HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Despite concerns from local residents and school officials, it wasn’t until Action 13 intervened that leaning trees blocking a roadway were scheduled for removal.
Hurricane Beryl left its mark on a northeast Harris County neighborhood, with large debris piles and trees leaning precariously over the road as evidence of the storm’s impact.
Meghan Kolacmy, a concerned resident, warned, “It could kill somebody, honestly. It really could. That’s a big tree.” She had been trying to get the trees removed for a month, worried about the safety of her children. “It looks like it’s nice and fun to climb, but the fact is, it might fall if they try to get on it,” she explained.
Kolacmy reached out to 311 four times about the two trees leaning across the county’s right-of-way, but received no response. “Not an email, a voicemail, anything,” she said.
Sheldon Independent School District officials also contacted the county twice, as the leaning trees were obstructing the school buses’ route. “Seeing my neighbor pushing her daughter in a wheelchair down the street really tugged at my ‘mom heart,'” Kolacmy said. “I felt I had to take action.”
The street falls under Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s jurisdiction. After reached out to his office, a spokesperson said they were unsure why it took a month to address the issue but confirmed that the trees are now scheduled to be cut down on Thursday.
Garcia’s office advised residents to contact the commissioner’s office directly if they encounter difficulties with 311. Kolacmy expressed her frustration, saying, “It’s frustrating as a taxpayer, especially when my husband has worked since he was 16 years old. It feels like our concerns are falling on deaf ears.”
