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Courtyard By Marriott Hotel At 3220 Katy Fwy.


fwki

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There is no sign posted on the property for the variance.  I am pretty sure that they needed one.

 

This is a pretty significant variance they are seeking.  If the neighborhood turns out, they will have a very difficult time getting through the planning commission.

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I can't open the link.  What is the variance they are seeking?

 

The agenda is big with all the plats, takes a minute or so to download, be patient and it will complete.  The variance is for a typical hotel lobby driveway loop on Columbia since the rules say no hotel driveway on a residential street.  They cite safety as a big reason with the highway exit right on top of Oxford St.  They also state the main traffic entrance will be behind the hotel into the garage on 4th St. which is not residential. 

 

Edit: Here's just Item V attached

Item V 2014-07_DraftAgenda.pdf

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The agenda is big with all the plats, takes a minute or so to download, be patient and it will complete.  The variance is for a typical hotel lobby driveway loop on Columbia since the rules say no hotel driveway on a residential street.  They cite safety as a big reason with the highway exit right on top of Oxford St.  They also state the main traffic entrance will be behind the hotel into the garage on 4th St. which is not residential. 

 

Edit: Here's just Item V attached

attachicon.gifItem V 2014-07_DraftAgenda.pdf

 

Thanks.  FWIW, the earlier link will not download anything as it takes me to a page that requires a sign-in.

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There is no sign posted on the property for the variance.  I am pretty sure that they needed one.

 

This is a pretty significant variance they are seeking.  If the neighborhood turns out, they will have a very difficult time getting through the planning commission.

 

 

I'm guessing they only configured it this way because TXDOT prohibited them from taking access from the feeder. (The variance request makes reference to this.)

 

Given the wider setback required along the feeder, they'd be able to build a bigger total footprint if the driveway were placed along the feeder frontage instead of Columbia St.

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Wasn't there a holiday inn built just a mile or so up the road? Was it not a big deal because it wasn't in Heights proper?

I really don't see what the big deal is. They already have a major highway as a neighbor and this is on the feeder. Someone please enlighten me.

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I'm not sure why anyone would oppose a new hotel on an interstate feeder surrounded by commercial tracts.  One thing for sure, if it is built, I'll use it for friends and family, especially during events and holidays when Sara's is booked.

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The next block north of the feeder one immediately gets into single family residential.  That said, I'm pretty agnostic about it; if anything, it might act as a bit of a sound break

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Wasn't there a holiday inn built just a mile or so up the road? Was it not a big deal because it wasn't in Heights proper?

I really don't see what the big deal is. They already have a major highway as a neighbor and this is on the feeder. Someone please enlighten me.

 

Hampton Inn.  It wasn't a big deal because its was completely separated from the neighboring residential neighborhood (Cottage Grove) by a set of railroad track and had its driveways on major thoroughfares. 

 

The big deal is having a hotel dump all of its traffic onto residential streets.  The ordinance is clear that hotels must have primary access from a major thoroughfare.  Even in zoning free Houston, it is not very controversial to prohibit a hotel from using a residential street as its primary access point. 

 

And no.  The fact that a neighborhood is burdened by one thing does not mean that they thereby consent to any and all additional burdens and are forbidden from seeking the protections of very basic and prudent land use regulations. 

 

The finger wagging really needs to go at whoever bought this property with plenty of notice (i.e. look at google maps notice) that there would be an issue with the driveway cut and the proximity of the feeder. 

 

 

 

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The finger wagging really needs to go at whoever bought this property with plenty of notice (i.e. look at google maps notice) that there would be an issue with the driveway cut and the proximity of the feeder. 

 

Well, I'm a bit of an odd duck, but MY hope is that common sense would rule and that people would realize that this is obviously a commercial lot on a multi-lane access rd for a 10 lane major highway and is not remotely going to be dumping people into the middle of a neighborhood and grant a variance.

 

Thank God we don't have property laws that are on stone tablets like the 10 commandments saying "THOU SHALT NOT BUILD THY HOTEL DRIVEWAY ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET EVEN IF THE ONLY PLACE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO TO AND FROM YOUR PROPERTY IS STRAIGHT ONTO THE HIGHWAY"

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Well, I'm a bit of an odd duck, but MY hope is that common sense would rule and that people would realize that this is obviously a commercial lot on a multi-lane access rd for a 10 lane major highway and is not remotely going to be dumping people into the middle of a neighborhood and grant a variance.

 

Thank God we don't have property laws that are on stone tablets like the 10 commandments saying "THOU SHALT NOT BUILD THY HOTEL DRIVEWAY ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET EVEN IF THE ONLY PLACE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO TO AND FROM YOUR PROPERTY IS STRAIGHT ONTO THE HIGHWAY"

 

You are an odd duck if you think that everyone going to and from the hotel will automatically go to the I-10 feeder.  The simple fact is that there will be more traffic on the residential streets if you put the driveways for the hotel on the residential streets than if you put the driveways on the feeder.  That is why we have the ordinance. 

 

Also, the configuration they have chosen doesn't really solve the driveway issue.  They will be putting most of the traffic onto Columbia, which is right across from the highway exit.  If they put the entrance on Oxford, the traffic coming out of the hotel would enter the feeder before the highway exit. 

 

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Perhaps you're right and we'll wish that the neighbors had all done more petitions and put out signs to "Stop the Heights Hotel Driveway!" but I doubt it. 

 

Also this driveway is just the covered luggage drop off, not the main traffic driveway.  The main car entry and exit to the parking garage is on 4th St.

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Also this driveway is just the covered luggage drop off, not the main traffic driveway.  The main car entry and exit to the parking garage is on 4th St.

 

The driveway on 4th St. is the worst alternative in terms of putting traffic onto residential streets.  If they had a single driveway on Oxford, they would have a half decent argument for a variance.  That street has the big apartment complex on one side and traffic turning onto the feeder from Oxford is before the off ramp.  But putting the bulk of the traffic onto 4th street is the worst alternative for the neighborhood.  People who do not know any better will head west on 4th (east dead ends at the apartment complex).  They will then end up either trying to cut through the neighborhood or trying to pry their way across Heights Blvd. and 4th to get back to I-10.  All traffic issues that the ordinance was designed to protect.

 

 

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Oh yes, in general business travelers are idiots with very poor eyesight, and once on 4th St I don't think they'll stop at Heights, they will likely continue searching for I-10 across Yale and right into the Trammell Crow green space, spinning donuts all over the pristine White Oak Estuary and mosquito factory.  Somebody alert the West Heights Coalition about this threat pronto.

And in unanimously granting the variance, the Planning Commission did not even mention that if pigs could fly we'd have a Pink Floyd concert.  It just goes to show you that the Heights is not well represented on this PC.

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