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Walmart Supercenter At 111 Yale St.


HeyHatch

Walmart at Yale & I-10: For or Against  

160 members have voted

  1. 1. Q1: Regarding the proposed WalMart at Yale and I-10:

    • I live within a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am FOR this Walmart
      41
    • I live within a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am AGAINST this Walmart
      54
    • I live outside a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am FOR this Walmart
      30
    • I live outside a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am AGAINST this Walmart
      26
    • Undecided
      9
  2. 2. Q2: If/when this proposed WalMart is built at Yale & I-10

    • I am FOR this WalMart and will shop at this WalMart
      45
    • I am FOR this WalMart but will not shop at this WalMart
      23
    • I am AGAINST this WalMart but will shop at this WalMart
      7
    • I am AGAINST this WalMart and will not shop at this WalMart
      72
    • Undecided
      13
  3. 3. Q3: WalMart in general

    • I am Pro-Walmart
      16
    • I am Anti-Walmart
      63
    • I don't care either way
      72
    • Undecided
      9

This poll is closed to new votes


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I hope RUDH goes after both the HEB Gulfgate and the Kroger 380.

Doing so would most likey exceed the scope of their mission as a 501©(4) non-profit entity, although I'd argue that most everything about who they are and what they do is been ill-fitting with their mission statement. So why not?

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The Koehler extension is a chicken or the egg issue that only the City and the developer know the answer. The developer did get a variance for the Koehler extension long before the 380 made it to counsel. Whether that was because they needed it to make the TIA work or whether it was only included at the behest of the City is an issue that you are certainly in no position to opine on. But, once it goes in the TIA, it must be built. The traffic engineer's modeling assumes that the road exists and reduces traffic on other intersections. The developer would have to submit a brand new TIA in order to avoid making the extension.

I most certainly can opine on this matter. Mayor Parker herself stated that the City approached Ainbinder about the possibility of doing a 380, not the other way around. Do you not read RUDH's posts at all? They very nearly had a coronary once they found out that the City was encouraging Ainbinder, and offered the 380. The conversations were exposed while RUDH still thought it had a fighting chance to stop the Walmart.

Since the City proposed the 380, of course it can also suggest what projects it wants covered, such as rebuilding certain streets, and upgrading certain sewer lines not directly related to the project. Despite your protestations to the contrary, one needn't repave an entire street in order to replace a 10 inch pipe. They simply cut and patch.

My suspicion is that Parker threw in several repaved streets to appease the neighbors, but since they have only one goal...to stop Walmart...anything else just made them mad.

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"The fact that they haven't said a word shows that they aren't really against 380s at all, just Walmarts."

Walmart doesn't have a 380 that I'm aware of. I understand that you're a lawyer, do you go on and on to total strangers in chat rooms about lawsuits you may or may not file in the future? Is that what you call practicing good law?

Like s3mh said, the 380 states that the items in the 380 "must be developed to serve the Project".

Parker also said that the 380 was "interest free" less than a week before the 380 went on council's agenda. I wouldn't put too much stock in what she says, but you might want to wonder why they did approach Ainbinder about the 380.

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I most certainly can opine on this matter. Mayor Parker herself stated that the City approached Ainbinder about the possibility of doing a 380, not the other way around. Do you not read RUDH's posts at all? They very nearly had a coronary once they found out that the City was encouraging Ainbinder, and offered the 380. The conversations were exposed while RUDH still thought it had a fighting chance to stop the Walmart.

Since the City proposed the 380, of course it can also suggest what projects it wants covered, such as rebuilding certain streets, and upgrading certain sewer lines not directly related to the project. Despite your protestations to the contrary, one needn't repave an entire street in order to replace a 10 inch pipe. They simply cut and patch.

My suspicion is that Parker threw in several repaved streets to appease the neighbors, but since they have only one goal...to stop Walmart...anything else just made them mad.

You are just making a huge logical leap from the Mayor's claim that the City approached the developer about the 380 to the City being the one that set forth all the improvements to be built. At least I am being candid and admitting that there is no information out there one way or the other. We don't know. You are the one making assumptions to bend the facts to suit your theory (an allegation you always level against anyone who disagrees with you).

I saw the work on Bonner. It was not the kind of dig that you can just patch after. There was more going on than doing a 10" pipe.

As for appeasing the neighbors, the West Side residents did want to have their 18' streets widened to accomodate cut through traffic. They were blown off. All of the road improvements are for the development. The City did not give a crap about the nearby residents.

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Well, don't go asking me to vouch for Mayor Parker's veracity. I told you what a snake she was during the historic district fight, but you gleefully supported her then. In reality, it doesn't really matter who started the conversations, but Parker claims to have started them. But, much of that 380 work is not "required" in order to connect to utilities. And, that is the point...at least it was. Repaving streets, connecting disparate sewer lines, adding bigger storm sewer pipe, none of that is required for Ainbinder and Walmart to connect to utilities. That is all stuff the City wanted Ainbinder to build for them. And, that is where your argument should stay, that building infrastructure for the city that is not related to the project is not a proper use of the 380. I still won't care, because the amount is minimal, given the size of our annual budget, but at least it is a valid argument. Trying to claim that code requires them to repave Bonner Street is just silly.

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"I told you what a snake she was during the historic district fight, but you gleefully supported her then." WRONG!

You just make stuff up don't you? I don't support Parker and I never have. I didn't during the historic district fight and I don't support her now.

Again, they only repaved half of Bonner (one lane) and that's because they tore it up.

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No problem. Obviously, I don't either.

By the way, it is common to only tear up one side of the street at a time, so residents may still have ingress and egress. If, at the end of the construction, it still looks like that, we'll know that Exhibit 'C' was only a guide, and not a requirement.

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You're right, Redscare. They would only do half the street at a time. We'll see when they're done.

The Exhibit C list in the 380 is preliminary, they have eliminated the onsite detention and the traffic light at Heights and Koehler/2nd (the City did not want the light). They've also eliminated resurfacing the Yale Street Bridge (the surface was deemed "adequate") - not sure about resurfacing the Heights bridges.

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samagon: "is there an expectation that if you buy a piece of land that previously had a building on it (and therefore had all sewer, water, electric) that you re-do all of those lines even if they work properly? I didn't bring up the park, cause well that's such a small component of the overall cost. But the drainage is a pretty big component, and if there is no rule in place that they would normally have to upgrade all sewer lines, then why would they unless compelled through a mechanism such as this?"

This is a great point - if the lines all work properly and are adequate for the development, they should not be redone by anyone. It would be a waste of money.

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That was really the point of this entire debate. Some posters were convinced that if these projects were included in the proposed 380 agreement, that this meant the renovations were required in order for the development to meet code. I suggested that most of these renovations were not required in order to meet code or to simply connect to existing utilities. I suggested that the City asked Ainbinder to make these renovations in order to upgrade the surrounding utility grid, and offered to reimburse them through the 380. Of course, I was roundly condemned for not seeing the conspiracy.

Utility grids are not as simple as one pipe or wire to one meter. They need redundancy. Therefore, if an electrical transmission line is knocked down, electricity can be rerouted around the break. The same applies to water lines in order to keep pressure consistent, and sewer lines to keep from overloading with no outlet. The problem in this neighborhood is not the retail developments, which use a lot of electricity, but not so much sewer, but the increased density of residential, where 2 or 3 townhomes now sit on a former single family lot, and a huge apartment complex was built on the other side of the tracks. Most of the 380 projects related to improving redundancy in the utilities, and upgrading the storm sewer. The other big expense is related to extending Koehler to Heights, which was not required, but is certainly useful to both the City and Ainbinder (and area residents).

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All the roadwork is required via the TIA. They can't get a Certificate of Occupancy without it. Therefore, it's required. From the TIA:

As part of the proposed retail development

additional roadway improvements are planned as a deliberate effort to enhance mobility, provide

access and reduce the impact of this development on traffic. Some of these major improvements

are,

��

Installation of fully actuated traffic signal at intersection of Koehler Street at Yale Street

��

Widening and extending Koehler Street from Bass Street to Heights Boulevard

��

Extending and reconstructing Bass Street north of Koehler Street to IH-10 EBFR

��

Constructing a northbound left turn lane on Heights Boulevard at Koehler Street

��

Widening Yale Street to provide dedicated left turn lanes to the proposed development

Edited by Leonard
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I can't wait till they open this thing up! Trying to maintain the facade of a BoBo is puting me in the poor house! I overpaid for my house, the city sticks it to me, the wife wants work done, the kids like Ralph Lauren, the dog was $3,000 (but we tell everyone it's a rescue) We just bought his and her Nissan Leafs, that I don't think will make it in Houston summers. So if I can save a few bucks by refilling my empty bottles of Leitz Reisling with Fetzer box wine you know I'm going to! Our fellow gen-x middle-aged lush nights really can't tell anyway, and quite frankly I've got bigger concerns after I overheard them mention "I wonder if they swing?" Uh, no.

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I can't wait till they open this thing up! ... the dog was $3,000 (but we tell everyone it's a rescue) ....

That says it all, been here 20 years and couldn't concisely verbalize what has changed in this neighborhood. Hey gazhomme, you going incognito or sending the nanny?

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That says it all, been here 20 years and couldn't concisely verbalize what has changed in this neighborhood. Hey gazhomme, you going incognito or sending the nanny?

Good question. I might try the incognito thing. I'll stop by Buffalo Exchange and pick up an ironic t-shirt and a big pair of sunglasses that scream "whatever". We're not paying the nanny to drive our car to Walmart. Her job is to raise our kids to be shameful of their class through thinly-veiled stories of the glories of collectivism and amusing anecdotes and folklore from her homeland's indigenous people. The last time she went to Walmart the house stank of Fabulosa for 6 months, so it's only Target for her.

Edited by gazhomme
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Good question. I might try the incognito thing. I'll stop by Buffalo Exchange and pick up an ironic t-shirt and a big pair of sunglasses that scream "whatever". We're not paying the nanny to drive our car to Walmart. Her job is to raise our kids to be shameful of their class through thinly-veiled stories of the glories of collectivism and amusing anecdotes and folklore from her homeland's indigenous people. The last time she went to Walmart the house stank of Fabulosa for 6 months, so it's only Target for her.

wait, is buffalo exchange still the most expensive 2nd hand clothing store, I have no desire to spend my hard earned money somewhere I can actually save money buying 2nd hand clothes, I much prefer to pay at least twice as much as I would if I were to get the clothes new.

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wait, is buffalo exchange still the most expensive 2nd hand clothing store, I have no desire to spend my hard earned money somewhere I can actually save money buying 2nd hand clothes, I much prefer to pay at least twice as much as I would if I were to get the clothes new.

I like Buffalo exchange because I receive much needed validation when the 20-something behind the counter accepts my clothing for trade. It gives me peace of mind that I'm still cool and not a sellout despite the fact that I live in the Heights. I find if I toss in a few talking points I hear on Pacifica I sometimes get more for them.

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Hyperbole or not, gazhomme hits at the heart of this Walmart unoccupy movement. Except for the educational discussions on real issues like architecture, traffic, progress or how the 380's work (or not work), I find most of it to be boring, duplicitous mudslinging. Viewing the Heights from my over-the-hill vantage point, one can almost guess the generation of posters. Easy credit led to the the housing bubble (really a lifestyle bubble) and now reality sets in. Imagine landing a jumbo loan out of college, leasing a fancy car, paying for organic arugula and eventually believing your own BS lifestyle without ever having to really earn it. Then one day you find yourself staring up at the hilltop of your life in the shadow of a mountain of debt, dysfunctional family and friends, and a nine-to-five you'll be lucky to have once you really need it. The whole cultural process impacted everyone, and the wound lies open right here in the Heights for everyone to see and discuss. But just like water seeks its own level, we will all end up in the same place: Walmart, incognito with a fancy house note or heads-up with a crappy paid-for historical. Then we die.

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I certainly agree. The anti-Walmart crowd is largely a group that wishes to impose their fantasy on everyone else. Those of us unopposed to Walmart (few actually support it. Most simply don't care) are not so much in favor of more crappy plastic stuff as opposed to those who wish to legislate their fantasy on the rest of us. It was the same with the historic districts. We wouldn't live here if we didn't love these old homes, but some (with exceedingly poor architectural taste, no less) decided it would be a good idea to drive up the cost to renovate the old homes by piling mounds of government regulation on them.

And, I do not disagree with gazhomme's hyperbole. One of my two found dogs (rescue is overused) is an $800-1000 boxer found wandering the street with no tags or chips. His owner was no doubt too busy drinking coffee at Antidote to actually go looking for his lost dog, while I was putting up flyers to locate his owner. He now lives a carefree life in my house and yard, free of the inevitable Halloween, St. Paddy's Day and Lights In The Heights costumes he would have been forced to endure.

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