President's Report: September 2025

September is a busy time of year. Kids are well and truly back to school, after school activities have ramped up. The September Member’s Meeting of the WHCA was held at 7pm on Tuesday, September 9th at Zion Lutheran Church, on the very same day as the Travis Elementary Open House. Even so, there were around 20 neighbors in attendance.

This particular meeting featured a presentation on the future of Stude Park. The presentation was lead by Sherry Weesner, President of the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ5) with help from a team of designers and landscape architects from SWA Group. The presentation was followed by an animated Q&A session.

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Greater Heights Strategic Connections Plan
Timeline & Area

Sherry opened by introducing the Greater Heights Strategic Connections Plan. This is an effort to identify ways to improve mobility across a broad swath of the Northeast part of the city. Stude Park, with its walking trails and bike paths, is a significant piece of that larger puzzle

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Stude Park Survey - SWA Group

Transitioning to a focus on Stude Park, she introduced Scott McCready, Olivia Pinner and Adam Scott of SWA Group. TIRZ5 has contracted SWA Group to study Stude Park, survey the community about ideas for improvements, and assemble some design ideas for the future. The SWA team are current or past WH residents, so they have some insight into how important the park is to the neighborhood.

The team from SWA presented a range of idea for ways to improve the utility of the park. Their presentation addressed many different perspectives and use cases. The best of these will be woven into a long term vision plan that will guide the evolution of the park into the future.
 
We’re still at the beginning of a years-long process. At the time of this meeting over 300 people had already completed the initial public survey. That effort remains ongoing until November 14th. We encourage everyone to complete the short, survey, adding their perspective to the many who love the park.

*PS – Congratulations to SWA Principal, Scott McCready, who was recently name the “2025 Best Friend of Woodland Park" for his continuous commitment to seeing the park improved over many years.

*PPS - Had I known just how engaging this discussion was going to be I would have arranged to have the meeting recorded. We’ve done this on occasion in the past, when there’s a topic of broad interest to the neighborhood, like Street Safety Improvements.

On The Future of Stude Park

I believe that Stude Park is a diamond in the rough. It’s a great big green space along the south edge of the neighborhood. From the community center, playground, and pool to bike trail and ball fields, it has a lot to offer. On July 4th, the park will doubtless be full of festive families picnicking and enjoying a good view of the fireworks.

While all that is true, Stude Park could be a lot more. Recognizing this fact, the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority (TIRZ5) has started to work on plans for Stude Park. The process began with TIRZ5 engaging the SWA Group to study the park, its users, and their usage patterns, paving the way for crafting a design for its future.

Members of the WHCA board have participated in some initial meetings. The designers at SWA are starting by trying to understand who uses the park and learn how it might be improved to encourage greater use in the future. It has tremendous potential. While many things are being considered, one of the first changes will likely be improvements to the playground near the community center.

Unlike some other parks, there is no formal “Friends of…” group for Stude Park. Normally, a “friends” group would partner with the TIRZ5 and the designers to help gather public input. WHCA intends to fill that gap. We are seeking to ensure that the neighborhood is well and truly engaged in this effort to revitalize the park.

These are early days in what will surely be a lengthy process, but it seems apparent that the future of Stude Park will be bright. We expect to eventually seek your help to make that happen.

In Recognition of an Artist 'Houston' - Mac Whitney (1936 - 2025)

Earlier this month, I heard from a neighbor that Mac Whitney had passed away. Why, you may ask, is that relevant? It is because his art is a piece you may walk by when you visit Stude Park.

The 50,000-pound, 50-foot-tall abstract monument titled 'Houston' stands tall on a hill above White Oak Bayou, visible from I-10  toward downtown. The piece was completed and installed in 1982 and was one of the first public artworks commissioned by the City of Houston.

Mac Whitney was born in 1936 in Manhattan, Kansas. He grew up on his parents' farm and learned to weld in High School. He went on to attend the College of Emporia and then studied at the Kansas State Teachers College and Kansas University. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1968.
 
In 1969, he moved to Texas and became associated with a Dallas group called the Oak Cliff Four. Around 1983 Whitney bought a 22.5-acre property on forested Red Oak Creek in Ovilla, outside of Midlothian, south of Dallas, on the northeast Texas prairie. He built his studio on this property and continued to produce artwork that has been called

"dynamic sculptures and extensive career have become a recognized part of Texas' rich cultural environment. His abstracted raw steel sculptures portray the primary forces of tension and resolution while instilling a sense of monumentality. The freestanding sculptures are both prodigious and lyrical- heavy metal seems effortlessly bent, unfolding toward the sky." – Gallery Sonja Roesch
 
Mac Whitney's work has been shown nationally and internationally and is part of many public collections, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Fort Worth Museum of Art, the Art Museum of South Texas, the University of North Texas Museum, and the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas. It is worth recognizing, and you can see one of his many pieces when you take your morning or evening walk through Stude Park.
 
Additional information on Mac Whitney and his art is found at the following links.
Glass Tire - https://glasstire.com/2025/03/13/mac-whitney-1936-2025/
Glass Tire - https://glasstire.com/2025/01/08/mac-whitney-man-of-steel/
Houston Chronicle - https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Paintings-expand-meaning-of-sculptures-by-Whitney-4294878.php#photo-4226173
Gallery Sonja Roesch  - https://www.gallerysonjaroesch.com/mac-whitney
Kirk Hopper Fine Art - https://www.kirkhopperfineart.com/whitney.html
Mac Whitney Art - https://macwhitneyart.com/

To find a list of Art in Parks located throughout Houston visit
Houston Parks & Recreation Department Art in Parks - https://www.houstontx.gov/parks/artinparks/pdfs/Houston.pdf

Bye Bye Bridge: Old Wooden Bridge on Stude Park Trail To Be Removed.

This just in regarding an old portion of the trail at Stude Park. The bridge in question is the small wooden foot bridge close to the bayou. It’s been is disrepair for years. It gets very slippery when wet. It also suffers flooding events very poorly.

Good morning,

Houston Parks Board continues making progress on improving the White Oak Bayou Greenway for all trail users. We sincerely appreciate your continued support and would like to share an important update with you.

In an effort to ensure everyone is using safe and well-maintained trails along the bayous, Houston Parks Board will be demolishing an old and crumbled asphalt trail along White Oak Bayou between Stude Park and White Oak Drive. Part of the trail demolition includes a wooden pedestrian bridge south of Thelma Drive and White Oak Drive. Click here to view a map of the demolition area.

Work will begin on the trail and bridge demolition starting Monday, March 16, and is expected to potentially last through March 20, depending on weather, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Our contractor for this project is L.N. McKean, Inc., who has performed other successful demolition and trail work for our organization.

After work is complete, the trail area will be returned to grass. Trail users can continue to use the White Oak Bayou Greenway Trail (the primary trail for this bayou) that is located near the top of the bayou’s bank along White Oak Bayou Drive.

If you have any questions about this work, feel free to email or call me at the contact information below. Please also share this information with anyone else you think may be interested.

Want to know more?

To learn more about our nonprofit organization and how we create, improve, protect and advocate for parks for everyone, visit www.houstonparksboard.org and click “About Us.”

To explore an interactive map of our other projects, visit www.houstonparksboard.org, and click on our Interactive Map.

Thank you,

Lisa Kasianowitz

Outreach Manager
Houston Parks Board
lisa@houstonparksboard.org
300 North Post Oak Lane
Houston, TX 77024
P: 713-942-8500 X14
F: 713-942-7664

www.houstonparksboard.org

Critical Mass Ride will NOT be meeting at Stude Park as originally announced

On June 8th it was announced that Critical Mass Houston would be relocating the meeting place for their major monthly bike ride to Stude Park. This was announced in a video posted to their Facebook page. We shared the video to the WHCA Facebook page to inform neighbors of this fact.

As you might expect, this announcement caused a great deal of discussion in various forums. There were numerous threads on Nextdoor, with many people sharing their past experience of the ride. The were many voices both for and against this change. Some legitimate concerns were raised by both the organizers and those concerned about the impact of the event on the neighborhood. 

All of that is preface as earlier today Hector Garcia, one of the organizers of CM, left the following comment on the WHCA Facebook page:

"UPDATE: Hello Woodland Heights. Wanted to update you all and let you know that Critical Mass WILL NOT be meeting at Studewood park. 

We had a great meeting this morning with HPD, a couple of key officials and council woman Karla Cisneros, who detailed a lot of logistical issues with using Studewood as a meeting location. We now have a couple of great alternative meeting spots for the once a month ride in the works and you can all breathe a little easier now.  :)

I do want to thank the few residents who stepped up to offer assistance and anyone else who showed patience and understanding. We'll see you the next time we pass through the heights. Again, you're all invited to come join the ride on the Last Friday of the Month. We'll post the new meeting spot as soon as we confirm." 

A big thank you to everyone who came together to help Critical Mass find a new meeting place that would meet their needs, while minimizing the impact on the neighborhood. 

HSPCA : iWalk for Animals @ Stude Park

Fetch your sneakers and a furry friend, and join the Houston SPCA for some fun at the 2015 iWalk for Animals on Saturday, December 5 at Stude Park from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There will be a 5K Canine Caper and a 1K Pup Strut along the banks of White Oak Bayou. You don't want to miss exciting demonstrations, live music and amazing vendors! And, of course, participate in everyone's favorite pet-related contests like Best Kisser, Best Costume and Pet Owner Look Alike!

Enjoy a perfect morning with your family and friends, all while raising much-needed funds to support the Houston SPCA's lifesaving programs and services. Participate on your own – or as part of a team - and help give thousands of orphaned, abused and neglected animals a second chance at life! Every step you take and every dollar you raise for the iWalk helps the Houston SPCA keep our 24-hour Injured Animal Rescue Ambulances on the road every day of the year and fund over 7,000 cruelty investigations. Your Houston SPCA is committed to all animals and intervened on behalf of nearly 50,000 animals last year including cats and dogs; small mammals; horses and farm animals; and native wildlife. And, we proudly place 100% of our healthy animals into loving, new homes!