US290 highway expansion to begin taking estimated 450 properties

Eminent domain last resort

Jay Blazek Crossley, Sep 05, 12.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) will begin attempting to acquire some of the possibly 450 properties that will be displaced if the full three phase major automobile lane expansion goes forward, according to Community Impact Newspaper:

TxDOT’s impact statement was approved by the Federal Highway Administration in August 2010 and breaks up the study area of affected properties into three sections—Hwy. 290, Hempstead Road and Loop 610—which leaves about 780 acres needed for additional right of way acquisition.

The project has displaced more than 30 businesses so far and could displace about 450 property owners in Northwest Houston, including 134 businesses, 87 single family homes, 225 multifamily homes, multiple storage units and several miles of pipeline and equipment, according to the impact statement.

TxDOT has implemented an acquisition and relocation assistance program to provide counseling to property owners required to relocate as a result of the Hwy. 290 expansion project.

Single-family residences that could be displaced are primarily in the Oak Forest and White Oak Falls neighborhoods. Popular businesses in the 15000 and 16000 blocks of Hwy. 290 near Jersey Village that may be displaced include Taco Bell, Wendy’s, McDonalds and Chevron, according to the FEIS.

The properties to be acquired were listed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement issued in 2010, according to Houston Tomorrow. Beyond properties lost to eminent domain, the additional automobile travel lanes will cause more traffic and will induce development that will take between 5,000 and 7,500 acres of additional farmland and open space losses, simply through the stated goal of TXDOT to “open up more lands for development.”