HTX-BMW: Impact 10/24/2025

What you need to know: Houston city council approved an interlocal agreement related to construction on a new detention basin at its meeting Oct. 22, which would make room for more flood relief for residents in Southwest Houston. The new detention basin is phase two of the Meyergrove Stormwater Detention Basin project. It will be located just west of the already-completed stormwater basins inside Loop 610 between Brays Bayou and North Braeswood Boulevard.

The impact: According to the meeting agenda, phase two will bring in around 8.1 additional acre-feet of water storage to reduce the risk of street flooding for residents in the North Braeswood Boulevard and Frankway Drive area. One acre-foot of water is equivalent to 325,851 gallons.

What to expect: At the city council meeting, council member Abbie Kamin said they’re almost done with design for phase two and anticipate a groundbreaking in the middle of 2026.

The completion of a new playground structure at Bellaire’s Lafayette Park is being celebrated by city officials and members of the nonprofit PATRONS for Bellaire Parks. 

City Manager Sharon Citino announced the public event during the Oct. 20 City Council meeting. 

A closer look: A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Oct. 28 at the park—located at 4337 Lafayette St., Bellaire—from 6-6:30 p.m., according to the event flyer. The new playground structure will be in addition to the Bellaire park’s current amenities which include:

• A dog park
• A youth soccer field
• Open green space
• Picnic shelter
• Picnic tables
• Playground area

Harris County Public Health officials announced the launch of an online, public dashboard aimed at informing the community about human cases of mosquito-borne diseases.

Explained: As of Oct. 16, at least 192 positive mosquito samples across the county have been identified. Throughout the year, HCPH’s mosquito and vector control department officials track, test, and eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes in the county, according to an Oct. 17 news release.

A closer look: In 2025, HCPH confirmed West Nile virus in the northern section of the county including parts of Tomball, Spring, Humble, Cypress, Katy and Kingwood.

Quote of note: Jennifer Kiger, director of the county’s office of epidemiology, surveillance and emerging diseases department, said in a news release the new dashboard is for residents to stay informed about potential mosquito-borne diseases in Harris County.

“While our current case numbers are low, it’s still important for everyone to protect themselves from mosquito bites—especially during the warmer months when mosquitoes are most active,” Kiger said.