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Alexan Heights: Multifamily At 655 Yale St.


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The developer made a presentation to the Houston Heights association land use committee on Monday. Have not heard any details. Houston Heights Association is amazingly terrible about communicating with members and the community in the digital age.

Except when it comes to asking for the annual dues.

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It was denied. It looks like TCR tried to put in some walls around the two holdouts to deal with PC complaints about putting mechanicals, trash/loading dock around the hold outs. I guess that did not work. Not sure how they addressed the emergency vehicle issue. Also, I have heard that they have a draft TIA that uses 2010 numbers that are pre-Walmart and Feeder road. Back to the drawing board.

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Vote was 8-7 to deny.

 

 

Here's what the plat looks like w/o removal of the single family restriction:

 

Allston%20Plat.jpg

 

 

The cross-hatched lots are owned by Trammel Crow, the others are the holdouts.  

 

So, either they tweak the plan and reapply, or they go ahead without the replat. In the latter case, the rep from TC said in the hearing that they would add an additional story, keep the same number of units, and build around the lots with the single-family restriction. Presumably that also frees them from having to comply with the conditions that the planning commission staff attached to the replat (wider sidewalks, 4-caliper-inch trees instead of 1.5, more landscaping, etc.).

 

 

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It really doesn't matter what the traffic impact analysis shows. The planning commission isn't PWE. They just caught the developer by the tail with the single family restriction and are holding on as long as they can to try to mitigate some of the impacts of the project. I also do not see a redesign happening. They would have to totally redo the garage footprint, which would also completely change the design for the rest of the building. The developer will throw the planning commission a bone and get them to roll over when they resubmit. The real feat of strength will be dealing with public safety on emergency vehicle access on Allston. I suspect that the developer will be paying to widen a road. Interesting theater, though.

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  • 2 months later...

I have heard that Trammel Crowe is going to resubmit the plat as a consent item by claiming that they amended the deed restrictions to allow multifamily (they will not try to redesign around the restricted lots).  I guess they will argue that the replat no longer removes a single family restriction because they have amended the deed restriction to allow multifamily.  I would have to assume that the City planning staff has approved of this work around move.  Otherwise, Trammel Crowe would be making a pretty bold move that might get rejected by the planning commission.  I think they are shooting for approval in May. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I find it interesting how 7th St. dead ends into Yale (right where the Alexan is going).  Is there any chance that 7th could be extended to bring traffic off of Yale over to Allston and beyond?  The biking trail is there but there seems to be plenty of room for the street...

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I have heard that Trammel Crowe is going to resubmit the plat as a consent item by claiming that they amended the deed restrictions to allow multifamily (they will not try to redesign around the restricted lots).  I guess they will argue that the replat no longer removes a single family restriction because they have amended the deed restriction to allow multifamily.  I would have to assume that the City planning staff has approved of this work around move.  Otherwise, Trammel Crowe would be making a pretty bold move that might get rejected by the planning commission.  I think they are shooting for approval in May. 

 

 

Replat approved unanimously yesterday.

 

Given that TC filed new deed restrictions removing the single family restriction, and that the development plan otherwise complies with Chapter 42, the replat did not require a variance, and was therefore a "shall approve" item for the planning commission.

 

 

Public Works also made pretty clear that a pedestrian signal at 7th wasn't going to happen.

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Build it!  Im done with the dang NIMBY's in this hood.  They averse to everything!  They want zero changes to a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood that is in great demand in one of the largest cities in the USA.  Its absurd.  You can't argue with emotions, and all of their arguments are based entirely on emotion.  They pull facts here/there to support their knee jerk emotional reactions, but they ignore the facts that are counter to their beliefs.

 

When you make it too hard to do anything in an area like these HAHC, and other nimby snots have, only those very well capitalized investors can afford to play the game.  So what do you get?  You get mid rises, apartment complexes, and anything else that a developer can be profitable with. 

 

If the NIMBY's would have left well enough alone, this area would probably have ended up all single family homes.  You deserve everything you get.  I only wish every HAHC supporter backed up to this complex.

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Don't get too riled up, Mark. Other than causing time to be wasted by the City and various entities, the NIMBYs have not stopped much of anything. Way back when, they stomped their feet about Starbucks, and Starbucks went away. Now, there are 2 stand alone Starbucks in the Heights, and a couple more inside other stores. They delayed it, but did not stop it. They cried about feeder roads, Walmart, 380s, Kroger the condos over the ravine, and Alexan on Yale, but after small delays, all of them have or will be built.

 

Only the historic district was rammed through. It won't last. Neither will the trinket stores on 19th. Progress will not be stopped.

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Don't get too riled up, Mark. Other than causing time to be wasted by the City and various entities, the NIMBYs have not stopped much of anything. Way back when, they stomped their feet about Starbucks, and Starbucks went away. Now, there are 2 stand alone Starbucks in the Heights, and a couple more inside other stores. They delayed it, but did not stop it. They cried about feeder roads, Walmart, 380s, Kroger the condos over the ravine, and Alexan on Yale, but after small delays, all of them have or will be built.

 

Only the historic district was rammed through. It won't last. Neither will the trinket stores on 19th. Progress will not be stopped.

 

The planned condo tower around E. 5th and Frasier by the bike bath isn't going to happen.  There is a deal in the works to buy the land for a park. 

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When you make it too hard to do anything in an area like these HAHC, and other nimby snots have, only those very well capitalized investors can afford to play the game.  So what do you get?  You get mid rises, apartment complexes, and anything else that a developer can be profitable with. 

 

This makes no sense at all.  This apartment complex is not in a Historic District. 

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What's your point? The attitude is pervasive. Need I remind you that the Walmart isn't in the heights either?

 

What is your point?  You chastize NIMBYs for being all emotion and then rant about the historic districts being somehow related to getting a midrise apartment complex.  But the apartment complex isn't in a historic district.  What in the world does one have to do with the other (except that the architecture would be better had the apartment been in a district)?

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What is your point?  You chastize NIMBYs for being all emotion and then rant about the historic districts being somehow related to getting a midrise apartment complex.  But the apartment complex isn't in a historic district.  What in the world does one have to do with the other (except that the architecture would be better had the apartment been in a district)?

 

I never knew you had such a sense of humor! The HAHC is the antithesis of architecture. It is too funny that you satirically suggested that it would look better in an HD.     :D

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What is your point?  You chastize NIMBYs for being all emotion and then rant about the historic districts being somehow related to getting a midrise apartment complex.  But the apartment complex isn't in a historic district.  What in the world does one have to do with the other (except that the architecture would be better had the apartment been in a district)?

 

Anyone who is looking to invest looks at the demographics and the people in a neighborhood prior to investing their money.  The Heights now has a very strong reputation throughout Houston as being elitist snobs who are against every conceivable type of progress.  NIBMY's are dismantling the fibers that made the Heights great.  The development and libertarian attitudes that was the Heights, and made the Heights so attractive to so many is now a plain, sanitary, boring group of snotty, elitists who are clutching any straw, no matter how pathetic and over-reaching to avoid getting priced out of their neighborhood.  The younger generation that is displacing these snots are too busy raising kids to get involved in the BS until it steps directly on their feet.  Then they are shocked to learn what happened while they were not paying attention.

 

When I tell people that live throughout Houston that I live in the Heights, they roll their eyes, and say oh, so you must be one of those people who think they are too good to shop in a Walmart...Ya, well no, thats not me, but it is a bunch of my neighbors who think they are too good for a walmart, and are so full of themselves that they also think they can tell me what my house should like.

 

Hopefully that connected the dots for you.  If not, I can't help you anymore. 

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"When you make it too hard to do anything in an area like these HAHC, and other nimby snots have, only those very well capitalized investors can afford to play the game. So what do you get? You get mid rises, apartment complexes, and anything else that a developer can be profitable with.

 

If the NIMBY's would have left well enough alone, this area would probably have ended up all single family homes. You deserve everything you get. I only wish every HAHC supporter backed up to this complex."

 

Again, what in the world does this mean?  How do you get from railing against overly controlling NIMBYs to getting mid rise apartments?  I know you hate the HAHC and people who are against Walmart, but how does their presence in the neighborhood lead to mid rise apartments?  Are you saying that investors find NIMBYs and anti-Walmart control freaks attractive and that is why we are getting a mid rise apartment complex?  If you just want to cuss out people you do not like, that is fine.  But, I do not see any connection between your cuss outs and the apartment complex.  Which is ironic because your main beef with the NIMBYs is that they are all emotion. 

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You can see the Heights of old getting devoured by the elitists in the latest video (May 16 HAHC).  They introduce the latest freak, a Ms. Anna Mod (I kid you not) who took over the socialite's spot.  This woman couldn't get her hand up fast enough to make motions....and step back if she didn't beat someone to it because she was gonna get that Second if she had to chew your am off.  Then the deaf guy finally wakes up from the dead and starts asking all sorts of questions, I couldn't understand any of it until riiiiiiight before adjournment he makes a last-second motion (I guess he had to ambush MsMod) nominating the gay guy for Chair.  Well Garfick about chokes and shuts him down waving her arms trying to make signs and all cause it wasn't on agenda.....priceless.  But he sad part was watching this lady on Cottage get toasted...the worst kinda way...the dreaded deferral of guillotine.  This family of three been living in Norhill for 16 years in a little 2-1 and the in-laws are getting old so they want to add-on and bring them in...classic Heights, three gens under one roof.  But noooooooo...you see the addition gonna look too much like the original....you gotta go all-in you wanna still live here...getya one of those big boxes tacked on the  ass-end....yeah send the in-laws to the second story, the HAHC knows what's best for you and how much you need to spend.  I wanted to cry.

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But noooooooo...you see the addition gonna look too much like the original....you gotta go all-in you wanna still live here...getya one of those big boxes tacked on the  ass-end....yeah send the in-laws to the second story, the HAHC knows what's best for you and how much you need to spend.  I wanted to cry.

 

Heh heh. And to think some guy posted up in post #50 that the HAHC knows architecture.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Much as I hate the idea of this behemoth pretty much IMBY I have to admit that so far it is actually an improvement. They've come in and cleaned up the empty trash & weed choked lots on Allston, put up a fence in front of the abandoned shacks and cleaned out Pappas' big scrap metal yard that used to dominate our view from the balcony. Even has me thinking that maybe the view of a generic Houston mid-rise might be preferable to the big electrical yard.

 

I'm off next week to Bizarro Houston, aka Portland Oregon. I'm sure I'll come back with a fresh slate of progressive liberal ideas to annoy the government drowner wannabes who frequent this site. Can you even imagine living in a city with cheap & effective public transportation (heck, they give it away for free downtown!), rules requiring a big chunk of road building funds go to building bike lanes and even, gasp! - laws requiring ground floor retail for downtown buildings. Sigh, back down to earth - a bit of ground floor retail sure would be nice IMBY.

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My brother and sister in law live in OR. It's beautiful but he's been without a job for years and effectively has given up looking. They are now a one income family, probably permanently. He is the parson that is artificially propping up our dismal wmployment figures. Not knocking you and your ideas, but there are positives and negatives to both schools of thought. They have some more vibrant street scenes and we have a more vibrant economic opportunities.

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Requiring ground floor retail is just good urban planning to maximize the benefits of density.  Inside the loop, especially just south of the bayou between Shepherd and Studemont, along Dallas and W. Gray, there are just over 1,000 new multifamily units on the way.  Probably over another thousand on the other side of the bayou and south of I-10 between TC Jester and Sawyer.  None of those developments will put in any ground floor retail.  The increased demand for restaurants and shops will result in trying to cram new development into existing retail space, basically doubling down on car dependency and traffic/parking problems.  With ground floor retail, you spread out some of the traffic and give people the option to walk to stores/restaurants. 

 

Word on the street is that Alexan might be the first of several multi-family developments on that stretch of Yale.  Had they put in some ground floor retail, you would have a nice corridor of restaurants and shops from where Coltivare is going to be to where Dry Creek is. 

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