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Sparrow

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Everything posted by Sparrow

  1. Sparrow
    This location would make for fantastic visuals from the freeways though, no? Perhaps we get a nice one here?
  2. Sparrow
    Jointly owned Chevron Phillips Chemical is already headquartered in The Woodlands down the street from Anadarko. The two towers up in Town Center are recently built and I believe Anadarko also owns additional land in Town Center. If anything, The Woodlands has much to gain from this acquisition. Surely if Chevron ever wanted to move HQ from California, The Woodlands' golf course-suburb feel would appeal more to the corporate types than a bustling-urban-Downtown location. The Woodlands is similar to San Ramon, just missing the topography.
  3. Sparrow
    It sure would be something to get the Battleship Texas moved here. Hasn't it been in the works for a good number of years to potentially get it dry docked? Having it closer to Downtown would be much more of a tourist draw as opposed to out East amongst all of Houston's industrial uses. Aside from the financial expense of getting it to this location, could it even be physically done with its condition?
  4. Sparrow
    If building a garage on one property means getting rid of a parking lot or two on others, I can get behind it. Frankly, I almost wish the next Downtown initiative would be just that--build about a dozen large parking garages Downtown to reduce the "it's too expensive to park Downtown" barrier. If the empty lots keep making heaps of money by being a surface parking lot, where's the incentive to improve the land?
  5. Sparrow
    How long is the freeway construction project around Downtown supposed to take? Considering this property will be directly next to that several years long construction project, the fact that anything is being built at this time is rather amazing. A suburban style apartment complex won't last very long--look at the Buffalo Heights property on Washington. Those apartments weren't very old before beginning the process of upgrading to a higher use.
  6. Sparrow
    What would the length of the new park loop around Downtown be, about 5 miles or so? I have to tell you, I'm not a jogger, but the prospects of being able to take a 5 mile jog encircling Downtown Houston makes me want to start. The views from so many vantage points would be absolutely amazing!
  7. Sparrow
    Will the multiple smaller caps in Midtown have an effect on driver visibility? I'd hypothesize that going from darkness to blinding sun several times in quick succession may cause some degree of visual challenge that may result in an elevated accident risk, especially when the sun is at a certain angle. Why not just have a single cap for Midtown instead of three caps and four independent bridges? A single transition zone would provide more safety for drivers and a single cap would provide even more recreational space.
  8. Sparrow
    Transit streets and "type A" street changes to Chapter 42 amendments went in place in 2009 that should, over time, result in positive results. You can't forcibly change that which already exists, but future development--which no doubt will be forthcoming en masse once the transit line is up and running--will change the streetscape in a pedestrian friendly way. All of that surface parking on Post Oak Blvd should be looked upon as a blank canvas patiently awaiting an artist's brush strokes.
  9. Sparrow
    I couldn't seem to find a post for this one, but it's on the planning agenda for 08/30/2018 requesting a set-back variance of 5'. Montrose Garden. NEC Montrose and West Clay. 20 stories. 9 floors of residential above 9 floors of parking. Two floors of retail with one level of underground parking for the retail. 2019 start date listed. Owners: Supo Corporation, 1209 Montrose Blvd. Sorry if this one is already around here somewhere.
  10. Sparrow
    Wouldn't it be great to create Lake Barker and Lake Addicks. We would end up having a much more controlled Buffalo Bayou much along the lines of what Austin has with it's river. Imagine how much more could be done if you didn't have to worry about flooding. Our reservoirs are actually larger in land area than Lake Travis (26k vs 19k), but only hold about a third as much water (~400,000 acre feet vs ~1.1M acre feet). We'd be much more prepared for the next Harvey. Sure we don't have the topography that accompanies Lake Travis, but who cares. Get digging.
  11. Sparrow
    Request was deferred. They want more info on the Fulton Street bridge as well as elevation drawings.
  12. Sparrow
    Whoa, whoa, whoa y'all. Move Amtrak to the NW Mall site?? No. Y'all are missing the easy solution that is beneficial to many folks at the least possible cost. Move the Amtrak station a few hundred yards east to the Post HTX site. It'd be great for Post HTX because they'd charge Amtrak rent, they'd have more customers are their shops and restaurants, and they'd have a train station at their development so surely they could increase retail rents. It'd be great for Amtrak because, hey, they'd have bathrooms now... They also wouldn't have to spend very much to move the station--just make a new waiting area in Post HTX. If they own the land the current station is on perhaps they could even sell that. Let someone buy it to make a parking garage. The thing is, there already will be transit buses going from the new NW Mall high speed rail station to Downtown via the HOV lane. It's quick. It's easy. It's already a sunk cost--NW transit center/NW Mall HSR station to Downtown. So what if Amtrak customers have to hop on a bus for a 10 minute drive--if you're taking Amtrak already anyway, what's 10 more minutes? And of course they're bound to be the nice park-and-ride buses anyway. Spend a little extra to make a pedestrian connection to the UHD light rail station. Put some moving sidewalks on it too. Maybe even get the Post HTX folks to chip in for the walkway that will surely be to their benefit. Suddenly Post HTX is a multimodal transit center--Amtrak, park-and-ride, light rail, and high speed rail connections all at one place. Perhaps the folks at Texas Central could even do a little PR magic and have a Post HTX High Speed Rail station (****that you happen to have to take a 10 minute bus ride first). Get enough interest after a while, if the economics make sense, just put in a people mover like AirTrain to the NW Mall station.
  13. Sparrow
    Don't put this in Kingwood--build it at the KBR site.
  14. Sparrow
    For all of the why-not-downtown folks, I'd offer encouragement in that slight angle the track takes into the NW Mall station. Extrapolate that out and guess where you end up--north Downtown. If the HSR is met with a high degree of success, perhaps TCP is already setting up the possibility of extending to a second Houston station located Downtown. (You might also want to buy one of Mr. Musk's Boring hats to help the cause).
  15. Sparrow
    Ya, straight on thru. It's where one of the garage entrances was.
  16. Sparrow
    Not sure about the big project, but last time I was over there they were in the midst of creating a new vehicle and pedestrian connection from the north side at S. Post Oak Ln to the already existing retail at the center of the property. A wise and important visual connection to the development at Blvd Place and the neighboring residential highrises going up. Perhaps there is more to follow? I know, I know, no pictures... Sorry y'all.
  17. Sparrow
    I would think one of the main concerns is reducing the 100-year/500-year flood plain in the northern section of Downtown. They've had quite a few events over just the past 20 years.
  18. Sparrow
    My issue with the expansion of 45 north of 610 is adding more capacity here, while local thoroughfares still lack continuity and while other roadways could be improved to take pressure off of the North Freeway. Why has 249 not been made a controlled access freeway all the way from the Beltway to 45? Seems like this would provide a more reasonable alternative for much traffic eventually headed west of 45 further north if folks didn't have to sit through so many stop lights. Maybe even extend 249 eastward to the Hardy Toll Road or even 59/69--give drivers a reasonable alternative to find another route into town. How about completing the missing segments of local thoroughfares such as West Gulf Bank, Richey, Ella, TC Jester, West Road, Fallbrook, Gessner, Greens, and Hollister? If I still have weeds growing in my lawn after giving it water and fertilizer and so much other care maybe my problem isn't my lawn needing more attention, perhaps it is my neighbor's lawn that is overgrown with weeds three feet high. Treat the problem, not the symptoms.
  19. Sparrow
    I don't know of any studies, but during the construction time frame one would sure believe taking 610 around the city will sure be faster than venturing anywhere near Downtown. Construction will be a nightmare.
  20. Sparrow
    Seriously, 288/69/59 between Elgin and McGowen seems like it'd be a no brainer. How many soccer or baseball fields could you add to that expanse? Add to that why only cap part of 69 south of Midtown? Why not all the way to Almeda? Why not add in capping 69/59 from Hazard to Montrose as well? If others would have to provide the financing TxDOT might as well "plan" to deck park as much as they possibly could.
  21. Sparrow
    I've thought it would be rather creative to use taxation to incentivize greater use for underutilized properties such as abandoned buildings and parking lots. Perhaps the tax code can be rewritten so that you pay the same tax per acre as all other acreage in the same district no matter the improved value of the land. If you operate downtown as a parking lot on an entire city block you pay X dollars in tax per year. If you operate downtown as a 100 story skyscraper on an entire city block downtown you still only pay X dollars per year. Determine what X dollars is due based upon the mean property value of the entire district. If the owner of a parking lot or abandoned building is paying the same opportunity tax as a skyscraper the owner of the lot would either be incentivized to increase his property's income with a more appropriate use or sell the land to someone who would be inclined to do so. If the owner of this eyesore wants to pay their fair share of X dollars in taxes to "operate" an abandoned building all the more to them.
  22. Sparrow
    The design from the corner entrance of the store to the street intersection is nice. Let's not be too greedy with getting rid of the ease of access parking. Businesses have to provide the quick stop easy-in, easy-out parking option to keep shoppers happy. The Whole Foods on Post Oak has parking in front (in addition to structured) and that doesn't seem to diminish the more urban feel of Blvd Place. The parking lot may have to do with required setback as well--if you can't build your building there because of planning standards, you might as well put parking.
  23. Sparrow
    Streets that will likely be closed to thru traffic quite often when Houston plays host to a Super Bowl or a parade or 5k or street festival etc. Barricades will be present quite often I would think. Several cross streets, while dividing the one large park into several, would make parking more accessible (and preclude any large parking lot from taking up any park land like it does by the zoo).
  24. Sparrow
    http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2014/01/05/poverty-map/ I'd like to think that fear of gentrification by race/ethnicity is not the concern of those wanting to "preserve the character of the neighborhood", but rather the blue collar, working class nature with respect to income. I hope it's not about fear of building new houses that whites or Asians may occupy, but rather its about dissatisfaction with kicking out the poor old guy to be replaced with a rich yuppie. Too many people focus on race rather than income segregation and inequality. Black and white the issue is not--green is the color that shapes our society.
  25. Sparrow
    This interactive map from the New York Times published with 2015 data shows the 3rd Ward east of US 59 clearly still has a long, long way to go to be classified as diverse. (That being said, Houston--and Texas--as a whole seems to be head and shoulders above many cities across our nation in diversity. Houston--and Texas--should be proud.) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/08/us/census-race-map.html?_r=0
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