Opinion // Chris Tomlinson

Builders battle most basic rule changes following Hurricane Harvey

Replacing every driveway and sidewalk with recycled materials could help prevent flooding and address the plastic pollution crisis if we wanted to make an effort.

Rather than use concrete or asphalt to keep from sinking into the mud, property owners could use a product such as Porous Pave, which is made from recycled tires, or Grid Pavers, a recycled plastic grid system.

Porous Pave is mixed and applied like asphalt, but once set, it is absorbent and permeable. Rather than water running into storm drains, the material soaks up the rain directs it into the sand underlying it. Grid Pavers are plastic frames that keep soil and gravel from washing away while allowing grass to grow from underneath. They also prevent rainwater run-off by directing it to the ground.

These building products are made from recycled plastic and old tires, keeping them out of landfills.

“The permeability slows the water down, and it cleans the water out, so when it finally does get to our waterways, it’s cleaner,” explained Kryshon Bratton, co-founder of Piper Whitney Construction, a Houston hardscape firm. “It really slows the flow, which is where the flooding really comes in because the sewers and storm drains get overwhelmed.”

On HoustonChronicle.com: If lawmakers won't act, homebuilders and landlords must disclose flood risks

Nations and cities around the world require builders to use porous surfaces to prevent flooding and improve water quality. The benefits are proven, and the materials are just as durable as concrete.

Piper Whitney installed Porous Pave at Bellaire’s Nature Discovery Trail, which frequently floods. The new trail dries quickly after heavy rain, and it withstood Hurricane Harvey while other trails washed out.

The problem, of course, is that either solution costs twice as much as concrete, which is twice as expensive as asphalt. Nevertheless, Australia, the United Kingdom and most European countries require permeable drives and sidewalks because, despite the benefits, builders will not spend a penny more than necessary.

That kind of selfish shortsightedness has sadly been on ample display recently in Greater Houston.

Real estate professionals, builders and engineers are quietly lobbying Houston and Harris County officials to delay implementation of even the most minor changes to flood rules following Hurricane Harvey. My colleague Zach Despart reports these groups are especially opposed to increasing stormwater retention requirements.

The American Council of Engineering Companies, Greater Houston Builders Association, Greater Houston Partnership, Houston Association of Realtors, Houston Real Estate Council, Katy Area Economic Development Council and West Houston Association all signed a letter to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo asking her to delay the new rules.

These are the same groups that fully supported the county taking on $2.5 billion in debt for flood control. But when asked to spend their own money to build responsibly, they throw a fit.

The members of these trade organization have paid good money in campaign contributions to access people in power, and they expect to be heard. They are also twisting arms at Harris County Flood Control District and the Houston City Council.

The rules these groups are protesting are not crazy things like requiring permeable driveways. Sadly, no one is suggesting anything truly innovative with these rule changes. The men and women who build our city are outraged that elected officials want to update our flood maps and force them to acknowledge their land is flood-prone.

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Builders in flood zones must follow tighter rules. One of the building requirements, funny enough, is a limit on the non-permeable cover or an increase in the amount of rainwater retained to slow storm run-off. County rules require an additional 8 percent of retention in these areas, while the city requires an additional 30 percent.

Guess what increases the amount of permeable ground cover? Permeable material for sidewalks and driveways, of course.

Pouring concrete or asphalt will always be cheaper and easier, but it does not provide peace of mind or a sense of community service. When people are renovating their homes, Bratton wants people to remember how they felt during Harvey.

“How many people stayed up all night worried that their house was going to flood because they saw the water creeping up?” Bratton asked. “How many people were out of their house, six, eight, 10, or 12 months because they only got two inches of water in their home?”

Increasing the ground’s absorbency on a large scale can make the difference between a flooded lawn and a flooded home. But it depends on collective action, and unfortunately, the developers and builders of Houston are more interested in private profit than a more resilient community.

Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy.