bachanon

uhhh, check the list of people who created the "main street project" (which included light rail) and the buffalo bayou partnership. like you said....."houston developers written all over it". is this a bad thing? the city gets a large park and crescent, who owns land around the perimeter and sold land to the park effort will benefit as well as the city.

i've secretly hoped for this space to remain open. i'm very happy to see it solidifying. .....now if we could just land some significant park space in midtown.

hallelujah! another returns to the fold. wb dal!!!

note to self: the more the media agrees with me, the more i become complacent and uninvolved. if everyone agrees with me, does that mean i'm right? dbigtex' statement concerning the system being flawed makes me wonder...........can it ever be perfect or make everyone happy? is it the flexibility of our laws that make them longlasting? is it the interpretation of a law that makes it true? should perry homes exist? (oops wrong thread) i'm not sure if i have a problem with the "popular" party having some "wings". yet, i say that easily now that republicans are in control. i had a different feeling in 1983. (the most objective you may ever hear me...)

thanks for the regards, dbigtex. there is a special 30th anniversary section in this past weeks Villager. unfortunately, it is not available online. it gives detailed explanations about what inspired the woodlands and what is happening now. it explains how george mitchell grew up in a multicultural, low income environment in galveston and how it influenced his ideas for creating the woodlands. he is a staunch environmentalist. in addition, "interfaith" is a key structural component of the woodlands. it's history is moving and inspiring. it is a fundamental idea behind what has become this "hidden city" to live, work, learn and play. although i've said it several times here......"25% of the woodlands is preserved forest, parklands,etc."...i've learned recently that that figure does not include the forest "buffer" zones between neighborhoods, retail centers and roadways. if anyone is interested, i will scan or retype the articles from the insert for your reading pleasure. just sent me a private message. i may not respond immediately, but i'll work on it.

hmmmm, you'd take a real home anyday..........but you hate sprawl. seems like a contradiction.

did i sound overconfident or overexcited? i'm sorry. maybe it's this cold medication my dr. prescribed. i haven't had enough oxygen to my brain for several days. my apologies, dbigtex.

wow, this is exciting. by allowing the homeowners to share in the potential profits, the whole neighborhood is redeveloped. if successful, this will be a model for future "smart growth" developments.

Gala to celebrate 30 years of The Woodlands By: LAUREN HUTTON , Villager staff 10/14/2004 George P. Mitchell, the founding father of The Woodlands, will return to the place where it all began 30 years ago. The Houston oilman and entrepreneur who recently made the Forbes Four Hundred Richest in America List will serve as an honored guest at The Woodlands 30th Anniversary Gala Saturday, which will take a look back at the years of accomplishments and recognize the leaders of the future. Mitchell said Monday that the idea for a master-planned community began long before he focused his stare in 1974 on the thick, green forests of what is now The Woodlands. And he saw more than just a bedroom community for Houston. Three decades and $7.5 billion later, 85-year-old Mitchell will tell you his vision is pretty close to the reality with more than 5 million square feet of office space, 6 million worth of retail, 7.3 million of institutional and technical, and more than 1,200 businesses that employ more than 30,000 people. "We have a good labor ratio working in and out of The Woodlands," he said. "We have great education, both private and public." And the thick, green forests that attracted Mitchell to the area in the first place still stand today -- securing a permanent place in residents' brags about their hometown. "The main thing we did do well is save the trees ... it's amazing how important that is to residents," he said. "Generally when you drive through, people say 'how the hell did they keep all those trees.'" But as in any dream, Mitchell said some things did not make it to reality. "We've done a fairly good job for middle-to-low income (families)," he said referring to part of his vision. "We have not had the mix of races that we wanted out there. "It's not the mix that Houston is; but we are doing better." As for the future, Mitchell wants to see as much of the wood areas and open-air spaces remain as possible as the community grows. But he is confident that Thomas J. D'Alesandro IV, current president and chief executive officer of The Woodlands Operating Company, shares his same vision. "He has a real feel for the project," Mitchell said. Despite its current controversial nature, Mitchell said he also stands by his original concept that The Woodlands eventually become part of the city of Houston. "They have seven more years to work that out," he said referring to the moratorium on annexation. "(The Woodlands) needs the economic backing." Mitchell said, for example, one reason he chose the location is because of the Houston Intercontinental Airport that Houston has poured millions of dollars into over the past few years. "The Woodlands could not afford to do that," he said. "There are things they can do better and things The Woodlands can do better. They just need to work it out." The gala that benefits Interfaith of The Woodlands also marks the opportunity to recognize this year's six Hometown Heroes that include four individuals and two businesses. Honorees include State Sen. Tommy Williams, Bruce Tough, Sharon Leigh, Nancy Battle, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital and Boni's Dance and Performing Arts Studio. Tickets to the event, which starts at 6 p.m. at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center, have sold out due to high demand. But people may consider buying and donating a ticket to benefit Interfaith of The Woodlands. Raffle tickets are still available for a one-week stay for six people at Crested Butte, Colo. or two round-trip tickets anywhere in the United States. Market auction item tickets are also available. Prices of tickets are five for $20. You do not need to be present to win. For more information, e-mail Carolyn Davis, auction chair, at davisc@nhmccd.edu. Lauren Hutton may be reached at lhutton@mail.hcnonline.net. To learn more about "America's Hometown" history, see the special 30th anniversary magazine inside this week's Villager.

dbigtex, sorry i didn't take the time to research and regurgitate the facts in a manner that is pleasing. maybe i shouldn't be on HAIF while at work. your understanding that the federal government requires states to redistrict after each census is correct; however, states have the right to call a special session to redistrict under specific circumstances. delay's "gerrymander" as you call it actually eliminated a past gerrymander. it was presented in the press as "unprecedented" and possibly illegal, when actually, it followed the letter and spirit of the law as was found by the higher court when it chose not to hear the appeal. the appeal was unsubstantiated. my former rant about dems creating the law that delay now uses is true; however, he didn't use the law to make a more populous republican or white district. i had not read the law concerning redistricting until this week. i'm now more confident in my conclusions concerning this issue than before.

one more point showing that the case was not unprecedented. if the redistricting were "unprecedented" then the higher courts would have wanted to "make" precedence for this particular case.

it is my understanding that if the governor calls a special session specifically for redistricting, especially if the redistricting has not been done by the legislature, the state legislature will not be challenged unless certain race factors or minorities have not been considered. in fact, it appears that since the texas legislature writes the redistricting into law and unless federal laws concerning minority voting rights are violated, the feds have little interest in fighting it. this is not unprecedented. a link is at the bottom in case this format is a pain. Chapter 1 The Texas Redistricting Process I. Redistricting: A Legislative Function A. Redistricting Authority Section 28, Article III, Texas Constitution, requires the Texas Legislature to apportion both houses of the legislature at its first regular session after publication of the federal decennial census. Without this requirement, the legislature would be responsible for legislative redistricting under the plenary legislative authority granted by Section 1, Article III, Texas Constitution. The Texas Supreme Court has stated that section grants to the legislature

lest anyone forget pre 1980's politics, the democrats ran the state of texas. the democrats created the laws that allowed tom delay and the dominate party to redistrict according to their fancy. there was virtually no media coverage or outcry when the democrats redistricted in the early eighties to secure their hold on the state for a few more years. now that republicans are using tools created by the dems it's abominable, criminal! it's actually hilarious to see how little people remember. if i had my "drothers", as grandma used to say, the republicans would have worked to eliminate undue influence on such things making the process less complicated and more fair (more directly connected to the popular/representative vote).

there is a southland hardware store at 1822 westheimer near river oaks and a buffalo hardware (ace-true value) store at kirby and westheimer.

there was a time i too couldn't wait to get home and log on. there seemed to be so many good conversations going on that i'd have to make myself sign off. i was late for work several times trying to finish a thought or complete reading a thread.

randall davis had control of the property and had plans for it; however, it seems that HISD has/had plans to condemn it. i may be off a bit. from what i remember randall davis had already spent some dough updating the building. i don't know who currently holds interest in the building.

my wish is that the associations/gov-neighborhood efforts being created here could be replicated for existing urban neighborhoods. laws would have to be changed. a government approved format would have to be made acceptable to all parties. then the majority of landowners in a particular geographical area could more easily establish associations with the authority of one granted by a developer, hopefully creating by-laws that increase property values and define the character of a limited mixed use urban "zone"; in some cases "preserving" character rather than redefining it.

i think this article is pre enron. the copyright is 2001. it's fun to read nevertheless.

i've wondered if million dollar homes would take off in downtown. once the demographics reach a higher level of per capita wealth, retailers will follow in droves. millionaires will certainly help that demographic. anyone hoping for a downtown retail come back should keep their fingers crossed on these million dollar residences.

The Woodlands finishes second in international competition The Woodlands has placed second in the prestigious Nations in Bloom competition, the world's only competition for local communities that focuses on good environmental management and the creation of livable communities. Endorsed by the United Nations, the objective of Nations in Bloom is to encourage best practice, innovation and leadership in providing a vibrant, environmentally sustainable community that improves the quality of life. "This is a significant award for The Woodlands," said Woodlands Community Association President Bruce Tough. "It is very rare for a community to win an award in the competition on the first try, and to come in second with a Gold award for environmental practices is almost unheard of. A lot of credit goes to the Community Associations of The Woodlands staff who coordinated the application and presentation. "We competed against 274 cities," Mr. Tough continued, "and were the only community in the U.S. to make it to the finals in our category. We competed against cities that have hundreds and some thousands of years of heritage and planning, and it was a great privilege to represent The Woodlands and receive this honor." Involvement in Nations in Bloom will result in an increased international profile for the community and an opportunity to learn from communities, from around the world, of best practice in environmental and landscape management, heritage management, community empowerment and forward planning. The award was announced today in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, following several days of competition. The delegation from The Woodlands is expected back on Wednesday. For more information about the competition, please visit http://www.nationsinbloom.com and http://www.thewoodlandsassociations.org/pr...ress.php?id=907. A press release issued by Nations in Bloom follows. Nations in Bloom The International Awards for Liveable Communities Nations in Bloom was launched in 1997 and is endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme and is the world

Community Associations earn national award for communications plan The Community Associations of The Woodlands were recently recognized by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) for their Strategic Communications Plan. The plan earned an Award of Excellence in the national 3CMA Savvy Award competition in the category of jurisdictional and departmental communication plans for cities and counties with populations of 70,000 to 925,000. Competition judges described the plan as

couldn't the parks dept purchase a lot or two before prices get higher? maybe the midtown TIRZ could purchase park land in the area. in fact, a one block park for every 9 blocks would be a great ratio. no chance of that happening though.

does anyone have info. on the progress of this midtown project? i haven't heard anything recently.

cool