Sheila

Wednesday, August 29th, 6-8pm at the United Way building at 50 Waugh, just north of Memorial.

Representatives of the City of Houston Dept. of Planning and Developement will explain the new rules regarding lot size and building setback AND discuss proposed news laws to effect the so-called Condo Loophole. For more info, 713-837-7701 or suzy.hartgrove@cityofhouston.net

Houston

So what you are saying is...laws must never change?

People have made many assumptions. Allow me to explain some things...

First- this isn't about just the Heights- it is about all urban neighborhoods that lack good deed restrictions.

Deed Restrictions- To enact new ones takes going door to door and getting 75% signatures. We estimate each signature takes 60-90 minutes to aquire (distribute info, call again, discuss topic, etc. ) That makes it a very difficult for any volunteer group. Why should there have to be a supermajority? We can legally elect a Governor this year with 20.00001 percent of the vote but it takes 75% going door to door to get changes in deed restrictions? Has the deck intentionally been stacked against the homeowners?

Prevailing lot size- will keep out townhomes but will not keep out giant lot covering homes. Sunset Heights tried to get PVLS and the Planning Commission denied them. Check the Chronicle archives for a good report. Furthermore, The Houston Planning Commission is a group of unpaid people all appointed by the Mayor, usually in the develpment and construction business whose decisions CANNOT be appealed. How democratic is that?

Save the Bungalows believes that the people who created and reside in a neighborhood should have some say over its future. Is that so radical? The city has, over time, thrown impediments in the way of citizens who might like to have as much say as speculators. We just want fairness.

And what is really meant by "property rights?" When you own property in America, all it does its give you the right do some some things to the surface of the land. And the closer together we live, the more rules there are becasue what you do to your property effects my property. So instread of just using 'property rights' as the all pupose knee jerk cliche- please be specific- right to do what?

To pretend that the government does not engage in social engineering through economic incentives is naive. What do you think the entire tax code sets out to do?

she said.....

Houston's Vanishing Neighborhoods for People Who Aren't Rich but Still Want to Live Fairly Close to Downtown.

When all the buildings are changed and the demograhics are changed, the neighborhood that WAS is no longer there, thus it is vanished-ed and another takes its place.

Unfortunately she did not live in the Heights when it was first created. Both buildings and demographics have changed prior to her moving in. She could be considered an outsider to some long time residents. i still know a few who've live there 60 plus yrs. Would she want people to keep her out? I don't think so. She is very emotional about the project and maybe wrote a few sentences without thinking completely.

Allow me to explain some things...

The Houston Heights Association is NOT a homeowners assoc. Many members are businesses with ties to new construction. The Heights does not have a homeowners association.

Prevailing lot size- will keep out townhomes but will not keep out giant lot covering homes. And Sunset Heights tried to get PVLS and the Planning Commission denied them. Check the Chroniocle archives for a good report.

Deed Restrictions- To enact new ones takes going door to door and getting 75% signatures. We estimate it e takes 60-90 minutes to aquire ONE signature (distribute liturature, call agains, discuss topic, etc. ) That makes it a very difficult for any volunteer group. Why should there have to be a supermajority? We can legally elect a Governor this year with 20.00001 percent of the vote but it takes 75% and going door to door to get some changes in deed restrictions???? Has the deck been stacked against the citizen? Yes.

The Houston Planning Commission is a group of unpaid people appointed by the Mayor, usually in the develpment and construction business. Their decisions CANNOT be appealed. How can that be fair? How can that be democratic?

Save the Bungalows believes that the people who created and reside in a neighborhood should have some say over its future. We believe that planning should happen. What we have is whoever has the most money and gets there first does whatever they want - Planning by profiteers. What we have, in urban areas, is weak or non-existant deed restrictions, a deck stacked against us, no right to appeal. Meanwhile the developers get "one stop shopping"- Check Bill White's web site- he likes to brag on that as an accomplishment.

We think it not at all unreasonable to restrict a house as a proportion of its lot size. That is what we want. STB has no desire to be the taste police or enforce faux Victoriana. We think that restricting house size means that developers won't see the huge profits they get from starter castles and thus there will be an economic incentive to remodel and renovate. This is good in so many ways - it creates a stable neighborhood, when people think they know where prices are headed. It preserves mature tress, which are usually bulldozed to build the Hummer homes. And NO ONE at city hall will even talk about how flooding will be effected when all the green space is covered.

To pretend that the government does not engage in social engineering through economic incentives is naive. What the hell do you think tax breaks are?

Why not assess the bungalows and see which ones are best to keep? I would enact deed restrictions so that the bungalow units themselves are kept in at least a large amount of the neighborhood.

"Houston's Vanishing Neighborhoods for People Who Are Not Rich But Don't Want to Live in the Far Suburbs. " - IMO, this is near to impossible to solve - The area is in high demand. As demand increases, the property values, and prices, increase. If I were you, I would assist people into living in communities in as close of a proximity as possible.

In fact, the Houston Housing Authority has a public housing initiative in the area. It is called the "Historic Rental Initiative" - http://www.hach.org/community/index.cfm?fu...;communityID=13

Why not turn the area into a partly mixed income neighborhood? Some units will be public housing and some will be residential lots. Deed restrictions can be in place to limit housing styles.

I am completely for the construction of Gregory Lincoln and HSPVA in the area, though

Why not assess the bungalows and see which ones are best to keep? I would enact deed restrictions so that the bungalow units themselves are kept in at least a large amount of the neighborhood.

"Houston's Vanishing Neighborhoods for People Who Are Not Rich But Don't Want to Live in the Far Suburbs. " - IMO, this is near to impossible to solve - The area is in high demand. As demand increases, the property values, and prices, increase. If I were you, I would assist people into living in communities in as close of a proximity as possible.

In fact, the Houston Housing Authority has a public housing initiative in the area. It is called the "Historic Rental Initiative" - http://www.hach.org/community/index.cfm?fu...;communityID=13

Why not turn the area into a partly mixed income neighborhood? Some units will be public housing and some will be residential lots. Deed restrictions can be in place to limit housing styles.

I am completely for the construction of Gregory Lincoln and HSPVA in the area, though

As I repled on another page ( I paraphrase) - suppose I could have called it

Houston's Vanishing Neighborhoods for People Who Aren't Rich but Still Want to Live Fairly Close to Downtown.

When all the buildings are changed and the demograhics are changed, the neighborhood that WAS is no longer there, thus it is vanished-ed and another takes its place.

Ms. Lee didn't name the forum and I am thinking her appearance has some degree of sincerity to it but her interest could also be a fear of having her more loyal constituents vanish as parts of her gerrymandered district slowly gentrifies. I don't know how long Dist. 18 has been drawn as it is now, but it looks like a giant Pacman.

But this isn't a topic about her.

I think it's obvious to any Houston observers that there's a wave of preservationist sentiment building in Houston recently for perhaps the first time. Better late than never.

To be more specific (but far too long for a title) I could have said

"Houston's Vanishing Neighborhoods for People Who Are Not Rich But Don't Want to Live in the Far Suburbs. "

Haven't been here in a while but thrilled to see so may people taking an interest.

Please check out the forum annoucement in this section - Houston's Vanishing Neighborhoods, a public event 9/24

Save the Bungalows has continued to work over the summer through an awareness campaign (free media!) to sensitize people to the issue. Plus, all the publicity around the River Oaks Theater helped all of us who think the people who live in a city ought to have a say in its future.

And progress is being made. The Neighborhood Preservation Subcommitte of the Houston Planning Commission, which was disbanded last year, has been reformed with some new members and a whole new energy to make changes, a reliable source tells me. And I believe it was the Mayor who requested they reconvene.

I think we have reached the point where planned growth may finally be accpeted as a necessity. Dallas, San Antonio and Austin all have taken steps to protect urban neighborhoods from "whoever has the most money build what they damn well please."

Impossible in Houston? I don't think so.

Houston

As of Early June...

And the picture on their sign shows a very contemporary building, despite the fact that they said it would be Victorian.

I don't care that it isn't faux Victorian- I do mind being lied to.

How could I have forgotten to add

www.savethebungalows.org

www.savethebungalows.org

I, for one, am sick of profiteers having total control over anything like planning in the city of Houston.

The Heights is unique because it is so much like a town. We have rich and poor, all colors, commercial and residential...but that is all about to change because the profiteers want to make The Heights just another Woodlands, where only the wealthy can afford to live and chain stores are much preferred over family businesses.

I had a man tell me "Face it- the Heights is for rich people and if you can't afford it, you need to move."

The Disneyfication of the Heights. Sad

Would someone please explain to me how this is a big deal?

If you think historic preservation is crap, this isn't a big deal.

It isn't a big deal if you live where there is zoning or consistant and enforced deed restrictions.

For the rest of us, life is different.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/3849166.html

I know what the city's motives are. If you can get a 200k house torn down, divide the lot and put up two 500k houses, you just quintupled your tax revenue. They ultimately want more expensive home in the city and would be happy to see more moderate and low income people to move out.

Was this burger place shaped like a big barrel? I seem to remember one like that - don't remember the name. Don't know if it's still there...

The barrel shped place is Lucky Burger and it is still there at Mandell and Alabama. The food is excellent and their veggie burger is fresh grilled vegetables- superb.

The place I remember was just a block or two west of Montrose.

Sheila, We've had Mayor White at our civic club twice. What he did both times was say that if we could please save the questions til the end. So we did and only 2 people got to ask questions before he left. I think the 2nd time 3 people got to ask questions. I'd somehow set an agenda with a specific time for questions.

That is what we suspect. But we will do what we can.

I miss the Wine Press on West Gray and almost across the street Captian Johnny's- now the Pier one location.

But does anyone remember a burger place on Richmond or Alabama just west of Montrose that had a drive through window and a very psychedelic in style. Maybe mushroom was in the name?

If you know the name, please post.

Lewis & Coker

In the eqrly 80's, it was Moores.

welcome to the forum sheila.

what will be your "first act of public political advocacy"?

Mayor White is the guest speaker at the Houston Heights Association Meeting next Monday. We are hoping for an opportunity to ask the Mayor some questions. There are many folks in this area who believe that the people who live in the neighborhoods ought to have some say in their future.

You see. this isn't just about saving structures.

We are www.savethebungalows.org

a bunch of folks in Houston who want to dispell the myths surrounding historic preservation and advocate the saving of everyday history. We had our first meeting last night to prepare for our first act of public political advocacy.

Thought we might find some like minded folks on these boards. Check out the website and if you have questions, drop a line.