The Heights Restaurant And Bar Scene - More Coming

[kylejack]

There is no sidewalk issue on Arlington. The sidewalk is right where it is supposed to be and is not affected by the parking.

 

If the sidewalk doesn't conflict with the parking, then why are the lines for the parking spaces painted directly across the entire sidewalk? Look at my pictures, posted earlier.

[s3mh]

If the sidewalk doesn't conflict with the parking, then why are the lines for the parking spaces painted directly across the entire sidewalk? Look at my pictures, posted earlier.

Go on the DRC and see what they submitted. They do not intend on parking cars on the sidewalk along Arlington. They have measured 17' parking spaces on Arlington. The lines were probably painted for a point of reference as the parking is on gravel.

[kylejack]

Well since the average customer doesn't consult PDFs before pulling in to a space, perhaps it would be good to install some parking stops to prevent them from pulling across the sidewalk. That's what I asked Morgan Weber about, and he said he'd be willing to do so. Which would fix the ROW problem on Arlington which you claim does not exist.

[s3mh]

Well since the average customer doesn't consult PDFs before pulling in to a space, perhaps it would be good to install some parking stops to prevent them from pulling across the sidewalk. That's what I asked Morgan Weber about, and he said he'd be willing to do so. Which would fix the ROW problem on Arlington which you claim does not exist.

There is a difference between the practical problem of a parking space being flush with the sidewalk and the permitting problem of having a parking space that is cut off by the encroaching right of way making the space to short for the City's standards. The former exists on Arlington. The latter exists on White Oak. The former is not a permitting issue. The latter is.

[kylejack]

There is a difference between the practical problem of a parking space being flush with the sidewalk and the permitting problem of having a parking space that is cut off by the encroaching right of way making the space to short for the City's standards. The former exists on Arlington. The latter exists on White Oak. The former is not a permitting issue. The latter is.

 

Doesn't matter, when an entity requests a variance (which is an exception to what the code requires) it is a good time to get some concessions such as fixing a sidewalk ROW issue, especially one which would be easy to fix.

[s3mh]

Latest from the folks at Coltivare. It sounds like the City staff is doing their usual drill of keeping their recommendation under wraps until the day before the planning commission meeting. But it sounds like the City staff will support cutting the garden by a 1/3rd to get an additional few spaces. It also sounds like the Coltivare folks would agree to do that, but are trying to push forward with "plan A" of keeping the entire lot a garden and not adding any parking. I hope the planning commission will go for Plan A.

The email from Coltivare:

COLTIVARE PARKING VARIANCE

The Home Stretch

First, thank you to all for the overwhelming support for our parking variance that we have received over the last two weeks. When we fired off that email, we never expected the responses to flow in with such abundance and positive enthusiasm. So thanks for A) putting up with these laborious and tedious emails and being such an amazing community and neighborhood in which to live and work.

Hopefully, everything will be wrapped up tomorrow afternoon. The Planning Commission Hearing is upon us.

Last week, we received a response from Dipti Mathur and Brian Crimmins that the Commission understood the "uniqueness of the situation" and were running the traps to make sure they make the right decision was made for the community.

As it stands, the Commission is seemingly more comfortable with the idea of turning one-third of our proposed garden into parking spaces, as well as adding bike parking, which we were, of course, planning to do anyway. They also would require planting trees along the sidewalk. Twist our arms. We were planning on doing that as well. We love the idea of both those requirements/suggestions.

The obvious issue is that by adding parking adjacent to the proposed garden, it takes the garden from 3,000 square feet to 2,000 square feet (1/3 less yield on delicious fruit and vegetables, no?) and they still want us to ADD PARKING WHEN PARKING EXISTS ACROSS THE STREET.

We need as many people as possible to show up to tomorrow's Planning Commission Hearing to support the idea of the variance AND using 100% existing parking. And the bottom line is this: irrespective of whether the City counts those existing parking spaces for our code requirement, they will be used, as they have been used for 60 years.

Here are the details:

The Commission hearing starts at 2:30 pm in the City Hall Annex Building, City Council Chamber, Public Level:

900 Bagby Street

Houston, TX 77002

We are at the end of the agenda, so they probably won't get to us until a little after 3:00.

Our variance will begin with a two-minute introduction from our parking consultant, after which the floor will be opened for public comment. Anyone wishing to speak will have to sign in before our variance request is heard. Each person will be given one minute to voice their support for the variance. From past experience, one minute flies by and often times it is better to write your commentary beforehand and read it or have a few talking points jotted down--just to make sure you get all your points across.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email Morgan at morgan@revivalmarket.com

And if you want to re-iterate your stance to the Commission or will not be able to attend tomorrow's meeting, shoot them another email.

marlene.gafrick@houstontx.gov

Dipti.Mathur@houstontx.gov

mayor@houstontx.gov

pd.planning@houstontx.gov

Brian.Crimmins@houstontx.gov

Again, thank you all for your support. We hope to see as many of you at the hearing tomorrow as possible and understand what a sacrifice it is to make time in the middle of the day to do something this tedious. We cannot thank you enough for that.

-Morgan Weber & Ryan Pera

Owners, Revival Market & Coltivare

Edited March 27, 2013 by s3mh

[Angostura]

Staff will recommend granting the variance:

 

https://twitter.com/HoustonPlanning/status/316957879745781762

[s3mh]

Word is that the variance was granted for Coltivare. Do not know whether they will have to compromise and build a few spaces on the lot for the garden or be allowed to keep the entire lot a garden. Either way is wayyyy better than having to pave that entire lot for a parking lot. Can't wait for this restaurant to open.

[kylejack]

They're keeping maximum garden.

[Texasota]

rad. more parking facing white oak would be a mistake.

[s3mh]

Here are the official minutes on the Coltivare variance.  All garden:

 

114 2120 White Oak Drive DPV Approve

Staff recommendation: Grant the requested variance with 5 Off-Street parking spaces and 32 bike

parking spaces.

Commission action: Granted the requested variance with staff’s recommended conditions as listed

below but without the five parking spaces. In addition to staff’s recommendation, Commission

requires the filing of a restrictive covenant to be recorded at the County by the property owner to

restrict the garden to green space/landscaping for as long as the facility is operated as a restaurant.

The City of Houston is the beneficiary of the restrictive covenant and will have the right to enforce it. If

the restrictive covenant is not approved and filed, the variance is granted with the staff’s

recommended conditions including the 5 on-site parking spaces.

Motion:

Subinsky Second: Clark Vote: Unanimous Abstaining: None

 

Also on the restaurant front, Austin wing/sports bar Pluckers is going in the Harold's development.  Torchy's is also a go.  I suspect that the Heights General Store may have given back some lease space as the original reports made it sound like it was completely leased out with just the Heights General Store and Torchy's.  I can make a very long list of restaurants that I would rather see go in than Pluckers, but it is a kid friendly place and will serve the growning number of families with little kids in the Greater Heights area.  Lee's Fried Chicken and Donuts (next to liberty kitchen) is looking for a July opening.  Probably too optomistic given how little work has been done to date on the building, but you never know until you try.

[JJxvi]

I can make a very long list of restaurants that I would rather see go in than Pluckers

 

You shut your trap!

[JJxvi]

Wonder how they'll handle beer sales?

[nclux]

I was at the forum at which Pluckers was discussed and the whole idea that Pluckers is going in Harold's is a great example of a game of Telephone. The guy said that he drove his friends who own Pluckers around Houston and that they "got the Heights". He did not say that they had definitively leased a space - the closest reference was that they might be interested in 19th and Shepard. 

[RedScare]

I was at the forum at which Pluckers was discussed and the whole idea that Pluckers is going in Harold's is a great example of a game of Telephone. The guy said that he drove his friends who own Pluckers around Houston and that they "got the Heights". He did not say that they had definitively leased a space - the closest reference was that they might be interested in 19th and Shepard. 

 

nclux, I don't think you realize who you are dealing with. s3mh is never wrong. If he says Pluckers is going in, it is going in. Just like that Walmart that everyone thought was going in on Yale...oh, wait.

[s3mh]

nclux, I don't think you realize who you are dealing with. s3mh is never wrong. If he says Pluckers is going in, it is going in. Just like that Walmart that everyone thought was going in on Yale...oh, wait.

 

I just do not know why you get all flustered when your posts get taken down by the admins.  I am fine if you want to throw insults in every post in response to anything I say.  Just don't whine and pretend that you are not dong what you are doing.

[RedScare]

I just do not know why you get all flustered when your posts get taken down by the admins.  I am fine if you want to throw insults in every post in response to anything I say.  Just don't whine and pretend that you are not dong what you are doing.

 

Would you like to respond to the poster who completely eviscerated your post?

[bedmondson]

Now where is this going in at?

 

http://blog.chron.com/29-95/2013/04/feasts-knight-to-open-heights-restaurant-with-down-house-team/

[JJxvi]

Pluckers will be opening a place on Shepherd north of Washington Ave, according to their twitter feed.

[kbates2]

Watch out for the fire in the hole wings. They are aptly named.

[Marksmu]

I recently ate the new Ruggles on 11th...and though a bit pricey for a chicken sandwhich, it was probably the best chicken sandwhich I have ever had...the fries were superb as well.  The entire experience was excellent.  Ordered, and food arrived maybe 7 minutes later, exactly as ordered and everything was great..thats pretty fast for 2 adult entrees and 1 kids one.

 

I could have eaten another sandwhich it was so good.  Also very happy that they worked out a lease on that parking lot.  Even though 11th street cafe was terrible, I would have gone sometimes if it were not such a pain to park....In summary....The new Ruggles was excellent!

[SilverJK]

Mark,  I agree it is an excellent addition.  My wife and I have walked there a few times so far (~ 1 mile walk each way).  Are you talking about the roasted chicken sandwich with the plantains and all that other stuff on it?  If so, that is a freaking awesome sandwich.

 

Not quite Heights,  but I finally made it over to Crisp the other day.  Pretty nice spot and food was good (pizza seemed very popular).  I've never seen so many mid-20s to mid-30s anglos in one place before in Houston.  Not sure if thats the norm, but it was definitely telling of the demographic shift of Shady Acres.

[Marksmu]

It was their plain ole grilled chicken sandwhich...it came with cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, pickles, on a toasted bun and with some kind of fry that was made in heaven.

 

I say it was overpriced, but I liked it so much that I would pay for it again and again.

[JJxvi]

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2013/06/popular-austin-based-wing-bar-pluckers-coming-to-houston/

 

Based on this Pluckers will be in River Oaks.

[JJxvi]

OK, it's bound to be where Maggie Rita's used to be. 1400 plain old Shepherd not North or South. Chronicle messed up the address.

[SilverJK]

Any update on Fat Cat Creamery,  I know they were shooting for early June (so i suspected August in the earliest).

[JJxvi]

Re: Fat Cat, there is some cinderblock construction happening on that site.

[Angostura]

Any update on Fat Cat Creamery,  I know they were shooting for early June (so i suspected August in the earliest).

 

 

There's now a rendering up on the corner of the site, but very little other activity.  I wouldn't expect an opening date this summer.

 

Safe rule for restaurants in Houston requiring a build-out is announced opening date + 6 months.

[s3mh]

Any update on Fat Cat Creamery,  I know they were shooting for early June (so i suspected August in the earliest).

 

I have seen work on the interior that looks like work for the mechanicals and plumbing.  I suspect that this is the heavy lifting that has slowed things down since the first estimate on opening. 

[s3mh]

http://fatcatcreamery.tumblr.com/post/53645260344/hard-hats-off-to-c-o-n-s-t-r-u-c-t-i-o-n-c-a-t

Looks like things are moving along.