robinctc

I would love to see this corner become an actively-engaging public hub for our Montrose community! The best and safest parks include design elements that elicit many uses by many people throughout the day, afternoon, and evening. For a great local example on a similar small-ish scale, consider Bagby Park on Gray at Bagby. 

What elements would you enjoy? What will make it a great community gathering spot? What will feel open and invitating to our community members, including oldest and youngest? How can we activate it?
- cafe or snack/drink kiosk
- public bathrooms
- variety of benches, chairs, and tables for eating, reading, games
- multi-purpose greenspace for gathering
- shade structure and/or additional trees for comfort/respite from sun
- stage for performances or events/speaking
- Bcycle station or bike rental
- sprayground or splash pad for kids/adults/dogs
- playscape or climbing structure for kids and/or adults?
- public sculpture or mural 
- interactive art
- dog run
- water feature?

I hope some of you will attend the public meeting Tuesday night (August 16) and share your ideas!

TXDoT seems to have won the battle of Herman Brown Park without firing a shot. With the contracts to extend the Crosby freeway from Uvalde/BW8 to the 610 loop having already been granted, environmentalists completely missed an opportunity to preserve one of their supposedly-beloved green spaces. The six-lane freeway will bisect the 750-acre Herman Brown Park in the process.

It is interesting to note how careless environmentalists seem to be when it comes to preserving green space in areas populated by poor suburbanites.

It strikes me as callow to conclude that because TxDOT is now advancing their original alignment, that "the environmentalists" were not ineffective but actively careless. Your lack of awareness of their efforts, and their failure to change the outcome, do not mean there were no efforts.

I know that members of the Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club (HSC) opposed TxDOT's proposed extension of US-90 through Herman Brown Park. The Sierra Club participated in the federally-required scoping and alternatives analysis processes, and their position against this project is clear. Here's an excerpt from their 29-page analysis and position paper:

The [Houston Sierra Club] is very concerned that TxDOT is not considering any re-alignment of the U.S. Highway 90 Project. A re-alignment may be necessary to reduce the environmental impacts of the U.S. Highway 90 Project on Furr High School, a Houston Community College campus, Herman Brown Park, and the Holiday Forest, Wood Bayou, Songwood Wood Shadow, Shady Brook, Greens Bayou Estates, Wallisville Gardens, and Pine Trails Neighborhoods.

There were two reasonable alternatives that the HSC provided to FHWA/TxDOT in its October 19, 2005 scoping letter.

From the October 19, 2005, HSC letter,

The whole concept of deed restrictions was/is based on binding contracts between mutually agreeable parties -- i.e., everyone in the neighborhood. Any new buyer (e.g., a developer) is buying into that contractual arrangement. So, they can't whine about it being damaging to their property rights.

I was at the meeting back in March 2006 when HPU neighbors first sat down with the Welch developer, David Karimi, to try to understand his issues. Karimi claimed that the property he bought couldn't be deed restricted because the seller told him it wasn't. We reminded Mr. Karimi that his title search should have revealed the deed restrictions on the property, but he claimed he paid cash for the property and had no title search. He clearly expected HPU to accommodate his plans and make up for his lack of due diligence. My thought was "caveat emptor, baby... buyer beware." The City has since ruled in favor of HPU and he still cannot subdivide the lot he bought or remove any of the mature trees.

Seven months later, Mr. Karimi is apparently unsatisfied with this outcome and has now launched an attempt to "bring about membership and voting rights changes" in our civic association. (He presumably has false hope that altering the association will remove or disarm the deed restrictions on the property he bought. He seems unaware that once created, the deed restrictions run with the land and can be enforced by any neighbor, with or without a civic association.) HPU's president, Kathy Schipper, graciously invited him to come address the full membership at our October meeting. Mr. Karimi explained to us that the civic association is unfair because while its decisions affect everyone in the neighborhood, only members are allowed to vote. His letter says:

"As you know through the instrument created by few, Hyde Park civic association has managed to stamp some residents as a 2nd class resident whom do not have a membership or voting right nor can they air their voice. Their rights have been taken overlooked. Every ones right have been taken away by mans of manipulating the by laws and there for creating a stone wall for the majority of residents in other to achieve their own objectives.[sic]

[snip]

The flowing changes are necessary in order to bring about an equitable result for all residents and property owners as a hole.[sic]

[snip]

3. A simple majority should mean a simple majority of all residents and property owners and not a simple minority who were allowed to be the members and given the rights to vote."

One member observed that Karimi's very invitation to speak was evidence that HPU is a democratic and inclusive organization. We tried to explain that a civic club is a voluntary organization and different from a home owners' association with mandatory dues and membership. One member asked whether it had occurred to Mr. Karimi to simply pay the dues -- just $24 annually -- and become a member. (It had not.) A different member asked Mr. Karimi why he thought even nonmembers should get to vote and whether he could point to any specific example of a functional organization that operates on that basis. Mr. Karimi asserted that everyone who owns property within HPU's boundaries should be entitled to vote, "just like in this country." As we all sat looking at him wondering, "huh?," we were rescued by one of our more articulate members who observed that he lives in this country, works here, owns property here, and pays taxes here, but by virtue of his citizenship in another country he is not entitled to vote, and the civic club is no different. Mr. Karimi however appeared not to understand the parallel. <sigh>

Afterwards, a more cynical member observed sotto voce that Karimi should just sell this property and go find a neighborhood where the neighbors aren't organized for action. HPU is one of the most active civic associations in Neartown, and our participating member base of ~15% of the residents in our 'hood is remarkably thorough representation as civic clubs go. The sad fact is that until we have real planning with effective incentives from the City, political effort by engaged neighbors is the primary tool to ensure redevelopment is compatible with growing neighborhoods.

But serriously send those emails

Mayor Bill White mayor@cityofhouston.net

Jamie Brewster, Executive Director Upper Kirby District jamie@upperkirby.org

Neartown Association ntaprez@hotmail.com

John Culberson, U.S. Congressman http://culberson.house.gov/contactinfo.aspx

Ada Edwards, City Council districtd@cityofhouston.net

Anne Clutterbuck, City Council districtc@cityofhouston.net

Pam Holm, City Council districtg@cityofhouston.net

[snip]

Let's make this Happen

After the so-called town hall meeting at Rice on Wed Apr 12, Congressman Culberson committed to give METRO "more time" before weighing in with "his decision." However, we cannot assume Culberson will allow METRO to complete the conceptual engineering study for the Universities line unless public pressure makes him. Sending your written support now is critical.

For any of you sending letters in support -- either for studying all the options or in support of a particular alignment -- I have three suggestions:

• Do NOT use the Congressman's webform. Send email directly to Nick Swyka, his District Director: nick.swyka@mail.house.gov
  
• When you send email to Nick Swyka, copy the Mayor and others on the same message so the Congressman's staff knows that they aren't the only ones reading your message.
  
• Copy METRO as well -- so they can build a record of support -- by copying Karen Marshall, METRO Director of Community Outreach: km13@ridemetro.org
  

Thanks for your interest in transportation planning!

Robin Holzer

Chair, Citizens' Transportation Coalition

http://ctchouston.org