Spring Valley Village, Texas

Spring Valley Village is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, and an enclave of Houston. The population was 4,229 at the 2020 U.S. census.[4]

City of Spring Valley Village
Spring Valley Village City Hall
Spring Valley Village City Hall
Location in Harris County, Texas
Coordinates: 29°47′23″N 95°30′17″W / 29.78972°N 95.50472°W / 29.78972; -95.50472
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountyHarris
Government
 • TypeCity Council
 • MayorMarcus Vajdos
Area
 • Total
1.22 sq mi (3.15 km2)
 • Land1.22 sq mi (3.15 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
75 ft (23 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
4,229
 • Density3,554.73/sq mi (1,371.99/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
77024, 77055
Area code713
FIPS code48-69812[2]
GNIS feature ID1376280[3]
Websitewww.springvalleytx.com

History

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In 1936 state highway maps indicated a cemetery and a church. Initially the settlement consisted of one and one-half square miles.[5]

In the mid-1950s, efforts to form a Spring Branch municipality (proposed to be called the city of Spring Branch in roughly the area known today as the Memorial Villages) failed.[6] The city incorporated in 1955 as Spring Valley.[5] There had been two elections for incorporation. The first result was against incorporation, and state law mandated that the next election for incorporation of the same boundary would have to be held at least one year later. Some advocates of incorporation convinced Robert R. Casey, then a Harris county judge, to modify the boundary of the proposed area by removing the Campbell Place area and therefore many voters who opposed incorporating. The following election, held on April 9, 1955, was in favor of incorporation, 183 for and 165 against.[7] Because of the 1955 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Spring Valley's territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were unincorporated.[8] In 1960 the city had 3,004 residents and two businesses. The city had 3,800 residents in 1976 and 3,392 residents in 1990.[5]

In 2007, the name of the city was officially changed from Spring Valley to Spring Valley Village.[9] Regardless of the name change, all postal addresses in Spring Valley Village are Houston-based.[10]

Geography

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Location of Spring Valley Village

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), all land.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
19603,004
19703,1705.5%
19803,3535.8%
19903,3921.2%
20003,6116.5%
20103,7152.9%
20204,22913.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

In 2019, the American Community Survey estimated the population of Spring Valley Village was 4,319.

Spring Valley Village racial composition as of 2020[12]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)[a]
Race Number Percentage
White (NH) 3,231 76.4%
Black or African American (NH) 27 0.64%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH) 8 0.19%
Asian (NH) 370 8.75%
Some Other Race (NH) 30 0.71%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) 135 3.19%
Hispanic or Latino 428 10.12%
Total 4,229

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,229 people, 1,394 households, and 1,242 families residing in the city.

At the census of 2010,[14] there were 3,715 people, 1,368 households, and 1,099 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city by population was 3,445 White, 218 Asian, 36 African American, 16 Native American, 1 Pacific Islander, 43 from other races, and 11 from two or more races, and 286 Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,368 households, out of which 476 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 964 were married couples living together, 100 had a female householder with no husband present, and 269 were non-families. 243 households were made up of individuals, and 126 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 2,671 over the age of 18 and 469 who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.4 years.

Government and infrastructure

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As of 2023 the mayor of Spring Valley Village is Marcus Vajdos. Allen Carpenter, Bo Bothe, David Dominy, Joy McCormack and Steve Bass currently serve as members of the city council.

Spring Valley Village Police Department is a 24-hour police organization that provides police services to the City of Spring Valley Village. As of 2016 the department employs 32 persons: 26 sworn Texas Peace Officers and 6 Telecommunication Officers. The City of Spring Valley Village was recognized as the safest city in Harris County 2019, (per Houston Chronicle survey). The Police Department was recognized by the Texas Police Chiefs Association as a recognized agency in early 2020.

Spring Valley Village is located in District 133 of the Texas House of Representatives. Jim Murphy represents the district.[15] Spring Valley Village is within District 17 of the Texas Senate, which is currently represented by Joan Huffman.[16]

Spring Valley Village is in Texas's 7th congressional district; in 2008, the publication Human Events identified ZIP code 77024 as the ZIP code that gave the eighth largest contribution to John McCain's 2008 US presidential election campaign. The SIP code, which includes Hedwig Village, gave $540,309 by October 24, 2008.[17][18] As of 2019, however, the 7th congressional district is represented by a Democrat, Lizzie Pannill Fletcher.[19]

Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Northwest Health Center for ZIP code 77055. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.[20]

Fire service

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The Village Fire Department serves all of the Memorial Villages.[21]

Education

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Primary and secondary schools

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Spring Branch Education Center, housing the Spring Branch School of Choice and the Cornerstone Academy
 
Bear Boulevard School (Pre-K)

Spring Valley Village is served by the Spring Branch Independent School District.[22]

Spring Valley Village is zoned to Bear Boulevard School in Spring Valley Village,[23] Valley Oaks Elementary School in Spring Branch, Houston,[24][25] Spring Branch Middle School in Hedwig Village,[26] and Memorial High School in Hedwig Village.[27]

Spring Branch School of Choice is located in Spring Valley Village.

Colleges and universities

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Spring Branch ISD (and therefore Spring Valley Village) is served by the Houston Community College System.[28]

Public libraries

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The Harris County Public Library (HCPL) system operates the Spring Branch Memorial Branch at 930 Corbindale Road in the City of Hedwig Village. The 10,500-square-foot (980 m2) branch opened in 1975.[29][30]

Media

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The Houston Chronicle is the metropolitan newspaper. The Memorial Examiner is a local newspaper distributed in the community.[31]

 
"Love's Embrace," a statue of Pam Lychner and her daughters at Spring Valley Village City Hall

Notable person

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  • Pam Lychner, a Spring Valley Village[32] real estate agent who promoted the Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act of 1996 after an assault in a vacant house. After Lychner and her daughters died on TWA Flight 800, Congress passed the bill.[33] The City of Spring Valley Village posted a statue of Lychner and her daughters at the city hall. After the statue was posted, visitors read the plaques, left roses, and touched the bronze. Lisa Gray of the Houston Press described it as "shamelessly emotional, a monument to a secular saint and her daughters."[34]

References

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  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Spring Valley Village city, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Spring Valley, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
  6. ^ Spring Branch, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
  7. ^ Meeks, Flori. "Community - Fight failed to make Spring Branch a city - Proposal to incorporate followed by establishment of Memorial Villages." Houston Chronicle. Thursday, September 20, 2012. ThisWeek p. 1. Available on Newsbank, Record Number 14919922. Available at the Houston Public Library with a library card. "And so the boundary lines were changed by eliminating Campbell Place, which lies north of Briar Branch Creek, east of Adkins Road, and west of Campbell Road. This eliminated a good many voters who were against incorporation."
  8. ^ Lee, Renée C. "Annexed Kingwood split on effects." Houston Chronicle. Sunday October 8, 2006. A21. Retrieved on July 6, 2011. "Some of the area communities that incorporated as cities and escaped annexation by Houston:" Print version exclusively has the information cited; the information is not included in the online edition.
  9. ^ "Spring Valley changes its name". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  10. ^ http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  13. ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  14. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  15. ^ Representatives, Texas House of. "Texas House of Representatives". www.house.texas.gov. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  16. ^ "The Texas State Senate – Senator Joan Huffman: District 17". senate.texas.gov. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  17. ^ Connelly, Richard. "Memorial & Hunters Creek Village -- The Real America." Houston Press. October 24, 2008.
  18. ^ "SW large.gif Archived February 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine." Zipfocus.com. Accessed October 28, 2008.
  19. ^ "Texas's 7th Congressional District - TX-07 Representatives & District Map".
  20. ^ "Clinic/Emergency/Registration Center Directory By ZIP Code". Harris County Hospital District. November 19, 2001. Archived from the original on November 19, 2001. Retrieved April 8, 2021. - See ZIP code 77055. See this map for relevant ZIP code.
  21. ^ "VFD History". Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  22. ^ "Zoning Map." Spring Valley Village. Retrieved on December 6, 2018.
  23. ^ "Early Childhood Archived June 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine." Spring Branch Independent School District.
  24. ^ "Elementary School Boundaries Archived April 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine." Spring Branch Independent School District.
  25. ^ https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1526316598/springbranchisdcom/w2iz9sjgd3epcevpbftm/VALLEYOAKS.pdf Valley Oaks Attendance Zone]. Spring Branch Independent School District. Retrieved on December 6, 2018.
  26. ^ Spring Branch Middle Attendance Zone. Spring Branch Independent School District. Retrieved on December 6, 2018.
  27. ^ Memorial High School Zone. Spring Branch Independent School District. Retrieved on December 6, 2018.
  28. ^ Sec. 130.182. HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
  29. ^ "Spring Branch Memorial Branch Library Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine." Harris County Public Library. Retrieved on November 29, 2008.
  30. ^ "Public Libraries Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine." City of Spring Valley Village. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.
  31. ^ http://www.examinernews.com/about_us/[dead link]
  32. ^ Gray, Lisa. "After the Crash." Houston Press. October 23, 1997. 1. Retrieved on January 16, 2010.
  33. ^ "Background Information on the Act and Its Amendments." Bureau of Justice Assistance of the United States Department of Justice. Retrieved on January 16, 2010.
  34. ^ Gray, Lisa. "After the Crash." Houston Press. Thursday October 23, 1997. 6. Retrieved on July 4, 2010.
  1. ^ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[13]
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