sidegate

Good for them for snagging the "Responsible" tagline. Caught everyone else napping.

Now that I recall, when I lived in the Archstone Medical Center, there was a weekly motel next door where the shuttle used to stop. Every morning the same people would get on, obviously undergoing chemo. So I guess that's how some people manage it.

I concur. But it's never really been about the traffic. The traffic is a front because Bill White doesn't want to confront the Z-word issue. These developers have come in and had the temerity to play by the City's own rules and have found that, well, those actually aren't the rules, because these wealthy, connected NIMBYs say so. I'm personally pro-zoning, and would much rather this turn into a debate on the merits or otherwise of zoning city-wide, but that's not going to happen. Edit: found typo

Wroxton Court, the street immediately behind the proposed development, is a cul de sac, so pretty much useless for egress. The way the rest of the immediate grid is laid out there are a lot of T-junctions controlled by single stop signs, and all those streets have on-street parking. If I was a homeowner I'd fight entrances and exits into my hood tooth and nail, similar to how the locals restricted Trammel Crowe from barfing traffic into Winlow Place from the Alexan on Westheimer.

not exacty an option for someone getting chemo

Continental.

I was on a flight from Miami to IAH a few years ago and the pilot called it Intergalactic. Everyone cracked up.

That works in the city by and large but the problem is the suburbs are lacking in landmarks. It's prairie. And I agree with jgriff, most of the time it's an irritating inconvenience, but in emergencies it takes on a different character. The city is here to govern, and predictability and structure in street naming is fundamental to interactions of its citizens.

That makes sense. But at some point presumably a new stretch of pavement had to join at an existing one at an intersection, so why on earth would whatever civic authority with jurisdiction not just give the newly intersecting road the same name as the existing road? it's arbitrary and capricious beyond belief.

Are Houston and the surrounding burbs the only places in the nation with what can most charitably be described as an endearingly quirky approach to naming roads? I went to a wedding last weekend in Richmond. Now admittedly I'm only an occasional visitor to the burbs and local knowledge was lacking, but both Google Maps, as well as the one on the invitation, referred to SH99 as Grand Parkway. There was no sign for Grand Parkway anywhere en route, and I was looking. And even the SH99 sign was smaller than most COH street signs, it was seriously tiny (as I saw on my way back). I was several miles through the intersection before I figured out what was wrong. I'm sure people have discussed Eastex/59 and Katy Freeway/I10, and North/South Freeway/I45 at length elsewhere so I won't start again on those. But come on, is it too much to ask to pick a name and run with it?

So I have to wonder at the thought process behind the idea to stick the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey slap bang in front of the sign for the Ersity Omas at the corner of Montrose and West Alabama. Or is that the University of St Thomas? Anyway, surely there was enough room to put it behind the sign? It looks kind of silly.

yes, zones are still in place. from the hisd website: What School Should My Child Attend? Student Transfer: 713-556-6734 School Attendance Zones Most schools have specifically defined attendance zones that include residential areas that each school serves. On the basis of a student's home address, HISD assigns each student to a "feeder pattern" composed of a specific elementary, middle, and high school. To determine which schools serve your residence, use the online "School Zone Search Tool" or call the Student Transfer Department at 713-556-6734 or the HISD Information Center at 713-556-6005. School Boundary Maps To view individual school boundary maps, go to the School Information tool. Type in part of the name of the school in the "Search by Name" field and click "Submit." All schools have an "Attendance Boundary Map" link. If you need more help searching for schools, click on the "?" in the School Locator. Transfers Parents may also apply to a school other than the "zoned" campus for other types of transfers, such as Magnet/Vanguard, special transfers for courses or programs, impassable geographic barriers, majority-to-minority, space-available, out-of-district, violent-crime victim, unsafe school, adequate yearly progress, and public education grant. Out-of-district transfers may be available on a "space available" and tuition basis for students residing outside HISD. All out-of-district transfers, including Vanguard and HISD charter-school and contract programs, require the approval of the principal and superintendent of schools. Other Options In the interest of ensuring the widest possible range of choices in education, HISD also offers parents the option of sending their child to a school other than the "home" or "zoned" campus, provided that the school of choice has sufficient space available to accept additional students. When the school of choice accepts a student from outside its attendance zone, HISD requires that the parents agree to keep the student at the chosen school for the entire school year, and parents must assume responsibility for the student's transportation. For information about available space, the application process, and eligibility for transfers, call the school in which you are interested or the Student Transfer Department at 713-556-6734.

I wonder how much ad revenue they lost when Foley's was subsumed. There used to be one day of the week when Foley's didn't run ads and I swear the main section was about six pages long, and most of that filled with stories pulled from AP or culled from first-tier newspapers. Between CNN/MSNBC and good local news (KHOU comes to mind), there's little to justify the Chronicle's existence apart from its Sunday edition. Competition from another title might help.

Perhaps this is off topic and if so please move, but with the ongoing revitalization of the Inner Loop and reversal of population decline (I'm guessing at that so please correct if I am mistaken), are Inner Loop schools likely to redraw their catchment areas in order to avoid overcrowding and if so by how much? Would it be a case of simply reducing or phasing out magnet programs? Would length of residence in the catchment area become a consideration? Or would new schools be built to accommodate the increased population? Or, are the numbers we're talking about so insignificant as to be unlikely to warrant such measures....? Thanks to anyone who knows more the inner workings of HISD than me. We bought several years ago to be zoned for Lanier and Lamar.

23 stories has an emotional impact that a midrise spread over a wider area does not. one is appropriate for its immediate surrounding area (situated on a major east west artery), the other is not and in anywhere other than Houston, would get no further than the back of a developer's envelope.

there are several key differences b/w this dev and ashby: 1) It won't be 23 stories 2) It is bounded immediately on four sides by a park and the freeway; a four lane road, which will eventually, if metro is to be believed, be four lanes plus light rail; retail; and a lot of rental accommodation. Renters for the most part tend to care less than owners about developments in their 'hood since they don't have a mortgage invested in it, and in a few years will likely be elsewhere. Contrast this with Ashby, plonked incongruously in the middle of a bunch of two lane streets (sometimes not even that with on-street parking) and a bunch of single family homes with hefty mortgages sunk into them and I, at least, get a sense of the reason for the difference in attitudes to the projects.

truly one of the greatest comedians ever

i agree. high rise developers here are notorious to resorting to the dreaded L word (Landscaping) when it comes to tying their buildings into the surrounding neighborhood. Pros and cons of 23 stories aside, these renderings look like these guys are at least making an effort in that respect. "We need to go up in order to take advantage of these spectacular views......". I've heard Houston called a lot of things, but never spectacular!

it's a new park. in houston. let's not look this gift horse in the mouth.

x10

chipotle is the only place I would think of walking to, and I work in the Med Center; TMC needs more restaurants period.

People working there would be most likely to rail & walk it. People who shop there will park their midsize Lexus SUVs on Level 3 and walk into [insert name of high end anchor retail here]. I agree it will be a lovely addition to the area. What a treat to see zero ft setbacks in this area and not have to peer at shopfronts across an expanse of cars.

thanks for the pics Jax - looking nice! curious that the entrances are raised from the sidewalk. are they going for a Galveston-ish look?

Do we know which four other projects? The City was staying tight-lipped on which ones were affected, as I recall from the report.

for the euro yes. for sterling, it is 2:1