🚸 Crosswalks & Safety Improvements Coming to Houston Avenue! 🎉
Sometimes, progress shows up when we least expect it—and this week, we have reason to celebrate! FWP is thrilled to share that the long-awaited Houston Avenue crosswalks and regulation pedestrian signage are finally on the way. CM Castillo communicated that the timeline for these improvements, which had been deferred indefinitely, has moved up, meaning we should see **two new crosswalks**—one at Parkview and another at North Street—installed this month, and at least by the end of the year! This is a big win for park and pedestrian safety, and it’s definitely worth celebrating. Thank you to the literally DOZENS of people who advocated for this over the last 10 years.
Community Center Makeover: A Freshening Up 🎨✨
But the good news doesn’t stop there! The Woodland Community Center has received some much-needed TLC, with beautifully refinished gym floors and a newly tiled entryway, as well as improved lighting over the stage and replaced ceiling tiles. No more plywood subfloor! It’s amazing what a difference a refreshed space can make for everyone who uses it, from recreation to kids’ after-school care and community events. See the attached renderings and photos of the new space—check them out and share in the excitement! The CoH HVAC team continues to work on a leaking system in the ceiling and we hope that once that is resolved, that all of the damaged ceiling tiles will be replaced. Thank you Center Manager Rob Messa for keeping on top of all of the maintenance needs of a lovely but aging building, and again to CM Castillo for advocating for us.
Nature’s Resilience and Ongoing Efforts 🌧️🐰
Meanwhile, heavy rains on election day sent the bayou surging over 20 feet, bringing new debris downstream—a stark reminder of the challenges we face in preserving this space. We spotted plenty of bunny rabbits hopping up to higher ground to escape the floodwaters. While we’ve got our next clean-up lined up, we are working to develop partnerships to implement some sort of trash capture system. We would love a project manager to spearhead this. . . anyone? Bueller?
Let’s take a deep breath, pat ourselves on the back for the wins, and keep going. Each step, each improvement, and each small effort truly adds up. Here’s to making Woodland Park a safer, cleaner, and more welcoming place—one step at a time!
