houstongirl

We gave Ref's a shot a couple of weeks ago, and were not impressed. Our table was dirty when they sat us, and when we requested another table, they took us to ANOTHER dirty table. They were not very busy, so they could've cleaned up.

Another disappointment was the fact they covered their pretty hardwood tables with cheap black tablecloths (which are basically glued to the tables). The only reason this irked us, is that the tables are made of recycled basketball court... perfect for a sports bar!

It seems like there are some bugs to work out, and I wish them the best. Vintage Park needs to keep all the tenants they can!

Rumor has it that a locally owned retailer is using that space for a new specialty foods/deli/wine shop. I think it will be a welcome addition to that area, and certainly an added benefit for the residents of that building.

Does anyone know anything about the new place next to Locatelli's at Louetta and Grant? I believe it's called the Urban Vine and was curious if this is a new wine room...

Looking at their permit, it does look like this will be another wine bar.

I had heard they'd open this month as well, but by the looks of things, it will likely be November. In fact, I don't think they have their liquor permit yet, so that will always cause delays.

I heard they will try to be open in the next week or two. Most of the construction work is complete, and they've gone as far as stocking the bars, so it shouldn't be long.

Benfer is next door to Strack unless things have changed dramatically since when I went there...

This is referring to the streets, not the schools. The property in question is off Wunderlich, north of 1960.

No clue what they're clearing for, but my guess would be more homes.

I spoke with the Infrastructure Department yesterday, and they're reviewing the barricade request. They also forwarded on the details of the buildings to the Public Health Department. Hopefully the ball is now rolling...

I just heard back from the Permits Division, and it turns out these streets are not yet accepted by the county. Now I know the answer, from an official source, and that argument is over.

In a related question, what can be done about abandoned, collapsing homes, which pose an imminent threat to others and are in currently in bankruptcy? Yeah, I know, it's a mess....

That's probably best, especially if the gate can be made to connect to the fence line of homes in Majestic Oaks, so that it's more than just a barricade, but is an impediment to pedestrian flow.

This is a great idea, and what the MOHOA seems to be leaning toward.... especially to prevent extra pedestrian traffic.

Having said that, do not expect that law enforcement or the fire department will be able to give you legally-sound advice.

The Vintage Royale HOA called both the builder and developer, from my understanding, and both told her the roads were not yet county roads, and could be blocked off at the residents' discretion. They even gave her a real barricade and permission to use scrap lumber from the homes (all of which have now been ripped to shreds by my neighbor's kids).

Can't they just relocate the entrance to the store, or is it the physical location of the liquor within it?

The law is based on distance from front door to front door, as it was explained to me "as the crow flies."

When it comes down to it, businesses of all kind must obtain permits before opening. When that permitting process is complete, it means they have permission to operate at that location. Let's face it, the city and TABC both screwed up here, and the Spec's crew shouldn't be punished for it. Obviously someone in the permit department did not do their job.

Whether these streets are technically still considered public or private, if they were developed with the intent to be used by emergency vehicles then the barricades may constitute a hazard to public safety. But I'm not a lawyer, and I'm not sure what kind of legal risk those homeowners are exposing themselves to.

A resident of Vintage Royale did speak to the fire department about this issue, and the way the subdivisions are set up in relation to the nearest fire stations, they said they would never use these roads to get to a fire. If there were a fire in Majestic Oaks, they would use Old Louetta to enter the neighborhood. If it were in Vintage Royale, they'd come through their main entrance. In fact, he recommended installing a gate across the roads to close them off, and locking it with a county lock. This way, emergency vehicles could get through, should there ever be a reason to.

A resident of Majestic Oaks called the constable to bring up this point, and they basically blew her off, citing this was not an issue.

As far as liabilities go, I believe the homeowners of Vintage Royale are most concerned, at this point, with someone entering the collapsing buildings, getting hurt, and suing their HOA for it. The builders are gone, and their management company is trying to push them off on someone else, so sadly they have nobody to speak up for them. I feel bad for the people who bought in that neighborhood. Some have tried selling their homes, but nobody will buy them due to the terrible state of their subdivision.

Check HCAD maps 4967A6 and 4967A10, adjacent to the one you linked to. The streets connect to Vantage Reserve Parkway seamlessly, which connects to Louetta seamlessly. Private roads are delineated as a parcel of land and have a tax identification number associated with them. This isn't proof positive as to who owns them at this very moment, by any means, but it is evidence.

Bear with me, as my brain is fried after all the info I've looked over the past 24 hours...

I see the land by Keystone Ridge is listed as "Pure Account." This block of road, as well as the western half of Monarch Mist is largely what is in question here. From this map, does it mean these are public streets?

I found the platting info, where it was submitted to the county, but I cannot find any record of the inspection/acceptance of the roads. In fact, I see where Vintage Royale Sec. 1 stopped after the Record Drawing Inspection, but the remaining steps were not completed. Vintage Royale Sec. 2 has not completed any of the inspection requirements.

There has been quite a bit of criminal and suspicious activity on these empty roads and in vacant homes, including theft, drug use, vandalism, underage drinking, and street racing. Just a few weeks ago, the fire department had to come out for a bonfire some kids had set with scrap lumber on the open lots.

The residents of that neighborhood have blocked off this chunk of road with a barricade (which is fine with me), but is it legal?

This Harris County Road Log might be a good start, but this warns that roads listed here are not necessarily accepted for maintenance: http://hcedweb2.eng.hctx.net/rl_web/stats/RL_search.jsp

I checked this log, and none of the street names in question are listed. Is it a fair assumption that these roads have not been handed over to the county yet?

I've checked HCAD, but can't really determine what's going on. If you look at this map: http://www.hcad.org/iMaps/Tiles/Color/4967A5.pdf, the roads in question are those south and southeast of the new Louetta Water Plant that is currently being built (Keystone Ridge, Monarch Mist, Silverston, Powder Springs, and Wolf Ridge). While the lots are shown on the map, only about 10 were ever built upon. The few that do have a structure on them were abandonded the week before Hurricane Ike.

Two residents claim they've contacted the county, the constable, and the builder (who is now in bankruptcy) and the roads are still private property. One claims she called and the roads are indeed public. This has become a HUGE debate, and I've got to find the correct answer.

I am looking to confirm whether roads in an undeveloped subdivision belong to the county or are still private property held by the builder. Where do I go to find this info? I've been checking out every county agency website I can find, but I'm lost.

Typically, when are the roads deeded over to the county? What agency keeps track of this?

The nearest apartment complex I can think of is on Spring-Cypress just east of Stuebner.

Oh no, you forgot the lovely rainbow brite apartments on Spring-Cypress just west of Hufsmith-Kohrvile.

By the looks of the foundation, it looks like a full-service wash/detail.

There's a Bubble's further up Louetta a few miles away near Klein HS.

I hope it is full-service. The Bubbles is simply an Express location, and though convenient, it would be nice to have someone clean the inside too.

Is it going to be like a Mr. Detail? I know there are lots of car washes everywhere in northwest Houston, but other than the HEB, I can't think of any others in that specific area.

I can't quite tell how elaborate it will be (full detail or self-service). The slab/parking area looks fairly large, but it may just be a cheapo, get-out-and-spray-it-off kind of place.

I'm sure there is a whole lot more planned for the area, because there is still a lot of land that looks like it's getting set to be developed for something.

Yes, like the Vintage Car Wash (seriously ), going in across from the Vintage Royale neighborhood.

New rumored tenant is Wacky Mongolian Grill. Interesting.

Maybe we can just fill the whole place with restaurants.

Luckily they only do the creepy Masonic inspired rituals with the blood oaths, baptizing the dead and the magic underwear at the LDS Temple located in front of Champion Forest. (thanks to Don Hand).

Its a pretty building though.

I am really a fan of the magic underwear!

When the giant temple opened on Champion Forest, my Mormon-convert aunt took us all before it was blessed. She wanted to prove to the family that her new-found religion wasn't weird. Needless to say, her plan failed miserably.

..........

Back to the original topic... My sister lives in the section closest to Frank. I can't believe she'll soon be facing apartments every day.

We are moving soon, and have been seriously considering Gleannloch. I'm guessing the safest bet would be nearer to the front or mid section (away from all of this development). After the situation we're facing now, with contruction on our street, we are very nervous buying anything too close to any empty land.

I was happy to see the mall busy. I could tell just by looking there was a high "shopper" count. Not possible for me to say that it was a good day WRT "money" count.

...

BTW at WM you would have never known there was any kind of recession or economic slowdown going on. To me it looked like "situation normal".

-Gary K

Overall, the Houston economy is in much, much better shape than the rest of the country. In my business, which deals with the retail and restaurant industries, we're seeing our vendors from around the country all wanting to come work the Houston market for a while. Things are slow everywhere else, but seem to be chugging along here in Texas.

For now at least, Houston is the best place to be!

Does anyone know how their first Movie in the Park night went? They're planning on doing this once a month, and hopefully it will encourage more activity at this property.

I know the car show last month was a mad house! The few businesses that were open at the time really cleaned up that day!

Hi all my in laws will be in town next month and they would like to take me to a day spa in the area and since i'm fairly new i thought i'd ask some of y'all if you know of any nice, clean and reasonably priced places in our area. I've never been to a day spa before so i don't even know where to begin.

Than kyou in advance!

I had used Serenity a few times with my mother-in-law a couple of years ago, and we both enjoyed it. They have moved further down Louetta, but I am sure they're still good. We did a package that included massage, salt scrub, facial, manicure, pedicure, and a light lunch. You may want to check the rates, as I am not sure what they are these days. www.serenitydayspa.com

Also, Derma Technique at 1960 & Champion Forest is nice. It's very relaxing, and the staff is all quite professional. www.dermatechnique.com

I wonder if property ownership changed or if it is another Sam's concept...

The property has new owners. Planned opening is May 1st, but they're working hard to open sooner.

Strangely, the last remaining wooded section in the back left corner of this development has been cleared in the past week. Any ideas on what they plan to do with this land? It doesn't seem easily accessible.

It turns out the Water Authority has claimed this parcel of land. They're adding a pump facility, a disinfection facility, and 2 retention ponds (mosquito pits). The project is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2009.

*Now that the fence blocking the view of land has been stolen, it will surely add a lovely sight for the folks on my street.

Anyone know who would be the best choice to contact about cleaning up the Portrait Homes mess? County offices, etc.?