Streetscapes

One of the unique master-plan design features of The Woodlands is the neighborhood cul-de-sac. This land plan design is intended to maximize green space, limit traffic, contribute to public safety, and provide opportunities for neighbors to get to know each other. The Woodlands Township currently maintains 1,333 small cul-de-sac islands and 393 jumbo cul-de-sac islands/Intracts.

Small Cul-de-Sac Island Maintenance Schedule(PDF, 651KB)

Cul-de-sacs smaller than 3,400 square feet are considered small cul-de-sacs and will receive a minimum of four maintenance visits per year. Small cul-de-sacs maintenance will begin March 1 and last into winter. Intracts and jumbo cul-de-sacs, which are cul-de-sacs larger than 3,400 square feet, will receive 11 maintenance visits per year. The jumbo cul-de-sacs/Intract maintenance cycle will begin early March and last into November.

The Township's maintenance philosophy for cul-de-sacs is to allow the areas to be in harmony with nature, which over time should allow them to grow and mature into a forested area. Keeping that philosophy in mind, Township crews will maintain those areas to the following standards:

• Mowing and string-trimming all turf
• Stick edging curbs and pathways
• Blowing debris around the perimeter
• Minor litter clean up
• Pruning street growth up to 14 feet
• Trimming vegetative growth around the mailboxes and light poles
• Removal of dead or hazardous trees/limbs

Services not provided include the following:

• Clearing of vegetation or brush
• Removal of healthy trees
• Maintenance of enhanced landscaping
• Chemical weed or pest control
• Fertilization
• Irrigation
• Maintenance of hardscapes, decomposed granite or other non-natural surfaces

Some residents desire for these areas to have improved landscaping with groundcovers, exotic shrubs, or decomposed granite or a stone pad with a small bench. Projects such as these can be approved by The Woodlands Township by application, but elaborate projects are discouraged. Play structures, fire-pits, and basketball goals, among other items, are not permitted for safety and aesthetic reasons. For more information about permissible cul-de-sac island improvements and application forms, please visit the Covenant Administration.

In instances where residents wish to provide supplemental maintenance to their cul-de-sac island between the regular service intervals provided by The Woodlands Township, it's always a good idea to first check in with your neighbors, and to keep the maintenance of the island to the same simple standards that are provided by The Woodlands Township (mowing, edging and blowing the perimeter of the island and minor litter pick up).

Please contact the Parks and Recreation Streetscapes division by calling 281-210-3900 or use the 311 Report a Concern app for questions or concerns about cul-de-sacs and intracts.

The Woodlands Township is unique and unlike any other. It is a designed community that was developed to have a "balance between man and nature." This vision included maintaining forest preserves along major roadways, cul-de-sacs that are extensions of the forest preserves, greenbelts between homes, natural streams and waterways, and landscape standards within properties.

Easements, which are agreed-upon uses of land, typically allow for access to land for natural resources, maintenance, utilities, etc. To eliminate disruptions to The Township’s balance with nature, most infrastructure such as power, communications, gas, water, sewer lines, and drainage were designed to be placed in underground easements.

"Right-of-Way" or ROW is the right for passage through a portion of land. A great example of a ROW is a pathway in front of a property that allows for the public to travel from one parcel to the next. A right of way generally extends beyond the improved roadway and may include sidewalks, shoulders, parking lanes, etc.

Do you know if your property includes an easement or right-of-way? Do you know if your property is next to a parcel of land used to access easements near your residence?

The answer is probably yes. As you can imagine, The Woodlands Township is intertwined with ROWs and easements. Landscape maintenance for drainage easements and ROWs is a challenge, but necessary to keep our community aesthetic at a high standard. Whether the drainage easement is underground, leading to a storm drain along your front yard, or a drainage swale along the side of your property, The Woodlands Township does not maintain these areas. The expectation is for the resident to maintain these "ditches" as a part of their property.

What does this mean?

Like other communities, The Woodlands relies on its residents to maintain these areas. There are currently no plans for the Township to maintain ROWs and easements in the future, so we encourage your continued efforts in keeping The Woodlands… The Woodlands! We also ask neighboring residents to leave them undeveloped to avoid interfering with the infrastructure's intended purpose.

Questions?

Please contact the Township Parks and Recreation Streetscapes division by calling 281-210-3900 or emailing mhonore@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov if you have any questions or concerns.