The Office of Commissioner Garcia and Harris County Engineering Department affirms their commitment to deliver sustainable infrastructure that enhances the economic, social, and environmental conditions in Precinct 2
HARRIS COUNTY, TX— Commissioner Adrian Garcia will kick off the design of the first roadway project in Harris County and the State of Texas that will seek Envision® Verification. The reconstruction of Kowis Street in East Aldine is intended to enhance the economic, social, and environmental conditions along the corridor between Halls Bayou and Precinct 2’s James Driver Park.
The proposed project includes reconstructing Kowis Street from the Halls Bayou Hike and Bike Trail to James Driver Park so that pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers using the corridor and the adjacent property owners and tenants will realize improved social, environmental, and economic benefits.
“I have directed my staff to work with Harris County Engineering Department to develop a sustainability management policy that includes commitments to achieving improvements in sustainable performance with clear objectives and targets,” said Commissioner Garcia.
Published by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, Envision® is an objective framework that advances sustainable approaches for planning, designing, constructing, and operating public infrastructure projects. The framework helps guide project decision-making to foster an enhanced quality of life for project stakeholders, effective leadership, better resource allocation, conservation and restoration of natural resources, reduced air emissions, and improved resilience.
“Envision is an engineering approach to improve resilience and sustainability in infrastructure projects in the same way that LEED guides the architectural design of buildings,” said Commissioner Garcia. “LEED has proven successful, and I believe that Envision will also be successful.”
Illustrating his commitment to address social, environmental, and economic aspects of Precinct 2 projects , Commissioner Garcia directed the County Engineering Department to move forward with the use of the Envision® Rating System to guide new project planning and design. On January 8, 2019, Harris County Commissioners approved the County Engineer’s request to obtain credentialing training for engineering staff and managers.
“For many years, we have followed the LEED sustainability guidelines,” said County Engineer John Blount. “We appreciate the Court’s vision and support to expand our sustainability approach to our traditional infrastructure projects. We have moved forward with training and credentialing our project managers to become Envision Sustainability Professionals,” he continued. “I expect this will be the first Envision Verified project of many more projects to come.”
For updates on this project, visit www.hcp2.com or follow Harris County Precinct 2 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Nextdoor.
For additional information on the Envision® Rating System please visit sustainableinfrastructure.org/