College Station residents urge action on Midtown access and recurring flooding in Emerald Forest

Residents pressed the City of College Station Tuesday night for action on two neighborhood flashpoints: Midtown access and chronic flooding in Emerald Forest. Midtown residents asked council to halt additional tax rate increases tied to municipal utility districts and to complete planned access improvements. Emerald Forest homeowners described repeated backyard flooding, property erosion and silt buildup they attribute to increased runoff.

Anna Lowry, a Midtown resident, told the council she moved to Midtown in 2024 and asked them “to carefully consider the rate established later this year and ask that you not levy another increase,” saying a rise in the district rate had already raised her bill substantially. Shelby Behm, another Midtown speaker, criticized earlier capital spending, saying a roughly $20 million investment had not yet created the promised catalyst for commercial and residential vitality and urged the city to prioritize connectivity and a recreation center that would align with the neighborhood’s health‑care focus.

Emerald Forest residents detailed escalating drainage problems. Susan Ferrari said increased water flow has ripped away her retaining wall and left neighbors repeatedly telling the city that “it really isn’t our problem because it’s coming from all the new construction that is uphill.” Laura Burris showed video of severe backyard flooding after 3.8 inches of rain, arguing that current runoff is higher now than in previous decades. Fred Wenck asked council to require an independent creek‑bed study focused on Bee Creek east of Highway 6 before a planned highway expansion, saying: “I see a definite need for creek bed clearing, stabilizing that creek bed, and maintenance to ensure a good flow of that rainwater.”

Mayor John P. Nichols acknowledged the long history of the issue and said staff have been involved; staff later confirmed both the Midtown and the Emerald Forest concerns have been referred to city management. Councilmembers and staff discussed prior watershed studies and acknowledged the complexity created by private property considerations, but several members voiced support for targeted engineering analysis and clearer next steps during the upcoming budget process.

The council did not take immediate action at the meeting; staff said items had been referred to city management and will be discussed further in workflows tied to the budget workshop and neighborhood follow‑ups. Neighbors asked that any study include homeowner input and independent engineering review, and councilmembers directed staff to return with options for further study and potential funding in upcoming budget deliberations.