on Wednesday launched a new online service
for the recycling of universal household waste such as compact
fluorescent lamps and batteries.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322209^1669427&surround=etf>
(16) MORE COYOTES OUT ON THE PROWL
Galveston County Daily News 7/18/08
Margie Martin didn't expect to be scared out of her early morning
stupor when she got up to let her cat out at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322210>
(17) MIXED YEAR FOR TURTLES
Houston Chronicle 7/18/08
Elation at figures made public Thursday showing a leap in the
number of nests discovered this year for the endangered Kemp's
ridley sea turtle was tempered by a slash in federal funds for
a program that has aided the rebound
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322211>
(18) PRANKSTERS FIND IF A TREE FALLS IN THE WOODLANDS, IT'S
A FELONY
Houston Chronicle 7/16/08
Chopping down a tree in the middle of the night isn't everyone's
idea of fun, but everyone isn't a 17-year-old boy.
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322212>
(19) NO MORE CHOCOLATE IN 20 YEARS?
Environmental News Network 7/18/08
The cacao bean is in danger. The Nature Conservation Research
Council (NCRC) recently announced that in 20 years time, "Chocolate
will be much like caviar today." So what's the deal?
<http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322213>
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UPCOMING EVENTS
See our website, <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322214>,
for more events.
Please send events and news to <news@cechouston.org>
(20) BITES, STINGS, AND ITCHES
Date: Sat, Jul 19
Time: 10 am
Location: Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center, 20634 Kenswick
Drive
Fee: none?Contact: (281) 446-8588 or <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322215>
(21) ARMAND BAYOU NATURE CENTER - OWL PROWL
Date: Sat, Jul 19
Time: 8 - 10 pm
Location: 8500 Bay Area Blvd.
Fee: $5 for members, $8 for non-members; pre-registration required
Contact: register at (281) 474-2551
(22) LIVING SMART - DIANA PETROCHELLI on environmental responsibility
Date: Sun, Jul 20th
Time: 3 pm
Location: Houston PBS/Channel 8
Fee: none
Contact: <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322216>
(23) RICE DESIGN ALLIANCE CIVIC FORUM - GOOD CITY, GOOD CITIZEN:
VISION
Date: Wed, Jul 23
Time: 7 pm
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Brown Auditorium, 1001 Bissonnet
Fee: none
Contact: <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322217>
or (713) 348-4876
(24) URBAN HARVEST - PLANNING THE FALL VEGETABLE GARDEN
Date: Sat, Jul 26
Time: 9:30 am - noon
Location: 2311 Canal St., Suite 122
Fee: $30 per person; register at least 3 days before the class
Contact: register at (713) 880-5540
25) AMAZING ALLIGATORS
Date: Sat, Jul 26
Time: 10 am
Location: Lake Houston Park, 22031 Baptist Encampment Rd., New
Caney
Fee: free with $3 park entry fee
Contact: register at (281) 354-0173 or see <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322218>
(26) JESSE H. JONES PARK AND NATURE CENTER - BAT PRESENTATION
AND NATURE WALK
Date: Sat, Jul 26
Time: 5 pm
Location: 20634 Kenswick Drive
Fee: none
Contact: (281) 446-8588 or <http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=222689301&u=2322219>
ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION
This Update is brought to you by The Citizens? Environmental Coalition,
founded in 1970. Ella Tyler, Managing Editor and Julie Hendricks,
Board Chair. Call us at (713) 524-4232 or e-mail us at <news@cechouston.org>.
CEC is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and health in the Houston/Galveston region through education, dialogue, and collaboration regarding environmental
(c) 2008 Citizens' Environmental Coalition
COASTAL UPDATE
APRIL, 2006
By Jim Blackburn
Greetings. This coastal update started as an informational update to supporters and friends about the status of the agreements I reached with Formosa Plastics in the early 1990s. It has evolved into a semi-regular update, often sent out around the first of the year as a form of New Year's greetings. However, I had open-heart surgery last November and was in no mood to provide an update in December.
I am happy to say I am back to full speed and very grateful that my heart problem was caught before it killed me. I must say that encountering one's mortality at close quarters tends to enhance those things about life that are meaningful. For me, one of the meaningful things about being alive is to experience the Texas coast. As I look out in mid-2006, I continue to be struck by the paradise that we have in the Texas coast, and the continued lack of effective action by those with political power to help protect it.
In this update, I am concentrating on a number of permit actions pending before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. And while I may sound negative about the Corps, I really am not. They work hard and never have enough people for the task at hand. Without the Corps of Engineers, there would be virtually no regulation of development on the Texas coast. Yet, they must have oversight and feedback from the public. The politics out there can be brutal.
The Texas Legislature has chosen not to grant independent regulatory authority in any state agency to control coastal development or wetland filling. Instead, all state agencies "piggy-back" on Corps permitting, using the federal permit program as a way to address Texas coastal problems. At best, this is inefficient. At worst, it gives up the ability that we Texans have to control the future of our coastal resources.
The only way that we will ever protect this coast is to get enough people motivated to do something about our current situation. Please forward this Coastal Update to anyone that you think would be interested in protecting the coast.
SABINE LAKE
Jefferson County Drainage District #6 has requested permit #22643 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow the construction of a massive drainage project involving Taylors Bayou that threatens well over a thousand acres of wetlands in southeast Texas. The project is called the "Needmore Diversion" and involves the construction of a 12-mile long ditch that is 14 feet deep and 200 feet across. This project will divert high flows from Taylors Bayou south to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). Additionally, a 9000-acre detention pond is to be constructed as part of this proposed project.
The problem with this proposed ditch is that it directly endangers the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge and substantial acreage of southeast Texas wetlands. The ditch itself has a capacity to drain wetlands by removal of subsurface water through sand layers and the diverted floodwaters may cause both erosion and longer-term inundation of wetland areas that do not need any additional water.
This is the type of project that should be evaluated by a full-scale environmental impact statement. It is physically large and has the potential to change the flow regimes throughout Jefferson County, including flows into the J.D. Murphree State Wildlife Management Area, the Keith Lake estuary, the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge and even the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. So far, the Corps of Engineers has indicated that they do not intend to require a full-scale environmental impact statement, yet this is exactly the type of project that the EIS process was intended to cover.
This is the type of project that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department should be all over, demanding a full and fair analysis of the impact of this project on these so-called protected lands. If we are to spend money to buy these wildlife preserves, we must make sure that we don't destroy them by failing to ask hard questions and take important and even controversial positions.
According to Jefferson County Drainage District #6's own documents, the existing flooding problem on Taylors Bayou can be solved by building only the detention pond. That is the solution. The only reason to construct the Needmore Diversion is to allow new development to be constructed without individual detention ponds at the subdivision level, again according to DD#6's own documents. If DD#6 wants to subsidize development, then I recommend that they give the money directly to the developers to help them construct subdivision-level detention ponds. However, they should not be allowed to destroy a national wildlife refuge in their attempt to aid and abet Beaumont development.
GALVESTON BAY
There are several proposed Corps of Engineers' permits affecting Galveston Bay that are worthy of discussion. The first situation involves a permit to allow a taking of the open water and bay bottom of Galveston Bay for a marina development, and the second involves the continuing spree of permit applications to fill wetlands and dredge canals on Galveston Island. The third involves a proposed wind farm offshore of Galveston Island.
a. The Kemah Flats "Bay Grab"
In Permit Application #24079, Lakeland Commercial Properties, L.P. is seeking to obtain a permit to construct a marina in the open waters of Galveston Bay. This proposed project would take approximately 35-40 acres of Galveston Bay and convert it to private use. The breakwaters would extend out about 2000 feet into the bay to protect private boats that would be moored within the protected waters.
It is unbelievable that this permit application has gotten this far. Galveston Bay is a public resource. We Texans own our bay bottoms. These bay bottoms are public land. You and I own this resource. If "we" manage these bay bottoms appropriately, "we" can protect much of the Texas coast by simply controlling our own property.
With the exception of the Laguna Madre, our bays are estuaries, places where salt and freshwater come together. Estuaries such as Galveston Bay are among the most productive natural systems on the earth. On a per acre basis, as much carbon dioxide is converted into plant material in an estuary such as Galveston Bay as is converted in a rain forest. This is achieved by the photosynthetic activity of microscopic plants called phytoplankton. Unlike the rain forest that stores its carbon in trees, the plant material produced in the estuary is immediately eaten by consumers that are part of the estuarine food chain. Without the estuarine food chain, there would be no speckled trout or redfish or flounder in the bay.
If this permit were granted, it would set a precedent for all bays on the Texas coast. We need the clear policy on the Texas coast that our bays cannot be taken by private parties. We need this stopped now.
This is one of the few situations on the Texas coast where there is independent regulatory authority in a state agency. The bay bottoms are public lands that are administered by the General Land Office of the State of Texas. This marina cannot be constructed without approval from the GLO. This marina cannot be constructed without the okay from Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. Please let Commissioner Patterson and other elected state officials hear from you about this attempted taking of the Kemah Flats. Contact Deputy Commissioner Sam Webb at sam.webb@glo.state.tx.us. Or call him at 512-463-2718 and let him know what you think.
b. Galveston Island Cumulative Impacts
Galveston Island is on fire with development and the Corps
of Engineers is in the middle of the blaze. In 2004, my law firm
filed suit on behalf of Lafitte's Cove at Pirates Beach Nature
Society against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for issuing Permit
No. 22790 to Blackard Development, allowing the construction of
a project called The Harbor. On December 14, 2004, Judge Sam Kent
of the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas Federal
Court issued an injunction against the Corps of Engineers for
their failure to consider cumulative impacts in their decision
to issue permit no. 22790.
Since the issuance of that injunction, several additional permit
applications have been publicly noticed - but not issued - by
the Galveston District of the Corps. Among these are the Centex
permit to allow the filing of wetlands and construction of a marina
adjacent to San Luis Pass (Permit Application #22863), the Delta
Realty permit application #17875(05) to allow the filling of wetlands
set aside as mitigation in a previous permit application, permit
application #17800(12) by Blackard Development to authorize the
filling or excavation of several tracts adjacent to Laffitte's
Cove and permit application #22590(03) to authorize the Anchor
Bay development adjacent to the existing Spanish Grant development,
among others.
There are numerous cumulative impact issues related to the issuance
of these permits and many other developments that either have
already been constructed under Corps permits or have been designed
to allow development without actual discharge of fill material
into wetlands. Among these issues are wetland loss, the impact
of wastewater discharge on the bay, impacts to migratory waterfowl,
the loss of the remaining open space on the west end of Galveston
Island and an increasing chance of the island being severed by
a major hurricane. With respect to this latter issue, the existing
and proposed excavations on the island are extensive and certainly
make an easier pathway for the severing of the island by a hurricane
surge tide.
It is not clear when the Corps will request that Judge Kent lift
the injunction on permit #22790. At that time, a hearing will
be held to determine if the Corps has complied with the Court's
order, including the preparation of a cumulative impacts analysis
that meets the requirements set out in Judge Kent's decision.
Stay tuned.
c. The Proposed Offshore Wind Farm
Wind energy is the subject of a third Galveston-area project.
Galveston Offshore Wind L.L.C., a division of W.E.S.T. LLC proposes
to locate a large wind farm approximately 9.9 miles offshore,
keeping the project within the boundary of the Texas state-owned
land. Once again, the federal regulation is in the hands of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state power is vested with
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and the General Land Office
of the State of Texas (Texas owns the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico
out to 3 leagues - approximately 10 miles). Commissioner Patterson
has already given the State's go-ahead by signing a 30-year lease
dated September 19, 2005.
Wind energy is generally considered to be clean and certainly
does not contribute to global climate change. However, there are
unique issues arising from an offshore wind farm on the Texas
coast that would not be as important with a similar facility inland
of our bays. The issue of concern is the impact of these wind
farms on migrating neo-tropical songbirds that fly across the
Gulf of Mexico in the spring from the Yucatan Peninsula to the
Texas Coast. The issue is what impact will this wind farm have
on these migrating birds?
With regard to this wind farm, the Houston Audubon Society has
raised numerous questions that should be answered before any further
permits are issued. As with many other issues, the Corps of Engineers
will be looked to for final decision-making on whether or not
an environmental impact statement will be required and ultimately
whether or not this project should be constructed.
MATAGORDA BAY
There are three major issues on Matagorda Bay worthy of discussion - the proposed widening and deepening of the Matagorda Ship Channel, the "fish pass" problems at Port O'Connor and the regulatory situation surrounding the permit applications for freshwater inflows to protect our bays and estuaries, including the one that has been filed by the Matagorda Bay Foundation for Matagorda Bay.
a. The Matagorda Ship Channel
On April 25, 2006, the Galveston District of the Corps will conduct a public scoping meeting at the Bauer Community Center in Port Lavaca. This meeting is to determine what subject areas will be focused upon in the environmental impact statement that is being prepared to evaluate the impact of the Corps issuing a permit to allow the Calhoun County Navigation District to widen and deepen 27 miles of the Matagorda Ship Channel.
The concern about the proposal to widen and deepen the Matagorda Ship Channel arises primarily from the continued presence of mercury contamination in the sediments of Lavaca and Matagorda Bays. Decades ago, Lavaca and Matagorda Bays were contaminated by mercury discharged from the Alcoa facility at Point Comfort. As a result of this contamination, the Alcoa Lavaca Bay Superfund site was designated. Although some clean-up has occurred, much of this mercury has been left in the bay.
This mercury contamination is a major health issue that has never been fully evaluated or debated on the Texas coast. Mercury bio-accumulates in certain bottom-dwelling organisms such as blue crabs and then is transmitted up the food chain, primarily to redfish and black drum. Over the years, the mercury contamination levels in fish from Lavaca and Matagorda Bays have been much higher than either the Texas coastal or national averages.
And make no mistake about it. Mercury is a dangerous pollutant. Eating fish contaminated with mercury has been linked to neural dysfunction and brain damage since the outbreak of the so-called Minamata disease in fishermen living on Minamata Bay in Japan. Of particular concern are recent reports linking mercury exposure to autism in children.
If the Matagorda Ship Channel is widened and deepened, sediments containing mercury will be stirred up, potentially increasing the biological uptake of mercury by shellfish and fish in Lavaca and Matagorda Bays. In turn, the risk of mercury contamination being transmitted to folks eating fish from Lavaca and Matagorda Bays could be increased.
The existence of this mercury contamination does not necessarily mean that this project cannot go forward. Instead, what it means is that this issue must be thoroughly and seriously studied to fully and fairly evaluate the extent of mercury contamination, the risk to those eating fish from these two important bays and mitigation measures that might be undertaken if the decision is made to go forward with this project.
One reason for concern about this project is the manner in which the Lavaca Bay Superfund Site was evaluated and "remediated". Although there are volumes of documents, there are many questions about the vigilance of our state and federal officials in seeking a full evaluation of the existing and potential health effects of this contamination. Among other things, this proposal to widen and deepen the ship channel may refocus agencies upon the sufficiency of the evaluation and clean-up of the Alcoa Lavaca Bay Superfund Site. If that happens, then it might be worthwhile.
b. "Fish Pass" Problems
A second major concern about the widening and deepening of the Matagorda Ship Channel arises from the mess that exists at the jetties where the Ship Channel enters the Gulf. When the ship channel was originally constructed, the depth through the jetties was about 45 feet. Over the years, the channel has scoured to the point that it is about 90 feet deep. Although this problem appears to have stabilized in the short term, concern remains that the jetty may collapse into the scoured channel.
At the same time that the Matagorda Ship Channel has been eroding to an unprecedented depth, Pass Cavallo, the natural pass immediately south of the ship channel, has been silting in. Today, Pass Cavallo is barely navigable and the potential exists that it will silt-in entirely. The energy within the Matagorda Bay system necessary to keep Pass Cavallo open is being focused within the Matagorda Ship Channel, spelling the end for Pass Cavallo.
The loss of Pass Cavallo is a major concern for the fishery of Matagorda Bay. Many species such as brown and white shrimp, blue crabs and redfish (among others) spawn in the Gulf and migrate back into the bay as free-floating organisms. These larval life forms make this trip by settling to the bottom when the tide goes out and then releasing and riding the incoming tide into the bay, then dropping back to the bottom again. In this manner, organisms lacking their own mobility can ride the tide into the estuarine nursery.
The deep scour of the Matagorda Ship Channel through the jetties means that these organisms will have a more difficult time navigating into the bay, given the depth of the channel. Pass Cavallo has functioned over the years as the primary fish pass on the south end of the bay, yet it has been getting shallower and shallower, and will eventually cease to function.
This problem may be worsened by further deepening and widening of the Matagorda Ship Channel. With a deeper and wider ship channel, more water will move in and out of the bay, potentially restarting the jetty scouring and potentially hastening the end of Pass Cavallo (if it has any life left).
As part of the study of the widening and deepening of the Ship Channel, the Calhoun County Navigation District has proposed to study the problems of Pass Cavallo and to perhaps suggest mitigation measures. Such studies can only be helpful, but it might be too little too late.
The bottom line is that Matagorda Bay is the most heavily impacted of all of the bay systems of the Texas coast. It needs serious oversight and protection, something that arguably is not being provided by our state and federal agencies with fish and wildlife jurisdiction.
c. Freshwater Inflow Court Victory
The Matagorda Bay Foundation (MBF), the San Marcos River Foundation (SMRF), the Galveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association (GBCPA) and the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) along with the Caddo Lake Institute (CLI) recently won a key court victory in Travis County District Court. Here, the court ruled that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) had jurisdiction to hear their innovative permit applications to set aside freshwater inflow to protect our bays and estuaries.
In all four cases, permit applications were filed for instream flows and/or freshwaer inflows, beneficial uses that were identified in the rules of the TCEQ. Usually an application can be processed and ultimately issued for beneficial uses identified in the rules. However, in the case of these applications, the TCEQ dismissed the SMRF application on March 20, 2003 and dismissed the MBF, GBCPA/GBF and CLI applications on November 19, 2003.
There were several arguments made by the TCEQ to justify their decision to dismiss these applications. After they were filed, the Texas legislature passed a statute placing a two-year moratorium upon the issuance of any such permits until after a study commission could consider the issue of freshwater inflows and instream flows. (Note - this statute was enacted after the SMRF application was denied). This study commission reported that such flows needed to be protected, but the legislature failed to enact the recommended compromise. However, the four applicants had not requested that the TCEQ act on their permit applications during the pendancy of the moratorium; they simply wanted the process resumed when the legislative fix failed or expired.
Ultimately, the issue came to a head before Judge Suzanne Covington of the 201st District Court of Travis County. Judge Covington ruled that the TCEQ had jurisdiction to consider applications for appropriation of water rights for instream uses and to protect inflows for our bays and estuaries. Judge Covington found that the Plaintiffs have a right to a contested case hearing on their applications. At this time, the TCEQ and the Attorney General are determining whether or not to appeal this decision.
Everyone who loves the Texas coast and fishing should be supporting these non-profit organizations that are providing a collective service for coastal recreational and commercial fishermen by keeping this issue alive. Remember, at this time, we have no protection for instream flows or freshwater inflows to our bays and estuaries. We need such protections to ensure a viable fishery because most river systems in Texas are facing over- allocation of surface water.
I must admit to being mystified as to why recreational fishermen cannot get their collective act together to cause the Texas Legislature and TCEQ act affirmatively to set aside the freshwater inflows necessary to protect our bays and estuaries. There are enough voters who fish to make a difference in key statewide and local elections. Why don't we make our votes count and elect people who will protect the coast?
SAN ANTONIO AND ESPIRITU SANTO BAYS
Here, there is good news. The Lower Guadalupe Water Supply Project as originally proposed by the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority (GBRA), the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is dead. This project proposed that over 100,000 acre feet of surface water would be pumped from the Guadalupe River below its confluence with the San Antonio River. This point is just above the Guadalupe delta and San Antonio Bay. This project also proposed that over 40,000 acre feet of groundwater would be taken during times of drought. This water was to be transported by pipeline for use in San Antonio and surrounding Bexar County.
This project came to a screeching halt when SAWS conducted an in-house review and determined that there were too many problems with this project - the water was too expensive, local opposition in the Victoria area was intense and the potential existed for harm to San Antonio Bay and the endangered whooping crane. A tip of the hat goes to Dave Chardavoyne, the President and CEO of SAWS, who was willing to take a hard look at this project and make the hard decision to withdraw from it.
When SAWS pulled out, 89% of the financing for the project was removed along with the primary user for the water. Subsequently, SARA also withdrew from the project. However, water plans die hard, and this one has not yet breathed its last breath. At this time, GBRA is proposing a different Lower Guadalupe project, one that they promise would transport only surface water and only to Hill Country counties within the Guadalupe River watershed. This project is proposed to cost approximately $800 million, with half to be paid by the State of Texas.
Opposition to the original and current version of the Lower Guadalupe project has been led by the D.M. O'Connor Interests of Victoria. From the beginning, the O'Connor family saw the Lower Guadalupe Project as a major threat to the Victoria region and to San Antonio Bay. Over several years, they have funded technical studies on groundwater and surface water availability and the impact of the project on San Antonio Bay and blue crabs, the major food for whooping cranes.
Recently, the D.M. O'Connor Interests commissioned the noted polling organization - Baselice and Associates - to evaluate the opinions of the residents of Victoria, Refugio, Goliad, DeWitt and Lavaca counties with regards to this modified Lower Guadalupe project. Among the findings of this polling were:
53% of the residents polled were opposed to this project and 28% favored it. Upon learning more about the project, the number opposing it increased to 62%.
78% opposed the project when they learned that the project would require $400 million in state funding.
67% do not believe the promise that groundwater will be removed from the project.
The public also identified specific concerns about the environmental impact of the project. 64% would oppose the project if San Antonio Bay were negatively impacted and 66% would oppose the project if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated publicly that the project would harm wildlife in the Lower Basin. This polling clearly shows that there is very strong support for protecting San Antonio Bay and its fish and wildlife resource in the Victoria region.
For now, the project is subject to oversight review by the Texas Water Development Board and the Region L water planning committee. Over the next several months, there should be hearings and the opportunity to submit written and oral positions on this revised project.
LOWER LAGUNA
Like many other areas, there are major issues in the Lower Laguna as well. The first involves the threatened condemnation of the lands of the Nature Conservancy of Texas on the north end of South Padre Island across from Port Mansfield. The second involves a major new development on the south end of South Padre Island in Isla Blanca Park.
a. Proposed Condemnation of Nature Conservancy Lands
In the 1990s, American General Realty owned over 24,500 acres of land on the north end of South Padre Island across from Port Mansfield. A major destination resort was proposed for portions of this tract, including golf courses and hotels. This development was opposed by several individuals as well as then-state Sen. Carlos Truan, and the plans were shelved. The land was eventually transferred to another developer and then was sold to the Nature Conservancy of Texas.
The purchase of this 24,500+ acre tract by the Conservancy should have ended the discussion about development of this tract. However, that was not to be the case. Although the Nature Conservancy transferred about 23,000 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, they kept the remaining 1,500 acres to establish their own South Padre Island Preserve. Included in this Preserve was the prime development land adjacent to the Port Mansfield Channel.
Word came to the Nature Conservancy through a newspaper reporter that Willacy County and the Willacy County Navigation District were considering filing a condemnation action to take ownership of the South Padre Island Preserve. The Nature Conservancy has stated that it intends to vigorously oppose this attack on private property rights and private conservation (go to: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/texas/files/positionpaper22006.pdf).
This South Padre Island Preserve is important to many endangered species and threatened species, including piping plovers, Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, peregrine falcons and brown pelicans. On one hand, I would tell you that it is unbelievable that a Texas county would try to condemn such an important conservation preserve. On the other hand, we are in Texas, a sobering thought for those concerned about protecting the Texas coast. This is another issue where you might stay tuned for more information because this dispute is not resolved.
b. New Development at Isla Blanca Park
There is a large development planned for Isla Blanca Park on the far south end of South Padre Island. According to Stuart Diamond of the South Texas Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, the developers propose to put "Surf City" on the site of the old Jetty Restaurant. (For you old surfers out there, this restaurant is being proposed in conjunction with Dean Torrance of Jan and Dean fame). Additionally, the developers propose to put the Wyland aquarium/research center/art gallery as well as an Imax theater in the area where currently one finds dolphin cove, the boy scout camp and the "children's beach" - with the marina opening coming through this area and connecting with Brazos Santiago Pass. Where the 600+ RV sites are presently located is where they propose to put the marina, boardwalk and shops. The original plan proposed that this marina area was to be anchored by a Resort Hotel & Casino. To see the plan for this proposed development, go to:
http://www.surfrider.org/southtexas/images/park_plan.pdf.
To date, a permit application has not been filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for this proposed development. Given that there is a marina and a direct connection to the ship channel, there is no doubt that a Corps permit will be required.
Among other things, this proposed use of a public park for private development raises all sorts of questions about why this site was chosen rather than an alternative site on the bay. This concern about alternative sites is further reinforced by Stuart's information that the "Children's Beach" area that is proposed to be dredged for marina construction and development currently is used by sea turtles to lay their eggs.
There will undoubtedly be more to learn about this proposal. This emerging public discourse should be very interesting. Once again, stay tuned.
CONCLUSION
The bays of the Texas coast are a wonderful resource that we have been given. If we had paid for these bays, then we would be protecting them. If the Corps of Engineers had built these bays, then we would be protecting them, just as we protect sea walls and ship channels. Unfortunately, the Corps did not construct our bays and may not protect them.
The job of protecting these bays and our coastal habitats falls to those who believe in the concept of stewardship - to those who are willing to read public notices, write letters and organize opposition to ill-planned projects that damage coastal resources. If you would like to help out in one bay system or another, please e-mail me at jbb@blackburncarter.com. I will try to connect you to organizations and/or individuals in your area of interest.
The bays of the Texas coast are spiritual to me. They renew my soul. And I want them to be here - functioning and productive - for many generations after I die.
Blackburn.
October 4, 2006
G U L F C O A S T G R O W T H N E W S
A publication of the Gulf Coast Institute
NOTABLE QUOTES
"What is different about this process from traditional transportation
planning is that we are putting community values and environmental
values at the front of the plan, rather than doing an environmental
impact statement after the plan is finished,"
Alan Clark, H-GAC director of transportation and air quality planning,
discussing Envision Houston Region and the new 2035 Regional Transportation
Plan. See "Environment front and center," below
http://www.cleanhouston.org/living/better_world/houston7.htm
"Decades of highly subsidized automobile use have introduced
vast economic distortions in American transportation and land
use. They impose an increasing price in economic inefficiency,
environmental damage, and loss of livable communities. But the
misguided policies of the past have been built into the landscape,
and they will not be easily undone."
Benjamin Ross, "Stuck in Traffic: Free-Market Theory Meets
the Highway Lobby," Dissent Magazine, more below
LIVABLE HOUSTON INITIATIVE
Next meeting: Wednesday, October 25
The 2035 Regional Transportation Plan
The next Livable Houston Initiative meeting will explore the work
influencing the formulation of the Houston region's 2035 Regional
Transportation Plan. Speaker to be announced.
The meeting is at noon on Wednesday, October 25, at the Houston-Galveston
Area Council, 3555 Timmons, second floor. Bring your lunch. For
more information call 713-523-5757. The Gulf Coast Institute and
the Houston-Galveston Area Council host Livable Houston/Smart
Growth bring-your-own-lunch meetings that are open to the public
on the fourth Wednesday of every month. http://www.gulfcoastinstitute.org
REGIONAL NOTES
David Crossley will speak at League of Women Voters meeting
Land Use and Transportation: The Big Picture
David Crossley, President of the Gulf Coast Institute, will speak
at the League of Women Voters Houston Area October General Meeting
this Friday. The talk will cover transportation infrastructure
choices, the impact on green space and the livability of the Houston
region, and decisions we have coming before us that will plot
the course of Houston's future. The meeting is open to the public,
and is co-sponsored by the Bayou Preservation Institute and the
Gulf Coast Institute.
Friday, October 6, 2006
12 - 1:30 p.m.
Box lunch $10.00*
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
5501 South Main Street
*Please send $10.00 check to LWV, 2650 Fountain View, Suite 328,
Houston, TX 77057 or call 713-784-2923 with your credit card number.
http://www.lwvhouston.com/
Environment front and center in new transportation plan
Clark tells H-GAC committee that 2035 plan should address new
goals
"One thing we learned from Envision Houston Region is that
there are environmental issues apart from clean air, and we are
going to use this new plan to support environmental or community
assets in the region," said Alan Clark, director of transportation
and air quality planning at the Houston-Galveston Area Council
(H-GAC). Clark was addressing H-GAC's Technical Advisory Council
about the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan, which is being formulated
now. Clarke added, "We can't discuss environmental issues
or even transportation without discussion of land use." Clark
said it remains to be seen whether there will be consensus around
new goals related to land use. The new plan will come out in draft
form at the end of this year.
http://www.h-gac.com
METRO to look at 'complete redesign' of fixed route system
New team will start with "clean slate"
Noting that its fixed-route bus system was originally designed
around trolley tracks that once served the central city, METRO
now recognizes the polycentric nature of its service area and
is hiring a new team to start with a "clean slate" with
the goal of "a complete re-design of the existing fixed-route
system starting from the ground up." The initiative, called
"Project Grid," will deal with the emergence of multiple
activity centers and multiple residential communities while the
fixed-route bus system remains focused on the central business
district and neighborhoods that were prominent decades ago when
the system was designed. METRO has assigned four team members
for the project.
Editorial critical of most elected state officials on air toxics
Chronicle call new study "smoking gun"
An editorial in the Houston Chronicle says that "despite
comprehensive reporting by the Chronicle and a spate of new studies
showing unhealthy levels of air pollution in the city, the majority
of Houston's elected state officials remain indifferent to the
problem." The editorial was in response to an earlier article
about a new study by Rice University, in collaboration with Baylor
College of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston),
University of Houston Law Center, and Texas Southern University.
The study recommends adoption of enforceable air quality standards
for air toxics. The editorial notes that principal investigator
Matt Fraser of Rice says high levels of pollutants are in residential
areas and pose a high risk to human health, including enhanced
probabilities of developing cancer and respiratory ailments. The
study was funded by a quarter-million dollar grant from Houston
Endowment.
Chronicle article: http://tinyurl.com/pjla4
Chronicle editorial: http://tinyurl.com/qexx7
Houston Business Journal Article: http://tinyurl.com/fnfwq
Report: http://ceve.rice.edu/research.cfm?doc_id=4206
New document details "centers' approach
H-GAC proposes "sensible approach to land use and mobility"
A new document called "A Sensible Approach to Land Use and
Mobility in the Houston-Galveston Region" has been published
by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). The four-page brochure
focuses on the agency's "3Cs" program to focus attention
on Centers, Connections, and Context. It compares the "typical"
development approach of separating kinds of destinations so that
each one requires a separate vehicle trip to the 3Cs approach
of clustering a mix of destinations that are accessible in a number
of ways and together. H-GAC says the program has the potential
to reduce roadway congestion, improve roadway safety, create economic
advantages, produce environmental benefits, and create quality
places. The following link will download the Acrobat version of
the brochure: http://tinyurl.com/hwnrs.
For more on the land use/transportation connection: http://tinyurl.com/oolrv
Houston's Urban Transit Corridors Planning underway
Planning process will parallel phases of Metro Solutions projects
Seeking to alleviate city code impediments to transit-oriented
development and to bring community input into the development
around transit stops, the City of Houston Planning Department
is conducting an Urban Transit Corridor Planning project. An initial
workshop was held August 26 and notes from that meeting are now
available online. Of particular interest is Marilee Utter and
Tim Van Meter's PowerPoint presentation, which is available as
a pdf. The presentation shows the needs for, obstacles to, and
steps in getting transit-oriented development in places like Midtown.
http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/urban_cor.html
Tim Van Meter's presentation: http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Urban/ConsultantShow.pdf
ULI lunchers hear about new vision for I-45 Downtown
Aim is to "work with mother nature"
A vision for a major realignment of I-45 as it skirts the west
side of Downtown was shown at an Urban Land Institute luncheon
on Tuesday. The vision, presented by Mark Cover of Hines and Roger
Soto of Hellmuth, Obata, + Kassabaum, calls for bending the freeway
away from the converging bayous on the north side of Downtown
and molding the area around the bayous into a large water and
greenspace amenity abutting neighborhoods. The freeway would essentially
follow Houston Avenue and would be depressed. The presenters said
this "could enable residents long separated by freeway walls
to once again come together and have a community with their neighbors,
while also allowing for the creation of a park that would serve
both aesthetic and important flood-control aims." Representatives
from nearby neighborhoods expressed concern about replacing a
"two-lane street with a 14-lane freeway," and asked
the planners to consider a tunneling project that is also being
proposed for I-45. Cover and Soto said their suggestion was "developed
as a starting point for a community-wide conversation." Cover
noted that "The major idea here in the big context is to
work with mother nature." A small illustration of the realignment
vision is shown at the ULI site:
http://www.uli-houston.org/newsevents/newsevents_061003.htm
WaterSmart landscaping seminar for professionals
WaterSmart is a program of Texas Cooperative Extension and Texas
Sea Grant, a part of Texas A&M, that provides information
and training on landscaping that protects the Houston area's water
quality, conserves water, and provides habitat for wildlife. The
conference is intended for landscaping professionals and will
including a series of presentations and an exhibitor hall.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
8:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel
3000 North Loop West - Houston, Texas 77092
http://www.watersmart.cc/html/classes/fset.html
MEGAREGIONAL NOTES
Thousands show up at Trans-Texas Corridor meetings
Opposition growing as information slowly becomes available
The watchdog group CorridorWatch.org reports fairly widespread
public response to plans to build an expansive new transportation
system across Texas. According to CorridorWatch, citizens have
been turned away at some of the public meetings because too many
people arrived for the given space. The Texas Department of Transportation
has recently released a 1,600-page Master Plan for the Trans-Texas
Corridor and is accepting public comment online. CorridorWatch
will hold a Toll & Corridor Summit on Saturday, October 7,
in Austin with Dr. Pat Choate, Ross Perot's Vice Presidential
running mate, as keynote speaker. To express their concern that
the Trans-Texas Corridor will excessively take private lands,
last weekend protestors statewide mailed bags of dirt to Governor
Perry, according to the Brenham Banner. CoridorWatch reports that
both the State Republican and Democratic parties have opposed
the Corridor plan, as have all gubernatorial candidates except
Governor Rick Perry.
Brenham Banner: http://tinyurl.com/pjhlt
Daily Texas: http://tinyurl.com/zbgbn
San Antonio Express-News Op-Ed: http://tinyurl.com/l4vmy
CorridorWatch: http://www.corridorwatch.org
The Trans-Texas Corridor: http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/
Public Comment: http://tinyurl.com/kcwxf
Master Development Plan: http://tinyurl.com/z3cdy
Texas A&M researcher says trees make streets safer
Walkable streets with trees and on-street parking are safer for
drivers
Eric Dumbaugh, an assistant professor of transportation at Texas
A&M University, examined crash statistics and found that tree-lined
streets are in fact safer than wide-open streets. While wide-open
streets encourage drivers to drive faster and thus cause more
accidents, tree-lined streets encourage drivers to slow down and
drive more carefully, according to Dumbaugh. Dumbaugh also found
that urban village areas in New Hampshire containing on-street
parking and pedestrian-friendly roadside treatments were two times
less likely to experience a crash than the purportedly safer roadways
preferred by most transportation engineers.
Planning Magazine Article by Eric Dumbaugh: http://www.planning.org/japa/pdf/JAPADumbaugh05.pdf
http://www.newurbannews.com/ResearchTreesSep06.html
NOTES FROM OTHER PLACES
CITIES SPOTLIGHT
New York City joins California in greenhouse gas initiative
Mayor Bloomberg Announces Multi-Faceted Plan for City's Future
New York City will undergo a greenhouse gas inventory for City
government and the City overall, as part of Mayor Bloomberg's
newly announced sustainability initiative. The plan coincides
with the State of California's announcement of a major greenhouse
gas emissions reduction initiative, with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
accompanying Mayor Bloomberg in California at the announcement
of the plan for New York City. The plan also calls for the creation
of the Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, the appointment
of a Sustainability Advisory Board, and the creation of a new
partnership with the Earth Institute of Columbia University to
research and advise the City on environmental issues.
http://tinyurl.com/oynjc
URBANISM
Population and jobs continue to grow in urban Atlanta
Intense development is seen around several transit stops
Urban Atlanta continues to grow, with office towers, apartment
complexes, shops, and restaurants filling in spaces around some
of the MARTA stations, especially the Lindbergh stop in Buckhead.
An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says that area
is serving as an example for projects planned around other stops
with development potential. Adding nearly 10,000 people last year,
Intown Atlanta's population is higher than it has been in 25 years.
The story says MARTA, Atlanta's transit authority, is taking an
active role in transit-oriented development, making land deals
with developers interested in building appropriately.
http://www.planetizen.com/node/20928
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: http://tinyurl.com/rl9uo
Closer to the edge, urban green efforts have hit a snag. A recent
op-ed in the Journal-Constitution details the withdrawal of a
major developer of a high-rise condo tower that was to be a key
component of the city's Beltline project, a transit line/parks/bikeway/trails
along existing rail corridors, generally surrounding the center
of the city. While the paper says further development will undoubtedly
continue, it calls on city leaders to articulate the vision of
a dense future for Atlanta and to work with the private sector
and public entities to bring about that vision.
http://tinyurl.com/pauth
Also noted in a Gwinnett Daily Post article, several Georgia state
transportation officials recently went on a trip, with their counterparts
from Tennessee, to Germany to examine the potential for high-speed
maglev rail in Georgia.
Gwinnett Daily Post: http://tinyurl.com/nvqeh
PLANNING
'Urban intensity' found to be key to car use
Researchers propose design standards reduce dependence
An evolving formula for a design technique to overcome automobile
dependence is proposed by two Australian researchers, who say
adding residents and jobs to arrive at the "urban intensity"
of a place and aiming for places with such intensity greater than
about 14 people per acre "can provide a level of self-sufficiency
that can form the basis for a far less car-oriented city."
The report, called "Urban Design to Reduce Automobile Dependence,"
by Peter Newman and Jeffrey Kenworthy, was published in Opolis
magazine. Above the proposed urban intensity level, the report
says the research shows that "rapid acceleration in car usage
appears to occur." The researchers say an automobile-structured
city "can be restructured around a series of transit cities
of 20-30 kilometers in diameter, [each] with a Town Center as
its focus and Local Centers linked along the transit services
feeding the Town Center."
http://www.mi.vt.edu/Opolispub1.asp
TRANSPORTATION
Vehicle miles traveled nationwide may have reached peak
Although congestion may continue to increase
A new report from the Center for Urban Transportation Research
prepared for the US Department of Transportation shows that the
rapidly increasing total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) over the
last 25 years may have reached its peak. Vehicle miles traveled
is an important variable in analysis of transportation planning,
pollution controls, and quality of life. The report says the change
in the growth of VMT is due to the stabilization of several factors
that were driving the growth, such as stabilizing average household
size. Although the report suggests that growth in total VMT will
stabilize, it says that congestion may actually become worse at
the same time. Also, several major unknowns, such as the price
of oil, could drastically alter the future scenario.
http://www.planetizen.com/node/20894
Full Report: http://tinyurl.com/jwwy3
'Free market' argument for transit and against toll roads
Writer says tolls are inequitable, don't reduce overall congestion
In a recent article in Dissent Magazine, Benjamin Ross argues
that automobile use has been subsidized for decades in the United
States and examines the free market possibilities to reduce congestion.
The article notes that congestion pricing of certain lanes of
traffic, as will be introduced soon on I-10 in Houston, tends
to actually be subsidized by the general public even though riders
pay a portion of the cost, and the systems will not reduce overall
congestion. In comparison, an area-wide congestion-pricing scheme,
such as that used in London and studied in Austin, offers equity,
congestion relief, and is a fairer government intervention in
the market, he claims.
http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=658
For a longer article on credit-based congestion pricing:
www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/kockelman/public_html/TRB04CBCPApplic.pdf
WSJ article on the congestion pricing experiment in Stockholm:
http://tinyurl.com/fh22b
Transit ridership up in first quarter
Light rail up 11%, all up 4%
Ridership numbers on bus and rail public transit is booming, according
to an article in the Economist. Nationwide, light rail ridership
is up 11.2% for the first quarter of 2006 compared to the same
period a year before, while Salt Lake City's light rail system
is up 39% in May from a year earlier. In general, transit ridership
nationwide is up 4% in the first quarter of 2006, which is double
the normal growth rate of ridership of 2% a year. According to
an article in Metro Magazine, Americans took nearly 5 billion
trips on public transit in the first six months of 2006.
http://economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7855218
http://www.metro-magazine.com/t_newspick.cfm?id=9064259
APTA Ridership Statistics: http://www.apta.com/research/stats/ridership/
Carsharing making gains
Flexcar service begins in Atlanta and Austin
Flexcar service is now available in downtown and midtown Atlanta,
providing hourly rental of cars and trucks for about $9 an hour
along with a membership fee. Flexcars provide transit riders and
carless urban dwellers access to vehicles when necessary, without
the hassles of insurance, maintenance, or even paying for gas.
Flexcar, based in Seattle, is one of several for-profit carsharing
companies operating in the US. Worldwide, more than 600 cities
have some form of carsharing service. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
says that several high-profile businesses have signed on for the
Flexcar program, including urban residential developers who value
the flexibility of carsharing as an amenity for their customers.
Austin CarShare, a nonprofit organization, will begin service
this fall with one pick up location near the University of Texas
campus and two downtown.
AJ-C Artlcle: http://tinyurl.com/jlb9b
MSN Money Article on Carsharing: http://tinyurl.com/kgpkq
Austin Car Share: http://www.austincarshare.org/
Information on Carsharing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carsharing
ECONOMY
Economic development and smart growth
New report shows benefits of transit-oriented development
A new report from the International Economic Development Council
details the connection between smart growth developments and economic
development. The report showcases eight case studies to illustrate
the effects of transit-oriented development, revitalization of
commercial corridors, targeted area redevelopment and infill,
and creation of arts and entertainment districts.
http://www.iedconline.org/?p=Smart_Growth
Full Report: http://www.iedconline.org/Downloads/Smart_Growth.pdf
ENERGY
Austin and Killeen Independent School Districts to Drive Hybrid
School Buses
New hybrid school buses expected to obtain 40% increase in fuel
efficiency
Eleven states, all part of the State Technologies Advancement
Collaborative, will receive new hybrid school buses through a
buyer's consortium initiated by Advanced Energy, a Raleigh, N.C.-based
nonprofit corporation. IC Corporation will provide 19 hybrid school
buses, with one each heading to the Austin and Killeen School
Districts. IC Corporation says that these new buses are expected
to obtain a 40% increase in fuel efficiency and have reduced engine
emissions. The buses combine a V8 diesel engine with an 80-kilowatt
hybrid-electric powertrain and use diesel and electric power simultaneously.
Advanced Energy Press Release: http://tinyurl.com/hujgt
The State Technologies Advancement Collarborative: http://www.stacenergy.org/
Peirce reports benefits of distributed energy
Questions push for more coal-fired power plants
In an article titled "Big coal-burning plants: perilous and
outmoded?" Neal Peirce questions the renewed push for coal
power and presents an alternate vision of a distributed power
network. While he says we should maintain the current power infrastructure,
a distributed power system would locally generate power, such
as building small power plants that only serve a single hospital
or apartment complex. Peirce says the efficiencies to be gained
are from the possibility of cogeneration, creating electricity
and steam simultaneously.
http://postwritersgroup.com/archives/peir0806.html
RESOURCES
New America 2050 Prospectus
This new report provides an overview of the America 2050 initiative
and strategies for implementing the policies and investments necessary
to accommodate the nation's growth in the 21st Century. The report
is also intended to be a teaching tool on megaregions, and America
2050 noted in an email message that they can arrange for large
shipments of printed reports for those purposes. A series of reports
on Megaregions in general and on specific megaregions are also
available. Although a report is not yet available, work is underway
on the Texas Triangle megaregion at the University of Texas at
Austin.
http://www.america2050.org/pdf/America2050prospectus.pdf
http://www.america2050.org/publications.html
Planning for a New Era: Proposed Charter Changes for Land Use
Decision Making in New Orleans
A new report from the Bureau of Governmental Research, a New Orleans
area nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, details a proposal for
a Master Plan to rebuild New Orleans, including shifting some
decision-making power from the City Council to the City Planning
Commission and creating a Neighborhood Participation Office. An
Amendment to the City Charter to approve these recommendations
would have to pass through the City Council and be approved by
the voters.
Full Report: http://www.bgr.org/Planning%20for%20a%20New%20Era.pdf
One Page Summary: http://www.bgr.org/New%20Era%20one%20page%20summary.pdf
Reston Town Center: A Downtown for the 21st Century
In 1990, 25 miles northwest of Washington, DC, a Virginia suburb
was transformed into a dense thriving urban downtown, America's
first suburban town center, according to an article at planetizen.com.
Related projects are springing up around the country, including
the Sugar Land town center, Market Street in The Woodlands, and
other places in the Houston region. A new book brings together
many of the visionaries who were involved with building the Reston
Town Center.
Article: http://www.planetizen.com/node/20938
The book is available on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/fo8o8
Podcast with Bob Simon, Founder of Reston, Virginia: http://www.planetizen.com/files/planetizen-podcast-20060817.mp3
Mental Speed Bumps: The Smarter Way to Tame Traffic
A new book, published in Australia and written by David Engwicht,
the inventor of the Walking School Bus, covers the calming of
traffic through mental distractions or intrigue. Engwicht says
that street life, even simple things like a child playing on the
sidewalk, will calm drivers down. Hans Monderman, a traffic engineer
working in Holland, has done related work showing how removing
all of the street signs, lights, and line markings reduces driving
speed.
http://www.pps.org/info/products/Books_Videos/mental_speedbumps
http://www.mentalspeedbumps.com
EVENTS
SmartCode Workshop
"Equal parts theory and mechanics, the SmartCode Workshop
delivers all the tools you need for successful implementation
of form-based codes at the local level."
Las Vegas, Nevada
October 19-21, 2006
Downloads: http://www.placemakers.com/info/SCdownloads.html
Registration: http://www.placemakers.com/info/workshop.html
Eminent Domain Institute CLE Seminar
Fairmont Hotel, Dallas
October 26-27
http://tinyurl.com/luslh
Designing for Security in the Public Realm
The Planning Academy at Virginia Tech, Falls Church, VA
October 26-27, 2006
A conference for architects, planners, developers, public administrators,
and facilities managers will address the interplay of security
and design. The conference includes an introduction to Crime Prevention
Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and a half-day tour of the
nation's capital to see the results of the National Capital Urban
Design and Security Plan.
http://www.cpe.vt.edu/dspr
Rail~Volution: Building Livable Communities with Transit Conference
November 5-8
Chicago
http://www.railvolution.com
6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
February 8-10, 2007
Los Angeles
http://www.newpartners.org
Prepared by Jay Blazek Crossley
Gulf Coast Growth News is a publication of the Gulf Coast Institute.
The Gulf Coast Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated
to improving the quality of life in Houston. To support the Institute,
go to http://www.gulfcoastinstitute.org. To join the Institute's
1000 Friends of Houston, go to http://www.1000friendsofhouston.org
_____________________________
David Crossley
Gulf Coast Institute
3015 Richmond Suite 201
Houston TX 77098
Ph 713-523-5757
Fx 713-523-3057
http://www.livablehouston.org