txscorp Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 It is with great sadness that I must tell you all that the beautiful homes in Idylwood along Brays Bayou have started to come down. The city declared eight homes on the 1500 block substantially damaged after Hurricane Ike. The county has purchased 1504 N MacGregor and a second home on Wildwood Way. The county is in the process of securing the other six homes. Several pieces of heavy machinery were in place today to complete the demolition of the home at 1504 N MacGregor and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the homes along that stretch of the bayou are also demolished. It is the sad end of an era but these homes were built in a flood plain and I guess it was time. Perhaps this will help alleviate some of the flooding for other parts of the neighborhood. FWIW, we are one of the affected homeowners and signed/sold our house to the county last week. I will post some pictures of better times later tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic08 Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 It is with great sadness that I must tell you all that the beautiful homes in Idylwood along Brays Bayou have started to come down. The city declared eight homes on the 1500 block substantially damaged after Hurricane Ike. The county has purchased 1504 N MacGregor and a second home on Wildwood Way. The county is in the process of securing the other six homes. Several pieces of heavy machinery were in place today to complete the demolition of the home at 1504 N MacGregor and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the homes along that stretch of the bayou are also demolished. It is the sad end of an era but these homes were built in a flood plain and I guess it was time. Perhaps this will help alleviate some of the flooding for other parts of the neighborhood. FWIW, we are one of the affected homeowners and signed/sold our house to the county last week. I will post some pictures of better times later tonight.I know exactly where that is - I am so sorry to hear about these homes, especially yours. I love the character of Idylwood and its homes. I would love to see any pics you post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelguy_73 Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I owned a home only a block away, and bought just after the beautiful stone home next to Spurlock Park was demolished (victim of Alison). I loved that stretch of MacGregor Way. I am sad to see them go, and can't imagine what kind of stress the process put homeowners under. Hopefully the neighborhood will be able to work with the County to turn that section into a linear park so that it doesn't look like a bunch of abandoned lots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txscorp Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 It is with great sadness that I must tell you all that the beautiful homes in Idylwood along Brays Bayou have started to come down. The city declared eight homes on the 1500 block substantially damaged after Hurricane Ike. The county has purchased 1504 N MacGregor and a second home on Wildwood Way. The county is in the process of securing the other six homes. Several pieces of heavy machinery were in place today to complete the demolition of the home at 1504 N MacGregor and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the homes along that stretch of the bayou are also demolished. It is the sad end of an era but these homes were built in a flood plain and I guess it was time. Perhaps this will help alleviate some of the flooding for other parts of the neighborhood. FWIW, we are one of the affected homeowners and signed/sold our house to the county last week. I will post some pictures of better times later tonight. Here is a picture of the before and after of the demolished house and one of our home, which will soon become a memory as well. It has been stressful and we could have raised the house seven feet to comply with the new flood maps nut the cost was extreme and the State Farm denied and depreciated so much of the claim that we were aready short almost $40,000. We really had no choice economically. The Idylwood Civic Club is planning to create a community garden and park so I don't think the land will be abandoned into vacant lots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I am so sorry to read these posts. I grew up admiring these homes with my grandmother. A very sad day, indeed. What a loss...Such a unique area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenoaksguy Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I am so sorry to read these posts. I grew up admiring these homes with my grandmother. A very sad day, indeed. What a loss...Such a unique area.Yes, I owned a house on Park Lane, used to love to walk along the bayou and look at these houses. I will miss them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Very sad. Glad to hear the Civic Club has a plan, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 ...FWIW, we are one of the affected homeowners and signed/sold our house to the county last week...Did they give you a fair deal? Are they getting regular appraisals, as if it were a private sale to another party? Or are they using some special county or other system to determine value? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Very sad. Glad to hear the Civic Club has a plan, though.plans are great, but if the don't own it, you never know what will happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txscorp Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 The vacant land can never be developed and by law will remain green space. The county will have to maintain the property unless they can find someone to lease the lots for minimal cost (I was told $1 a year). My understanding is that a community garden and park will be established and maintained by members of the community - perhaps the Idylwood Garden Club - really not sure. I might even be interested in leasing some space to grow my own veggies. Like you said it is just a plan and we'll see how things evolve. This ordeal has been tough enough and I prefer to look for a happy ending so I'll save my cynicism for another time.The buyout process was more than fair and we are happy with the settlement - maybe not happy but felt the offer was fair. The offer exceeded two other appraisals we had received. The personnel from HCFCD have been very professional, even sympathetic to our plight. We are grateful the buy out program exists but truth be told, we'd rather have our house back in the condition it was in before Ike...and without the constant threat of flooding from the bayou. Maybe in a perfect world but for now we have to play the hand we were dealt. Life is full of tough decisions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott08 Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 One of my semi-regular bike rides goes down MacGregor there. I remember the devastation from Allison but didn't know Ike had done it again. Very sad, I always enjoy taking new people down that street and seeing something fairly unique to Houston. Does it affect every single house on the street? or just some of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txscorp Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 One of my semi-regular bike rides goes down MacGregor there. I remember the devastation from Allison but didn't know Ike had done it again. Very sad, I always enjoy taking new people down that street and seeing something fairly unique to Houston. Does it affect every single house on the street? or just some of them? It will affect four homes that front the bayou between Park Ln and Wildwood Way and the the first house up on Park Lm and the first two houses on the southside of Wildwood Way. I believe one house on the 1900 block of N MacGregor is also set for acquisition - the beautiful white house with the brick paver driveway. I have attached a picture that shows the flooding from Ike. It is the corner of N MacGregor and Wildwood Way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 As of last week, there is one home left on N. MacGregor Way. It has been gutted and is awaiting demolition. The entire area there looks totally different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 As of last week, there is one home left on N. MacGregor Way. It has been gutted and is awaiting demolition. The entire area there looks totally different.I hope you mean "the east side of N. MacGregor Way". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 I hope you mean "the east side of N. MacGregor Way".I should have been more specific. In the 1500 block of N. Macgregor Way, there are/were houses only on one side of the street. All five houses in that block are now gone. Two houses in the 6700 block or Wildwood Way are gone. One house in the 6700 block of Park Ln is gutted and ready for demolition. There is also one house in the 1900 block of N. Macgregor Way that is "ready" to be taken down. A total of 9 homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Hate to hear that. Mother Nature always has the last word. Guess it's always a risk, being so close to the water. I still see homes being built OVER Buffalo Bayou, in the Memorial area. I don't know how they sleep at night, during a heavy downpour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgriff Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Hate to hear that. Mother Nature always has the last word. Guess it's always a risk, being so close to the water. I still see homes being built OVER Buffalo Bayou, in the Memorial area. I don't know how they sleep at night, during a heavy downpour. Not very well. I live within 100 yards of Buffalo Bayou and lost 2 cars in a flood last year. You are correct... when it rains hard at night I get up and go check on them. I put up an IP camera in the garage after it happened but that's failed so I'm back to getting up and checking on them until I can get a new one. My neighbor has lived there for over 20 years and has never seen a flood like the one last year so I'm hoping it won't happen again anytime soon. My insurance policy paid off nicely though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drone Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 While I am sad to see these beautiful houses go, and worry that they won't be the last, I am happy that we'll at least be getting guaranteed green space out of it.Yes, the CC seems to be very much on top of it. Too bad it's not exactly contiguous with the existing park, but at least it's more greenery, better than cookie-cutter houses or convenience stores...!c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 While I am sad to see these beautiful houses go, and worry that they won't be the last, I am happy that we'll at least be getting guaranteed green space out of it.Yes, the CC seems to be very much on top of it. Too bad it's not exactly contiguous with the existing park, but at least it's more greenery, better than cookie-cutter houses or convenience stores...!cWas sad to see the white Cape Cod at the corner curve of Sylvan and N. Macgregor Way readying for demolition. I don't understand how this particular one got the ax, while the ones next to it still stand. It sits so high on the hill, the others next to it seem to sit lower on the slope. The '60s mod near it has a garage practically in the gully. How was this determined? Hate to see this happen to any Idylwood home, but agree with your green space statement. Wish Maxwell St. could be closed off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Was sad to see the white Cape Cod at the corner curve of Sylvan and N. Macgregor Way readying for demolition. I don't understand how this particular one got the ax, while the ones next to it still stand. It sits so high on the hill, the others next to it seem to sit lower on the slope. The '60s mod near it has a garage practically in the gully. How was this determined? Hate to see this happen to any Idylwood home, but agree with your green space statement. Wish Maxwell St. could be closed off.It's my understanding that all the houses along that stretch of N. Macgregor caught water. The exceptions being the stone house which sits way back and the stately brick on the opposite corner, although the stone house did get some roof damage.The 60's mod was repaired, renovated or whatever by the owners as was the red roofed stucco two story next to it. That house no longer has a red roof. In fact, the folks in that two story had to be rescued with a boat, think it was police department or who ever does the bayou type rescues.Some of the owners had already begun repairs before talk of FEMA got around. I was told that some of those affected can no longer get insurance so my guess would be that the next time this happens, there'll be more buy outs. Three other houses were lost to TS Allison. The stone house nearest Idylwood Park on Idylwood Street and two on the bayou side of N. Macgregor. One was in the 1400 block and one in the 1900 block. You may remember the multi level "rambling" house in the Sylvan/Macgregor curve at 1955 N.Macgregor.The green space will be good, providing it is maintained. I suspect that some of those living nearest the space will be keeping an eye on things. There's been talk of a community garden but that may be difficult to manage. As the OP stated, that property can never be built upon again. As for Maxwell, that is as closed off as it will ever be. Lee Brown's administration saw to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Thanks for the info. It's still so hard for me to believe this happened, but I have seen the pictures, and the recent demolition. And after the recent years renovations/ improvements to the bayou there, it just kills me. It's still such a unique neighborhood. I vaguely remember the rambling house on the curve, it never stood a chance of surviving. There was a good writeup about it on the Idylwood Homeowners site. I was surprised to see that the one story ranch-rambler next to the bayou and Lawndale Ave. (close to the monument store) is still there, although the garage apt. next to it is being moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelguy_73 Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I was surprised to see that the one story ranch-rambler next to the bayou and Lawndale Ave. (close to the monument store) is still there, although the garage apt. next to it is being moved.HCFCD bought the land the garage apartment is on for the bayou improvement, and that is why it is being moved. I think they lost their pool as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 HCFCD bought the land the garage apartment is on for the bayou improvement, and that is why it is being moved. I think they lost their pool as well.[/quotThere used to be two houses there. One (still standing) with a 1300 block address and one in the 1400 block. The 1400 one was lost to Allison and it is the one that had the garage apartment behind it. The 1300 and 1400 numbers are not actually separated by a cross street at that point. It's all one large piece of property. Same folks owned both houses.The only reason I can figure for the difference in block numbers is that technically speaking, the 1300 block there is not in Idylwood while the 1400 is. This is evident on the maps associated with the HCAD listings.The garage apartment somehow remained mostly intact although it was closer to the bayou than the flooded house. I'm not too sure they lost the pool which was between the two houses. I may be wrong but I think it was moved.For years and years the owners there were gracious enough to allow the Civic Club to hold their monthly meetings in that garage apartment. Until Tropical Storm Allison changed things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickWallingford Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Was sad to see the white Cape Cod at the corner curve of Sylvan and N. Macgregor Way readying for demolition. Though hard for me to tell from Google Maps, I think that was Mr. Krebs' house. He was, I think, a WWII veteran who used to - every Halloween - do something cool to amaze us neighbourhood kids. One year it was lighting up a fluorescent tube running voltage through his body, another it was compressed air 'rockets'. And they never minded when we came zooming down the sidewalk on our skateboards!He had a hand drilled water well in his yard that he used to water the lawn and flowers - my Dad always wanted to dig one for us... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickWallingford Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 For years and years the owners there were gracious enough to allow the Civic Club to hold their monthly meetings in that garage apartment. Until Tropical Storm Allison changed things.The Civic Club started meeting there back in the time of Mr. Spurlock (lived 6600 block of Wildwood, I think?) who was the president back in the mid-1960s.I can't remember when they re-named the park after him - before then (and still in my mind) it was always just "Idylwood Park".There was a mild irony that the civic club met there, in the house with the garage apartment, given the (even then) very strict rules about not allowing things like garage residences in Idylwood proper - are the houses on the east side of N. MacGregor in Idylwood itself or some other subdivision name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I think I may have a photo of those houses, whose backs faced the monument store (other side of bayou) from a while back. I recall one being on blocks, like it was to be moved in the near future. The photos were taken on one of my visits, right after one of those (storm caused) bayou - overflows. The real trouble seemed to be, at the time, where Sylvan met North Macgregor, on the bend, remember the construction along the bayou at that point, especially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 The Cape Cod in the Sylvan curve was at 1944 and the Krebs couple lived in the smaller house at 1954 N. Macgregor. Both houses are gone now.As to how a FEMA buyout is determined, I do believe that other houses on N. Macgregor were offered a FEMA buyout. More than one owner who had water inside the house (IKE) chose to not accept the buyout. The house on blocks that looked as if it was to be moved was actually the garage apartment that belonged to the house that 'was' at 1405. which was in Idylwood subdivision. The 1405 house was destroyed in Allison. The garage apartment has been moved closer to the existing house in the 1300 block. Hurricane Ike undermined the garage apartment and the bayou banks to the extent that the apt. had to be moved and that section of property was bought by HCFC.That house on the east side of N. Macgregor (I guess it's east,) that withstood Allison and Ike is numbered in the 1300 block and is outside the Idylwood boundaries. It is technically in the Luke Moore League as is the memorial stone business that faces Lawndale. All three structures on that side of N. Macgregor, what I call the bayou side, belonged to one family.We did lose another home on Park Ln, to Ike, just last October. It was bought by HCFC. Not sure why it took so long to seal that deal. Ike was in 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallingford Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Kreb's house, 1954 N. Macgregor, during IKE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 The young couple that owned the Krebs house during Ike had just been in it for about 6 months and were completely unaware that it had flooded several times.They said that they had been told it had "had some water" in it but not how much. I thought that realtors were obligated to disclose that type information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I would think, a realtor, if asked specifically about a home's flood history, would have to be specific about it. I will ask my brother about that. Thanks for sharing the photo, Wallingford and info. Little Frau. I haven't been by there lately. I'm still very intrigued by the uniqueness of Idylwood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.