East Aldine District Connects Neighbors to Safer Streets, Essential Services and Public Art

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At its Oct. 27 meeting, the board approved park connections, sewer improvements, and community support while reviewing neighborhood projects underway during EAD’s 25th anniversary year.

A sidewalk to school. Help clean up a senior’s property. A hot meal. A mural that tells a neighborhood’s story.

The East Aldine District’s work takes many forms, but its purpose remains the same: improving daily life for the people who call East Aldine home.

At its Oct. 27 meeting, the East Aldine District (EAD) Board of Directors approved investments in park connections, sewer infrastructure, public safety, and community programs. Directors also reviewed progress on neighborhood projects and public art as EAD continues its 25th anniversary year.

Safer Connections to Schools and Parks

Construction on the Gloger Street sidewalk project is more than halfway complete. In partnership with Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, the project will connect MacArthur High School, MacArthur Ninth Grade School and Hambrick Middle School with the High Meadows South and Orange Grove neighborhoods and the Keith-Wiess Park trail system, which includes approximately 1 mile of trails.

The first phase of the Keith-Wiess Park trail connections project is also underway and ahead of schedule. It includes paving the Deer Grove Road extension into the park, adding parking, a picnic pavilion and a fitness station, and creating approximately one mile of trail connecting to existing park paths.

The board approved an agreement with Harris County Precinct 2 for improvements at Squatty Lyons Park, with EAD providing a 50% match of up to $150,000. The project will add a trail around the park perimeter and fill sidewalk gaps along East Hardy Road between the park and Little York Road.

Other sidewalk projects in design include:

• East Mount Houston Road: A $4 million Texas Department of Transportation award supports sidewalks from Gloger Road to the Eastex Freeway, improving connections for Orange Grove Elementary School students.
• Sandydale and Chrisman: A $3.8 million federal grant supports sidewalks serving Grantham Middle School.
• Bertrand Street: The project has received $850,000 in federal funding.
• Old Humble Road to Homestead Road: A $2.4 million TxDOT-funded project will expand pedestrian connections.

EAD and its partners also continue planning to widen and reconstruct Aldine Westfield Road. Proposed improvements include a four-lane divided roadway, sidewalks, streetlights, storm sewers, and a waterline. Work is focused on project phasing, coordination, and a funding strategy.

Essential Infrastructure for Neighborhoods

The board approved an agreement with Harris County for the Castledale Drive sanitary sewer project. The county will provide $640,710 in Community Development Block Grant funding, with EAD contributing engineering services and up to $166,200 in matching funds. A&S Engineers is designing the project.

Construction of the Westfield Estates sewer project, supported by $32 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, is complete. Staff also reported that funding for a second phase remains subject to final approval by the Texas Water Development Board.

The Hartwick sewer project is complete, and the City of Houston has accepted the new sewer infrastructure system. The Lyncrest sewer extension remains in the design phase.

Drainage work is underway at the Hahl site near Halls Bayou at Hardy and Isom roads. The detention basin expansion and storm sewer improvements are supported by $18 million in state funding allocated by state Rep. Armando Walle.

Help With Everyday Neighborhood Needs

A new partnership is helping residents who cannot manage property cleanup on their own.

Through its Nuisance Abatement Assistance Program, EAD is working with Career and Recovery Resources Inc.’s UpRise program to assist eligible low-income homeowners who are older adults or have disabilities. Harris County sheriff’s deputies help identify residents who may qualify before issuing a citation or during the abatement process.

Two senior homeowners have received help so far. The partnership also provides work opportunities for people rebuilding their lives after homelessness, incarceration, or recovery.

Routine cleanup work continues across East Aldine. September reports showed crews collected 17,450 pounds of clippings and litter along rights-of-way and another 16,800 pounds of litter through the litter abatement program. Graffiti was removed from 20 business properties and 40 public properties.

EAD is also continuing Light Up East Aldine with CenterPoint Energy. Installation is underway for 426 streetlights in Phase 3 and approximately 425 in Phase 4, which includes High Meadows, Fairgreen, Castlewood, and Western Homes.

The board ratified $51,650 for recycling bins already purchased and installed at locations throughout East Aldine to make recycling more convenient and help reduce litter.

Public Safety and a Planned Resource for Newborns

The board approved up to $29,000 to purchase and construct a Safe Haven baby box at the Westfield Fire Department’s Lauder Road station.

The proposed installation will provide a climate-controlled space with an alarm that alerts fire personnel when an infant is placed inside. Board director Sherry Curl introduced the idea.

“This is about the babies that we’re going to save,” Curl said.

The East Aldine District is working through the next steps for the project, including payment and construction approval. A specific timeline for installation has not yet been established.

The board also received the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s September activity report. Deputies reported 110 felony arrests, 102 misdemeanor arrests, 23 stolen vehicles recovered and 14 firearms seized.

Public Art Connects the Anniversary to East Aldine’s Future

EAD’s 25th anniversary is taking shape on walls throughout the community through the Aldine Mural Route: 25 Murals for 25 Years, also called 25×25.

The $250,000 initiative aims to bring 25 murals to East Aldine by the end of December. UP Art Studio, The Creative Group and Art in the Heart are helping identify locations and coordinate work, with opportunities for local artists and students to participate.

The anniversary project overlaps with Big Walls, Big Dreams, the mural festival running Oct. 30-Nov. 15. EAD is the festival’s premier sponsor. As of the East Aldine Arts Council’s October update, 11 of 12 planned East Aldine festival walls were confirmed, and some 25×25 murals were scheduled to be painted during the festival, with others continuing through December.

Plans include featuring all 25 anniversary murals on the Houston Mural Map and My City Arts app, along with a Mural Quest scavenger hunt during the festival’s final week.

In a separate project, EAD is working with Art in the Heart on a proposed metal fish sculpture near a future Halls Bayou kayak launch. The concept includes a community design workshop. The kayak launch itself is a separate Harris County Precinct 2 project.

Investments in Seniors, Students and Families

Several board approvals will help local organizations meet immediate needs.

The board approved $10,000 for Delightful Days’ Better Day Project, which provides hot meals to low-income seniors, and $2,400 for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations at Pilgrim Place.

During public comment, Coco Martínez of Pilgrim Place II described the importance of that support.

“By getting the funding through you, Delightful Days can provide a hot meal for my seniors,” Martínez said.

Other approved investments included:

• YES Prep North Central: $5,000 toward an eighth-grade spring educational trip expected to serve 117 students.
• Rise & Roll: $6,000 to support free anti-bullying and self-defense training for youth.
• Avalos P-TECH School: $11,252.50 for its boys and girls soccer teams.
• Mead Middle School: $1,200 for personal hygiene products for students.
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: $5,000 for the Nadine Kujawa Senior Citizen Gala on Dec. 1.
• Harris County Sheriff’s Office Benevolence Association: $5,000 for a shoe drive in memory of Deputy Darren Almendarez.
• Asian American Peace Officers’ Association: $40,000 for a Thanksgiving turkey drive and giveaway in collaboration with EAD.

Community partnerships extend beyond funding. Monica Campos, EAD’s marketing and communications director, reported that approximately 4,000 people attended National Night Out, connecting residents with deputies, community organizations and resources. Free CPR classes offered through Harris County Emergency Corps will continue in 2027.

Resources, Accountability and National Visibility

Financial reports for January through September showed approximately $12.54 million in general fund revenue and $8.61 million in expenditures. Spending was about 12.6% below the budget for that period. Richard Cantú, EAD’s executive director, also reported that October sales tax revenue was 7% above budget.

To improve project oversight and service coordination, the board approved $310,737 for the first year of a project management and tracking system from Precision Task Group. The system is intended to help staff track projects, budgets, nuisance abatement cases, and recycling center activity, with mapping and reporting tools to improve coordination.

Directors also approved $188,200 for engineering, design, and fabrication of signage associated with the median improvements project, including a contingency for installation, delivery, and permit fees.

In a separate action following a public hearing, the board adopted a 2026 tax rate of $1.25 per $100 of assessed value for Defined Area No. 1, the Aldine Pines subdivision. The rate is unchanged from last year and applies only within that defined area — not throughout East Aldine.

EAD’s work also reached a national audience through a video featured at the International City/County Management Association’s annual conference in Long Beach, California. Cantú, Deputy Executive Director Veronica Sanches, Campos, and Board Chairman Carlos Silva attended. Cantú said the video highlights EAD alongside about two dozen cities and counties across the country doing great work.

“I am really proud of all the great things we’re doing here in East Aldine,” said Cantú. 

As the 25th anniversary celebration continues through the end of the year, EAD’s work remains rooted in everyday needs — connecting neighborhoods, supporting residents, and creating unlimited possibilities for the community.

Learn more about EAD’s programs and services at aldinedistrict.org, and find meeting documents on the board materials page.