HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Harris County commissioners demanded more transparency and slowed down efforts by Harris Health to ram through an eminent domain condemnation of 9 acres of Hermann Park land for the expansion of Ben Taub Hospital.
As ABC13 first reported in July, Harris Health executives have worked, largely out of public sight, to condemn a portion of the park known as the Warneke track since 2024.
When the Warneke family donated these 9 acres to the City of Houston 114 years ago, it was intended for park use only in perpetuity. Real estate experts have told ABC 13 that paying the Warneke heirs to use the land for a hospital could top $100 million. Additionally, several heirs have spoken out against the condemnation of the land.
Still, Dr. Esmaeli Porsa, the President of Harris Health, maintained that condemning the land was the only viable option.
“The facts are this expansion is needed to address an urgent public health emergency to increase additional capacity for Ben Taub Hospital,” Porsa stated to Harris County Commissioners on Thursday.
However, several commissioners appear to acknowledge that Harris Health has not been as transparent with the process as they had expected.
“How often have you met with the Hermann Park Conservancy Board?” Commissioner Tom Ramsey asked. The HPC board governs the use of the park. “I have not personally,” Dr. Porsa, who said he’s only met with the executive director of the conservancy, said.
For its part, the HPC appears to be finding its voice. Executive Director Cara Lambright testified that, “For too long, pieces of parkland have been ceded to the Medical Center because it’s the path of least resistance.”
“The TMC spans more than 1,000 acres, yet taking park land has been presented as the only option,” Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell, the chair of the HPC board, said. “Before you bring this process to a vote, the public deserves a full and open process. Taking park land must be the absolute last resort, and Harris County must make that determination carefully.”
Commissioner Adrian Garcia says he wasn’t even informed of Harris Health’s eminent domain plans until recently, stating that he felt Dr. Porsa had purposefully avoided using that term in meetings with him.
“The point of eminent domain came up real late in the conversation,” said Garcia.
As such, Garcia introduced a motion, which was approved unanimously, that required Harris Health to be more transparent about its actions moving forward. Harris Health must now schedule four public hearings across the county on the topic and actually post information stating that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss eminent domain condemnation.
In addition, Commissioners balked at Harris Health’s demand that they vote on condemnation by Dec. 11, in the middle of the holiday season.
“I normally don’t schedule my town hall meetings right before Christmas,” Commissioner Rodney Ellis said, stating that it clearly looks like the agency is trying to avoid public input if it crams public meetings into a time not convenient to the public.
“Most of the money will go to the family!” Commissioner Ellis said, echoing another point that spending precious bond money on condemning prime park land may not be the best use of taxpayers’ money, nor something that taxpayers wanted.
Long-time civic leader Katheryn McNeil was grateful that all four commissioners wanted more information before such a crucial vote.
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