Howdy WHA Members!
September started with our attention on the Gulf as Tropical Storm Edouard approached the Texas coast. Its landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border spared Greater Houston a direct hit but not before a number of events were cancelled and school closed. Closer to home, thousands of customers in West Houston and Katy lost power on August 5, while late-month thunderstorms left more than 52,000 CenterPoint customers without electricity. These disruptions reinforce why reliable infrastructure and coordinated planning must remain priorities in everyday investment and development decisions, well before severe weather arrives.
Meanwhile, on August 26, the state announced a new 10-year transportation plan with a total projected investment of $138 billion. For the Greater Houston area, that makes continued engagement in transportation planning particularly important. Our region needs investments that address current congestion while anticipating where people will live, where employers will locate, and how goods will move. State investment creates opportunities, but connecting those investments to local roads, drainage, and development requires sustained regional coordination.
That same need was central to our August 20 Understanding the Impacts of MAAPNext forum. Russ Poppe of the Fort Bend County Drainage District and Ross McCall, Waller County Engineer, joined moderator Steve Costello of Carollo Engineers to discuss how improved flood-risk information is shaping regional planning. While MAAPNext is a Harris County initiative, neighboring counties are confronting related questions about drainage capacity, development standards, and how to prepare for continued growth.
One takeaway deserves particular attention: we need to plan for regional infrastructure before development makes it more difficult and expensive to provide. Identifying drainage corridors, understanding downstream capacity, and establishing clear expectations can help protect communities while giving developers greater certainty. Better models support that work, but so do practical engineering judgment, reliable funding, and relationships among the agencies responsible for putting plans into action.
Our Quality Planned Development Committee’s August visit to The Highlands by Caldwell offered another perspective on how these decisions come together. Seeing homes, amenities, infrastructure, and open space on the ground helps connect planning principles to the places people experience every day. Our Rising Leaders also continued their program with a session focused on sustainable infrastructure, considering how decisions made now affect long-term performance, maintenance, and quality of life.
These conversations raise practical questions for the work ahead. As we plan drainage improvements, can we also identify appropriate opportunities for trails and open space? As new communities take shape, are we considering connections beyond their boundaries? And as we evaluate infrastructure costs, are we accounting for what it will take to operate and maintain those systems over time? Asking these questions early gives us more options.
Looking ahead, our annual Public Officials & Awards Reception will take place October 7 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Junior League of Houston. This members-only event recognizes the people, projects, and developments helping advance quality growth throughout Greater West Houston. We look forward to recognizing Marlene Gafrick as WHA’s 2026 Star of Excellence for her decades of leadership in planning, development, and public service. I encourage our members to join us as we celebrate that work and strengthen the relationships that make continued progress possible.
On November 13, WHA will host our West Houston Trails Project forum from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Junior League of Houston. The program will explore opportunities to connect parks, neighborhoods, and destinations through a broader regional trail network. Potential connections between John Paul Landing Park and Addicks Reservoir offer one example of what coordinated planning could make possible. Bringing municipalities, developers, municipal utility districts, and other partners into the conversation can help identify existing trails, address gaps, and preserve opportunities for future connections.
Our committees continue their work throughout September. Our September meeting schedule begins with the Flood Control & Drainage Committee on September 2, followed by the Utility & Communications Task Force on September 3. Our Sustainable Infrastructure Committee and Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Committee both meet September 8. The Education & Workforce Committee convenes September 4 to continue working on their forum in December. Followed by Government Affairs on September 14 to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda. Regional Mobility meets on September 16, and Water Resources on September 17. Our Quality Planned Development Committee meets September 23 to start discussing the 2027 Symposium and updates to QPD standards. I encourage members to participate and bring forward the issues affecting your work.
Thank you to the members, partners, and volunteers who contribute their time and experience. Your involvement helps us identify challenges earlier, understand different perspectives, and move good ideas toward implementation. I look forward to seeing you throughout the fall as we work together to make Greater West Houston a better place to live, work, and play.
Alan Steinberg
President & CEO
West Houston Association