Westbury Square Developments

[isuredid]

What was/is her last name?

Edited March 24, 2007 by isuredid

[LarryDallas]

This has got to be my fav. thead on HAIF!

WOW...I love your stories and trivia. That photo of Westbury in 1960 was great. I can see my house in it. Having been a 10 yr resident of the area and being 28 I can say I love this place for the history that it here. It is just unfortunate that the area gets a bad reputation from the media coverage of the crime in the surrounding areas. The residential sections of the place really are not dangerous. I know most all of the neighbors on my block so we do not have a problem with vagrants having a run of the place. We love our guns as much as Westbury.

Having see that photo makes me want to cry because this place should have been developed to be all residential with very light commercial along the major roads. The development of so many apartments along Gasmer and S. Willow is the cancer on this area. Westbury Square apts. and the townhomes of Arboles are still in great condition and have nice curb appeal. The apts. further south attract the crime and low life thugs that spray paint stuff, litter, steal, and kill. One kid got murdered in a driveby at Westbury High just last year. I wonder what the odds of that school ever being relocated are. It seems as if we bus in trouble from surrounding areas like Fondren and Hilcroft to the heart of Westbury with that school.

Anyway, tell me more about Westbury Centerette. As long as I have been here (since 97) it has been a ghost town with only a laundry joint open in the whole thing. Since the Westbury square is only a 2 minute drive from my house I will go there this week and snap a ton of pics to post online. They just tore down the building that was across the street from the Home Depot sign on the south lanes of W. Belfort. Who knows what they will do to the Square? I'd better get photos while I can. Besides, people who have moved away from Houston and want to see what it looks like now can view them.

BTW, for those away from town, did you know Harris county is putting in a major water detention/wetlands area right next to Westbury?

Since the crime problem occured the stigma of the area has made it unattractive to developers so the county has bought up tons of land and is now constructing this thing. Read up about it. The second link shows a map of what it will look like when it is done after a few more years.

http://www.wwgc.org/

http://www.projectbrays.org/maps/willowwaterhole.html

[Alpha]

Quote:

I think this place was the first commercial strip to go downhill. It had in the early days a drug store, possibly a u-tote-um, and I think a cleaners. It seemed to be having a hard time as early as the late 1960s.

I know it had a drug store, because my friend and I would ride our bikes there to get sodas - that was around 1960-61. It might have been a Dugan's.

Trampoline centers were really popular in the summer of 1960. There was one on Beechnut close to Post Oak - across from Meyerland. I believe that the one in Westbury might have closed by the time I moved there in the fall of 1960.

[stu]

I know it had a drug store, because my friend and I would ride our bikes there to get sodas - that was around 1960-61. It might have been a Dugan's.

in the arial picture, i can see my house, and was probably sitting in it that day, seven years old..wow..

The corner with the cyan blue tiles was the drug store. i peeked through that window when I visited Houston in 05, and oddly enough, it seemed exactly as it had been, with the soda fountain bar still in there, along one wall..that particular room was never occupied again...we used to ride our bikes, (Schwinn stingrays, banana seats..)and get a cherry coke.

There was a coin operated laundromat, open all night. Around the other side, facing Bellfort, was an Enco station (Exxon in the old days) and yup, a Utotem..There may have been a conventional laundry on that side..Later the first Jack in the box was put in, right next door, 26 cents for a jumbo Jack and drinks for 10, 15, and 25 cents.. "drive through" was a big new thing..

From 1957-1960, though, those open fields were everywhere, tree forts, houses under construction to play in, (once the workers went home...)

[i was there on Arboles 15 years, 1957-1972] Bellfort did not even go through to Fondren road; Fondren was still a dirt road with farmland on either side, with NO apartments, and the apartments next to Westbury High on Gasmer had not been constructed yet.

It was a great place to grow up in the sixties..you could WALK to the firework stand at Christmas and at July 4th..It was out on Main. You'd take West Airport at Hillcroft to what I now realize must have been Fondren, but it was not normally paved, nor were there residences. Airport was deserted shell road, once you went past Hillcroft.

There were the ruins of an old burned restaurant out there, where you turned south, to go to Main street..It was deserted and creepy, which made it perfect to play in. The ruins of the monorail were on the way to the firework stand, too, so we'd play on that..In those days no one cared if you shot firecrackers and bottle rockets and so on, so we'd have big fun, holing up in Christmas tree forts, between the houses on Arboles and Belrose and McKnight and so on... Never a fire. Water balloon battles too, in the summertime.

Many of the houses did not have fences in the very early days, so when I was five, six, seven, you could just walk or run from Arboles all the way across Warm Springs and McKnight to W. Bellfort, going through certain back yards that were still open..later we just climbed the fences..

It is all so vivid in my mind. When I win the lottery, I shall buy Westbury square , including the $%!! Home Depot, and restore it to Glory..those IDIOTS..

(Continues his diary:"Ran out of pop tarts today. Still no word from Publisher's Clearinghouse..")

regards

stu

former westbury resident

[TxFireguy]

I lived on Cedarhurst, which is the street that ran beside the Centerette. I went to that Utotem,Jack-In-The-Box and drug store all of the time. Many a Cherry or Vanilla Coke were consumed there and lots of Baseball cards were bought at the Utotem. I miss the Bonus Jacks. For some reason I am am always getting the names of THAT drug store and the one near the Beldens Food Giant (near A.J.Foyt Cheverolet) at W. Bellfort and Post Oak confused. One was Cunningham and the other???

[nm5k]

I lived on Cedarhurst, which is the street that ran beside the Centerette. I went to that Utotem,Jack-In-The-Box and drug store all of the time. Many a Cherry or Vanilla Coke were consumed there and lots of Baseball cards were bought at the Utotem. I miss the Bonus Jacks. For some reason I am am always getting the names of THAT drug store and the one near the Beldens Food Giant (near A.J.Foyt Cheverolet) at W. Bellfort and Post Oak confused. One was Cunningham and the other???

I knew a few people that lived on Cedarhurst. I think Cunningham was probably the one at W. Bellfort and

Post Oak. I can't remember what name the one in the centerette had, but I remember it being open when

I moved here in 69. Dugans was the one next to Weingartens.

In it's prime, the Bellfort side of the centerette was pretty full. You had U-totem, a barber shop, a womens hair

salon, a Baskin Robbins , a cleaners, and Toby's adult beverage store. *hic* The enco/exxon.. I wish I could

buy gas for that price now.. Also...There was once a Conaco station about where the Pizza place is now..

I almost forgot about that place... But I used to go there when I first started driving. It sticks out, cuz they

used to sell 5 grades of gas back then. Course, I used premium, as I drove a 65 impala with a 396... :/

At one time, I guy I knew had a A/C and heat office in one of those back in the 80's. They sold stuff like solar water

heaters, etc.. Scarfed many a burger/taco/whatever at Jack in the Crack.. We used to hang out there late

at night in the summer back in the 70's... Used to have the front sliding window you could order if on foot..

The "Weingartens" center has been there a while too. When I moved here, it was Weingartens, a Dugans drug,

Brittains broiler burger, a shoe shop, the barber shop, a TG&Y. A firestone. Maybe more, but I ferget...

Of course, back then the bank was Westbury Square National Bank. Of all those the barber shop still lives

in basically the same location and even chair config... :/ Not sure about the shoe shop.. I knew the owners

of that, and I know he also has one on S Post Oak, but not sure if he still owns the one on Bellfort or not.

If so, it's pretty much the same too I'm sure.

MK

[TxFireguy]

I had forgotten about the Baskin Robbins. There was also a Baseball Card shop there later. I drove by there yesterday, and it looks like nothing is in that strip facing W. Bellfort. When you mentioned "Tobys," I remembered it. Another thing I recall about the Jack-In-The-Box, is that the house located across the street from it, had reflective mirrored tint on their windows to cut down on the headlites shining in from the drive thru. The barber shop was owned by a man named Gene Rentz (sp).

I still get my hair cut at the barber shop next door to the shoe/boot shop, which used to be next door to Brittains (miss the coffee ice cream). Where Dugans was, later Eckerds and then CVS, it is now vacant. They must have moved within the last 3 weeks.

[SpaceAge]

The above photos were staged for an attempted 1986 rejuvenation.

2006

[nm5k]

I had forgotten about the Baskin Robbins. There was also a Baseball Card shop there later. I drove by there yesterday, and it looks like nothing is in that strip facing W. Bellfort. When you mentioned "Tobys," I remembered it. Another thing I recall about the Jack-In-The-Box, is that the house located across the street from it, had reflective mirrored tint on their windows to cut down on the headlites shining in from the drive thru. The barber shop was owned by a man named Gene Rentz (sp).

Gene Rentz lived across the street from me a couple of houses down. He died in 2004.

I still get my hair cut at the barber shop next door to the shoe/boot shop, which used to be next door to Brittains (miss the coffee ice cream). Where Dugans was, later Eckerds and then CVS, it is now vacant. They must have moved within the last 3 weeks.

Yea, CVS pulled out not too long ago. Is the shoe shop still there? I haven't actually looked lately.

It was run by an old guy that was once in a nazi concentration camp. He had the numbers on his

arm to prove it. His son took it over as far as I know. His name is Alex, and is usually over at

the S. Post Oak location by Annies burger joint.

MK

[isuredid]

Wow..thanks for all those postcards!

[TxFireguy]

Yea, CVS pulled out not too long ago. Is the shoe shop still there? I haven't actually looked lately.

It was run by an old guy that was once in a nazi concentration camp. He had the numbers on his

arm to prove it. His son took it over as far as I know. His name is Alex, and is usually over at

the S. Post Oak location by Annies burger joint.

MK

The last time I looked, it was there. I will be getting a haircut next week, so I will see. When I asked about the barber shop last year, someone told me that the original owners do not own the shoe shop anymore. I will inquire.

[LarryDallas]

Excellent photos and information as always!

My sister worked in the CVS for about 7 years as a high school and college student. Well, it was Eckerds when she started. Anyway, the store was really from a different time right up until CVS took it over. The Canadians gutted the place and brought in modern equipment and fixtures. The store closed in the 4th quarter of 06. She quit her job after she finished school in June of 06 and the store was open for a little while after that. From what she told me they had customers who had been going there since the mid 1960s and they were very sad to see the place go.

I think that whole center has gotten worse since the only 99 cent store opened up. I used to know the guy that owned the independent smaller 99 cent store in that same mall. He went out of business a few months after the big one opened a few years ago. Meyerland Auto also packed up and left but a new car repair joint has opened up and they are doing well. I wish HEB was still there compared to how it is now.

Was that car repair place right next to the Discount Tire always there? What used to be where Discount Tire sits now? That building does not look to be over 20 years old. Also, what was where the Priss Pet Inn is located?

I had no idea the old drug store still has a fountain counter still inside of it. If my camera can see inside I will snap a few pics since I live a 2 minute drive away from the place. The Exxon closed in roughly about 2000-2001 and has been abandoned since. I don't think they even come and cut the weeds much. The strip mall next door had a baseball card shop in it for a few years but has been totally vacant for at least 2 years. What was located where the AutoZone sits?

If anyone has photos of this place in the 50s 60s or 70s PLEASE scan and post them.

[LarryDallas]

I finally got out there and shot photos today. These are really for the folks that lived in this area decades ago and moved away from Houston or are still in SE Texas but have not returned for a long time. Please do tell any trivia of info you know about stuff in the photos.

Looking north on Chimney Rock at W. Belfort

The old Centerette Sign

Is that the one and only sign ever? When did that clock stop working?

Various shots of the whole side that faces Cedarhurst.

Was this the Utotem?

I could not see inside with all of the blue contact paper on the glass.

The laundry joint is still active.

I went in once and I have a feeling the machines date back to the 1960s.

The Exxon has been in ruins for over 5 years.

The side facing W. Belfort has been empty for around 2 years.

This is modern day Westbury Square.

The live stage theater that was opened in 1978 is still well and alive.

I had a chat with a guy that works there while I was taking these photos. He says attendance is pretty good considering they are such a small and independent place. I wanted interior shots but he said he might get in trouble for letting me in. Nice guy though....I think I will go to a show soon.

A daycare that is located northeast of the corner of the Home Depot.

Looking down the driveway towards the Home Depot next to the daycare.

Did this always exist or did they build this new in 1995 when Home Depot came in?

Looking north from that driveway. The parking lot is in ruins with many potholes and broken pavement.

The W. Belfort side enterance.

A few shots from the same side.

[LarryDallas]

Some of the apartments that face W. Belfort are occupied again.

This fountain is right inside the front entry.

This photo business looks nice.

The main walkway that is left in the square.

This must be one of the plant pots from the postcards.

Signs; the first is from the city citing a code violation while the other is from some Bellair Social club that used to meet here.

I looked in the windows and saw some old tables and chairs.

Note all of the dishes; they have a few residents here these days; one of which stole a Home Depot cart (way to go!)

[LarryDallas]

Various shots of the area just to the left if you walk into the W. Belfort entry.

There look to be more apartments here that are occuiped again.

A few shots of the lamps on the W. Belfort side.

Are there the ones that have always been here?

They just demolished the building on the other side of W. Belfort during the last week of March 07. Note the construction equipment.

This side faces the main W. Belfort entry to Home Depot.

What used to be where the driveway is now located? All of the buildings have stairs that lead down to the driveway.

The first photo is of the back side of the remaining strip. The last 2 are of the building that houses the live theater.

So from the curvature of the building the center crown jewel of the square sat right where the Home Depot lumber dept down sits?

I was not yet born when the Square had her glory days but this was very depressing. I wish I had gotten a chance to see the place before Home Depot came in.

[Subdude]

Wow. Thanks for posting the pictures. Some of those places look pretty dire. It is sad to see the contrast with the old postcards.

[silverartfox]

So from the curvature of the building the center crown jewel of the square sat right where the Home Depot lumber dept down sits?

I was not yet born when the Square had her glory days but this was very depressing. I wish I had gotten a chance to see the place before Home Depot came in.

That curved building faced a large fountain in the central courtyard of the Westbury Square complex. The building was home to Cargo Houston, one of the Square's main tenants. It was a large store filled with an eclectic assortment of imported home accessories, housewares, gift wrap, scarves, costume jewelry - well-made and well-designed - at reasonable prices. Its owners traveled the world and personally selected the merchandise. They also owned The Candle Shop in Westbury Square where hand-dipped candles were made while you watched; and Faroy, a separate company that produced scented candles, stationery and decorative items. Friends of mine were associated with these businesses and I visited the Square often.

Sadly, since Cargo Houston closed, there hasn't been a store in Houston to compare - it was unique. Cost Plus World Market runs a poor second...

Edited April 1, 2007 by silverartfox

[TxFireguy]

LarryD...Concerning your question about that being the Utotem...No, that end of that buidling on Cedarhurst was the Drug Store. The Utotem was on the strip just opposite of that picture facing West Bellfort. It was right behind that Drugstore. If you look at your pic#1052, it was to the left at the very end. Once again, the drug store was on the opposite side of that building. The Jack-In-The-Box was right next to the Utotoem, with a little alley way between...All were very good pics!

[LarryDallas]

I'm gald you like the pics.

Hey, and thanks for the info on what was where as well as the info on Cargo Houston. I wonder if any fixtures or even merchendise that was abandoned has been shuttered inside and is waiting for someone to discover it. I did see a "Tuesday Morning" sign in the lower floor of the curved grey building. I wonder who has the keys to the buildings. I'd sign any kind of legal waiver to be able to tour the inside of the buildings just to look around.

What year would you say the square shut down?

I know the hippies used to loiter in the piazza in the early 70s and that is when the downfall started. Did this whole structure sit idle from about 1980-1995 when Home Depot was built?

They were fools to demolish any of it.

BTW, how much of the square is left now?

40%? less?

[Croberts]

I really appreciate the pictures, I have not been in the neighborhood since 1977, really. the last time I was on the "square" was probably about 1975.

Why it started down is a mystery to me, it has all the elements of "new urbansim" (see my comments in the wikopedia discussion of the square). Hippies loitered in the square from about 1967 on, so thats not the reason. But when cargo houston went down, that seemed to be the beggining of the end. The specialty shops lasted till sometime in the 1970s. I heard that some company bought the square a few years after the townhouses were added. They supposedly put in a theater, or were going to put on in. I believe the story was that the company was owned by the chinese import store, which used to face the central fountain, now apparently the home depot lumber place. It seemed retail sails began lagging in the mid 70s, and possibly it was competition with the newly created Galleria?

One problem I think was that there was not enough to do. ie needed more restaraunts with a variety of prices, and more entertainment venues. It seemed the main reason to go to the square was atmosphere and to purchase specialty retail items. I used to make sand candles with scents from the scent shop, and wax supplies from the candle shop. I bought classic San Francisco rock concert posters at Cargo within weeks of famous concerts. A;sp bought blacklight posters at the Electric Paisley, and I became a black light artist myself, painting a number of bedroom murals for friends in Westbury.Also Indian prints beadspreads, paper mache tiffany lamps. What was missing was a book store and a large record shop.

The westbury centerrette (sic) sign may be the oldest surviving thing in westbury. I am sure it is the original and I expect the center predates the square and certainly the weingartens plaza. The trampoline place was the last building on the side facing away from belfort but near chimney rock.

sadly the conoco that was replaced by the now abandoned exxon was a classic modern style station, with a tile mural on front, a streamlined carport, it was one of the best pieces of architecture around, and deserved preservation status.

[Vertigo58]

I know the hippies used to loiter in the piazza in the early 70s and that is when the downfall started. Did this whole structure sit idle from about 1980-1995 when Home Depot was built?

They were fools to demolish any of it.

BTW, how much of the square is left now?

40%? less?

Sorry for being late in noticing and there are far too many replies to know where we are but this would or could have been a great place for shooting a movie or anything film related.

After viewing the photos it could have been mistaken for Italy or somewhere far away. The area around the fountain is (or was) a great focal point. What a waste. Save if not too late!

[Fringe]

I know the hippies used to loiter in the piazza in the early 70s and that is when the downfall started. Did this whole structure sit idle from about 1980-1995 when Home Depot was built?

Shoddy

Edited April 3, 2007 by LunaticFringe

[LarryDallas]

I went back out today and shot some pics of the building that housed the Cargo Houston. You can also see the live theater that is still open.

This is the area that faced the main fountain as seen in the postcards someone else posted. The Tuesday Morning signs are still there. I tried to look inside but the windows had bubbled tint all over them.

This fountain must have been relocated since it was no where so near to the building in the old photos. Was this the fountain that used to be in the center? Also, was this the tile that has been there from day?

Yet another sign from the city.

[tomv]

Excelllent photos. Thanks for sharing. The story behind the old Square and what's happened to it since is an intriguing one, I agree. I have to confess that I am old enough to have gone there in it's heyday, with my parents. It was truly ahead of it's time. I think location, more than anything, was responsible for it having such a short life. Chimney Rock and Bellfort just isn't a very convenient location , lacking freeway access and all. Also, that part of town started to really change about that time, from white suburbia to a mixed urban neighborhood.

Thanks again!

[nm5k]

Excelllent photos. Thanks for sharing. The story behind the old Square and what's happened to it since is an intriguing one, I agree. I have to confess that I am old enough to have gone there in it's heyday, with my parents. It was truly ahead of it's time. I think location, more than anything, was responsible for it having such a short life. Chimney Rock and Bellfort just isn't a very convenient location , lacking freeway access and all. Also, that part of town started to really change about that time, from white suburbia to a mixed urban neighborhood.

Thanks again!

What really kicked off the decline of Westbury Square was the Gallaria.

When it first opened, it was quite a big deal with all the shops, and skating

rink, etc.

So it drew away quite a bit of people that would have gone to Westbury Square.

Also, Westbury Squares shops were more into the sort of offbeat stuff, with some

exceptions, where as the Gallaria had a lot of big names, and other smaller

shops. Probably more variety in the overall scheme of things.

BTW, the building formally known as Exxon is not the same as the Conaco.

The Conaco was more on Chimney Rock. I've been trying to decide exactly where

it was.. I was thinking pretty close to the corner, near the pizza place, but

after thinking about it, it's quite possible it was in the building that now houses

one of the car repair places.. It's fenced in now, and has junk cars laying around.

I think that might have been the old Conaco, but I'm still not totally sure as

it's been so long. In fact... It's possible the car repair joint was once a different

station, and the Conoco was closer to the corner at W. Bellfort, but I may be

way off on that... But I used to buy gas at that Conaco when I first

started driving, so I know it was more on Chimney Rock, than Bellfort

as far as it's likely address. For some reason I keep thinking the Conoco

was near the corner, and you could get to it from either Bellfort by making

the curved turn, or Chimney Rock, which would put it about where the Pizza place

is.

But if not, it was where the car repair place is..

The car repair place at Chimney Rock and Burdine was once a Gulf station,

with a 7-11 next door. A red brick Texaco was across the street where the present

newer store/gas station is.

For some reason, I'm thinking the discount tire might have been a gas station

also at some point, but time is killing my memory... I should know what it was

before, but danged if I can remember... It's just not something I've thought

about through the years to keep in my brain... :/ It may have been a different

company auto repair, or tire shop. I don't think firestone though, as firestone

was in the weingartens center. The auto repair place in that center was the old

firestone. I remember I bought my first portable shortwave radio there. "Philco".

That was about 1971.. Actually, that repair place doesn't look too bad. It's enclosed,

and no junk cars laying around. It's the places that have the fenced areas, "both

on Chimney Rock", that look the worst. They have lots of junk, cars, etc laying around...

The one north of W. Bellfort being the worst usually. Wrecked cars, boats, junk, etc..

I've never really minded the place at the weingartens center.. It's never had that

problem. Once they close their doors, there is not much to see really..

MK

[Croberts]

I have now heard 5 versions of what happened to the square.

1. Neighborhood went down the tubes when they started building apts, such as those next to the high school. nobody wanted to go to westbury anymore

2. Hippies loitering in the square caused the decline

3.Too far away from a freeway

4. Competition with Galleria and other malls

5. Abscentee landlords, dont care about neighborhood

lets look at these one by one

1. Crime and low income residents-affects image, may decrease the numbers who will drive to Westbury a bit as well as contribute to property value declines, and an influx of poorer, not likely to shop at the square residents. Did this happen? When my parents sold their house in 1977 it had not happened yet, but the decline at the square was already evident, but slight. Business owners complaining about square mangement is what I remember

2. Hippies loitering? That was part of the ambience of the square. ZZ top premiered there. Electric Paisly was on the evening news for being the first head shop in houston. Mr Fantasy, Cargo Houston. I think they were part of the square at its heyday, rather than the decline.

3. Too far from major transportation artery? Perhaps, but when the square opened it was successful and there was no 610 loop yet, no s post oak ramp, etc. and the city was a fraction of the size that it is today. However if other shopping centers were successful and near a freeway....

4. Competition from Galleria- I believe this is part of it, because it was already happing in 1970. If you wanted large numbers of people and chain stores, go to galleria. If you wanted to see neighborhood people and specialty shops, go to the square.

5. Abscentee slumlords- and weak neighborhood ordinances (covenents)?I think this is the biggest part of it. The land owners of the most important neighborhood centers did not care, do not care. land is an investment, not for the rent but for the speculative value in future real estate markets. But the neighborhood centers are a critical part of the perception: the square if it was in its heyday today would be a model for other new urbanist designs-

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

I would suggest several things. First, historic status. The 60s were 50 years ago, nearly. Historic preservation status with the state and with the national register, would help. A press campaign against blighted neighborhoods and slumlords would help. Where is Marvin Zindlers exposee of the decline of westbury square?

Westbury has the reminent buildings of the square, the earliest manifestation of new urbanism. Successful until management began driving creative retail out.

The square created a main street in an auto oriented suburb

Houstons contribution to modern architecture should be noted. There has been some discussion on this site about it, but I dont see anything happening in west bury. The centerette sign is a gem from the past. So it the square. Are there more buildings worth noting?

As energy costs escalate houston will boom (only booming housing market in the nation right now) and Westbury should be ripe for a revival if the conditions are ripe. Having shopping centers that send the opposite message does not do this.

[DrFood]

I don't think anyone will ever be able to put a finger on the exact cause of the decline of Westbury Square. Houston has gone through so many manifestations of trying to create itself, WS just happens to be a victim of that whole process.

Now what can be done to fix the issue, especially in Westbury (the same ideas could apply to Sharpstown, Greenspoint and other areas).

1. Develop a Master Plan for the community--we are doing this to tie in the Willow Waterhole area and the Ft. Bend Toll Road to growth.

2. Develop a set of deed restrictions and mandatory compliance--we've developed the new deed restrictions. The problem there is that residents in Houston are scared to death of overzealous civic associations taking their homes from them. Remember the woman in Champions area who lost her home due to a clerical problem with the payment of dues. And then the woman in Katy who had to pay lots of money to defend her right to landscape her home? That scares the crap out of current residents. We've noted that the new folks moving in have no problem being mandated into compliance and paying dues. Only time will tell as we fight this fight.

3. Force local landlords to clean up property--The landlords are favored in a lot of cases in the courts so the City is really requiring strong cases. Take the case of the condos at W. Airport and Fondren. They have been condemned and burned and gutted. The City thought it had the courts ok to demolish as a neighborhood hazard. Guess what the landlord went to court again and got the whole thing quashed again. The laws should favor the residents of an area, not the business people.

4. Force absentee landlords to clean up property--Identify slum landlords for who they are and let the county and city do their thing to them. Limited court involvement. And when a slumlord is convicted of a crime, don't let them sell the land to a friend to protect it until they get out of jail. Make it go onto the open market and sell via the courts or a court mediator.

5. Run Metrorail down W. Bellfort and Hillcroft--Both of these tie into transit centers. W. Bellfort could tie into W. Bellfort/59 and Metrorail on Fannin. Hillcroft could tie into Missouri Park and Ride and Hillcroft P&R which will then have University line to go to Main. Guess what......there is a lot of folks in favor of this....but the NIMBYISTS in the area (sparked by Afton Oaks/Richmond Ave) folks have convinced folks in Houston that fixing transportation for the entire city can be stopped by 100 home owners and a few scared business owners. Oh yeah, if you run light rail down a major street folks will loose their mind and forget how to look out for the train too.....a la Main St. If you have mass transit that is easy and CLEAN (no diesel busses) you could reinvigorate areas like Westbury Square.

6. Give folks a destination--Cargo Houston keeps surfacing as a big draw of Westbury Square back in the day. Let's create a shopping village with some destination stores.

7. Pass zoning for Houston in some form--No further comment needed on that.

At some point folks are going to have to wake up and fix one major area of town as a livable area and then branch out. The Woodlands is a great concept, perhaps we need something a little like that close to the loop.

[apower]

At some point folks are going to have to wake up and fix one major area of town as a livable area and then branch out. The Woodlands is a great concept, perhaps we need something a little like that close to the loop.

This argument is pretty confounding to me. If people want to live in the Woodlands they can move there or the many, many other areas around town that have more or less attempted to replicate its "vision" of suburbia.

What you are talking about has nothing to do with fixing an area, it sounds like you want to make fundamental changes more in line of levelling and starting over. To me at least, that isn't what I think of as "fixing" an area - that is just tearing things down and building something new. Believe it or not Westbury is appealing to many young couples (like myself who just bought our first home there recently) because it IS Westbury and it is specifically NOT the Woodlands.

Edited April 9, 2007 by apower

[musicman]

Now what can be done to fix the issue, especially in Westbury (the same ideas could apply to Sharpstown, Greenspoint and other areas).

2. Develop a set of deed restrictions and mandatory compliance--we've developed the new deed restrictions. The problem there is that residents in Houston are scared to death of overzealous civic associations taking their homes from them. Remember the woman in Champions area who lost her home due to a clerical problem with the payment of dues. And then the woman in Katy who had to pay lots of money to defend her right to landscape her home? That scares the crap out of current residents. We've noted that the new folks moving in have no problem being mandated into compliance and paying dues. Only time will tell as we fight this fight.

good luck on this one. i know two neighborhoods who recently attempted to rewrite deed restrictions and call for mandatory dues. getting new deed restrictions is hard enough with all the signatures, paperwork filing, convincing them that deed restrictions are good, etc. then on top of that you want residents to pay when many have lived there quite a while with only voluntary dues. if the neighborhood is small, maybe you can be successful. otherwise making fees mandatory will result in those fears of oversealous civic associations you mentioned. both neighborhoods i mentioned ended up dropping the mandatory dues because it was just too unpopular.

[DrFood]

Note to apower.

I've lived in Houston all of my life (grew up in Sharpstown) and lived in Westbury since 1994. We have no inclination to recreate or model after the Woodlands. I used the Woodlands as an example where you have shopping, entertainment, employment, and strong sense of community that could be used to help plan how we want Westbury to evolve. No one wants that specific type of environment, if I wanted sterility and what color my flowers can be I would have chosen to live there. What we do want is to create a liveable village out of Westbury. Westbury Square is physically not sound to fix up from a fiscally responsible standpoint. However something similar could be built afresh with some planning, which we are doing. There are lots of opportunities to get things right as we update the area and get rid of some undesirable things that are plaguing the area. If you're really interested in having a part of seeing Westbury grow and flourish I invite you to get involved. I'm new to the Civic Club board and we've got some vacancies for people who really want to help. Send me an e-mail and I will help you get involved.

Note to musicman.

You are 100% right. Mandatory dues are hard as heck. Getting new deed restrictions passed is even harder. Westbury has over 5000 residences and a number of different versions of deed restrictions. When the area was built in sections back in the late 50's and early 60's each section or builder wrote their own deed restrictions. It's a mess as you can imagine. The other strain is getting folks to sign and then notarizing them. We're trying, but it's not an easy task. I don't people realize how important strong deed restrictions are and how important mandatory dues are to keeping an area growing. The biggest argument we have right now against mandatory for everyone is the original owners who have never paid and now can't afford to pay. Plus how do you handle rental property. It's an adventure as you can image. Thanks for any input you can give.