Eversole sees growth, One million people in Precinct 4 by Year 2010

With a Map of Precinct 4 as a backdrop

By GILBERT HOFFMAN
CROSBY– The Chamber of Commerce of Crosby/Huffman heard from one of their own last Thursday, as Pct. 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole spoke about his days as a Chamber Executive in Humble, and how the northern portion of Harris County has changed in the almost 40 years since he first held that office.
Eversole was assisted by his staff, including Capital Improvements Director Pamela Rocchi, who presented a Powerpoint view of the new road and drainage projects in Precinct 4.

Eversole, in his remarks, reminded the Chamber of his first address to them, almost 20 years ago, when he told them that growth in the area was inevitable, and they must take a leadership roll, deciding what they wanted this community to become.
“Amenities, not obscenities,” was the promise, but it had to be earned, he said.
As for projects in the immediate area, he said that the work on FM2100 north of Huffman was in study, but was only a 2 lane improvement for now, not a widening.
The much discussed overpass on 2100 in the heart of Crosby is not in the near future, he said, partially because the community has not pressed hard enough for its construction. He said that early in the discussions, the Chamber failed to pass a resolution in favor of the project, although now they have indicated that they are very much in favor of it. In addition, he said, a significant number of voices in the business community have not been in favor of the project, thereby slowing the process. These statements caught some of the audience by surprise, and Chamber secretary Mitzy Plumb pointed out to Eversole that the board has passed a resolution endorsing the overpass.
However, it now looks like the overpass is moving ahead, and will be in bidding and construction in late 2005 and 2006. Eversole pointed out that another project will have a much more significant effect on the area–the Grand Parkway. When finally designed and built, somewhere on the east of Crosby and north of Huffman, it will change the pattern of traffic on US90 and FM2100 and 1960, and “radically change the structure of the Huffman/Crosby communities.”
Another project to start soon, Eversole said, was the improvement of Diamonhead Boulevard in Newport, scheduled for 2006.
In reviewing progress to date in Precinct 4, Eversole pointed out that he presently has 32 capital improvement projects in development, totalling $116 million, plus another 16 projects underway at a cost of $38 million. Since he took office in 1991, he has undertaken a total of 204 projects at a value of $213 million.
He mentioned that much of this work is being done on the western half of the precinct, to catch up with growth that has already occured. He indicated that eventually east Harris County would see similar work, and reminded everyone that he lived in Huffman and had a vested interest in development on this side of the precinct.
Precinct 4 is the 4th largest in the United States, Eversole noted, and larger than 22 states in population. It now has 850,000 people, but by 2010 should have grown, with redistricting, to over 1,075,000.