Water Quality Management in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

June 23, 2016

Omar Hakeem and Hugo Colón giving Mehmet Boz and David Dilks a tour of La Hacienda Casitas.

Learn more about the Colonias LID program in the LRGV.

[bc] partnered with Texas A&M Kingsville and the Local Stormwater Taskforce during the 17th Annual Water Quality Management & Planning Conference held in South Padre Island. [bc] showcased the role of stormwater management in various RGV-based projects: RAPIDO, Colonias LID and La Hacienda Casitas.

Through the sponsorship of the Surdna Foundation, [bc] brought two stormwater management experts to speak about stormwater management strategies at different scales that could benefit the Lower Rio Grande Valley and its various colonias.

Dr. David Dilks, Vice President of LimnoTech, an engineering firm with an international reputation for hydrological modeling, shared his knowledge on the management of floodwaters in low-gradient and rural settings. Dr. Dilks has worked on projects all over the country, but highlighted projects in the DC metro area, as well as an agricultural land management project in the Midwest. Both projects were in very flat topography, so they provided applicable lessons to the Rio Grande Valley.

In addition, Mehmet Boz, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE., and civil practice leader with KCI Technologies in San Antonio, shared his knowledge of Low Impact Development and Water Management in south central Texas. Dr. Boz taught conference attendees that LID strategies can be used in Texas, where there are issues of drought that coexist with severe flooding. LID strategies have been very well explored on the East Coast, but the strategies need to be different here in Texas due to the climate. He showed ways to improve water quality, mitigate run-off and flooding, add shade and increase vegetation.

*Mehmet Boz presenting on LID strategies, featuring a rendering done by [bc] for a right of way improvement in a colonia.*

David Dilks presenting a hydrological model done to study the effects of an LID strategy.

Both Dr. Dilks and Dr. Boz will be part of [bc]'s ongoing drainage initiatives in the LRGV as technical advisors through the sponsorship of the Surdna Foundation. [bc] Planning Associate Hugo Colón participated as co-moderator during these two panels. [bc] led Dr. Dilks and Dr. Boz on tours of the area, visiting several colonias and the La Hacienda Casitas.

Belden Connect: Beyond the Belden Trail

June 3, 2015

Learn more about the Belden Trail here.

Belden Connect is an extension of the existing mile-long Belden Trail that will run from Palm Boulevard and connect to 6th Street in downtown Brownsville. With funding from the City of Brownsville, it will reactivate another stretch of the abandoned railroad easement before turning onto Old Alice Road, where there will be a dedicated bike and pedestrian lane that is safely separated from vehicular traffic. The amenities from the existing trail, which range from custom benches, trash cans, native vegetation and pavilions will continue onto the extension. The connection to downtown will link the Belden Trail to the Mitte Cultural District and the Historic Battlefield Trail.

On Monday, May 18, [bc] organized the first community meeting with residents and business owners adjacent to the proposed trail extension. At the meeting, neighbors and business owners voiced their opinion on the location of the trail, the type of program they wanted, and other design priorities. We learned that the group was very excited about a potential outdoor dining area behind the local restaurants on the trail and have incorporated space for that to happen in the future. They also preferred to have the trail moving away from the backyards of residents, leaving space for new wildflowers, grasses and trees.

On May 28, [bc] held a second community meeting regarding the design of the new trail extension. The meeting took place at the Pavilion, located at the end of the Belden Trail, so attendees could reflect on what they liked about the current trail. Attendees then walked down the proposed trail path to give their feedback. We coordinated the event with a bike ride organized by the Brownsville Bike Brigade and invited local wellness groups, recreational advocacy groups and bike enthusiasts. Approximately 30 - 40 community members participated in the meeting.

The May 28 event kicked off with an exercise to understand what people liked and disliked about the existing Belden Trail and other trails in the area. We learned that people love the smooth pavement, easy access and social aspect of the trail -- however, they also want more connections to major sites around town, more shade and better methods for dealing with graffiti and litter.

The project proposes extending the Belden Trail towards 6th St in Downtown Brownsville to connect to the Mitte Cultural District, museums, and the exiting Historic Battlefield Trail.

The community prioritized the pavilion, bench locations and bike racks. The group also voted on vegetation types and tree species, showing a strong preference for wildflowers and native grasses over mown grass. We also solicited ideas on how we could use the old railroad infrastructure as the base of a public art piece that serves to beautify while also slowing vehicle traffic. The group cited murals, placemaking signage, interactive lights to calm traffic and several other great ideas.

The project will run along an abandoned railroad right of way behind Palm Village Mall and Old Alice Rd. The first segment will be similar to the existing Belden Trail, while the second segment will be a designated pedestrian-bike lane connecting to… — The project will run along an abandoned railroad right of way behind Palm Village Mall and Old Alice Rd. The first segment will be similar to the existing Belden Trail, while the second segment will be a designated pedestrian-bike lane connecting to 6th St.

Celebrating Local Heroes

January 21, 2015

Learn more about our MLK Day of Service projects here.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged us to build a more perfect union and taught us that everyone has a role to play in that effort. For our 2015 service project in his honor, [bc] set out to recognize some of those who serve their communities by releasing the Second Edition of buildingcommunityHEROES trading cards. By creating a fun, tactile, and pocketable way to learn about those working to improve our communities, we hope to encourage those of all ages to honor their heroes and engage in the causes that speak to them.

We put out the call for local hero nominations at the beginning of January and received just over 100 nominations for those working tirelessly in Dallas, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley. Nominations included selfless family members, state senators, founders of schools, advocacy group members and fearless neighborhood leaders. It was not easy, but from here we researched and curated the nominations to get a final group of heroes with a diverse range of causes, ages, backgrounds and levels of impact. After the final selections were made, the cards were printed, sorted, packaged and ready for a January 19 distribution.

We distributed the cards on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and throughout the week in Dallas, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley. We hope that the stories of these 24 heroes will inspire people to be more active in their communities. We also hope that the cards will encourage people to think about and honor their local heroes. If you were not able to pick up a pack, check out all 24 heroes plus 2014's at www.buildingcommunityheroes.org.

Who is your hero? Share them on social media at #bcHEROES2015 and nominate them for the third edition of trading cards!

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