Several Blocks Slated For Development Near Sampson & York St.

[thedistrict84]

There are several “Notice of Variance Request” signs up near Sampson/York and Garrow St. covering all or part of five blocks (as indicated in my crudely marked map below).

 

From my understanding, this is property owned by Lovett/InTown Homes, so I would assume that there are townhouses going in here. 

 

Anyone have any additional info on this?

[EastwoodDamian]

http://swamplot.com/where-lovett-plans-to-stick-120-more-townhomes-in-place-of-3-houses-3-warehouses-and-some-second-ward-dirt/2018-08-24/

[HoustonMidtown]

This has been in the works for quite a while, looks like it's progressing forward finally - I posted these back in 2016

 

IMG_7519 by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

IMG_7517 by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

Edited August 26, 2018 by HoustonMidtown

[Tone2002]

That whole area is adding new homes constantly and it really isn’t in the traditional EADO area. The townhome community already there “Eado Square” is already finishing up the last few units that are facing Canal St and they are finally finishing those townhome units on Milby Street too. 

 

Im not sure what is up with those weird little townhomes on Sampson and Canal behind the tire shop but they are interesting looking enough to say the least.

 

I also saw they are also building townhomes near Sampson/Harrisburg intersection too. 

 

Not to mention the old folks homes that are about to be built on Commerce. 

 

The area res is about to look real different I’m a few years if these all go through

 

 

[thedistrict84]

On 8/26/2018 at 1:20 PM, Tone2002 said:

I also saw they are also building townhomes near Sampson/Harrisburg intersection too. 

 

Do you know exactly where that development would be located? There are quite a few vacant lots in the immediate few blocks, so it would be nice for something to be done with at least some of those.

 

The Sampson/York corridor is going to be interesting in a year or two with all of this new town home construction and new restaurants/bars such as Victorian’s BBQ and The Plant at Harrisburg in the works.

[SampsonScientist]

On 8/26/2018 at 1:20 PM, Tone2002 said:

That whole area is adding new homes constantly and it really isn’t in the traditional EADO area. The townhome community already there “Eado Square” is already finishing up the last few units that are facing Canal St and they are finally finishing those townhome units on Milby Street too. 

 

Im not sure what is up with those weird little townhomes on Sampson and Canal behind the tire shop but they are interesting looking enough to say the least.

 

I also saw they are also building townhomes near Sampson/Harrisburg intersection too. 

 

Not to mention the old folks homes that are about to be built on Commerce. 

 

The area res is about to look real different I’m a few years if these all go through

 

 

Where exactly is the old folks homes in commerce being built on?

Edited September 15, 2018 by SampsonScientist
Grammar

[thedistrict84]

On 9/15/2018 at 0:15 PM, SampsonScientist said:

Where exactly is the old folks homes in commerce being built on?

 

2800 Commerce. It’s the large vacant lot at Commerce and Delano.

 

I created a post about it a while back, it was moved over to the “Going Up!” section.

 

https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/39132-campanile-on-commerce-2800-commerce-new-senior-living-apartments-in-second-ward/

[Tone2002]

On 9/13/2018 at 2:25 PM, thedistrict84 said:

 

Do you know exactly where that development would be located? There are quite a few vacant lots in the immediate few blocks, so it would be nice for something to be done with at least some of those.

 

The Sampson/York corridor is going to be interesting in a year or two with all of this new town home construction and new restaurants/bars such as Victorian’s BBQ and The Plant at Harrisburg in the works.

 

 

Im sorry I was mistaken. It was actually a townhome subdivision on York/Harrisburg. Before you cross over Harrisburg going towards Commerce/Canal/etc.... near the light rail. It is literally nestled against a home. Several of them at that. 

[thedistrict84]

I was looking at the minutes from the planning commission meeting on 8/30/2018 where these proposed developments were up for discussion. Apparently there was a staff recommendation to deny the variances and disapprove the plats. However, the commission rejected that recommendation and voted to approve everything. 

 

That doesn’t seem typical to me, although I’m admittedly not well-versed in the workings of the planning commission at this point. Is there something else going on here behind the scenes?

Edited September 24, 2018 by thedistrict84

[ljchou]

Where did you find the minutes?

Any new word on this/when they'll break ground?

[Mr.Clean19]

There has been some steady refurbishing going on in this area around Voodoo Queen. The Firestation is a good example of it. 

[ljchou]

On 9/24/2018 at 3:20 PM, thedistrict84 said:

I was looking at the minutes from the planning commission meeting on 8/30/2018 where these proposed developments were up for discussion. Apparently there was a staff recommendation to deny the variances and disapprove the plats. However, the commission rejected that recommendation and voted to approve everything. 

 

That doesn’t seem typical to me, although I’m admittedly not well-versed in the workings of the planning commission at this point. Is there something else going on here behind the scenes?

Could you tell me where to find these minutes? I'm curious about the future of this development.

Thanks!

[ljchou]

Also, apparently Lovett Homes/Frank Liu are going to make these afforable housing and sell them back to the city for 150k. Anyone else heard word on this? Seems to take the property value in the wrong direction for this neighborhood.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/09/07/developer-frank-liu-planning-market-rate.html

[thedistrict84]

23 hours ago, ljchou said:

Could you tell me where to find these minutes? I'm curious about the future of this development.

Thanks!

 

Minutes are always posted on the Planning Commission website. Just scroll down and click on the link for whatever date you want to check.

 

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Commissions/commiss_plan.html

 

23 hours ago, ljchou said:

Also, apparently Lovett Homes/Frank Liu are going to make these afforable housing and sell them back to the city for 150k. Anyone else heard word on this? Seems to take the property value in the wrong direction for this neighborhood.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/09/07/developer-frank-liu-planning-market-rate.html

 

I haven’t heard much about this development recently.

 

I agree that having land bank style properties in this area isn’t going to help further development, especially in such close proximity to other affordable housing-type projects. These types of projects really need to be spread out more, and not just in the East End. Hopefully the major market rate projects by Marquette nearby and other similar developments help even things out. 

[ljchou]

Looks like 19 of 120 homes will be sold below market rate, and initial agreements are for completion before December 2020. Seems far fetched on both accounts, but if 83% are going to be sold at market value I'm excited for this development. This is from last year. I'm curious what, if anything, has changed for this agreement:
 

Quote

 

A new development east of downtown by Houston-based developer Frank Liu cleared a hurdle at the Aug. 30 meeting of the city’s planning commission, getting approval for a series of variances. The proposed project will include more than 120 single-family homes.

The project will be a mix of market-rate and affordable housing units on about four acres, bounded by Commerce Street, Harrisburg Boulevard and Sampson Street. The land is divided into eight separate sites, according to the commission agenda. The agenda referred to the eight separate sites as Garrow York, Garrow Sampson, Palmer One, Two, Three and Four East End as well as Ranger One and Ranger Two East End.

Requests for comment from Liu weren’t immediately returned.

A June 13 letter from Mayor Sylvester Turner and the city’s housing development director Tom McCasland to Liu outlined the terms and conditions of the project with the city. The letter stated the city will buy a “total number of homes sites” including about 19 from this East End project once completed for $245,000. The letter stated homes will be completed no later than December 2020.

Those 19 or 20 homes, meant for people who don’t earn more than 120 percent of the area median income, will then be sold to “workforce home buyers at a floor price of no less than $150,000” with no additional assistance, such as down payment assistance, the letter stated. The remaining homes will be sold at market rate.

The commission approved Liu’s variance requests to allow lot sizes less than 3,500 square feet, but lots have to be bigger than 900 square feet. The approval also granted guest parking for some lots to be on neighboring streets and called for an average of 200 square feet of green space or permeable area for each subdivision plat and a minimum six-foot sidewalk. Fences have to be semi-transparent and no higher than four feet.

And, any home beyond the approved density of 27 units per acre must be deemed workforce housing.

The approval also requires the developer to provide a copy of the executed agreement with the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development when the plat gets recorded, something that had not been provided by the Aug. 30 meeting.

The city’s planning and development staff initially recommended denying the variances and plat requests because of the lack of formal agreement between Liu and the housing department over the workforce housing unit ownership. Only a memorandum of understanding between the two groups was available, the agenda stated. The project’s affordable housing component will also require approval from Houston City Council.

In March, Baker Ripley, a nonprofit that serves communities experiencing poverty, announced it was partnering with Liu on its 88,000-square-foot Houston headquarters. The new building sits on 1.7 acres at 4450 Harrisburg Boulevard, about a mile from the proposed housing development. In April, Houston-based nonprofit New Hope Housing Inc. opened a new 175-unit affordable housing project also in the East End, just a few blocks from Baker Ripley

 

 

[2ndwardOG]

 New Hope Housing since it has opened I have seen a lot of Riff Raff hanging around Harrisburg.

Edited December 11, 2019 by 2ndwardOG

[thedistrict84]

There has definitely been an increase in loitering in the general vicinity of the New Hope development, including at the Green Line Coffee Plant stop about a block away. I wouldn’t necessarily agree that they are “riff raff” but a concentration of people loitering around aimlessly does discourage pedestrian traffic. I’ve often seen a Metro PD officer in a parking lot nearby and they seem to be patrolling the light rail stop more often, likely in reaction to the increase in loitering and a small uptick in property crime reported in the immediate area.

 

It is also worth noting that of the three or four GFR pad sites on the first floor of the New Hope facility fronting Harrisburg, I don’t believe a single one has been leased out to any commercial tenant. Something to keep in mind next time New Hope tries to use inclusion of GFR as a benefit for the area when proposing a new property.

[Mr.Clean19]

Does anyone on the East End use that park with the fountain and splash pad off Jensen and Navigation anymore? They had to turn off the fountain becuase homeless people we bathing and using it as a restroom. They never turn on the splash pad unless it is a big event. What was supposed to be a beautiful park used for residents to gather has turned into homeless central. 

[JBTX]

On 12/11/2019 at 1:34 PM, Mr.Clean19 said:

Does anyone on the East End use that park with the fountain and splash pad off Jensen and Navigation anymore? They had to turn off the fountain becuase homeless people we bathing and using it as a restroom. They never turn on the splash pad unless it is a big event. What was supposed to be a beautiful park used for residents to gather has turned into homeless central. 

 

It's used for events fairly often, but no...the vast majority of that park is hobo central. The only exception is there are a few folks who walk their dogs there to poop. 

[2ndwardOG]

On ‎12‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 1:34 PM, Mr.Clean19 said:

Does anyone on the East End use that park with the fountain and splash pad off Jensen and Navigation anymore? They had to turn off the fountain becuase homeless people we bathing and using it as a restroom. They never turn on the splash pad unless it is a big event. What was supposed to be a beautiful park used for residents to gather has turned into homeless central. 

I will agree there is quite a bit of homeless in the park adjacent to Guadalupe church. I have seen many sleeping on the park benches.

[ljchou]

It looks like the land has been re-platted in the tracing maps for HCAD. I'm curious if this means work may start soon.

[ahawk]

There is still 2 buildings at the corner of Sampson and Garrow. One is an old bar, another a home that is occupied. 

[ljchou]

I do not believe they (Lovett/InTown) own that property. Specifically, I believe the Northeast and Southwest corners of that block are excluded from this development. I know they also do not own the south end of the property spanning York/Garrow/Hutcheson/Sherman

[ljchou]

I am also confused by this breakdown of land. Specifically on the right-hand block. Can someone explain why the land division isn't simply rectangular?

 

[thedistrict84]

23 hours ago, ljchou said:

I am also confused by this breakdown of land. Specifically on the right-hand block. Can someone explain why the land division isn't simply rectangular?

 

If you’re referring to the block bound by Sherman, Garrow, York, and Hutcheson, I think those middle “square” lots are the result of the block being marginally narrower than the others. Those lots near the middle of the block should be accessible through shared drives. InTown has no shortage of different floor plans that they can shoehorn into those square lots.

[ljchou]

They are surveying the plats today. I'm curious if this means they'll start building soon. InTown Homes was targeting the end of the year, perhaps early 2021.

[ljchou]

[ljchou]

Construction equipment on site digging.

[thedistrict84]

6 hours ago, ljchou said:

Construction equipment on site digging.

 

Good news, glad they are getting started on this. The Sampson/York corridor has a lot of potential.

[ljchou]

I agree. I know a lot of people in the area don't want these townhomes to be built, but these lots were previously commercial buildings and noe they are just empty abandoned fields after those buildings were torn down. Any growth is good growth here in my opinion.

[skooljunkie]

On 7/14/2020 at 12:50 PM, ljchou said:

I am also confused by this breakdown of land. Specifically on the right-hand block. Can someone explain why the land division isn't simply rectangular?

 

To add to thedistrict84's comment, I usually hear the lots with lil' nubs referred to as "flag lots." Houston townhome flag lots are usually along shared driveways and give each driveway-user ownership of equal portions of the shared space (all users share the tax burden, etc.). In rural areas with limited road access, flag lots are created to prevent extremely narrow subdivision lots, providing all landowners driveway access to the public road and allowing better lot proportions.

[ljchou]

To my surprise, 218 Hutcheson which sold last year is the first to have construction begin. Three townhomes going up by Arcada Homes at the corner of Garrow and Hutcheson.

[thedistrict84]

I saw a (very small) piece of construction equipment present here, at the lot on the southeast corner of Sherman and Sampson. Hopefully it’s a sign that this is about to get going?

(Although it is InTown Homes after all, they like to take their sweet time)

[ljchou]

On 5/1/2021 at 9:53 PM, thedistrict84 said:

I saw a (very small) piece of construction equipment present here, at the lot on the southeast corner of Sherman and Sampson. Hopefully it’s a sign that this is about to get going?

(Although it is InTown Homes after all, they like to take their sweet time)

I saw they’ve applied for waste water applications on this block, the one to the east and at the old Rex supply building. Could mean good things as it seems that’s the first step prior to building permits. Sending the universe some building pmt vibes this week.

[hindesky]

York at Sherman.

[ljchou]

Unfortunately I live right by here and asked what they were up to... no building yet, just fixing a broken pipe.

[ljchou]

A ton of Waste Water application permits were just submitted for all of these lots. Also for 3829 Harrisburg. I'm hoping this means IntownHomes is *finally* spinning up production here.

[ljchou]

https://www.har.com/mapsearch/?map_tools_nwlat=29.75375547112513&map_tools_nwlng=-95.34757514735783&map_tools_selat=29.741993052571203&map_tools_selng=-95.32917916101589&zip_code=77003&for_sale=1#g83811141

[sapo2367]

‘Views at Hutchenson’

[JBTX]

On 6/30/2021 at 9:39 AM, ljchou said:

A ton of Waste Water application permits were just submitted for all of these lots. Also for 3829 Harrisburg. I'm hoping this means IntownHomes is *finally* spinning up production here.

Intown is wrapping up their development off Canal and N. St. Charles right now, so I would believe it.

[ljchou]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:15 PM, JBTX said:

Intown is wrapping up their development off Canal and N. St. Charles right now, so I would believe it.

They submitted WW permits for the lots at Harrisburg and Milby just to turn around and list it for sale so hopefully they follow through on the residential development.

[thedistrict84]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:15 PM, JBTX said:

Intown is wrapping up their development off Canal and N. St. Charles right now, so I would believe it.

There are still a bunch of individual home sites in that development that haven’t broken ground, especially along Commerce. They’re going to be working on those for quite a while. I’m not sure “wrapping up” is the best way to categorize their progress.

[JBTX]

2 hours ago, thedistrict84 said:

There are still a bunch of individual home sites in that development that haven’t broken ground, especially along Commerce. They’re going to be working on those for quite a while. I’m not sure “wrapping up” is the best way to categorize their progress.

My understanding that InTown was building a few of those and another developer was handing the rest. Otherwise, the fencing between lots doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I could be wrong though.

[thedistrict84]

2 hours ago, JBTX said:

My understanding that InTown was building a few of those and another developer was handing the rest. Otherwise, the fencing between lots doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I could be wrong though.

I walk by this site often. I’m fairly certain that the sign fronting Commerce mentions InTown as well.

I think the fence is just a practical result of the layout of the two sections. The section fronting Canal is organized along a single “L” drive due to the corner lots which aren’t part of the development, whereas the part along Commerce has a series of lateral drives perpendicular to a main drive. Homes on both sides back up to the fence.

I thought it was initially divided by phases, but they’ve built homes on both sides of the fence—and many lots on both sides have not broken ground.

[ljchou]

12 hours ago, thedistrict84 said:

I walk by this site often. I’m fairly certain that the sign fronting Commerce mentions InTown as well.

I think the fence is just a practical result of the layout of the two sections. The section fronting Canal is organized along a single “L” drive due to the corner lots which aren’t part of the development, whereas the part along Commerce has a series of lateral drives perpendicular to a main drive. Homes on both sides back up to the fence.

I thought it was initially divided by phases, but they’ve built homes on both sides of the fence—and many lots on both sides have not broken ground.

They have unbuilt homes for sale already, too. Specifically those facing commerce.

[ljchou]

Plan Review Fee permits in for seven new homes at:

213 Sampson (22019990)

3407 Garrow (22019985)

[ljchou]

Here we go!

[thedistrict84]

4 hours ago, ljchou said:

Here we go!

[ljchou]

Any updates on this?

[hindesky]

I drove by here yesterday and it looks like they are installing the underground plumbing.