Phase 2 for The Trails—a master-planned community in New Caney—has kicked off, with about 350 homes planned for the area, according to an April 27 news release from developer Castle Hill Partners.

What’s new: Spanning more than 30 acres, the second phase of The Trails is now offering homes for sale on 40-, 45-, 50- and 60-foot homesites. Construction is underway on 30 of the homes, with multiple completed or nearly finished.

How we got here: The Trails is located near the intersection of the Grand Parkway and Plum Grove Road in New Caney. The community features 600 contiguous acres of preserved natural land reserved for future trails and outdoor recreation, as well as land designated for a proposed on-site school.

Here's the latest updates on several Montgomery County Precinct 4 transportation projects in New Caney and Porter.

Galaxy Boulevard extension
Project: Galaxy Boulevard will be extended north of FM 1485/the Grand Parkway.
Update: The contract for this project has been finalized and approved, Precinct 4 officials said.

• Timeline: Project kickoff to begin in April

• Timeline: Scheduled to advertise for construction in April

• Timeline: January 2026-first quarter 2027

In a one-year snapshot of Greater Houston attitudes, residents expressed the largest drop in confidence about regional job opportunities in more than 40 years, according to survey results released April 27 from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

About the data: Rice University researchers collected nearly 9,000 responses between January and February from residents in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.

At a glance: One quarter of residents across all three counties named the economy as the “biggest problem” facing the Houston area this year compared to 16% in 2025, survey results show.

Crime and safety was the second-most commonly identified problem, followed by the cost of housing for Harris County residents and traffic for residents of Fort Bend and Montgomery counties. 

Another detail: The percentage of residents reporting they are “just getting by” or “finding it difficult to get by” increased across all income groups in the past year, survey results show.

Also of note: About 7 in 10 residents expressed concern about the environment’s effects on their health, researchers found. 

At their respective meetings April 23, Conroe City Council and Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved an interlocal agreement with each other tied to the next stretch of the David Memorial Drive extension.

The agreement clears the way for the county to take the lead on building the final roughly 1,500 feet of roadway from the Conroe city limits to Hwy. 242.

The details: The agreement states the project is intended to improve mobility, help traffic move more smoothly and ease congestion in the area.

What they’re saying: During the Conroe City Council meeting, City Administrator Gary Scott said the arrangement was a way to move the long-discussed project forward while reducing the city’s financial responsibility.

How we got here: The David Memorial Drive extension has been in the works for years. Community Impact previously reported that the project began in September 2023 under an interlocal agreement between Shenandoah and Montgomery County, with the first phase later reaching the Conroe city limits.

Check out several events going on in the Greater Houston area to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

1. Cinco de Mayo Rooftop Party
Join Post Houston for a Cinco de Mayo celebration on the Skylawn featuring live Latin music, margaritas, palomas and ranch waters, and sample drinks from Aquasol, Herradura, Mijenta, and Estrella Jalisco as the sun goes down over the Houston skyline.

• May 1, 7-10 p.m.
• Free
• 401 Franklin St., Houston

• May 2, 2-7 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 5373 First St., Katy

• May 2, 11:30 a.m. (restaurant opens), 6 p.m. (live music starts)
• Free (admission)
• Paradigm Brewing, 2130 South Persimmon Lane, Tomball

Over 130 Central Texas residents and visitors died over the July 4 weekend as an intense rainstorm and flooding swept through the region. Among them were 28 deaths at Camp Mystic: 25 young campers; aged 8 to 10 years old; two 18-year-old counselors; and 70-year-old Richard "Dick" Eastland, the camp's executive director.

The private Christian girls camp has been under scrutiny for the actions camp leaders took to attempt to save campers in cabins along the Guadalupe River.

What's happening: During the second day of public hearings April 28, a panel of lawmakers investigating the July 4 flood heard roughly 12 hours of testimony from: 

• The Eastland family, which owns and operates Camp Mystic
• The head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management
• The families of some campers who survived the flood
• The parents of seven girls who died at Camp Mystic on July 4
• Officials from the Texas Department of State Health Services, which licenses youth camps

Community Impact is reporting on the New Caney, Porter and Roman Forest area’s continued transition from a more rural region to a suburban area. Please contact Reporter Wesley Gardner at [email protected] if you’re willing to share your thoughts on the area’s transition in an interview.