Hello,

While the northeastern part of our country is digging out from under heavy drifts of snow, here in Spring Branch, we’re starting the New Year with more temperate winter weather and a sunny outlook for what’s ahead of us.

Celebrating a decade of service to the community, the Spring Branch Management District has accomplished so much, and our 10-year State of the District event September 30 enabled us to showcase these improvements. More than 200 people registered to attend the event at the Westin Hotel, and we had to scurry to accommodate an additional 30 unexpected attendees who were eager to hear what’s in store for the community in the years ahead.

A video posted on the “business” section of our website (sbmd.org) highlights the positive changes since the District’s inception in 2005: median home values have increased 36 percent; median household income has increased 29 percent; and retail growth has increased 38 percent.

We’ve made considerable progress with ongoing improvement projects that address environmental and urban design, public safety, business and economic development, mobility and transportation, and rebranding and promoting the community. Public awareness of the advantages of living here have increased 24 percent, thanks to our successful radio and billboard campaign encouraging Houstonians to “quit the commute” and move to “The Heart of Houston.”

But we’re not resting on our laurels. Looking forward, we have just completed a two-year study that is the foundation for our 15-year comprehensive plan, which identifies four main areas on which we plan to focus from 2015 to 2030.

First, we hope to re-imagine Long Point Road as the Main Street of our thriving community. Second, we’ll be studying and identifying other infrastructure issues throughout the District. With more than 2,000 new homes being built in the next year alone, we have to examine ways to improve our drainage issues to accommodate additional residential and business growth. And we plan to assist the residents of some of our more established neighborhoods understand and reinstate protective deed restrictions.

Meanwhile, we’ll be continuing our landscaping and maintenance of the area’s esplanades to make our area’s thoroughfares more inviting and aesthetically appealing. We’ll also be examining quality of life issues, such as providing a way for Spring Branch residents to connect to a bayou trail system that will provide hike-and-bike access all the way to downtown Houston.

We hope you’ll join us in supporting our ambitious and optimistic vision to re-imagine Spring Branch as we continue to build upon its many assets.

Sincerely,

Pat Maddox

Chairwoman, SBMD Board of Directors