Highway 90 At Beltway 8

[Guest Plastic]

There's alot of new stiff going on aroundBeltway 8 and Crosby Freeway. I drove by a few monts ago and saw apartments. I drove by again a few months later and saw houses. KB homes is building houses on the big vacant space at the HWY90 -Beltway 8 junction. I always thought they woudl be something cooler like a mall there. Anybody know what the junction plans are? They gonna beuild a mall or office complexes or just build houses?

[kjb434]

Primarily just houses. Retail will come later. A lot of standard retail is located just south of there along the Beltway.

I don't think any mall will come. Maybe some lifestyle center, but that'll probably occur more on the northern portion since more people live there.

There will be an interchang there eventually, probably not in the foreseeable future. HCTRA will build center mainlanes for tolling but i doubt the need for full flyover ramps will be warranted then.

[houstonfella]

Does anyone know when the Crosby Fwy will connect in with Loop 610 / I-10?

[ssullivan]

I've noticed a ton of new construction going on in that area when flying into IAH. I'm sorry to hear it's housing of the likes of KB Homes. Guess they still haven't saturated the market for cheap, ghetto-of-tomorrow neighborhoods yet.

[eelimon]

I've noticed a ton of new construction going on in that area when flying into IAH. I'm sorry to hear it's housing of the likes of KB Homes. Guess they still haven't saturated the market for cheap, ghetto-of-tomorrow neighborhoods yet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

DID y'all Know that the VA (Veteran

[ssullivan]

A guy I once dated bought a KB Home out in the Spring area a couple of years ago. I visited it for the first time this spring and throught it was one of the cheapest, ugliest things I'd ever been in. The whole neighborhood looked pretty bad. He seemed to like it and was thrilled with the fact that he was a homeowner, but I think I'd rather rent something really nice than buy one of those things if that's all I can afford. I can't see those houses as being much of an investment that will appreciate in value over the years.

[Guest danax]

A guy I once dated bought a KB Home out in the Spring area a couple of years ago. I visited it for the first time this spring and throught it was one of the cheapest, ugliest things I'd ever been in. The whole neighborhood looked pretty bad. He seemed to like it and was thrilled with the fact that he was a homeowner, but I think I'd rather rent something really nice than buy one of those things if that's all I can afford. I can't see those houses as being much of an investment that will appreciate in value over the years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There will always be a market for cheap housing and KB and others fill that niche. As you said, your friend was just thrilled to get into a home period, and those folks often overlook shortcomings with the neighborhood and house.

There are a lot of large tracts of "cheap" available land in the east/northeast direction that entry level homebuilders like KB look for so there will be an enormous amount of building of "joe-six-pack" suburbs out there for decades to come. Classic, non-descript sprawl.

I'm guessing that once that area gets more filled in, they will finish the connection inside the Beltway. Then, since there are apparently no proposals for commuter rail etc. in that region, and because the eastside of Houston traditionally gets overlooked when it comes to capital projects, that East Freeway could be brought to its knees and end up being our most congested, with the Crosby Fwy becoming the new 290.

[houstonfella]

There will always be a market for cheap housing and KB and others fill that niche. As you said, your friend was just thrilled to get into a home period, and those folks often overlook shortcomings with the neighborhood and house.

There are a lot of large tracts of "cheap" available land in the east/northeast direction that entry level homebuilders like KB look for so there will be an enormous amount of building of "joe-six-pack" suburbs out there for decades to come. Classic, non-descript sprawl.

I'm guessing that once that area gets more filled in, they will finish the connection inside the Beltway. Then, since there are apparently no proposals for commuter rail etc. in that region, and because the eastside of Houston traditionally gets overlooked when it comes to capital projects, that East Freeway could be brought to its knees and end up being our most congested, with the Crosby Fwy becoming the new 290.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are so right about the east fwy area getting overlooked. However, right now, things are robust. New restaurants, shopping and lots of new houses. I don't like the houses with all that wood and very little brick, but that seems to be the thing - particularly with KB. I am sure families with several children find the prices affordable and that's what it amounts to; however, Summerwood is gorgeous. I was wondering when Houston would take notice of the close in east side -- this freeway is the best of all of them. I do miss the trees that they are chopping down by the acres on the East Belt All in the name of progress I guess.

[ssullivan]

I do miss the trees that they are chopping down by the acres on the East Belt    All in the name of progress I guess. 

What pisses me off is they clear cut hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of trees leaving a wasteland to build cheap houses on. Then the houses go up, and a few new trees get planted here and there, but for the most part, trees in the yard are considered an expensive option in these entry-level subdivisions; an option many of these buyers choose not to exercise. So where vast green forest land once existed, now there's nothing but houses. And unless the homeowners plant trees themselves later on, the subdivision will remain mostly treeless for decades to come. I know saving trees and building around them is more expensive, but it also creates a neighborhood with mature trees from the start. It's a shame we don't have better controls over developers on this issue, because saving as many of those mature trees as possible provides enormous environmental benefits, including CO2 absorption, reduced flooding, reduced energy bills for houses in the neighborhood that are shaded, and reduced UV exposure for residents when they are outside in their yards.

But to hell with the trees. People just want brand new $85,000-100,000 homes I guess. Who cares if they fall apart in 10 years.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Then the houses go up, and a few new trees get planted here and there, but for the most part, trees in the yard are considered an expensive option in these entry-level subdivisions; an option many of these buyers choose not to exercise. So where vast green forest land once existed, now there's nothing but houses. And unless the homeowners plant trees themselves later on, the subdivision will remain mostly treeless for decades to come.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's a bit off the subject, but new development regulations will be adopted by Harris County Commissioners Court this coming week that will include landscaping criteria. Two trees must be planted in every front yard as of Sept 1, 2005, I believe.

[ssullivan]

It's a bit off the subject, but new development regulations will be adopted by Harris County Commissioners Court this coming week that will include landscaping criteria.  Two trees must be planted in every front yard as of Sept 1, 2005, I believe.

Glad to hear that, but how about requiring that developers not destroy all of the mature trees when they start building? It's not that hard to survey the area and mark the trees that are to be preserved, and only remove the ones that are in direct line of a new street or footprint of a house. It can be done; they just usually don't care.

But I am glad to hear the county is trying to do something to set some standards.

[RedScare]

It's a bit off the subject, but new development regulations will be adopted by Harris County Commissioners Court this coming week that will include landscaping criteria.  Two trees must be planted in every front yard as of Sept 1, 2005, I believe.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, and a shrubbery, I believe.

Here is the transcript from the Commissioner's Court meeting on the subject.

http://arago4.tn.utwente.nl/stonedead/movi...l/scene-18.html

[The Great Hizzy!]

That is good news, and at least a step in the right direction. And I agree with RS on better handling of preservation. Why tear down all those trees only to lament later that there "needs to be more trees planted in this community"?