Residents Help Shape Future of Katy East During Community Meeting With Commissioner Lesley Briones
John King, a resident of unincorporated Katy, viewed the maps on the table in a meeting room at Houston Community College-Katy campus on Saturday. He could see the roads and greenspace spread across the East Katy area today, but King was more interested in what the maps don’t show yet.
King was one of several Katy East residents who participated in a community meeting hosted by Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones to kickoff the Katy East Community Plan and Mobility Study. The meeting served as an opportunity for residents to weigh in on the future of transportation, public spaces, and more.
"I’ve lived in Katy for over 10 years, and it’s such a great place to live,” John King, a resident of Katy, said. “With the Precinct and all the other offices coming to listen to us, I think the community is headed in the right direction.”
Residents spoke directly to project consultants and the Precinct 4 team to express concerns about the need for more sidewalks to connect neighborhoods to schools and suggested increasing lanes on narrow roads. Some residents were optimistic about how the anticipated changes from the Katy East Community Plan and Mobility Study will foster greater connectivity in unincorporated Katy.
“There are no bus stops in the part of Katy where I live,” Cindy Viveros, a resident of Katy, said. “And I know that having buses, bus stops, and public transportation in our community is not only going to boost our economy, but [also] give more freedom to people in our community.”
Commissioner Lesley Briones said she and her team prioritized working hand-in-hand with the community throughout the planning process.
“We want all residents and their families to be able to more easily commute to where they live, work, and worship. My team and I are determined to design infrastructure that is community-driven and that helps create connectivity,” Commissioner Briones said. “Ensuring everyone has access to quality public transportation is one critical way we can drive opportunity and enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
After gathering community feedback from future public workshops and meetings, the public will be able to see the Precinct’s draft capital project recommendations for the overall long-term vision for unincorporated Katy at the final community workshop in June.
For more information about the Katy East Community Plan and Mobility Study, visit cp4.harriscountytx.gov/Katy-East. Residents are also invited to complete a survey to provide feedback on the plan at surveymonkey.com/r/KatyEastSurvey.
Source: HCP4
