The Trinity River Vision Authority’s board of directors want to redefine the agency’s role and operations in its oversight of the $1.6 billion Central City flood control project.
In a July 31 meeting, board President G.K. Maenius announced the directors are updating the authority’s mission to maintain transparency with the public and its partners throughout the duration of the project.
The proposed mission includes securing funding at local, state and federal levels, receiving regular reports on public engagement and education, and requesting presentations on developments that impact or are related to the flood control project.
Through local and federal funds, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will construct a 1.5-mile bypass channel that will reroute the Trinity River to protect 2,400 acres of land from disastrous flooding and alleviate the city’s aging levee system.
The rerouted river will be split into a north and a south channel, creating the appearance of a natural island, dubbed Panther Island, between them.
The Panther Island oversight group was formed to educate the public about the Trinity River flood control infrastructure and other improvement projects, publish educational materials and provide assistance with the coordination, implementation and management of projects.
The updated mission follows questions raised by Maenius in an October meeting about the agency’s role in considering a form-based code for the development of Panther Island. Form-based codes address design standards of a district, including heights of buildings, types of streets, visual representations of building facades and the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another.
Since the authority was established in 2006, the board has worked on ensuring all “local project obligations” were met in order to make way for the construction-heavy portion of the project, Maenius said in a statement.
As local projects near completion and partners prepare for major construction, the Trinity River agency will help secure outstanding funding and act as “an additional venue for public transparency,” Maenius said.
In 2022, the board transitioned to a mostly advisory role in response to a 2019 report that clarified their duties.
The vision authority’s board members are discussing the possibility of creating another governing body that would be responsible for overseeing Panther Island as it develops, Maenius said.
The mission draft recommends the water district approve the Trinity River Vision Authority’s proposal to meet on a quarterly basis beginning this month.
Regular agenda items would include updates from city officials, water district staff and from Trinity River Vision Authority board members regarding flood and utilities infrastructure, Panther Island development, outreach and public education, and advocacy and other projects.
While the board previously convened on a bimonthly basis, meetings scheduled through the spring this year were canceled or rescheduled due to lack of quorums and changes among city staff and the board’s members.
Maenius encourages the board’s partners, including the water district and city and county officials, to provide feedback on the draft proposal.
“There’s a distinct role for the city to play. There’s a distinct role for the water district to play,” he said.
The Trinity River Vision Authority board will discuss the draft proposal at its next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 23. The proposal will then go before the water district’s board for consideration.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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