Colonial Lakes Village has begun to take shape in Missouri City on 25 acres. Its 222-unit, active senior living community along with retail space, reportedly already committed for bank and restaurant use, is less than two years from operating. Opus West Corporation and partners RED Group, LLC and Leisure Care, LLC are all part of the $75 million investment, of which $58 million represents the senior living component.

A groundbreaking ceremony officially signaled the start of the extensive project located on the 2900 block of Colonial Lakes Drive, at the corner of State Highway 6 and Colonial Lakes Drive. The independent senior living facility will sit on a little over 8 acres. To be known as the Reserve at Colonial Lakes, this residential community with bedroom units ranging from 775 sf to 1,356 sf will be available for active seniors 62 years of age and older. On the retail side, five acres with five pad sites will accommodate the restaurants and banks in 20,000 sf of space.

At the groundbreaking of Colonial Lakes Village, Mayor Allen Owen said, “This is the start of what will lend momentum to the construction and development of a first class undertaking that will transform this area and add affluence to Missouri City. Show me affluence, prosperity, and here it is...well underway with Colonial Lakes Village. We are delighted to have so many businesses develop from this partnership’s significant investment to our growing community.”

Aside from the senior facility and the retail development, which is the first phase of Colonial Lakes Village, there will be office condominiums with an estimated 50,000 sf of space. The 3,500 sf condo offices to be available for lease are currently in the design phase. The first phase of development for both the senior living community and for retail is projected to be completed in 16 to 18 months, said Scott Laten of the RED Group, LLC.

Officials with the RED Group have said that the project is a perfect match for Missouri City and greater Fort Bend County. With the amenity-rich development, residents will be able to avail themselves to restaurant-style dining, state-of-the-art fitness and wellness programs, and easy access to shopping in Missouri City and Sugar Land, they report.

Colonial Lakes Village is Opus’ fourth project with Scottsdale, Arizona-based RED Group and Leisure Care. The partnership’s decision for the project in Missouri City, southwest of Houston, is based on location and market demand.

John Brown, MCP, Building Official for the City of Rosenberg, has announced Anthony Salinas has earned his professional Code Enforcement Officer Certification.

The Code Enforcement Association of Texas, in conjunction with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension, coordinates the Basic Code Enforcement Officer course with courses administered from September through May throughout the state.

Applicants are required to pass a written examination to receive certification. Officers holding the state mandated certification are required to attend regional meetings to obtain Continuing Education toward their certification renewal.

The Texas Department of Health Services notes that “Code Enforcement is the inspection, improvement, and rehabilitation of environmental hazards in public and private premises by determining the presence of fire or health hazards, nuisance violations, unsafe building conditions, and violations of any fire, health, or building regulation, statute, or ordinance.

A Code Enforcement Officer is an agent of the state or a political subdivision of the state who engages in code enforcement with one year or more experience in the field of code enforcement.”

Salinas has been with the City since 1996. His key responsibilities include investigating complaints of Code of Ordinance violations; conducting inspections to substandard structures and/or dangerous buildings; ensuring compliance with “high weed” and nuisance ordinance; inspecting mobile homes, mobile home parks, and junk and salvage yard to ensure compliance; issuing code violation notification letters; and assisting with building inspections.

The City’s Code Enforcement division can be reached by calling 832-595-3540 or visiting the City Annex at 2220 Fourth Street.

Improvements to the Mustang Bayou and Lower Oyster Creek Watersheds are now underway in Missouri City after City Council authorized the final 2008 Master Drainage Plan on March 17.

“The city took advantage of improved survey data available from the FEMA Map Modernization Program and advances in computer modeling since the 2001 drainage plan was implemented to develop a more accurate picture of needed improvements,” explains Scott Elmer, Director of Public Works. “The goal of these improvements is to prevent structure flooding in a 100-year rainfall event and to contain flows in Mustang Bayou and Lower Oyster Creek inside the channel banks. Improvements will be phased in over a three to ten-year time frame.”

A 100-year flood is calculated as the level of floodwater expected to be equaled or exceeded at least once in a 100-year period. The improvements include channel widening, structure modifications and bank fill at a cost of $6.5 million for the Mustang Bayou section and $550,000 for the Lower Oyster Creek area, including Kitty Hollow Lake. The costs are included in a 2003 bond referendum approved by Missouri City residents.