Community group forms to oppose planned Hermann Park land condemnation for hospital expansion

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A newly formed community group is hoping it’s not too late to stop part of Hermann Park from being condemned to make way for a proposed expansion of Ben Taub Hospital.

Many park supporters say they were caught off guard last summer when ABC13 first reported that Harris Health plans to acquire nine acres of the park through eminent domain.

Now, opponents are mobilizing, urging county leaders to reconsider the proposal as a series of public meetings continues.

Harris County Commissioners slowed the condemnation process late last year to allow for additional public input. Monday night’s meeting at BakerRipley marked the third community hearing on the issue.

Among those speaking out is Anne Furse, who voted in favor of the Harris Health expansion bond four years ago. She says she never anticipated the bond would lead to the loss of parkland.

“All of us involved in this effort voted enthusiastically for the bond, but the bond language was different,” Furse said. “It never mentioned condemning nine acres of the park or building a new facility on a 100-year floodplain.”

Furse is now part of Protect Hermann Park, a group formed just weeks ago to oppose the plan. Members argue the proposal conflicts with Harris Health’s own strategic plan, which calls for building new hospitals in underserved, outlying areas of the county.

“People have to travel huge distances for care,” Furse said. “Life Flight can’t land at Ben Taub. For someone having a heart attack or severe injury, a long ambulance ride downtown is not the humane solution. We need facilities closer to where people live.”

Commissioner Adrian Garcia requested the additional community meetings, saying many residents and stakeholders felt excluded from earlier discussions.

“The (Hermann Park) Conservancy felt they weren’t engaged, and I believe the general Harris County population was not engaged well enough,” Garcia said. “This is about making sure the public understands what is being proposed.”

Garcia has not publicly stated how he will vote on the condemnation, and when ABC13 asked, he declined to elaborate. The decision will ultimately rest with the five-member Harris County Commissioners Court.

For park advocates like Furse, the growing public response has renewed hope.

“At the beginning, it did feel like the debate was already over, but what’s been encouraging is the huge outpouring of interest and support among Houstonians,” she said.

Additional community meetings are scheduled for Wednesday and next week.

Hermann Park meeting link: https://hermannpark.org/event/hermann-park-conservancy-town-hall-meeting/

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