Jdorfma1

Oops, just realized that the only closures are now Thompson and Bonner, Parker and roy will remain open. This just backs up my point. Thompson and Bonner do not have direct access to I-10. Why would residents want them to remain open to north-south traffic? Any traffic that bleeds off Yale and Heights will simply have to merge back into that same traffic to get back on I-10. the only way to make these streets usable is to extend them into the I-10 feeder road, which nobody is proposing (and would be silly since there are 4 access points to the frontage road in 3 miles anyway. Sheesh, I've seen NIMBY but I just don't get this one at all.

I understand the concern regarding the street closures but I think its short-sighted. The traffic to the area is coming, the development is not stopping. Leaving the short sidestreets like Parker and Roy open across the tracks will only encourage the Yale, Heights, Patterson and Shep/Durham traffic into the neighborhoods when traffic backs up, creating a more dangerous situation of speeding cars racing through the more narrow streets. The proposed closures are all old-school Rice Military side streets that are ill-equipped to handle the north-south traffic that theses residents want to push onto them. The rational decision is to close them down and expand the 4 major north south routes. All the proposed closed streets don't have direct access to I-10 either, creating more complicated traffic patterns (running up Parker to Inker, swinging over to Shep/Dur and trying to get to I-10 that way, for example). But I live in that neighborhood so I have a vested interest in both shutting the horn and discouraging extra traffic in my side streets. I still feel that is makes sense though, the residents against the street closures have their point of view.

Looks like the meeting went badly and the project may be altered or scrapped. I don't think its unreasonable to request a quiet zone like they have on the west loop. Full disclosure, I'm a resident. We're not asking the trains be moved or limited in any way, just some adjustments to implement a quiet zone.

A bar that serves alchohol and has women with shirts on... isn't this, ya know, a Hooters at best? Or is this just a "girls in bikini's dancing" thing? Confoozled.

My parents lost power about an hour ago at 290 and 1960! I'm 25 miles closer to the storm and i have everything except my HD channels... classic.

right now hidethewinds data is a little old, its still based on 7PM data. Eric Berger at the Chron (who has been fantastic through this) mentioned that the estimates on that site might be a little high since they are not factoring in weakening as the storm moves inland. Still, hurricane force winds (nearly cat 2) in every single zip code!

Don't be suprised if everyone in Harris county and surrounding areas lose power, from 45 and the north belt out to Katy. You don't have to have high winds to lose power to begin with and all of Harris is going to have Cat 1 winds between midnight and 7 am, depending on location. Just be happy we have it for a few minutes longer than south houston...

Not a technical expert but what you may be experiencing are minor brownouts as various parts of the grid go down. Power has to reroute to get back to you. Minor flickers here in Rice Military. http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findwe...rchType=WEATHER addicting... can't stop watching... this site is about 30 seconds behind real time. I'll hear a big whoosh and then see it on the site 30 seconds later. Hella cool.

That is totally my fear... i may hit you up for recommendations. A month is the goal as I have a renter ready for Nov 1, and I'll certainly need electrical! Jeff

Thanks! I'll look them up and give them a call. Jeff

I hope this is the right forum: I own a 2 bedroom/1.5 bath condo near Memorial and Chimney Rock (1000 sf). I am evicting the tenant (its a joy). I expect to retake possession the first week in October. I would like to re-rent it Nov 1 (I have a prospective tenant). The place needs new: Floors Kitchen Cabinets Counter tops Paint Trim/molding New bathroom fixtures Minor reconstruction (knock down a closet and convert it into a washer/dryer closet and drop in lines) I would typically do most of the easy work myself (paint, floors, the trim) but i don't have the time to do it in less than 30 days. Any suggestions on good contractors? Anyone used someone for a rental property? I want it to look nice of course, but not nicer than my house! Jeff

Sorry, I meant that the change would be that there would be more kids in the neighborhood and thus more push to clean up the park, not that more kids would change the school boundry. I don't think that's happening at all. I agree, WA is a wicked pissa right now, new construction everywhere. I want to buy that pawn shop, Super location, I can see 100 different things there, all of them better than the pawn shop. I wonder if he's just waiting for the right offer. And in 2014 when we start serious dicussion of light rail down washington connecting downtown to the uptown line... Its the only logical place right? I mean you have to complete the choo-choo circle and Washington Ave is the only reasonable option.

Thanks! I think I'm going to call tomorrow morning. I kinda feel like I should keep my mouth shut and maybe they'll never appraise or tax me... Maybe they'll just forget...

Bingo. That's why the same house on the west side of Shepherd is 100k more than the east side. Lamar vs Regan. Not a knock on Regan, which I drive by and looks like a gorgeous school and the kids seem happy, but its perception here, not reality, that drive prices and make some neighborhood kid friendly and others not. Maybe this will change in 5 years as all the young couples in WE start making with the babies and stuff.

This terrifies me. My house was completed in 10/07 and I still hasn't been valued (nothing in my neighborhood has apparantly). Its listed on HAR as "pending." I went to HAR in March to file my homestead and at first they wouldn't accept it because I didn't exist in the system. So I made them create a file for me so I could get the homestead. So now I'm on HCAD but still listed as "pending." Its August and I have no idea what I'll be appraised at! Recent sales of my floorplan over the past 12 months ranged from 229 to 263. I paid 245. New homes (same designer, slightly different plan) are selling for 299. I could be assessed anywhere form 229 to 299, but I likely won't know until a week before taxes are due! Will I be able to protest? I want to pay before 12/31 so I get it on this year's tax bill. Ugh. Jeff

I don't think the issue at WEP is cleanliness, the park is actually well maintained. The issues, as I see them, are: 1. Lack of children. Its simply not a child-heavy neighborhood. If there were a lot of kids in the park after schoold playing and being watched by mindful parents the dealers would be pushed out. Maybe its a chick-egg issue and there are kids in the neighborhood and they're not there because of the dealers but I don't see it. The HISD schools zoned for WE are not attractions so young families are still looking elsewhere. West End is young singles and childless couples in thier 20s and 30's right now. 2. Customers. Patterson is a majorish thoroughfare (not Shepherd major but it gets a lot of traffic) and the dealers and thugs that hangout there make money. I wouldn't be anxious to leave either if I was them. 3. Empty lots. As I said above, two sides of the park are developed but the other two are still spotty. THe emptiness means no people watching or complaining. Blight attracts criminal elements. It will change but not overnight. 4. Bums vs. Dealers. WEP is not a place for derelicts. I've seen the occasional bum sleeping in the pagod (I forget, tent like thingy, my vocab sucks today) but the park is mostly dealers, its not a place for users and vagrants. Quite frankly its better this way. I'd rather leave near a dealer stop than a homeless park, if I'm forced to choose). Jeff

Perhaps, but the types of people that have THAT level of influence are already living along Memorial Drive and don't hear the train. I see prospective buyers all the time in my neighborhood and when they ask about the train they are convinced that in a year or so enough rich folks will live here to make the city make it a quiet zone. It ain't happening, not for 3-4 years minimum, its not even on the table right now. The luckiest we might get is a grade seperation at Durham and Shepherd but that's a long shot right now too. Learn to love the train and bless its little heart for keeping your taxes lower. Jeff

I bought on Eigel just west of Patterson in October 2007 (actually summer of 2006, contruction took FOREVER). Anyways, I can toss a softball into West End Park from my window (well I could until my bulder built another six units blocking my view. But they are listed for 50k more than I paid for mine so I'm happy as a crack dealer in West End Park... kidding!) OK, here's the deal. I love my 'hood and its quirky wackiness. Let's define WE as east of Shepherd, North of Washington, south of I-10, and west of Yale for arguments sake. It is pierced by the tracks along Allen. 1. The prices for new construction are on the rise, but this is shaded by the larger size of the new homes. Parra is the dominant bulder in this zone (I own a Parra home, and before you knock it bite me, i love it). Parra started with 1450sf 2/2.5 with lofts that started at around 175 and are now ranging from around 205 to 215 on resale. then he started with 3/2.5 with lofts and 3/3 with big decks at 1850sf and 1820sf. The started at 225 and jumped to between 260 and 299 now (there are 5 unsold and 6 under construction but purchasing has been steadyish). All the new contruction, especially along Inker and Thompson/Koehler have been minimum 3 bedroom 2200sq and prices have ranged from 299 to 500+. It ain't River Oaks, but the trend is moving upscale, not flat or down. 2. Da Train. I've written on this previously and yes yes, the train was here first. But I'm here now and I'm an obnoxious white yuppie who doesn't like it (I'm used to it now though). I think the train noise is depressing prices around 10 to 25% depending on proximity and quality. The first night you'll show up to work bleary eyes, you'll be fine in a week, i don't hear it much anymore. Anyway, I have spoken via e-mail with the city official in charge of quiet zones and this area (Yale to TC jester I think) has been designated a Tier 3 project for quiet zones. No, I have no idea what that means exactly but its been explained to me as "don't hold your breath before 2010 but 2012 seems possible). It is HIGHLY unlikely the train will be moved though, its got nowhere to go and is too vital. It doesn't bother the people who live in the quiet zone along the west loop though. 3. The drug dealers. Short answer is there are fewer hanging out in the park than 12 months ago but they are there. Quite simply they don't bother me and I don't bother them. they're losing customers and will move on soon. The area just north and east of the park has been developed/is developing. South and west, not so much, and it may not get really developed until the train noise is dealt with. Jeff

It is my understanding that Shepherd/Durham/TC. Jester is not yet a quiet zone. I've had very little luck finding anyone in Houston government that can tell me when it will be one other than to say that they want the whole length of the UP line from downtown to outside the belt to be a QZ eventually.

Man I cannot Tuipe wellll lately....

Thanks, I'm a loooon time lurker. This issues has no become near and dear to my heard (for obviously selfish reasons). Jeff

I understand everyone's feelings about this. I still maintain that the reality is that freight traffic in houston, especially along the Washington corrider, is starting to butt heads with the increased vitality of the region. When push comes to shove I think that the continued residental and commercial development of the area is in everyones best interest. Looks like Houston is starting to sort of look at the issue: http://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/traffic/programs.htmPublic Works - Quiet Zone I feel comfortable modifying my statement to "extra cost should be spent to create additional safety measures that will reduce or eliminate the need for the constant horn noise 24/7, even if that cost seems disproportionate to the immediate benefit. The vast improvement in quality of life and encouragement of more growth will offset the immediate costs." There, that's better I think.

I'm not proposing losing rail, i'm proposing altering the rail, even at great cost, to encourage greater utilization of the land surrounding the rail lines inside the loop. Pay extra for grade seperations, impose nightly noise controls, drop the line down 10 feet behing concrete retaining walls to reduce the visual impact. These may be expensive but the benefit to the region through reclaiming that land for more densely populated construction is in the best interest of the city... Jeff

I agree completely that the rails were there first. But the real question is what's best for the city now. The shotgun houses were on my street on Eigel first as well, but the new development is better for the city. The real issue with the rail in opinion is threefold: 1. Visual blight. Especially inside the loop, what should be burgeoning developments and intermixed with at-grade crosings that look awful and lower property values. 2. Noise blight. Especially near and dear to me heart. yes yes, the rail stations were there first, but cities need to grow and evolve. This place is always barking about how we want the inner city to develop, urbanize, clean and up become a modern 21st century city but then some here state "if you don't like the noise, don't live there." The answer should be "this is potentially prime real estate and developing it would ease the ever expanding spread of the city by creating highly desired densely populated locations inside the loop so let's find a way to stop the damn train noises, at least at night." I really don't care if the trains were there first, the city is changing and eliminating the noise is in the best interest of the city now. 3. Traffic blight. This is the most easily quantifiable metric. If the grade seperation doesn't bring an equal benefit in traffic flow, they aren't going to do it. But i don't feel they are taking into account the extra benefits gained from solving isues 1 and 2. Let's face it, eventually the heavy rail inside the loop and growing development are going to butt heads. Philosophically we may all agree that the trains were there first so leave them be and let them blow the whistle all night now. Realistically let's admit that development, reclaimation, growth and safety should be tantamount and let's start working on these seperations now before they become more expensive 20 years from now... Jeff

Any word on this? thanks! Jeff