INDEPENDENT • JULY 11, 2018 • Page 5
NEWS $15 billion Bullet Train in Texas Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission awards $200,000 to Cullinan Park on track to roll out next year It’s no hyperloop, but construction of a 200-mile-perhour bullet train from Houston to Dallas could begin as early as next year. Add in the recently announced Amtrak partnership that will cover last-mile trips and tie into the rail company’s established interstate network, and Texas is looking at a major mass transit expansion. Developers Texas Central Partners (TCP) will be privately financing the $15 billion, 240-mile-long high-speed rail line, and have been on a public outreach spree as they attempt to drum up support and garner feedback for their proposal. TCP argues that the Texas Bullet Train will bring in $3 billion in state and local tax revenue through 2040, in addition to the $36 billion in direct spending; not to mention the tens of thousands of projected construction jobs. TCP is still hashing out the exact station locations but are planning on building the 60-acre Dallas stop south of the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, with a footbridge from the station to the convention center. On the other side of the 90-minute trip
in Houston, TCP has chosen the city’s Northwest Mall as the preferred location for their station. The mall site will give way to a 45-acre, multi-level train complex with easy access to I-610 and U.S. 290. Additional stops between the two cities, such as in the city of Byran/College Station, have already been confirmed. Still, not everyone is on board with the rail plan, and landowners along the proposed route have fought and lobbied their state legislators over the company possible use of eminent domain to acquire their property. TCP has outlined their process for picking up the required properties, including offering market value for parcels in the Bullet Train’s path and pledging to minimize the impact on landowners. That hasn’t stopped the opposition from filing a flurry of bullet train bills in the state Senate, though only two of the proposed twenty measures managed to pass. As a result the state will not use taxpayer fund for the project, a move that TCP did not oppose. The free-market funding requirement hasn’t slowed the Bullet Train’s progress
down, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), a subsection of the United States Department of Transportation, has given the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) the green light. The FRA also proposed an optimal route that would disrupt the least amount of people, and engineering and construction firms WSP, Fluor, Bechtel, and Lane Construction are now all helping to lay the groundwork for the project’s eventual construction. The Amtrak tie-in certainly won’t hurt the project’s chances, but high-speed rail remains notoriously expensive. Although high-speed rail has historically floundered in the U.S., such as the $77 billion north-south bullet train currently under construction in California, TCP’s business plan, and the use of private funds, combined with the high level of government support, has helped the project avoid the hurdles plaguing similar projects.
Boardwalk on White Lake at Cullinan Park — Photo by Robbin Mallett Chairperson plans. The Texas Parks and Committee Visitors to the 754-acre Wildlife Commission (TPWC) Nancy Olson said, “White recently approved a $200,000 Lake is the jewel of Cullinan Joseph S. and Lucie H. grant to fund a trail around Park. We are ecstatic to be Cullinan Park in Sugar Land on our way to starting this will find a huge variety of flora White Lake at Cullinan Park. Cullinan Park long-anticipated project!” The and fauna, as well as trails. Conservancy’s application project is slated to begin mid- The Conservancy works to enhance the natural beauty of was the sixth highest scored 2019. — Jonathan Hilburg application The Conservancy has the Park for all by raising funds among 67 - https://archpaper. applicants, receiving the max presented the City of Sugar for capital improvements. com/2018/06/ award amount available. For more information Land with over $1 million the Park or A dirt trail currently exists for park improvements which on around White Lake, but it is include building a permanent Conservancy, visit www. an unofficial trail that is not restroom, clearing existing cullinanparkconservancy. maintained and often floods. trails and installing benches org or contact Executive The new trail will be a mixture among other enhancements. Director Angie Wierzbicki at of decomposed granite and The addition of 1.5 miles of trail cullinanparkconservancy@ around the lake is significant gmail.com or 281-616-7860. boardwalks. Conservancy Development to the Conservancy’s park
Free Blast from the Past 60’s-style event comes to the 55-plus Community of Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch
Local students honored at annual SkillsUSA workforce development event
A free night of 1960’s-style fun is coming to Houston during the Blast from the Past Party at Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch, a 55plus community by Taylor Morrison, a leading national builder and developer. Those who attend can experience the excitement of Bonterra living while they nibble on munchies, indulge in beer and wine, sip on a strawberry fields martini, and register for the chance to win a groovy 1960s gift basket that includes a $200 gift card! Bonterra’s free Blast from the Past party will feature music from THE FAB 5, a 1960’s tribute band. So put on your go-go boots and get ready to twist, shimmy and shake the night away! “Our Blast from the Past party is one of our signature events of the year, with decade themed music, food, and fun for everyone that attends,” said Amy Rino, division president of Taylor Morrison Houston, Darling Homes Houston and Bonterra. “It is the perfect opportunity for all to experience the funloving lifestyle that comes
with a Taylor Morrison home at Bonterra.” It’s all happening on Saturday, July 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch Clubhouse located at 5439 Golden Manor Drive, Fulshear, TX 77441. To RSVP, email bccrconcierge@nfcamenity. com with “Blast from the Past” in the subject line and include the number of guests. Directions: http://bit. ly/2I5dS69. Must be at least 21 to attend. Designed and developed for today’s 55-plus homebuyer looking for resort-style living, Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch offers a 10,000-squarefoot clubhouse that’s the social center of the community with a fitness center, movement studio, catering kitchen, cards and billiards room, The Spa at Bonterra, a resort-style pool, bocce ball and pickle ball courts, and more. Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch features two homebuilders, Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes, each offering distinctively different collections within the 55-plus community.
Taylor Morrison boasts three, distinct series of Taylor Morrison homes, including the Landmark Series, the Summit Series and the Pinnacle Series. With new home prices starting in the low $200,000s and eleven one-story floor plans to choose from http:// b i t . l y / 2 q O 7 H z f , Ta y l o r Morrison offers an impressive lineup of homes with options to fit every lifestyle. Discover luxury blended with an upscale lifestyle with Darling Homes in Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch. The builder, known for offering a higher level of architectural options and distinctive feature levels, features its Sanctuary Collection of homes designed for entertainment and convenience. For more information about Taylor Morrison in Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch, visit http://bit.ly/BonterraatCCR or call 281-780-4652. For more information about Darling Homes in Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch, visit http://bit.ly/2IR1h6P or call 713-401-2008
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Career and technical students in Texas won one of the nation’s highest awards at the 2018 SkillsUSA Championships, held in Louisville, Ky., on June 27-28, 2018. More than 6,300 students competed at the national showcase of career and technical education. The SkillsUSA Championships is the largest skill competition in the world and covers 1.4 million square feet, equivalent to 20 football fields or 25 acres. Students were invited to the event to demonstrate their technical skills, workplace skills and personal skills in 102 hands-on occupational and leadership competitions including robotics, automotive technology, drafting, criminal justice, aviation maintenance and public speaking. Industry leaders from 600 businesses, corporations, trade associations and unions planned and evaluated the contestants against their standards for entry-level workers. Industry support of the SkillsUSA Championships is valued at over $36 million in donated
time, equipment, cash and material. More than 1,900 industry judges and technical committee members participated this year. Skill Point Certificates were awarded in 72 occupational and leadership areas to students who met a predetermined threshold score in their competition, as defined by industry. The Skill Point Certificate is a component of SkillsUSA’s assessment program for career and technical education. The following students received Skill Point Certificates from your area: * Edwin Paul, from Missouri City and a student at Hightower High School (Missouri City), was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Health Occupations Professional Portfolio. * Team H (consisting of Ann Maliackal, Hai Ren Xia, Theresa Pham, Renee Yu), from Hightower High School (Missouri City ), was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Health Knowledge Bowl. “More than 6,300 students
from every state in the nation participated in the 2018 SkillsUSA Championships,” said SkillsUSA executive director Tim Lawrence. “This showcase of career and technical education demonstrates our SkillsUSA partnership at its finest. Our students, instructors and industry partners work together to ensure that every student excels. This program expands learning and career opportunities for our members.” The SkillsUSA Championships event is held annually for students in middle school, high school or college/postsecondary programs as part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. More than 360,000 students and advisors join SkillsUSA annually, organized into more than 18,000 sections and 53 state and territorial associations. The national, nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry is a verified talent pipeline for America’s skilled workforce that is working to help solve the skills gap.
Sugar Land Police assessment provides valuable feedback The Center for Public Safety Management’s (CPSM) recent assessment of the Sugar Land Police Department confirmed that the city has a modern police agency that is professional and responsive to community needs. The assessment was part of an overall program of continuous improvement utilizing benchmarks developed by nationally recognized organizations. Industry experts who conducted the assessment made 54 recommendations related to the deployment of resources, organizational structure, performance
measures, community outreach and other areas to ensure that Sugar Land remains one of the safest cities in the country. Sugar Land’s crime rate for 2017 was the lowest on record after hitting a 20-year low in 2016. Industry experts who conducted the assessment credited SLPD as one of the best run agencies they’ve evaluated in the nation. Contributing to SLPD’s success is a commitment to a strong police presence, community partnerships, public education, technology implementation such as cameras, training and departmental leadership
development. A collaborative action plan will be developed by city leaders to review recommendations from the assessment and enhance operational effectiveness. The project will include identifying which of the recommendations may be implemented immediately and long-term. Recommendations that require increased expenditures will be evaluated through the City’s budget process. The full report is posted at www.sugarlandtx.gov/ PDAssessment.