barracuda

The tea party in a nutshell.

A carport should not run as high as $7,000-8,000, unless you are planning a really topshelf unit. You can build a fully enclosed 20x20 garage for under $10,000. You should be able to build a very nice carport for $5,000 or possibly less.

That's what I read into it. A fully built-out wood-framed 2-vehicle carport that's harmonious with the house -- including a gabled roof, roofing, painting, siding under the gable, and electrical for lighting and/or ceiling fans would start in that range. There are certainly cheaper ways to go, although this often means lower-quality structures that may detract from the property.

It has a lot of updates inside, but it looks nice and I really like the style of the original structure. But as much as I like openness, this has so much hard surface I suspect it will be like an echo chamber inside. And those wood floors look nice, but are absolutely impossible to keep clean. You can tell just looking at the kitchen table shot - the floor is covered in footprints. I also would have diverted some of the money towards cleaning/fixing/painting the exterior siding (like the cracks evident in the rear exterior corner). Regardless, it looks like a nice update overall.

The municipalities that allow dogs in restaurants specify health and cleanliness rules in their ordinances (e.g. - keep on leash, food employees not allowed to pet or handle dogs).

That said, here is a list of diseases that are transmissible between dogs and humans. But unless it's something obvious, like rabies, most people would probably never suspect that their illness was transmitted from a dog.

http://www.gopetsamerica.com/dog-health/zoonoses_dogs.aspx

Hi

Considering a new custom carport and want a translucent roof. Questions:

1. Does anyone have any recommendations for a material?

2. Can anyone recommend a contractor?

3. What sort of cost are we we talking for a wood structure, roughly 22x20 feet?

Thanks

For #3, for a wood structure carport addition attached to an existing structure, a custom builder will probably start around $7000-8000 and go up depending on features (electrical, lighting, types of materials, etc.). For #1, you could incorporate filtered skylights into the roof, not sure exactly what you mean about translucence.

I wonder if this construction is related to the big gas leak reported at 11:06 am at 11 1/2 and Studewood. I can smell the gas from my house.

I just left a recommendation on another thread for Bill Marks at All Texas Foundation Repair. He has a really good reputation in the Heights and my personal experience was that he came out to the house and measured all of the variations in the piers and then told us that the variations were all small and that we didn't need any work done. As a first time pier and beam house owner I was prepared to spend money, but then a contractor tells me I don't have to... that guy gets a thumbs up.

I know this is an older thread, but I have to add another recommendation for Bill Marks of All Texas Foundation Repair. I had him come out today for a leveling estimate on my pier and beam house. He measured for variations, and noted that the variations weren't really sufficient to warrant getting any work done (mostly 1/2" or less). I have to appreciate any contractor that is honest enough to tell me when I don't need to get work done. This in addition to the fact that I just called him yesterday and he came out the very next day. I contacted him based on the recommendations in this thread, so I figure it's worth adding one more.

How is the traffic flow bad in midtown? I could see why you'd say that b/c of the light rail, but besides that it seems like it would be great. Not too many lights and plenty of one way lanes. But you probably travel it more often.

He's probably referring to the traffic lights on W<->E streets such as Elgin and McGowen. It's not uncommon to catch just about every red light when traveling down some of these streets, particularly Elgin. The N<->S streets seem to be given the traffic signaling priority for the folks going in and out of DT and the spur.

Midtown was moving forward even during the downturn. Don't forget Camden Travis, Farb's apts at McGowen@Bagby, the development near Continental Club w/ Natachee's, etc. We've had some major developments while a lot of the city sat idle. Midtown will explode once the economy completely recovers. It's just too convenient of a place located between Downtown and Med Center along the rail line.

I suppose so, but it felt like development had stalled a few years ago, particularly on the eastern side of Midtown. Glad to see all the new development and I hope it keeps densifying.

But what I'd like to see is an outdoor shower like the one at Memorial Park by the tennis center. It would be a way to cool off and freshen up a bit after a long workout.

I second that. I've been tempted to use the Wortham Fountain, but the water stinks of dogs and chlorine.

Supercar coming to the US

Pagani Huayra

I got 2 on order.

A car like that is wasted in the U.S.

i saw they have put in some strange statues over on the Allen Parkway side--they looked pretty interesting at night. i would say that overall i do not like the way the interial railing looks. until you get very close to it, it appears as if they just put giant pieces of sheet metal all along the side of it. that said, chicken wire would have looked like garbage too, so maybe this is the bets they could do.

I'm all for the new statues....the few random pieces of outdoor art are part of what I like about this park.

On the plus side, the additional shading should help mitigate summer cooling costs.

I imagine the considerable number of major industrial disasters have helped to keep Texas City's growth in check.

A cat wouldn't eat at a place that would allow pets.

It seems like most restaurants with outdoor patios have cat regulars. I won't name any particular restaurants as I don't want to get them into trouble, but I know one cat that really likes to hang out and eat chicken shawarma.

Well, it's certainly all about you, isn't it?

Before you go all spastic on me, I said it that way for a reason. You are demanding laws (or the keeping of laws already in place) to suit your tastes, not because the public is endangered by the practice. Dogs have lived with humans forever. Your health claims are bogus, as are the health department's. This is a "style" issue, as opposed to substance, and frankly, these types of rules weigh society down (not this one in particular, but this type of law). We really need to start eliminating these types of laws, not enacting more of them. At least the smoking ordinance had a tenuous claim to health (save your typing, as I find the second hand smok "science" to be a fraud), but this ordinance is simply regulation of taste. So is the historical ordinance. There is nothing historic about my 90 year old bungalow. It is simply old and cute.

The bolded comment goes both ways - there are people on both sides of the fence. I may be one of those grumpy people you referred to earlier. I say I have nothing against dogs because I generally do like dogs, especially the sweet and loving ones. The ones that walk up and wag their tail because they're excited to see you. Where I get grumpy is when it comes to dog owners who don't discipline or control their pets in public.

A few examples to explain my grumpiness….a fews years back, I had an unleashed dog walk up and bite my leg while in Memorial Park, while the owners just stood by and watched, offering no apology. Then a few months ago, I was chased down by a large angry dog while running down a neighborhood street, while the owner just stood in the yard and called for him to come back. I had to stop and yell at the dog as it seemed to be debating whether to maul me, until the owner finally casually walked over and snatched him. And at this very moment, I have an immediate neighbor who leaves his dogs outside to howl and bark anytime anyone or anything makes a subtle move anywhere within a 100' radius. These are just a few of the negative experiences that taint my desire to include dogs in more aspects of our lives.

Regardless of my personal experiences, I don't mind when reasonable and considerate pet owners bring friendly, non-barking dogs to a restaurant patio. Based on trends, I suspect the law in Houston will eventually change, but with basic restrictions for safety and cleanliness. But I also think taking a pet to a restaurant should be viewed as a privilege, as it's certainly not a necessity for most folks. I don't think the rights of a dog owner should supersede the rights of other paying patrons in cases where the owners don't manage their dog, the way many parents these days let their kids run wild thinking that nobody minds.

I ran across this area around Grant and Jackson.

Do you think that is flooding??

I did see a report of flooding on Jan 2, 1944 in Historical Records.

Notice the two gully looking lines that run up to around Bomar/Hopkins.

There seems to be other signs of flooding around town but none really stand out like this area.

Maybe it was a low spot in the staging/construction area for the removal of the rail line along Grant?

(Not sure when it was taken out along that stretch)

Anyone have any other ideas?

Am I missing something obvious?

Looks to me like it may be a blotch on the original, like maybe it was torn or somebody spilled something on it. They didn't have digital media back then.

I'm fine with keeping the ordinance. I have nothing against dogs, but I don't want to eat around them.

There was another thread on this topic awhile back but I can't find it.

No outages yet where I live in the Heights.

Denver's is partially enclosed like HP. However, theirs is situated on a pedestrian mall that is closed to traffic except for free shuttle buses.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=denver+pavilions&aq=&sll=29.795213,-95.385299&sspn=0.009217,0.01929&ie=UTF8&hq=pavilions&hnear=Denver,+Colorado&ll=39.744212,-104.990882&spn=0.000879,0.004823&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.744221,-104.990884&panoid=1CQsRJGX9q2x8ytmbwbMug&cbp=11,223.18,,0,-3.71

man, what a botched project this became... three blocks of prime CBD land all for an outdoor mall and an office building. the developers had a chance to make this a very solid contribution to downtown but really dropped the ball here. if it wasn't for NRG this project would've traded hands already or would've gone back to the lender by now. to think they had all that perimeter sidewalk space and willingly chose to not take advantage of it.

I do wonder if any folks involved in the project questioned the idea of designing an uninviting and well-hidden narrow alleyway as the main storefront. Maybe they were afraid to speak up, the way folks involved in the production of the first couple Star Wars prequels were too afraid to tell George Lucas how terrible some of his ideas were. Who knows. Bad ideas are followed through all the time.

I agree it is a missed opportunity for downtown, even though it did at least eat up a few surface lots. But I've been to HP two times, and unfortunately could never find a reason to go back. Actually, I forget it's even there most of the time.

With progress someone will always be unhappy. Overall I am guessing a 6 story building will bring much good to the area....through restaurants, stores, and higher property values...The area is very commercial...only a few 2-4 homes will be affected, its difficult to build anything that effects fewer properties than that unless your on an island.

I'll reserve full judgement until I see renderings, or more likely the finished property in case they cheap out in the end. My guess is the 6 stories will probably end up more like 4 stories, but we'll see. Regardless, folks wishing for smart urban growth should be glad to see some denser commercial development. No historic properties will be destroyed, and a blighted eyesore of a lot will hopefully be resurrected into something beneficial to the neighborhood.

On the positive side, Walmart is trying to prohibit the owner of the adjacent property from allowing a CVS to be built on his property. +1 for fair competition.

The word is it is planned for 2 stories of retail, 2 of parking and 2 for residential. It will give the anti-development, anti-progress, hysterical preservationists something to be hysterical about. Clearly they are already going crazy starting rumors that it is 14 stories. They will be lobbying to have a 1 story, 2 bedroom, 1 bath bungalow built on the site. The developer needs to be prepared for a fight at every turn. The traffic studies will start. The crime and safety concerns will be brought to the planning department. Spend some time down at the planning commission meetings. There is some group that shows up to planning every other Thursday to complain about some developer or business owner trying to make something out of the property they own and they always meet with neighborhood resistance. Always. This deal will create a storm from our own neighborhood nutjobs who don't understand that urban redevelopment is going to happen all over, including the Heights.

I'm wondering why preservationists would get upset over a vacant lot.

The 2-stories of retail with garage parking sounds potentially interesting. It'd be great to have something besides Decapo's to walk to, as much as I love Decapo's.

Speak of the devil...

Wal-Mart Shifts Strategy to Promote Healthy Foods

Some people are always going to buy junk food, but making healthier food more affordable is a good step.