Houston agrees to sell trail land to TxDOT for I-45 reconstruction

Facing stiff opposition, the Houston City Council voted Wednesday to sell nearly three acres of land along the White Oak Bayou Greenway to the Texas Department of Transportation for a controversial realignment of Interstate 45.

The sale of the land reignited a years-long debate over the project, which reached a turning point in 2022 with an agreement between the state and then-Mayor Sylvester Turner intended to address community concerns.

TxDOT says it plans to build on the popular trail — not demolish it — but opponents have warned of construction disruption and long-term damage to a towering highway structure.

After delaying a vote on the sale last week, District H Councilmember Mario Castillo sought to craft a deal that would keep Houston as owner of the land while granting TxDOT an easement on it.

Mayor John Whitmire, however, said the city intended to move forward as planned, and Castillo called a vote that opponents of the sale lost 11-4.

I-45 again

For more than 20 years, transportation officials have been planning an ambitious overhaul of the downtown road network aimed at reducing flooding and easing traffic congestion.

In 2015, the state unveiled plans to move I-45 east of downtown, sparking opposition from supporters of the White Oak Bayou Greenway.

Under TxDOT’s $11 billion plan, the new I-45 would cross White Oak Bayou north of the University of Houston-Downtown, before turning south to run east of downtown, parallel to Interstate 69.

Renderings of the final product show an interlocking mass of highway overpasses overlooking the hiking and biking trail and blocking views of downtown.

TxDOT has promised not to block the trail itself. This commitment is of little comfort to trail users whose patch of green space will be transformed into a noisy underpass, opponents say.

As part of an agreement with the federal government, TxDOT promised to maintain access to the trail or a comparable detour even during construction. Critics question whether the agency will follow through on the decision.

When the sale of the parcel for $261,000 appeared on the City Council agenda last week, the Stop TxDOT I-45 coalition mounted a campaign to derail it. The group says it wants the city to enter into an easement agreement that would allow Houston to retain ultimate control over the land.

“Thirty-one lanes of highway over White Oak Bayou does not appear to protect our community,” coalition member Erin Erickson told the City Council Tuesday. “Selling this land to TxDOT is a bell that can no longer be rung. And with all due respect, any promises or assurances that TxDOT gives to this agency or the community will most likely be broken. We’ve seen it time and time again. Highways are always more important to TxDOT than the wants and needs of the community.

The Council is moving

In response to a deluge of emails and phone calls last week, Castillo joined other council members in pushing back the vote on the land sale until this week.

In the meantime, Castillo had a conversation with TxDOT officials in which he raised the idea of ​​an easement instead of a land sale, he said Tuesday. The agency has made it clear it prefers to own the land, he said.

TxDOT declined an interview request, with a spokesperson saying the agency was busy responding to last week’s storms.

Before Wednesday’s council meeting, Castillo said he planned to delay the vote on selling the land to pursue the idea of ​​an easement.

“It’s not about stopping this project. This project is happening,” Castillo said. “Pollution, noise, impacts. This has an impact on my constituents. I try to make sure that what we do has as little impact on District H as possible.”

Castillo’s attempt to stop the sale was quickly opposed by Whitmire, a longtime supporter of I-45 realignment, even as other politicians expressed doubts. Separately, Whitmire also clashed with Stop TxDOT I-45 member organizations over issues such as bike lanes and sidewalks.

Proponents of the sale noted that TxDOT can take the land even without city approval via eminent domain. Whitmire also said halting the sale could pose risks to the city’s 2022 memorandum of understanding with TxDOT.

Under questioning from council members, City Attorney Arturo Michel said the agreement would remain in effect if the city was forced to surrender the land under eminent domain, but that the city could lose its “influence” over TxDOT.

Whitmire said if Castillo wanted an extra week to communicate with voters, he could have it, but he shouldn’t expect any changes to the overall plan.

” The project advances. It’s just, do we take a week to inform people, clear up any misinformation? » said Whitmire. “But I hope we don’t spend the week energizing those who were opposed to the project in any form.”

Sale approved

Facing opposition from Whitmire, Castillo said he wanted to take an up or down vote on the land sale. Whitmire went to vote – but not without first going after Castillo.

“Dude, I thought you when I got to work this morning that you wanted one more week,” Whitmire said.

Whitmire voted in favor of the sale along with board members Amy Peck, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Fred Flickinger, Mary Nan Huffman, Joaquin Martinez, Martha Castex-Tatum, Julian Ramirez, Willie Davis, Twila Carter and Sallie Alcorn.

Castillo, Abbie Kamin, Edward Pollard and Letitia Plummer voted against.

Board members Tarsha Jackson and Tiffany Thomas were absent.

After the vote, Stop TxDOT I-45 released a statement urging city officials to hold TxDOT to its promise to maintain access to the trail.

“We are disappointed in today’s vote and urge the Mayor and City Council to remain vigilant to ensure TxDOT provides assurance to keep the White Oak Bayou Trail open during and after construction,” the group said .

Related

Republish this story

Republish our articles for free, online or in print.