Beautification

Save the date for the morning of Saturday, March 26. That's when teams of volunteers from companies and organizations will converge on the Westchase District trail system on a mission to clean up litter during Trails Without Trash from 8 - 10 a.m. Joggers, cyclists, dog walkers and pedestrians regularly enjoy Westchase District's trail system, which begins at Westheimer immediately east of Houston Community College's Hayes Road campus. The trail continues all the way to Art Storey Park south…..Read More

West Houston residents, more specifically those in Westchase District, now have a new park and green space for year-round play, arts and culture, classes and seasonal events with the opening of the expansive Woodchase Park. Located at 3951 Woodchase Drive south of Westpark Drive at the Westpark Tollway, the area’s largest and first fully programmed public park will serve the more than 6,500 households located within a mile radius.  The park also connects to the…..Read More

Woodchase Park has entered the landscaping phase with Maiden Grass, Sandi Leaf Fig Ivy, Allee Elms and Fringe Trees now planted in the ground around the park as construction nears completion. A water misting feature has been installed and will be a fun draw in the Children's Play Space, along with shredded rubber surfacing and the synthetic turf system surrounded by concrete berm mounds. Find out more about the park at woodchasepark.com including a schedule of…..Read More

The now lit pedestrian street pole lights aren't necessary to see numerous enhancements on Elmside and Woodchase Drives. But having illuminated sidewalks do make an evening stroll more enjoyable. Recent work on the street has resulted in a highly noticeable transformation. New wider, continuous sidewalks were installed to build the 1.25-mile Elmside/Woodchase Side Path with back-of-curb improvements. Half moon and playful spheres are in place. Loquat Leaf Oak and Crape Myrtle trees fill landscaped beds…..Read More

Everywhere you turn, Westchase District’s identity is becoming a little more colorful through a series of new public art murals painted by Larry Crawford. The artist has been on a prolific painting spree these past months, debuting new works on bridges and retaining walls. Crawford produced four murals that capture the identity and feel of the area, all of which are a visual treat for one to spy. The Nutria Mural is on the Deerwood…..Read More

Months of construction progress and work are enhancing Elmside and Woodchase Drives as streetscape improvements are nearing completion. Select driveway sections along the path have been replaced and repaved while wider, continuous sidewalks have been built on the east side of the street. The new sidewalks connect pedestrians and cyclists from Westheimer to Woodchase Park. Along the 1.4 mile-path, the District replaced span wires with the installation of traffic light mast arms (at Westpark and…..Read More

Fewer than 50 trees were originally marked to be removed by the construction of Walnut Bend Lane. This included some that were already on the decline, plus some that were in conflict with the proposed improvements. Most of those trees were covered by the City of Houston’s Tree Protection ordinance, which dictates that any removed trees be offset by new trees within the project area. For example, if a construction project removes trees with a…..Read More

Crews are finishing work on a 2.25-mile “side path” that will improve connections to the Terry Hershey Trail, while improving roadway conditions that connect the Walnut Bend neighborhood to the West Sam Houston Tollway frontage road. This improvement was first identified in Westchase District’s 2016 Ped/Bike plan that identified pedestrian and bicycling needs and prioritized improvements. “This project quickly rose to the top of the priority list because of the heavy bicycle and pedestrian traffic…..Read More

Woodchase Park is on schedule to open later in the year as construction progress is noticeable around the entire property. At 1.7 acres, Woodchase Park will be a fully programmed park which means it will host events such as arts and crafts classes, exercise classes, weekly book clubs and boot camps. Monthly activities might include gardening workshops. The construction of the performance pavilion has gone vertical. The pavilion’s roof, support beams, building structure and foundation…..Read More

Highrise Live Oaks were planted originally by Westchase District in 2005. At that time, they were a newly-propagated tree. As its name suggests, they were supposed to grow tall, rather than have a wide canopy like a traditional Live Oak tree. That would have made them perfect for a streetscape environment. But these trees chose to grow “out,” rather than “up.” Westchase District has moved 17 of the trees to Woodchase Park, which is under…..Read More