kjb434

I've been fighting it out at the Swamplot blog. This high-rise needs to move forward. If it doesn't, will be a massive loss for property rights!

The relationship has to do a lot with the outfall.

Retention ponds generally have to use some sort of pump mechanism to draw its water down. The pump station located near this interchange is to pump water from the low lying intersection into the detention facilities. The outfall is a simple pipe outfall sized for the allowable outflow rate.

You can look for the mass planting of trees to begin with the interchange is substantially complete. If these basins are anything like the ones at the I-610/Katy interchange, you'll end up seeing loads of birds nesting and using the facility.

How about that, a massive freeway expansion being good for area wildlife!

I don't think it's that speculative. Houston wasn't a hot speculative market to begin with even in the high-rise market.

If Houston was more speculative oriented, I think we would have saw more of the explosion of high-rise get built.

Houston is luckily to be in a much more balanced real estate market.

No prob.

I have to give that explanation (and usually break it down to even simpler terms) all the time at public meetings and at civic club gatherings.

You can sound a little fancier and use: Storm Water Mitigation Basins. It'll cover both types and even underground detention/retention concepts.

Is this where you are sent when you've been bad? I think you mean retention, as in a retention pond which "retains" excess flood water until finally and slowly running off.

tongue.gif LOL

No, they are technically detention basins. Not retention. Retention basins are a different design than these. I design both of these regularly for private and public projects including highways.

Quick definitions:

Detention basins limit storm water runoff to the pre-developed or existing conditions.

Retention basins limit storm water runoff to zero until the point of discharge recovers to the existing condition. Essentially the storm water would be released after the flood or when the receiving goes back to normal flows.

I didn't mean it at "those people." Although I could have. I'm gay anyway. I just meant I don't like working out at a gym with crowds. Give me a TV and my own equipment (which i have). It saves a lot time and in the end money.

Metro is still trying to use some of this site as a storage yard for it's commuter rail line and as a connection between the Northwest and the Galleria for LRT.

Also, The parking along the I-610 feeder road up to Macy's will be completely torn out to make way for the proposed freeway expansion. Check the schematics at the 290 website.

My guess is Levcor will do whatever it can to raise the values so when METRO and TxDOT use eminent domain they can get the highest price.

Many of the high-rise units in the city are being sold to out of towners and foreign nationals.

Being the energy capital of the world kind of helps that. Also, serving as a financial hub for much of South America is another plus.

The overall Katy Freeway/West Loop project will plant 75,000 trees.

If you want to know what the detention facilities by the Beltway/Katy interchange will look like, just drive the West Loop/Katy one.

Under all the ramps are the detention facilities. It isn't as large because the increase in impervious area was as much.

You probably won't even notice the facilities by the Beltway because of the plantings. It will essentially become a forest.

All repairs to the stadium are state funded through taxpayers. I'm sure residents in Shreveport love that, but that is how it's always been.

The state technically owns the facility.

Just check out the discussion in this forum for the Kroger details.

It is to start in September 2008.

The will expand towards Durham making the store deeper (longer rows). It will be the largest Kroger in the southwest based on square footage.

Essentially we'll get a Kroger similar to the one on Buffalo Speedway.

If they expand to Durham, the theory is that the larger store will make the spaces next to it more valuable.

IAH is under a master plan currently.

If you check their website under the master plan, a PDF file will open with how the airport will change.

Essentially, 90% of what you see now won't be there in the future. It will be complete overhaul.

The lack of zoning is what makes this city absolutely wonderful.

Screw boring urban planning........

Kirby (from Westheimer to University) will become another dense urban center in Houston.

A note about the NW mall mentioned earlier. Much of the parking lot will be eliminated because of the US 290 and Hempstead toll road construction.

Look at the schematics at www.my290.com.

The mall is also the top site for the proposed 290 commuter rail station to transfer to the LRT to Uptown.

Well, there is more demand to have them in uptown than downtown. Downtown and Midtown will get theirs.

I still don't see what the AOers are worried about. METRO has no plans for a station near their neighborhood. The nearest ones would be east of Wesleyan and west of the Loop. Outside of the large, quiet bus like device on tracks passing through, and the initial construction, there isn't a downside. METRO has bent over backwards to ensure that as many if not all the median trees will be saved.

The Richmond when built will absolutely repeat the success of the Red Line. There is too many job, population, and destination centers on this line for there not to be ridership.

METRO is also trying to placate the opposition by saying they're studying the Westpark alignment (and they are), but having it down Richmond has way too many positives that will qualify it for Federal funding.

Exxon purposely does not want the heads of the company to be located where their largest division is located. This would show favoritism to the Houston Division.

Boeing has done the same thing when they moved their corporate headquarters to Chicago. They still have more employees in the Seattle area for their passenger plane division.

desirous: US 290 will begin reconstruction next year in 2007. It is expected to be completed in 2013. It will be completely rebuilt from I-610 to past SH-6.

TxDOT is collecting concession fees because that is the way the new laws are written. The private companies that enter the CDA's are paying TxDOT the right to build a state road.

TxDOT and HCTRA aren't on great terms right now. HCTRA cannot toll any state highways. And don't mention beltway 8. When you are on the tolled portions you are technically not on the Belway, but the Sam Houston Tollway. The feeders are the Beltway. This is how HCTRA could construct and manage the main lanes. Again, HCTRA cannot toll any state classified highways.

The CDA's are speeding up construction, and the concession fees infuse money into TxDOT that it wouldn't have access to from gas taxes.

Chevron is also not only considering moving its west houston office to DT. It also moving many satelite offices in other cities and states. All Chevron offic employees from Louisiana will be moving to the new building. I've heard of this over two years ago. My cousin in Lafayette Louisiana got word two years ago of this move. She is starting to look at houses to move here family here when the office space is completed.

HISD is planning on getting rid of the property which put the residents in position to fight for the parks board to purchase. The city will chip in as long as the citizens that want the park put up the remaining cost.

I live literally within a mile of this park. Technically if this park is cleared, the neighborhood wouldn't have a lack of tree problem, neighborhood is pretty much a forest already. I'm supporting in just having a public space preserved.

I never give money to the homeless directly. I only will give to a homeless shelter or charity.

A pan handler law could be passed without even a discussion of the homeless. many cities have rules about pan handling at street corners. Often, cities with ordinances about pan handling will have a permit available if you are a charity group and want to do fundraising. Outside of that, only the police and fireman are allowed to ask for money when they run their fundraising.

A pan handling ordinance will justify putting the homeless in jail without politically saying you're jailing the homeless.

Also, I think the mayor's campaign to not give the homeless money when they are on street corners is helping. Some of the street corners I pass by daily are being less occupied by the "so called" homeless. Yes, many pan handlers are by no means homeless and can easily earn $30-40k a year (tax free) for just putting up with Houston weather and some humility.

The Elysian Viaduct will be torn down and rebuilt as part of the Hardy Toll Road Extension. The right of way is being secured currently. HCTRA will move forward when they feel the need to. The slow down in moving forward came when TxDOT started the process of planning the reconstruction of I-45 North from I-10 to the Beltway.

Brazillian companies really want to sell ethanol to the US and are, but the a lobby of farmers for ethanol convinced many congressman in both parties to slap a $0.54 tarrif per gallon of Brazillian ethanol. Since we cannot produce enough for ourselves, we'll have to pay for this product.

I'm put free markets ahead of any political party. This tarrif is objectionable to free markets. And both political parties are guilty.

This is a right or left issue. It's an economics one. The Brazillians have been making this stuff for a while, very good at it, and make it cheaper than the US. The tarrif keep the price artificially high so that local ethanol producers can compete and beat these prices.

This is the foreign steel issue all over again.

If congress wouldn't stick its hands into the energy markets and put ridiculous regulations in place, we would have much cheaper gas than we do now. You can thank your elected representatives for the $3 gas and not the oil companies.

My realtor for my house is also on the sales consultant (Prudential Realty) team for the Riparian.

He's says there's steady interest in the units, so the market of people that can afford and are looking is there. It's just a matter is they like the floorplans being offered.

If any of you look at the Riparian floorplans, they are pretty unique