Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole is pleased to announce the completion of the second trailhead in the Spring Creek Greenway project. The new “Judy Overby Bell Trail” is approximately 1.1 miles long and is made of reclaimed asphalt from Precinct 4 road projects placed over a over a stabilized base.The trail goes northwest from Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center located at 20634 Kenswick Drive in Humble.

How it All Began

Early in 1976, Judy Bell was employed with then Harris County Judge Jon Lindsay. Then known as the Cypress Creek Parks Project, Judy was responsible for locating and purchasing green spaces along Cypress and Spring creeks to preserve natural resources and deter commercial and residential development in flood prone areas.Together, Bell and Lindsay formed partnerships with many private and public agencies to raise over $1 million to purchase 2,000 plus acres of park land. Jesse H. Jones Park was just one of several parks developed under her supervision.

In October 2003, Commissioner Eversole announced a comprehensive plan to connect Precinct 4’s existing parkland along the south side of Spring Creek with the remaining undeveloped land to create a 33-mile, 10,000- to 12,000-acre linear park/trail system to be named the Spring Creek Greenway.

To show his appreciation for her efforts, Commissioner Eversole dedicated the first section of trail in the Spring Creek Greenway as the “Judy Overby Bell Trail” at a dedication event held at Jones Park Friday, June 5.

(From left to right) Glenn Boudreaux, John deBessonet, Judy Overby Bell, and Mike Cunningham worked together in the 1970s on the Cypress Creek Parks Project, now known as the Spring Creek Greenway.

Where the Project Stands Now

In addition to the Judy Overby Bell Trail in Jones Park, the first phase construction of the Spring Creek Greenway trail system includes a 0.9-mile trailhead in Pundt Park located at 4129 Spring Creek Drive in Spring, Texas. Pundt Park, a 380-acre facility, opened earlier this year and features a canoe launch, picnic loop with tables, playground, rest room facilities, parking lot, pavilions, equestrian and multiuse trails, two ponds, and a new bridge.

The second phase of the Spring Creek Greenway trail system is currently in the engineering and design stage. The 5.5-mile trail and bridge over lower Cypress Creek where it meets Spring Creek will head southeast from Pundt Park through the Stahl Preserve, which is currently in the design stage, and connect to the Judy Overby Bell Trail to complete a 7.5 mile continuous trail. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2010 and will take approximately one year to complete. A $1.5 million matching grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will fund the second phase trail construction, and a $1 million matching grant also awarded by Texas Parks and Wildlife funded the first phase trail construction.

Judy Overby Bell and former county judge and state senator, Jon Lindsay, unveiled the sign at the newly opened “Judy Overby Bell Trail” June 5 as Commissioner Eversole, friends, and family watched.

The recreational park lands connected by trails along Spring Creek will offer a wide variety of activities ranging from biking, hiking, and horseback riding to canoeing and fishing.

For more information, please contact Precinct 4’s Parks Administrator, Dennis Johnston, at (281) 353-8100 or visit www.hcp4.net/parks.