FB Star Covers Houston SW Airport Compromise Offer (This airport expansion would impact negatively many hwy 6 MC neighborhoods if allowed to continue)

They are waiting to see if he “bites”
Morrison: Houston Southwest Airport owner
handed a new carrot by officials

By Cheryl Skinner

Commissioner-elect Richard Morrison says the controversial McKeever Road project could take a bend in the road if Houston Southwest Airport owner Jamie Griffith bites on a new carrot thrown his way. Morrison says that he hoped the road dispute could be settled before he settles into his new elected position in January.

Morrison said he has followed events in Arcola on a number of issues and attended an Arcola City Council meeting last week where discussion of alternative road plans was discussed.

“I have listened to both sides of this issue and feel that I bring a fresh set of eyes to the table to look at the proposals. I don’t have any baggage on this issue, so I figured why not jump in and see what I can do,” Morrison said.

Arcola City Council members discussed the McKeever Road project with Morrison and Marc Grant, the county’s road and bridge supervisor. One councilmember suggested a change in the planned road that would be more beneficial to the city and would, if accepted by Griffith, actually give the airport owner more opportunity to make money off of the land he has suggested would be annexed by the city if the planned road improvements go through.

However, Morrison admits that Griffith, who has steadfastly pushed for the current road improvements, holds the “wild card” in the plan to potentially change the current plan.

“I understand that he (Griffith) wants to get as rich as possible and I certainly don’t begrudge him that. He wants hangars on that land and we have offered him a different kind of carrot. We just have to see if he bites. I think that opening that land up to more commercial development would be very beneficial to him in the long run and it would be good for the city but it is in his court and he is out of town right now,” Morrison explained.

Under the new proposal, city officials have suggested rebuilding McKeever in two phases, extending Post Oak in two, and establishing a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, for a large parcel of land belonging to Houston Southwest Airport owner Jamie Griffith.

Morrison said that is where Griffith could ultimately benefit. “I really think he would make more money and benefit by a TIRZ,” he noted.

The city of Arcola, Fort Bend County officials and Griffith have been in somewhat of a stalemate for years over improvements to McKeever Road and the extension of South Post Oak Road. . . (get the full story by following the title link above)

More at: http://fbindependent.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1060&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2531&hn=fbindependent&he=.com

FB Star: State Sets Contested Hearing Date On Blue Ridge Landfill Near Mo-City, Arcola, Fresno & Pearland--

State sets contested hearing date in Blue
Ridge Landfill permit issue for October 16

By Cheryl Skinner
Opponents and proponents alike will be gearing up for a court battle on whether the state of Texas will give final approval on a permit that will allow Blue Ridge Landfill, near Arcola, to expand. The date of the recently granted contested hearing has been set for Oct. 16 here in Fort Bend County.

The hotly disputed landfill expansion plan is being vigorously opposed by area television stations and a grass-roots organization that claim the expansion will hurt the media’s ability to forecast severe weather, including hurricanes and tornados, reduce property values, and pose a threat to the health and well being of residents who live in the shadow of the landfill.

The state granted an appeal by those impacted by the dump last month and last week set the date for the forthcoming hearing, which is, according to legal representatives, similar to a civil court lawsuit with both sides of the issue presenting evidence.

The hearing on the Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion Permit Hearing is set for 10:00 a.m., Oct. 16, 2007 in the Fort Bend County Commissioner’s Courtroom on 309 South 4th Street, Suite 701 in Richmond. . .(click title link for the full story).

FBS Covers Landfill & Local TV Station Controversy (3 articles--click title link for first one)

TV stations say landfill expansion could
knock the wind out of hurricane warnings

By Cheryl Skinner
A prominent Austin environmental attorney has entered the battle to keep Blue Ridge Landfill from gaining an expansion permit that will allow it to pile trash 170 foot high. Three Houston television stations are now saying the plan could knock the wind out of Doppler radar predictions and impact the public safety of the entire area.


Austin attorney, Rick Lowerre, says he has filed paperwork with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on behalf of three Houston area television stations. In a press release last week Lowerre said at least two Houston television stations will ask the State to deny a permit to expand a Houston area landfill.

KTRK Channel 13 (ABC) and KHOU Channel 11 (CBS) filed documents last week in opposition to the height increase of the landfill because the increase would block the stations’ weather radar towers, putting the public at great risk from hurricanes and other severe weather events, Lowerre said. In a phone interview Monday, Lowerre said FOX television had also joined in the attempt to thwart the expansion because that station also has towers in the immediate area of the landfill. . .(get the full story by clicking title link above).

Other FBS related stories:

http://www.fortbendstar.com/Columns/skinner_cheryl.htm

http://www.fortbendstar.com/041807/n_Commissioners%20use%20BFI%20tipping%20fees%20for%20Arcola%20area%20youth%20program.htm

Missouri City Online Survey Available (follow this title link to take this survey--click here)-

See these related FBN pieces:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/2598/missouri-city-quality-of-life-eroding

http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/2568/mo-city-council-needs-to-show-they-care-about-what-citizens-think


Take the survey by clicking the title link above.


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