April 2012 
Lake Houston Wilderness Park Upgrades

 

The City of Houston has recently completed the first phase of a multimillion-dollar improvement plan at Lake Houston Wilderness Park. The park, located about forty-five minutes north of downtown Houston, extends into Montgomery County and sits on 5,000 acres of wetlands and hardwood forests.

 

The City acquired the property near New Caney in 2006, and it has since become one of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department's nine "signature" parks. Six million dollars in improvements have added a new, easy-access entrance from FM 1485, five screened shelters, two A-frame camping platforms and four new cabins, all of which should be available for rental starting in mid-April. Cabins rest along the shores of a 3 � acre manmade lake, another recent addition to the park. Upgrades will eventually include a visitor center, archery ranch and new roadways.

 

Lake Houston Wilderness Park is an ideal escape for Houston's birdwatchers, naturalists and amateur botanists. The City's second-largest municipal park is home to coyotes, river otters and reptiles; loblolly pines, sweet gums and several species of oak provide perches for the area's numerous birds. Twelve miles of hike and bike trails, eight miles of equestrian trails and natural waterways are available for use, though visitors must bring their own equipment.

 

Reservations for cabins and shelters are recommended and can be made up to six months in advance. Park entrance fees are $3 for each person thirteen years and older. Visit the Houston Parks and Recreation Department website or call 281-354-6881 to make reservations and for a full schedule of fees.

  

New Commercial Plan Review Option 

All new construction projects and most renovations, repairs or addition projects within the City of Houston require plan approval before permits may be purchased. The Planning and Development Services Division of the Public Works and Engineering Department, which is responsible for plan review, has recently announced a new plan review option. The Customer Paid Plan Review Procedure will allow commercial customers to pay for an overtime plan review. While the Planning and Development Services Division has worked to bring the typical commercial plan review time from twenty-one calendar days to eleven, the new procedure provides an option to those customers looking to further expedite the turnaround.

 

The Customer Paid Plan Review Procedure, which is similar to the overtime inspection process, is available for those projects originally submitted to the Commercial Plan Review Section and that have met all prerequisites. The review will be limited to Structural, Sprinkler, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Storm Drainage disciplines. More information about the new procedure can be found here.  


Vote for BARC to Help Animals Win Big 

Beginning April 5, 2012, BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions will be a participant in the Qualifying Heat of the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. BARC is competing for a chance at more than $500,000 in grant funding, including a grand prize of $100,000. Supporters of BARC can help by voting online and selecting BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions. Upon your first vote you will need to confirm your email address for your vote to count; you can then vote everyday from April 5-16.

 

The 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is a nationwide competition for animal shelters and their communities aimed at getting more animals adopted or returned to their owners than ever before. This first phase is the Qualifying Heat where registered shelters compete to accumulate the most online votes from their supporters. The fifty shelters with the most votes become the official contestants for the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. The competition asks shelters and their communities to come up with innovative ways to save at least 300 more dogs and cats within a three-month period than were saved during the same three months the year before. BARC could win between $5,000 and $10,000, but the only way for the shelter to get into the $100K Challenge is for you--the community--to vote. So get your paws on that keyboard and help Houston's homeless and lost pets find safe, loving homes.

 


April Festivals and Events   

What are you doing the next four consecutive weekends in April? Watching hour upon DVR'd hour of your 3rd, 6th and 7th favorite network programs? As fun as that sounds, how about trying something new?  

 

On Saturday, April 7, you can check out the Welcome Home Parade for Iraqi Veterans downtown at 4 p.m. It's a good way to say thank you to our servicemen and women and have fun at the same time.  

 

Then on Saturday, April 14, head over to Midtown Art in the Park at Elizabeth Baldwin Park. There, local photographers, painters, sculptors and jewelry makers set up shop, and live music and assorted food trucks keep you full and entertained as you shop. It's open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and is a great place to take the kids.  

 

Another family-friendly event is the annual Houston International Festival, which runs the weekends of April 21-22 and April 28-29. This year's featured country is Argentina. Walk, bike or drive downtown and soak up music, art, food and performances that highlight Argentinean and South American culture. Tickets go for under $15 if you buy online or $18 if you buy at the door. That's way cheaper than a flight to Argentina, plus you don't have to deal with jetlag!  

 

Finally, why not stop by Discovery Green on Saturday, April 28 for the Texas Beer Fest. The festival showcases beer from over fifty craft breweries with an emphasis on craft beer brewed right here in Texas. Taps are open from 1 - 7 p.m. If that's not a great way to spend an afternoon, I don't know what is. So go ahead, put down the remote and get outside before the summer heat sets in.     


Council Member Jack Christie
phone: 832.393.3017