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White Oak Highline: Multifamily At 610 Oxford St.


Urbannizer

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  • 2 weeks later...
17 hours ago, marslan said:

Does that mean that this project is a go? Is there anything that can stop this project or slow it down?

 

Next step is building permits, but those are shall-issue as well. Don't think this is big enough to require a traffic analysis.

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  • 3 months later...

Developed by Urban Genesis, breaks ground soon

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/12/11/new-boutique-style-apartments-to-break-ground-near.html

 



Next year, Houston-based real estate developer Urban Genesis plans to start construction on its first apartments in town. By 2022, it plans to have between 1,000 and 1,500 units in Houston, said Matt Shafiezadeh, who oversees strategy and investments for the group.

 

The company launched in 2013 but focused development mostly in Dallas and Austin. Shafiezadeh said it didn’t develop in Houston until now because the market didn’t seem balanced before. Its first two Houston projects will include one in Montrose near Avondale and Taft, and another around the Heights near White Oak and Oxford Street. The projects will be known as Avondale Highline and White Oak Highline.
 

Urban Genesis focuses on smaller, boutique-style apartment buildings in prime locations that typically rent for $200 to $400 less than competing apartments in the same area, he said. The company saw a gap in the supply of new apartments, with new units commanding rents that are out of reach for many.

 

“There’s nothing in the middle,” he said. He estimates 85 percent of new multifamily supply requires an annual income of $75,000, yet the majority of jobs don’t match that profile. The median household income in the Houston metropolitan statistical area is $61,708, according to the 2016 U.S. Census American Community Survey.

 

“In a nutshell, our product (has) been designed to take out dead weight in a complex,” he said.

 

Projects usually include anywhere from 50 to 150 units and have dog parks, one level of podium parking and interior finishes including quartz countertops, stainless appliances and common area vinyl plank flooring.

 

The buildings typically aren’t higher than 40 feet and lot sizes range from half an acre to about two acres, he said. He estimates paying between $60 and $85 per square foot for the land.

 

Dallas-based UD Architects will design the Houston projects for Urban Genesis and Cardinal Construction will be the contractor. The first project set to break ground next year. Avondale Highline has a construction loan from IBC Bank.

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Interesting find with this companies projects. Shows the maturity we are finally getting in the urban market place. Hopefully they do more of these. Its not the highrises that make the density. Its theses that will.

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  • 3 months later...
6 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

 

I think that project looks amazing. I can understand how the neighbors aren't thrilled, but I can't imagine the variance not being granted.

 

Interesting that they are willing to lock the units at 1 tenant per unit. 

 

I wonder how nice the bike parking will be. 

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this is a pretty perfect location for adding some housing near the white oak corridor.  it's less than 15 mins bike ride to downtown on the hike+bike trail, with only the sawyer intersection forcing ppl off their bike, really ideal. 

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During daylight hours there is really nowhere in Houston I feel unsafe. Baltimore is a different animal. I've had uber drivers refuse to take me to certain parts of town in Baltimore. Some of it was also unfamiliarity and the differences in the built out environment, but Baltimore is one of the few places I've turned a corner and been afraid. So much abandonment and abject poverty. It's really sad.

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Hahaha. There is nowhere in central Houston comparable to parts of Baltimore or North Philadelphia. I might be careful going through parts of 5th Ward still, and you *will* get chased by dogs if you ride through Third Ward often enough, but that's about it.

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30 minutes ago, Timoric said:

For all you picture takers and bike riders on HAIF, do you feel pretty safe throughout your rides inside the redeveloping loop rides or are there some places that you don't linger?  from what I have read it is mostly standard stuff (a few aggressive pan-handlers etc)  in some areas but not the East Baltimore dangerous don't go zones. Have any places gotten safer that you used be iffy about going through?

 

I haven't had any issues anywhere that I ride in the last few years....when I first moved to EaDo and would ride the ColumbiaTap through 3rd Ward towards the Medical Center, there were a couple areas where "gangs" of kids were mugging riders (throwing rocks and bricks at them) and I would get some rude comments from the locals...but haven't had anything like that in a long time..

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For some reason the section of the White Oak hike and bike path near Stude Park seems to attract the occasional pervert.  There have been a couple of incidents on the north end of the White Oak trail near Greater Inwood with gang members trying to mug cyclists.  But that is well outside the loop.  Overall, the White Oak trail from Heights to downtown has totally transformed the area thanks to all the added traffic from cyclists, runners and walkers.  

 

 

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I won't bike third ward/Columbia Tap Trail at night, but that's about it. 

 

I've never been hassled/had issues riding through midtown (by Pierce Elevated) or anything like that.

 

I just did a lot of the Tour de Bcycle (73 stations!) and I don't feel comfortable riding bcycle bikes on the street in lots of places because they're so much slower than my hybrid. 

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5 hours ago, Timoric said:

For all you picture takers and bike riders on HAIF, do you feel pretty safe throughout your rides inside the redeveloping loop rides or are there some places that you don't linger?  from what I have read it is mostly standard stuff (a few aggressive pan-handlers etc)  in some areas but not the East Baltimore dangerous don't go zones. Have any places gotten safer that you used be iffy about going through?

 

3 hours ago, wilcal said:

I won't bike third ward/Columbia Tap Trail at night, but that's about it. 

 

 

Agree with WilCal, Thats about the only bike trail that at night I dont really do. Actually, the most aggressive and uncomfortable people I normally experience are drivers out in Clear Lake and Waller County. I've had some real a**holes needlessly aggressive to me.

 

For night riding I'm mostly doing it for training so I stick to the parks. 

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10 hours ago, KinkaidAlum said:

During daylight hours there is really nowhere in Houston I feel unsafe. Baltimore is a different animal. I've had uber drivers refuse to take me to certain parts of town in Baltimore. Some of it was also unfamiliarity and the differences in the built out environment, but Baltimore is one of the few places I've turned a corner and been afraid. So much abandonment and abject poverty. It's really sad.

 

 

I had an accident at Scott and 45 and was sitting on the curb next to the houses on the south side of 45. One of the police officers at the scene asked if someone was going to come pick me up. I told him an Uber was on the way and he said he would wait with me because it was a "dangerous area," this was at 9:00 am. If anyone is going to know how dangerous an area is it's going to be a cop who works in that beat. So I would say there are areas you probably should not linger in no matter what time of day it is especially if you stick out like a sore thumb like it did. 

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  • 5 weeks later...

https://theleadernews.com/heights-homeowners-seek-to-stave-off-apartments/

 



A developer is moving forward with its plan to build an apartment complex, and there is little Kasia McCormick and her neighboring homeowners in the Heights can do about it.

But they’re well on their way to making sure no other multi-family dwellings infiltrate their immediate area.

 

McCormick and fellow homeowner Paulina Sergot submitted a Special Minimum Lot Size Area (SMLSA) application to the City of Houston’s Planning & Development Department in March. If approved by other property owners within an area that is two blocks from west to east and three-and-a-half blocks from north to south – and then by the Houston Planning Commission and the Houston City Council – the measure would require all single-family lots to be at least 6,230 square feet, which is the average for the area in question. It also would ensure that all vacant, unplatted lots be used for single-family homes.

 

Urban Genesis, a Houston-based developer that plans to construct a 66-unit apartment complex called White Oak Highline at the northeast corner of 6th ½ Street and Oxford Street, would not be bound by such requirements because it platted its property as an unrestricted reserve before the application was submitted. An unrestricted reserve can be used for a commercial property or any residence that is not single-family housing. Land already designated as an unrestricted reserve, as well as for a multi-family residence or commercial property, could continue to be used for those purposes.

 

3-5853-White-Oak-Highline-Rendering-USE-

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5 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

 

Residents here won't be able to stop this development.

 

The Woodland Heights and Glen Park area implemented minimum lot sizes and it's been great at keeping an area that's been dedicated to single family home use for 80 years to remain that way. But it doesn't prevent current developments from going in if the application isn't already in the city's hands (if the application has been submitted, it stops all development in the application zone that violates minimum lot size until the city reaches a decision). Edit: But I think if it's already under construction, the city can't stop it because of the serious loss that would hit the developer.

 

Glen Park and specifically the Near Northside minimum lot size prevented White Oak Music Hall from building a major multi-family development at Embry and Ideal St next to the Volleybar. The dispute between the residents and WOMH went in front of the Planning Commission, and WOMH pretty much knew it wasn't going to pass because they didn't start any of this until after the minimum lot size was applied to the area. They tried to get an exception but the amount of backlash from the entire area (including the Superneighborhood and Avenue CDC) prevented it from going forward.

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Excuse my ignorance, but how would an apartment building that's presumably going to be on a larger lot than a house violate minimum lot size requirements?  Wouldn't it be on a larger than minimum lot, thus fulfilling the requirements?

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42 minutes ago, cspwal said:

Excuse my ignorance, but how would an apartment building that's presumably going to be on a larger lot than a house violate minimum lot size requirements?  Wouldn't it be on a larger than minimum lot, thus fulfilling the requirements?

 

exactly...

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2 hours ago, cspwal said:

Excuse my ignorance, but how would an apartment building that's presumably going to be on a larger lot than a house violate minimum lot size requirements?  Wouldn't it be on a larger than minimum lot, thus fulfilling the requirements?

 

 

This is directly from the Special Minimum Lot Size application:

 

Quote

What will happen to my commercial/multifamily lot if the minimum lot size application is approved?

If you have a commercial/multifamily lot it will remain commercial/multifamily. If at any time you desire to change your property to single family residential use, you would not be allowed to convert back to commercial/multifamily. If you decide to subdivide your property, any lots that are created would need to meet the special minimum lot size.

 

Quote

What can I build on my lot?

On a single family lot you can build a single family home, a single family home with a detached garage apartment not larger than 900 square feet, or a duplex. A Special Minimum Lot Size Ordinance does not determine the physical design of buildings. Please note that deed restrictions may already be imposed on your neighborhood. In those cases the more restrictive of either the proposed lot size or deed restrictions will be applied to the property

 

Basically, if your lot was designated for single family use and you owned property in this special zone, you would not be able to then convert this into commercial or multi-family use.

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25 minutes ago, cspwal said:

So it isn't just lot size - it's also a form of use and density zoning

It's main purpose is to protect single family neighborhoods in a city like ours, especially in inner-city areas that likely don't have HOAs and deed restrictions.

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On 6/20/2019 at 2:08 PM, cspwal said:

Excuse my ignorance, but how would an apartment building that's presumably going to be on a larger lot than a house violate minimum lot size requirements?  Wouldn't it be on a larger than minimum lot, thus fulfilling the requirements?

 

IIRC, the original version of the ordinance didn't have this restriction. So if a block enacted MLS to prevent subdividing lots for, say, townhouses, a developer could decide to just build multi-family instead.

 

The process is a kind of back-door, opt-in zoning, and insofar as it keeps enough people for agitating for ACTUAL zoning, it's probably a useful escape valve.

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  • The title was changed to White Oak Highline: Proposed Multifamily at Oxford & 6 1/2 St
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