Buffalo Bayou Park Master Plan [Update] Shepherd to Sabine January 2012

Buffalo Bayou Park master plan [update] Shepherd to Sabine January 2012

contents 1 SUMMARY

7 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

31 MASTER PLAN

47 THE PROJECT

107 PROTECTING THE INVESTMENT

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) wishes to thank:

Catalyst Funder Environmental Advisory Committee Kinder Foundation Diana Foss, texas parks & wildlife department Jaime Gonzalez, katy prairie conservancy 2010 & 2011 Master Plan Funders T.J. Marks, houston parks & recreation department The Wortham Foundation Evelyn Merz, sierra club Board of Directors Buffalo Bayou Partnership Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) Mickey Merritt, texas forest service The Carruth Foundation Woody Woodrow, u.s. fish & wildlife service Central Houston Civic Improvement, Inc. Sami Ahmad Harry Lamberton Chair Houston Architecture Foundation Consultants Chuck Carlberg 2010 Ed Allday C.C. Lee, AIA, LEED AP Lionstone Group SWA Group master plan Bob Phillips 2011 Carol Ballard Martha K. Long Houston Arts Alliance Aviles Engineering Corporation geotechnical BPA/Eric Ruckstuhl riparian plants Vice Chair Jack Blanton, Jr. Susan McEldoon Judy and Scott Nyquist Joe Blanton native plants Judy Nyquist 2010 Carol Butler Roxann Neumann The Powell Foundation Infill Planning Design & Development lighting George W. (Trey) Strake 2010 Christina Cabral Adrian Patterson Sonny Flores 2011 Steering Committee Stephen Korns lighting concept Mark Cover Daron Peschel Sis Johnson 2011 Nancy G. Kinder, chair Moore Archeological Consultants archeology Collin J. Cox Sarah Powell Brady Carruth, buffalo bayou partnership PageSoutherlandPage Architects Treasurer Janelle Daniel Mohammad Ashraf Ramji Gary Dudley, kinder foundation RDP Engineers, Inc. structural engineering Bob Phillips 2010 Kathy Flanagan-Payton Edna Ramos Andy Icken and Joe Turner, city of houston Sami Ahmad 2011 AECOM—HCFCD preliminary engineering Sonny Flores Shannon B. Sasser, AIA Mike Talbott, harris county flood control district & site survey Secretary Lisa Foronda Dorothee Sauter CORE Design Studio graphic design Lorie Westrick, AIA 2010 Debby Francis Chad Shaw BBP Contracts Committee Guy Hagstette, AIA project management Leslye Lucas Weaver 2011 Mark Cover, chair John G. Garza Jeff Taylor Sami Ahmad photography Steven J. Gibson William J. Taylor, III Mike Garver Jim Olive, Photolive, Inc. cover, pgs. 2, 70 bottom left Daniel M. Gilbane Dancie Perugini Ware Jerry Higdon G. Lyon Photography, Inc., pg. 24 Van Stephens pg. 70 top left Gerald D. (Jerry) Higdon Leslye Lucas Weaver 2011 Shannon Sasser Jim Caldwell pg. 70 right middle Sis Johnson Margaret Wolfe Jeff Taylor summary 1

summary Buffalo Bayou from downtown to Shepherd Drive is Houston’s Group, this more detailed project-based Master Plan seeks to Iconic Landscape. The result of a century-old civic vision to enhance the green space, improve recreational amenities, restore 1.1 develop a greenbelt extending from downtown west to a regional the bayou channel, and improve access to nearby neighborhoods park, now known as Memorial Park, this green space is one of and the city at large, transforming the area into Buffalo Bayou Park, Houston’s triumphs of civic will and planning implemented over a the centerpiece and focal point for Houston’s growing network of period of decades in the early 20th century. While the view from linear parks along the region’s bayous. The Master Plan builds upon Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway still offers green vistas and completed and current projects: dramatic contrasts with the downtown skyline, the green space • HCFCD’s Pilot Project west of downtown, which has tested itself is suffering from years of under-funded maintenance and the channel restoration concepts and public support for this work, absence of a master plan to guide improvements, both of which are completed in late 2010. preventing this unique natural asset from fulfilling its potential as • The Rosemont Bridge (east of Studemont) and connector trails one of this country’s great urban parks. by the City’s Memorial Heights Tax Increment Reinvestment With significant philanthropic support led by the Kinder Foundation, Zone #5 (TIRZ #5) and completed in early 2011. the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) embarked on a privately-funded • Spanish artist Jaume Plensa’s Tolerance at the Rosemont master plan for the area in partnership with the City of Houston Bridge’s south approach by Houston Arts Alliance and (City) and the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) in 2010 completed in early 2011. that was updated in late 2011. As the owner of the land, the City will oversee this redevelopment process and the park’s ongoing • Reconstruction of the Sandy Reed Memorial Trail by the City operations, which includes a commitment to fund maintenance and and TxDOT, which began in late 2011. operations upon completion of construction. More than 50 years Based on this Master Plan and strong support from Houston’s after its last investment in this area, HCFCD was invited to conduct citizens and philanthropic community, the City, BBP and HCFCD preliminary and final engineering studies of the bayou channel to are moving forward on final design and engineering of the Project, determine how the channel might be restored and maintained in which is described in Chapter 4. Channel restoration work and an environmentally sensitive manner while also improving its storm improvements to the green space are scheduled to begin in mid-2012. water storage and conveyance capacity. Based on the plan presented This schedule should allow for a seamless transition from TxDOT’s in this report, the Kinder Foundation is prepared to increase its hike and bike trail construction project into overall green space funding to $30,000,000, and BBP is raising up to $20,000,000 more improvements overseen by the City, BBP and HCFCD. If approvals in private funds so the ambitious improvements described in this and permits are obtained in a timely manner, construction should Master Plan can be implemented in an era of limited government be complete by mid-2015. Chapter 4 also describes the Approved resources. BBP also will maintain and operate the park until 2041 and Master Plan that governs the Project and any future improvements possibly until 2096. to Buffalo Bayou Park. Based on BBP’s visionary master plan for Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive ten miles east to the Turning Basin released in 2002, Buffalo Bayou and Beyond produced by the Thompson Design

3 Memorial Heights St. Thomas Meadow Cemetery Overlook Jackson Hill High Bridge Live Oak Seating Circle Greentree Natural Area ProjectProject SiteSite PlanPlan Overlook

STUDEMONT STREET

JACKSON HILL STREET HILL JACKSON SHEPHERD DRIVE SHEPHERD

MEMORIAL DRIVE

ALLEN PARKWAY

ROCHOW STREET

WAUGH DRIVE

MONTROSE BOULEVARD

Shepherd Gateways Tirrell Meadow Tirrell Cascade Information/Kayak Lost Lake Bat Colony Viewing Area Wortham Fountain Dog Park Rental/Picnics Plaza Memorial Viaduct Police Memorial Sabine Information/Bicycle Artwork Footbridge Tapley Tributary Maintenance Yard Springs The Water Works Rentals

SAWYER STREET

STUDEMONT STREET SABINE STREET SABINE MEMORIAL DRIVE

ALLEN PARKWAY

STANFORD STREET

TAFT STREET TAFT

GILLETTE STREET

MONTROSE BOULEVARD

Stanford Lower Taft Footpath Cottonwood Bowl Skyline Event Allen Playground & Crosby Overlook Meadow Overlook Meadow Parkway Picnic Pavilion Promenade