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fwki

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Everything posted by fwki

  1. Or maybe a new chiller will fall from the heavens onto the roof
  2. correction, 5am-5pm Sunday May 19, and ALL surrounding streets to be closed to vehicles and pedestrians, fairly extensive area.....Andrews, Shaw, Ruthven, Smith, Louisiana, Pease and Bell Employees will be allowed if work critical, but no exit or entrance 6am-8am and if necessary 5pm-8pm.
  3. Both Chevron buildings are closed to all employees Saturday and today they placed a giant electronic sign stating Smith is closed at Clay 5am-9pm Saturday.
  4. Placing him clearly in the lead of the “Do as I say, not as I Do” category of elitist pigs, HAHC radical hijacker David Bucek demolishes historic bungalow under “renovation” on the Menil campus. From Swamplot: http://swamplot.com/renovation-of-menil-bungalow-into-menil-cafe-will-be-more-extensive-than-originally-planned/2014-04-07/#comments It wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t bragged about it on the Stern and Bucek website linking here, here and here. Well, yeah, it would. I watched him lie to the Planning Commission in person as he unsuccessfully tried to block an HAHC appeal trying to force a back-wall starting point for a termite-infested dump renovation. I guess he found a termite or two at Menil….try that excuse when you beg for your CoA to demo a Heights bungalow….Bucek say no way homey, termites are good source of protein for you peons .
  5. About a year ago Pappas bought the old Glazier warehouse at 2727 Summer behind the Kay Roger....to go along with the entire 20-block parcel they own on the south side of 2400 Summer. I believe the City is to punch Summer St through to Oliver as part of the Kroger deal and turn Summer/Stude into a major intersection for E/W traffic to Houstron Ave. 2727 looks big enough for Pappas and already was used for restaraunt supply.
  6. January 16, 2014 HAHC meeting...http://houstontx.swagit.com/play/01222014-1006...Houston Heights HD's had four Additions presented for CoA and all four were denied by the emboldened HAHC knowing that the newly neutered appeals process is no longer a threat to their power. This meeting alone could make the case to the general public that the Ordinance must go. Watch the applicants, your friends and neighbors, tell their tales of dealing with the unprepared staff and beg for mercy only to be slapped down by the snickering boobs. Listen to the political commentary on zoning by the apartment-finder Chairperson Welsh. Common folk had one measure of revenge when the all-powerful commission was forced to retroactively approve a stucco replacement on a project they had Denied CoA but the Planning Commission overturned on appeal (prior to the Gafrick jury-rigging). Their disdain for the applicant was palpable and the looks on their faces was priceless as they were each forced to bite the turd. The applicant himself gave me a first-hand description of the disrespect he and the others endured at this meeting, and the video doesn't capture all of it, such as the eye-rolls and other condescending behavior by the HAHC. Mr. Bastian (Chicken Plant Project) ended the meeting getting lectured on how "typical" means "average" and other legal opinions from the all-powerful commission. They all wished him well in the end, like a cat lifting its paw off the tail of a mouse while licking its chops in anticipation of his next visit.
  7. What's incompatible about a 4000 sqft and a similarly situated 1500 sqft home is.the people who live in them, of course, and for the social engineers on the HAHC, this the metric. Yes, you are cursed with logical thinking, and you did not do your homework on this HAHC which rarely applies or appreciates the logical thinking of real engineers. This modus operandi is nothing new to the regulars around here.
  8. Spot on.....this pretentious HAHC has turned the ordinance on itself with an attitude of disdain for traditonal families and businessmen/women alike. Go see one of these meetings in-person and watch the dandy who fancies himself as overlord of the coterie roll his eyes when property owners are speaking, see hijackers twerk their Ipads in disrespect for the applicants, hear the condescending tone and imperial attitude of the do-nothing, glad-I-got-this-gig filler commissioners. It all makes for a nauseating introduction to governance by the Parker administration. The relatively minor battle over the Chicken Plant could serve as a turning point that the attracts attention of the uninformed and unaffected Houston voters. NOBODY wants an apartment/condo/townhome development, but that is exactly what this clueless HAHC could deliver, making Houston's "preservation" effort the laughing stock of the nation once again. One year ago, with the asinine Kelman Denial, the HAHC changed the debate from the ordinance to the HAHC. Since that turning point influential members of our community, the local press, the Planning Commision, one member of the HAHC, our two CM's and the mayor herself have gone on record pointing to the problems with this Commission and its foolhardy decisions. The foremost supporter and architect of this HAHC, former Director of Planning Marlene Gafrick, resigned unexpectedly last fall, literally amid a torrent of letters to the Mayor critical of the HAHC. And the HAHC continues to fiddle about, prancing around like the Belle of the Ball in a gown of invisible thread. So fiddle away and say goodby to Mr. Bastian.....the ordinance may very well follow.
  9. So Parker admits she has a problem on the HAHC, in effect calling out Elliot, Bucek and perhaps mod as hijackers. Then she points to some mythical DG ghosts as having caused the problems with the ordinance which is complete revisionist history because the DG problem didn't surface until they removed the Heights DG's after we were beating them over the head with them at the appeals. Even SM3h knew this because he graciously posted a link to the Heights DG's for me on this site years ago. Brie's email trail proves above all that the city administration is changing the law as they go along to suit an unknown or at least unstated goal. Furthermore, Gafrick's lame-duck, career-ending move was to completely hijack the appeals process with new draconian rules like Obama and his executive order pen. And all this is after the illegal HD ballot in a city that outlaws zoning. The Leader just stated the obvious to the those who weren't paying attention. Now Sue Lovell is trying to "save the ordinance" by simply adding new DG's. Sure, right, now I am supposed to trust this bunch? New DG's may save the builders because frankly, they just want clarity, good or bad. But not the property owner victims, they are hosed either way. I'm with Ross. And it will be much easier as Elliot, Bucek and mod continue to wreak havoc along with the new kangaroo court appeals process. The victims' screams will be too loud for Council to ignore.
  10. In Chronicle article, my favorite quote from Mayor Parker herself about the HAHC: "There are a couple activist commissioners over there who are hijacking the process." Message received, finally. I'm not sure she ever got it with Gafrick around, or at least couldn't acknowledge such publicly.
  11. Here's the editorial summary: http://www.theleadernews.com/?p=15142
  12. Two or three weeks ago I talked to the maintenance man for those car washes on the day that one first closed. The owners of the eyesore condo next to it bought it for retail parking.
  13. He he he he he, knew that one would get ya Tex. You shoulda seen the first draft, but it crashed Windows 8.1, took it as a sign and removed all satanic Halloween references....but then again, it coulda just been Windows 8.1.
  14. The verdict is in. The Planning Commission is no longer the opportunity for fair judgment for those hapless Heights families aggrieved by whimsical HAHC decisions. After months of attempting to beat HAHC opponents at the Planning Commission by tweaking the rules but still getting their collective asses handed to them by superior arguments, Gafrick has thrown in the towel and will no longer allow public comment. Also the appellants will no longer be allowed to address any issues other than those pre-determined by the HAHC as relevant to the appeal. So HD buyers beware: if you are not prepared to grab your ankles and take what the HAHC is giving, stay away from any property that needs work. Unless of course you are a DINK, Empty Nester, barren old lady or alt.life.style. Time for me to join the Repeal the Ordinance team, there's no middle ground for Parker and her fellow freaks.
  15. Lauren, that would be me, having some Halloween fun. Next up: Thanksgiving, unless they do something stupid on Armistice Day.
  16. The Children of the Corn are up to no good once again in this feature presentation: 1213 Harvard CoA Denial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxevEAIppJU&feature=youtu.be Commissioner Elliott is at his arrogant best as he explains that the aesthetics of your domicile will be judged not against the home as it stands today but rather against how the home existed long ago in the vivid imaginations of the Children of the Corn.....and stay tuned for the sequel because this one will be the first appeal after, as requested by Mayor Parker, the "joint" committee takes a ride on the Magic Bus right through the Heights, no doubt carefully following the treacherous former marathon route into the hinterland. Breeders and builders beware, do not look into the eyes of the Children as they pass lest your progeny become sterile and whimsical and corrupt.
  17. That's a good question because it's a TPIA, not a do-it-yourself operation. I tried to just un-paint them and managed just a few after countless hours. But practicality has nothing to do with the freakish HAHC today because their goal is to force normal people out of here. But I think after a hefty donation to The Cause, the board may see things differently.
  18. Wrong, the HAHC was overruled in one instance after a tedious appeal process. But those fools are still denying window replacement CoA that do not strictly follow National Park Standards for Protected Landmarks. I heard the whole spiel from Marlene herself. (Here's one example Item hh - http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Commissions/minutes_hahc13/06_13_2013.pdf )
  19. Holy crap, I was just told what this guy told these people to their faces when he bailed out. These vendors are scared witless about the business repercussions of not playing ball with this HAHC faction......Louisiana flashbacks.
  20. Planning Commision Hat-Trick extends reversal streak for out-of-touch HAHC by overturning triple asinine rulings........same old story, on August 14th HAHC denied four CoA's, property owners appealed three of the four to the PC and won all three. This screwball HAHC is an embarassment to our City with their lack of consistency, lack of professionalism and lack of understanding of the good people of Houston, luckily we have a balanced PC to somewhat limit the damage and waste inflicted by these fools. At the very end of the meeting Gafrick stated that they plan a joint workshop between the two commissions to take a tour of the Heights in October in an affort to align on interpretation of the Ordinance, so I'm sure Gafrick will conduct that as a fair and honest power broker just like she handled the townhalls and the reconsideration vote ............http://houstontx.swagit.com/play/09052013-565
  21. Masks according to the report....and they must be using sign language because certain dialects are easy to identify, not that there's anything wrong with that...
  22. Here's the site.... https://whca.nextdoor.com/news_feed/ If you PM me your email I will send an invite....just noted that the site now has 966 members.
  23. Gimme da scoop! I'd love to hear about this BB. If you are referring to NextDoor, that site is open to Woodland Heights and all the small, contiguous subdivisions along with Norhill, North Norhill and East Norhill, so it encompasses a huge area with thousands of homes and highly variable demographics. The Urgent Alerts are used regularly and are very effective. It's a no-brainer for the Houston Heights Association to form another NextDoor site and affiliate with all the others. But no doubt the HHA is too busy spying on its members' home improvements plans and thinks this interweb thing is a passing fad, because dagnamit, we didn't need it in 1920!. Edit: In addition to the above neighborhoods, Montie Beach, Brookesmith, First Ward and Houston Heights East have all formed affilliated NextDoor sites. I can Turn On or Turn Off posts/threads for any or all nearby neighborhoods depending on how elite I feel that day.
  24. Here we go! "Myrtle, hold my calls.....and get me some popcorn dang it."
  25. Twenty years ago, this place was wall to wall blue cruisers 24/7. Lanier had just taken over and made inner city rejuvenation one of his goals starting with crime reduction. Things got better for a decade or so, flattened out and now we seem to be at a tipping point. HPD has definitely de-emphasized the Heights compared to the past, just using visibility as metric. I think the problem is another signpost of political castration from the City of Houston. Until the political winds change, it's up to us to fix the problem.
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