The Houston Police Department (HPD) has requested to take approximately 13.5781 acres of Cambridge Village Park (the Park) for the new Southwest Police Station (the Project). The Park is approximately 81.78 acres located at 13000 Nitida roughly near the intersection of Alternate State Hwy 90/South Main and Beltway 8/Sam Houston Parkway. The Park is mostly undeveloped. Park amenities include a walking trail, playground and soccer fields.
The Project will replace the existing police station at 4503 Beechnut, which is over 50 years old. HPD selected the Park site for the new station because it is City-owned, public land, and its central location within the Southwest Patrol area will reduce response times and fuel costs for HPD. Furthermore, illegal dumping and other criminal activities are a concern in this vicinity, and police presence is expected to significantly reduce crime in the Park as well as the surrounding neighborhood. As an additional benefit to the Park, the Project will include the replacement of the existing playground at the Park with a new playground that is up to current HPARD standards and has improved drainage.
Because there is no other available public land in the vicinity and because the Project will improve the safety of both Park users and the surrounding community, there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the taking of a portion of the Park for the Project. HPD, the General Services Department (GSD) and HPARD have worked together to minimize impacts to the Park. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 26 requires the City to publish three public notices and hold a public hearing prior to authorizing the use or taking of park land for non-park purposes. Notices will be published in the Houston Chronicle on October 19, October 26, and November 2, 2015
The GSD Request for Council Action (RCA) to approve an ordinance appropriating funds to an existing contract between the City and Manhattan Construction Company for construction of the Southwest Police Station was presented and approved by City Council on August 12, 2015. This RCA was presented prior to the Chapter 26 proceedings, so the following language was added to the ordinance approved by City Council:
Section 2. The appropriations or allocations in Section 1 are contingent on City Council first making a determination under Chapter 26 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code that there is no feasible and prudent alternative use of Cambridge Village Park and all reasonable planning to minimize harm to the land will be undertaken. None of the sums of money set out in the title or Section 1 of this Ordinance may be paid out or expended until such determination becomes final.
The proposed date of the public hearing is Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in Council Chamber, Second Floor, City Hall, 901 Bagby, Houston, Texas. On the date of the hearing, HPARD also will bring an ordinance to Council to make findings relating to the public hearing.