heights_yankee

Oh, certainly WM execs don't care about my opinions. HAIFers don't even care about my opinion, but I am still entitled to it. I haven't stepped foot in a WM in years and the only time I have in the past 20 years (since I was 18 and they built one in my hometown) is in rural Oklahoma or Texas where it was literally the only option. I am a long time Walmart hater. My hatred of WM is the only reason I even entertain the notion of Donald Trump as President because of his desire to bring back tariffs, but that's another message board...

Love this idea. We do similar things with our kids in tow all the time and it would be really nice to grab a brown bag and eat at the park.

I think that is a GREAT idea! HOwever, I also think that if Heights residents are getting mailers enticing us to shop at the Silber store, it shows that the Silber store is close enough to the Heights and that a 3rd location within a 7 mile radius is unnecessary.

which is scouting a second location. And to add to what others have said about Revival, both the owners had huge followings before the store front. I would say this was more a response to a demand from Morgan's existing customer base than any kind of novel idea.

I see what you're saying.

So they dug all the dirt out, technically making the site itself remediated but there is doubt that they disposed of it properly?

Forgive my ignorance on the process, but wouldn't removing all the contaminated soil be at least partial remediation? I mean, what ground was there is certainly not there any more.

I heard it's the same guys who did 2727 Kirby. However, I am surprised if those guys have the capital considering I heard that high rise was kind of a flop??? On the other hand, there is another "developer" out of CT with the same name and it seems like this is a spin off of that group. Either that or these guys are 100% ripping off someone else's ideas. http://www.vitanuova.net/index.php

Didn't the one about the Target on Sawyer have 10k? If not, it was close but I swear it had 12k... And yeah, this thread definitely jumped the shark.

Well, someone on my FB page pulled the permit and looks like it is going to be mixed use. Someone on the blog commented that they heard six stories. I wonder if the Heights Assoc is going to address that like they did on White Oak.

I just blogged about this today, as well. I have no idea but I emailed a pic to Swamplot so maybe we'll have answers soon...

Wasn't Mardi Gras sold in the last couple years? I heard the new owners don't treat their employees very well so I have stopped going...

MAP said 3, but she said it by way of example so I don't know how official that number is.

I actually asked about this at the meeting for Norhill on Saturday. I was told that if you own a tract of land, i.e. consecutive properties, you only get one vote. However, if you own multiple properties around the district, you get multiple votes. I'm pro-preservation, so I probably should keep this tidbit to myself. On the other hand, I am pretty discouraged with MAP and the City in general right now so I do desire to see truth and overall transparency that is brutally lacking right now. Anyway, double check the number of votes you may cast (unless you own consecutive lots, in which case your current evaluation is correct).

Oh yeah. Just because they have the spaces doesn't mean just anyone will be able to park in them.

It might be. I heard recently that a bunch of bars on Washington were kind of cheating the system by sharing parking spaces so ample parking has become a pretty big deal down there. There is an ongoing investigation according to the Heights rumor mill. I don't know if this is the case for this lot but having a huge parking lot there is not as far fetched as it might have been before. They can probably lease some of their spots for extra revenue as well .

Unless they just put up a new sign the "coming soon" sign has been there for months, if not over a year

Excellent news. Not only will this be a great addition for people who like to stuff their faces (like me) but it will be nice to not see that sad, vacant store front on the Blvd anymore

Well, the only conclusion that can be drawn without questioning your claims (and I am not. If you say it happened, I believe you) is that there is some issue specific to where you your block where you experienced these things, which is not a Historic District. I do live in a Historic district and none of these things apply other than variance requests when a project crosses the set back requirements.

So, I sent the above quote to an architect I know who is intimately aware of the process for a major renovation in a Historic District. He said this is patently false. He had also never heard of the scale model issue. Red, I thought your house was all still the original foot print and that the only addition is the garage with gameroom?

This is exactly what I keep telling my kids. You'd think at 3.5 years and 16 months they would get it but they just don't. Lazy, hovering slackers who depend on me to take care of them.

Having been a working adult for much longer than I have been a mother, I can tell you that being a SAHM is certainly not easier from a planning stand point. In fact, it's much, much easier for my husband to make weekday meetings/appointments than it is for me. But I digress... So with a set monthly date that a homeowner can know months before they even decide to do a project, having an open ended window of time until 15 days before the meeting is a hardship? Sure, if you plan something one night with the intention of starting the next day. I mean really, who doesn't know at least 2 weeks in advance that they are going to make major changes to their home? I did not have to submit any plans for interior renovations to the HCAC. I do have to get proper construction permits from CoH, which is standard no matter where I live. Where are you getting that information?

I don't know why your neighbor had to go through this process but none of this was required for either of the porch projects in Norhill, especially not a scale model. I have never seen a scale model for any construction project in my HIstoric district. Ever. Also, the projects do NOT have to apply for a variance unless they violate the set back requirements. Only if you need a variance would even possibly have to attend a hearing. Again, a variance is only required if you are crossing a border of some sort on the property. Neither of the porch projects I am aware of required a variance and, therefore, the home owners/renovators were not required to do anything more than submit their plans. The HCAC meetings are scheduled in advance so it is very easy to time your project around the hearings. I am currently in the process of doing this myself- I am removing a glass block window and replacing it with a wood one-over-one. I didn't even have to submit blue prints or design specs for this project, only a picture of the window and a letter of my (contractor's) intention to fill in the space with blonde, scratch face brick, which is the same as my home's exterior. The lead time on the window I want is 6 weeks, so my project will be approved by the HCAC long before all the materials to complete the bathroom redo are even available. As far as the guts of the bathroom, I do not have to provide the HCAC with any of those details as that is not their concern. ETA: Variance requests may also vary depending on the project. We have a house in our neighborhood being moved right now and they didn't need to request a variance for that project. Admittedly, I am unsure if that is because their plans didn't pass the Board the 1st time (they were going to violate 2 set back requirements per our deed restrictions) and never made it to the HCAC- or- if the HCAC didn't require it before the plans were rejected by the Board. THat is kind of unclear but basically I am not sure if they submitted to the HCAC 1st and PPNA 2nd or the other way around. There is no set way you have to do it, although the deed restrictions are often tougher than the HCACs requirements, so most ppl submit to the neighborhood 1st.

The HCAC has approved 2 (that I know of, possibly more) front porch additions in my Historic District. They also do not control anything regarding the interior. Sounds like you could have bought your exact same home in Norhill, with the blessing of the HCAC.

You should come to my neighborhood. Virtually no new construction. Plenty of no Walmart signs.