For more information, please contact Council Member Martin's office at (832) 393-3008 or by email at [email protected]. 

 

Unexpected issues relating to the construction of the recently reconfigured intersection of Northpark Drive and Woodridge Parkway/Hidden Pines have led to a delay in schedule. Originally expected to be completed by the end of January, Public Works and Engineering crews anticipate construction to now be completed by mid-February, weather permitting.   Issues relating to the fabrication of the poles, mast arms of the signals, electrical cabinet and installation of the sidewalk along the westbound lanes of Northpark Drive have all contributed to the delay. Additionally, the fabrication of the traffic signal poles has added a requirement for luminaries and the steepness of the ditch along the westbound lanes of Northpark requires additional materials and reconfiguration

 

Upon the project's completion, there will be a traffic signal to control traffic in all directions, extended right and left turn lanes and a sidewalk to provide for the safe passage of pedestrians from this intersection west to the intersection of Northpark and Glade Valley.

 

On Tuesday, January 26 Council Member Martin met with representatives from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) to discuss the 513 dead, dying and dangerous trees that have been identified for removal from medians in the Kingwood area. Due to feedback received from the community and the potential for these dangerous trees to fall on vehicles and pedestrians, Council Member Martin allocated a portion of his Fiscal Year 2016 Council District Service Fund dollars for HPARD to hire an arborist to evaluate and identify trees needing removal. The medians evaluated include Mills Branch between Kingwood Drive and Northpark, Kingwood Drive from Highway 59 to Mills Branch, Northpark from Woodland Hills to Mills Branch and West Lake Houston Parkway from Kingwood Greens Drive S. to Northpark.

Council Member Martin's goal is to have all of the identified trees removed by the start of hurricane season on June 1 of this year.

On Saturday, January 16 Council Member Martin's office hosted an event at Freeway Manor Park where over 20 residents came to pick up trees donated for planting in the community by Trees for Houston. The event marked the culmination of a beautification effort initiated by Freeway Manor Civic Club President Nick Crnkovic, who requested new trees for the neighborhood. After Trees for Houston generously agreed to donate White Oak, Water Oak and Sycamore trees, the District E office worked with the civic club over the past several months to notify residents of the planting opportunity and organize the pickup event.

 

 

At its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, January 7 the Houston Planning Commission unanimously voted in support and granted a variance requested by Trendmaker Homes to not extend Scenic Glade Drive, a stub street in the Northfork neighborhood of Clear Lake, into the new residential development known as the Reserve at Clear Lake City.

 

Council Member Martin spoke at the meeting to support the variance request on behalf of numerous Northfork residents who have vocally opposed the street's extension over the past three years. Residents' primary concerns have centered on the potential creation of hazardous cut-through vehicular traffic in the community if Scenic Glade Drive were to be extended. Of special concern was Scenic Glade's proximity to North Pointe Elementary School and the safety of children playing in the neighborhood and walking to the school.

 

Leading up to the meeting, the District E office received letters in support of the variance request from the president of the Northfork Community Association, representing 1,040 residents, as well as from the Clear Creek Independent School District.

 

Scenic Glade Drive represents the third successful variance request related to the Reserve at Clear Lake City over the past two years. In May 2015, the Planning Commission granted a variance to allow for the non-extension of Jade Green Way after Council Member Martin and a representative of the Pine Brook community voiced residents' concerns. An additional variance allowing for the non-extension of Noble Oak Way, also in Pine Brook, was granted by the Commission in May 2014.

 

Council Member Martin extends his thanks to all those Northfork residents involved for voicing their concerns and making their opinions known.

For more information, please contact the District E Office at (832) 393-3008.

On Wednesday, January 13 Council Member Martin attended the monthly meeting of the Association of Clear Lake Communities (ACLC). At the meeting, Steven David, a representative from the City of Houston's Economic Development Division, provided residents with a general overview of the city's Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) program which promotes redevelopment within specific geographic "zones" around Houston by allowing the reinvestment of tax increment to fund public improvements therein. After Mr. David's presentation, Council Member Martin spoke to those in attendance about the possibility of establishing a TIRZ in the Clear Lake area to fund needed improvement projects similar to those funded by TIRZ 10, which encompasses much of Kingwood in the north sector of District E.

 

The Economic Development Division of the mayor's office is currently undertaking a preliminary economic analysis to determine the viability of a TIRZ in the Clear Lake area, a process which generally takes four to six months. Following the completion of this analysis, further approval will be needed by City Council and Mayor Sylvester Turner before the formation of the TIRZ can proceed. The District E office will continue to keep residents updated on this project as the preliminary review progresses.

Space Center Houston's new landmark exhibit, Independence Plaza, officially opened to an eagerly awaiting public on Saturday, January 23. The evening before, Council Member Martin attended a grand opening event held at the museum to celebrate the exhibit's launch and recognize the stakeholders who made the historic project possible. At the event, Council Member Martin had the privilege of touring Independence Plaza with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Economic Development Director Andy Icken, NASA Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Space Center Houston's CEO Richard Allen and Board Chairman Fred Griffin, and Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership President Bob Mitchell. Mayor Turner, Dr. Ochoa and Mr. Allen then addressed those in attendance to commemorate the occasion, as did John Elbon, General Manager of Boeing Space Exploration.

 

Now open, Independence Plaza is the world's only interactive exhibit allowing visitors to enter a space shuttle replica as well as the actual Shuttle Carrier Aircraft it's positioned atop. For more information on Space Center Houston's new, one of a kind exhibit, please click here. 

On Tuesday, January 26 Council Member Martin presented a proclamation to members of the Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership's (BayTran) Executive Committee and Board of Directors to commemorate the organization's 25th anniversary. 

Established in 1990, BayTran is responsible for addressing transportation, mobility and air quality issues for the greater Houston Bay Area. Over the past 25 years, the organization's coordination with numerous city, county and state agencies such as TxDOT has greatly benefited the region. Notable projects have included the development of beautification guidelines for the NASA Parkway Bypass and the promotion of Project Star Stream, which places cameras in municipalities for hurricane evacuation, security and traffic management. BayTran representatives additionally served on a task force that developed a regional hurricane evacuation plan.

Council Member Martin was honored to recognize BayTran and its leaders for all of their meaningful contributions to Houston's Bay Area, and appreciates the organization's continued efforts in our community.

 

 

On Thursday, January 21 staff from Council Member Martin's office attended a ribbon cutting event celebrating the opening of Perry's Steakhouse & Grille at the newly-expanded Baybrook Mall. Perry's original location first opened over 35 years ago and the steakhouse has become a culinary staple in Houston over the years. The new 10,000 square-foot location will accommodate 400 guests and its spacious outdoor patio will provide a view of the mall's impressive new green space, which will feature fun community events and gatherings. Council Member Martin encourages residents to take advantage of the great improvements to Baybrook Mall and congratulates Perry's on their recent opening! 

 

 

 

 

Sign up is now available here for Space Center Houston's spring day camps to be held March 14-18, 2016. Campers ages 4-14 will embark on a fun and exciting educational experience developed with national science standards and designed to use space science to inspire students to pursue careers in S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Camps offered this spring include training like an astronaut, questing for alien life in the galaxy and building a robot to compete in a robotics competition.

 

Groups of 75 or more residents seeking to gather in a City of Houston park are now required to obtain a permit before doing so, following amendments to the city's parks code passed by City Council on Wednesday, January 20. The changes were initiated due to a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that declared Houston's park permitting requirements to be unconstitutionally vague. The initial draft of the revisions would have required groups of 30 or more to obtain permits, but members of Council increased the number so as to not discourage smaller neighborhood celebrations or unplanned gatherings in city parks. Residents seeking to reserve areas of city parks for exclusive use will also need a permit to do so.

 

HPARD officials are now determining the fee structure for the new group permits. The Department's existing fee schedule, accessible here, will remain in place until the fees for the new permits are established within the next six months.  

 

Video of City Council's discussion of this agenda item, and all others, is available online here.

  

 

On Thursday, January 21 Council Member Martin attended a breakfast hosted by the Houston Realty Business Coalition (HRBC) featuring remarks from U.S. Congressman John Culberson. By organizing public forums at its regular breakfasts and other events, the HRBC enables area elected officials and candidates for office to discuss their public policy priorities with leaders from Houston's business and development communities. For more information, visit houstonrealty.org.

On Tuesday, January 26 Council Member Martin joined a number of his colleagues on Council at a press conference where Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the routes for the 11th annual Tour de Houston bike ride. This year's event, to take place on Sunday, March 20, will feature a 70-mile route from Houston City Hall to Kingwood and back, as well as 20-mile and 45-mile routes.

Council Member Martin thanks the Mayor's Office of Special Events for including a route to District E in this year's tour, and looks forwarding to welcoming cyclists into the community. Information on the 11th annual Tour de Houston, including route maps and registration, can be found online at www.houstontx.gov/tourdehouston. 

On Thursday, January 21 staff from Council Member Martin's office had the opportunity to go on a tour of different Public Works and Engineering facilities, including work sites throughout the Houston area. The day began with tours of the Water Production Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant. The city's Public Works and Engineering Department is responsible for the production and distribution of over 146 billion gallons of water per year, and the treatment of over 90 billion gallons of wastewater per year. The City of Houston's drinking water group works hard to go above and beyond in its service to customers, and maintains the highest rating for water quality issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

 

The tour also explored Houston TranStar. TranStar is a partnership of four government agencies (City of Houston, Harris County, TxDOT and METRO) responsible for coordinating the planning, design and operations of transportation and emergency management in the greater Houston area. TranStar houses the city's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) which is Houston's "situation room" in such emergencies as hurricanes, floods or other disasters. The OEM activated 13 times in 2015. The building's second floor is dedicated to Traffic Management. TxDOT has over 900 cameras spanning 225 miles across the region, all of which are constantly observed and can be accessed in case of emergencies to assist with evacuations.

 

The tour also gave an inside look at activities of the city's Traffic Operations Division during a traffic light maintenance project and additionally visited the Houston Permitting Center, where those present learned about the City of Houston's green initiatives.

 

Council Member Martin's staff truly appreciated the opportunity to get this behind the scenes look at the inner workings of the Public Works and Engineering Department, and offers a special thanks to PWE's Gary Norman for organizing and executing the day's events. 

 

The Houston Police Department (HPD), in collaboration with a third party vendor, maintains an interactive recent crime map, accessible online here. Represented on the map is general information on original crime reports, such as the date of the report and the classification of the crime reported, entered into HPD's Record Management System within the past 180 days.

 

Please note that the crime reports visible on HPD's recent crime map represent only Part I crime as defined in the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. Residents are encouraged to read and consider the disclaimers listed online before drawing any conclusions from this public resource.

 

January was school board appreciation month, and as a former Humble Independent School Board Member Council Member Martin would like to thank all of the hardworking individuals who volunteer their time and energy to serve on the boards of Humble ISD, Huffman ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Pasadena ISD, Galena Park ISD and Houston ISD, which all educate students throughout District E. He encourages all residents to show appreciation and support for the board members of their local school districts for the invaluable work they do to guide the education of young Houstonians. 

The City of Houston's Local Organizing Committee for this year's NCAA Final Four is looking for volunteers to serve as Hospitality Ambassadors during Final Four weekend. The event, which will feature the semifinal and championship games of the 2016 NCAA Division I college basketball tournament, as well as a Fan Fest featuring concerts and other family-friendly attractions, is coming to Houston's NRG Stadium April 1-4, 2016. 

For more information, please visit www.ncaa.com/finalfour or contact [email protected]. Volunteers must be 18 or older by March 1, 2016.