jrc

One other note about 1464 ...

I noticed a sign the other day that said a major traffic switch is coming Jan. 24 (I think that was the date). Sounds like they're about to move traffic onto the newly constructed lanes that pass straight through Aliana. Personally, I can't WAIT to have two lanes in each direction! Every time I head north on 1464, I get stuck behind a dump truck going 20 mph

JRC where are you? I can't believe you've been rezoned 3 times in 3 years!

I live in Orchard Lakes. Love the neighborhood, but that doesn't mean we don't have problems. At the top of my list is the elementary school issue. Not sure why they kept Old Orchard in the Oakland zone (that was our previous school, before we were shipped off to Telfair), but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that Old Orchard was just being started last time they redrew the boundaries. I think Oakland is over capacity now, so it wouldn't surprise me if they moved the Old Orchard kids to Telfair next year.

Haven't heard any updates for the most recent development. I did, however, have an e-mail exchange with TxDOT the other day concerning the widening of the southern segment of FM 1464. Here's what they told me:

"The current widening of FM 1464 from FM 1093 to Austin High School should be complete by the end of this year. Unfortunately, we still do not have the necessary funding for the FM 1464 widening from Austin High School to SH 99.

We are preparing the design plans, in hopes that we will receive sufficient funding soon. We have submitted this section of FM 1464, as well as other roadways on what is being called a "Stimulus Package". That is, roadways which we hope will be earmarked to receive funding in the immediate future with the federal stimulus packages that you have been hearing about in the news. At this time, the best estimate for when this section of FM 1464 widening would be awarded for construction is late 2010. I would anticipate the construction to take approximately 2 years.

Thanks for your interest. I recognize that traffic on FM 1464 is growing, and the improvements are needed. Hopefully the funding for this needed project and many others can be resolved swiftly."

Don't feed the trolls.

I have to wonder.. Who was there first? The railroad or the neighborhood?

Of course, the railroad was there first. But from what I've heard, train traffic has increased dramatically in recent years ...

Wayside horns have been installed at most of the crossings between U.S. 59 and Highway 6. I spend a lot of time in Venetian Estates and the noise reduction is amazing. Haven't heard of any plans to go beyond Highway 6, but that could be because Sugar Land's city limits (south of the tracks) currently end at Circle Drive, just past the airport.

I'll have to ask for a source on that. I visit Sugar Land Town Square about once a week and it doesn't look culturally diverse to me. I work in Sugar Land and it's much less diverse than where I live (The Westbury).

People don't live at the mall. To see the diversity, you need to visit the local schools and neighborhoods. It's like the United Nations out where I live!

I'm not certain, but I think the company that installs the cameras gets a cut of some of the ticket revenue. If that's true, then, yes, they're free.

But I could be wrong.

I could be wrong, but I thought it was supposed to flash. I have seen it do so before, but only on overcast days.

I think they always flash, you just might not see it in broad daylight.

The point I was trying to make, in response to a previous post, is that the red light cameras ARE working, and that I don't think the city pays for maintenance.

...right, but those cameras will be gone soon when their maintenance cost surpasses the fund they generate. I've never seen them catch anyone, even at the period when they were just put in. I used Hwy 6 a lot then because my newborn daughter's doctor is in Kelsey-Seybold. I changed to the Pearland location just because of traffic - one patronage lost. At least I've seen the ones on Westpark and Westheimer flashed before (not on my behind though).

Just the other day I saw the flash go off when a car ran the light at Highway 6 and U.S. 59. And, if I'm not mistaken, maintenance is the responsibility of the company that installed the cameras.

It looks like they're going to be adding a "Kroger Marketplace" to the center, next to the JC Penney.

Haven't heard of that branding before... are there any others in the area?

Sounds like an attempt to compete with Wal Mart and Target. Interesting article here http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stor.../14/story7.html

Also, found this on Wikipedia:

Kroger Marketplace is a relatively new style of store for Kroger. The brand started in 2004 in the Columbus, Ohio, area, which lost the Big Bear and Big Bear Plus chains in Penn Traffic's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Kroger Marketplace format is based on the Fry's Marketplace stores that the Arizona division of Kroger is currently operating.

Similar to rival chains Meijer and Super Kmart, and modeled after Kroger-owned Fred Meyer, these stores contain multiple departments. In addition to the grocery department, they contain a Fred Meyer Jewelers, Donato's Pizza, and an in-store bank, as well as sections for toys, appliances, and home furnishings, something that Big Bear once had in their stores in the Columbus area.

In 2005, the company began renovating many Kroger Food & Drug stores in Ohio to give out an expanded and remodeled look, converting them into the Kroger Marketplace format. In February 2006, Kroger announced plans for two new Kroger Marketplace stores to open by the end of the summer in Cincinnati suburbs Lebanon and Liberty Township.[3] The store in Liberty Township opened in July 2006.[4] On October 5, 2006, a new Kroger Marketplace opened in Gahanna. With the Gahanna opening, the number of Kroger Marketplace stores is six, four in the Columbus area and two in the Cincinnati area. Two more stores are planned in 2007, one in Middletown and one in Englewood.[5] Another renovated store has recently opened in Blue Ash.

Aliana's Web site is up and running. They also have signs up near the intersection of FM 1464 and the Grand Parkway ...

http://www.alianahouston.com

You really can't go wrong with New Territory or First Colony. If you choose New Territory, you'll probably want to limit your search to the east side of the Grand Parkway (easy way to tell -- when searching on har.com -- east side goes to Austin High School, west side goes to Travis High School). Also, Sartartia Middle School is excellent. If you have kids and high school is a long way off, you should know that New Territory kids will most likely be zoned to the planned high school in Telfair. That's probably not a bad thing.

If you go with First Colony, stay in the Clements High School zone. But beware of crappy houses that are overpriced because they're in the CHS zone. The way I hear it, First Colony was being developed when the bottom fell out of the real estate market in the 80s. When that happened, the "reputable" builders bailed, and the "crappy" builders moved in. Drive around First Colony and you can pretty much tell the difference, though in your price range, this probably wouldn't be an issue.

New Territory is right next to Telfair, which is currently being developed. When they finish the roads in Telfair, the mobility options for New Territory will be greatly improved (University will go all the way to Highway 6). And there's supposed to be a huge retail development at the intersection of Highway 6 and U.S. 90A. Haven't heard exact names of businesses, but I think it includes big box, a grocery store and restaurants. Personally, I'm praying for a Chuy's (it's a Texas thing).

One more thing about New Territory: It's targeted for annexation by the City of Sugar Land. It won't happen any time soon, but when it does, the MUD tax will go away (I think).

Hope that helps ...

I thought I read in the Fort Bend Thursday supplemental section in the Chronicle that the prisons in Fort Bend were being reviewed/assessed for their "best and highest" use, which is a code language for "we want them the hell out of the way." I suspect the big developer money is talking loudly and calling for many of the units to be moved west away from most of the new development.

The item in the paper specifically mentioned that the Sugar Land Regional Airport wanted the land next to it that is presently occupied by the prison.

When we bought in Telfair we weren't fully aware of the long term plans for the airport, but I have heard people "theorizing" that SL leaders want a larger airport where regional jets could land, making SL a much more inviting corporate HQ type area. Then again, I've also heard that FedEx is looking for a hub in the area where they could land jets without being tied up at Intercontinental. I doubt the latter, but suspect the former to be at least partially true.

I've heard that the City of Houston created Cullinan Park (directly north of the airport) to keep Sugar Land from expanding its airport. Don't know if that's true, but it sure makes for a good story.

The land just west of the airport is the Central prison unit. Sugar Land annexed the entire area (including a chunk of land owned by the developers of Chelsea Harbor), and zoned it for use as a business park. Now they want the state to move the Central unit. Not sure if any of the other prisons are being looked at.

Here's one thing I don't understand: Why is the entrance to the Jester Units off FM 1464? It's a long drive from there to the prison, all the way on the other side of 99. Since they sold the last chunk of prison farm land (across from the Chevron station), the only remaining prison presence on FM 1464 is a crappy trailer park, and some shotgun-style houses. I believe this is housing for prison guards and/or trustys. With the development of Old Orchard on one side and the new development on the other, these buildings will be really out of place.

Send a letter too - It's more formal and sounds more serious

Ha ha ... Actually, we gave the school board an earful the last time they rezoned us. They know who we are. They blame our lack of a school on the developers, saying they tried to purchase land in the smaller communities, but the developers wouldn't do it. Maybe that's true, or maybe it's a convenient excuse, but I don't see why they can't buy a piece of land outside of a development.

JRC Did you hear that the money to widen 1464/99 intersection dried up? Think of the traffic once Aliana starts to grow!

Yeah, I heard about that. The story I read said they were "aggressively" pursuing other sources of funding. I know I've read elsewhere that there was a plan to use toll road money to complete non-toll road projects. Not sure if that's an option for 1464, though. Looking at the plans for Aliana, it's interesting to note that the main entrance to the neighborhood will be on 1464, and not on 99. But they will be extending West Airport and West Bellfort to 99, so that'll give people options for avoiding the bottlenecks. Also, 1464 will be widened from Airport to the Westpark Tollway, so maybe that'll encourage people to head north instead of south.

Hey, I just noticed you CAN see the prison unit on the developer's site plan. It's the building in the lower left corner, right next to the development summary chart and just above the word "plan." Looks like they're putting a water treatment plant on the other side of 99.

Yes, there's a site for an elementary school smack in the middle of Aliana. But that's not a long-term solution for us. Just like the school in Telfair, it will fill up with kids who actually live in the neighborhood, and we'll be forced to move again. I have already sent an e-mail to the school board, still waiting for a response.

Actually, now that I've looked at a satellite image on Google Maps, looks like the developer has the wrong road labeled as Owens. The actual Owens Road is a little further south, as is the prison ...

I thought I heard or read somewhere (maybe mistakenly) that the Jester prison was relocating. It would make sense - I am sure that land is more valuable as residential/commercial real estate than prison farm land. Can anyone confirm or deny this rumor of a prison relocatioin?

Actually, I think the City of Sugar Land is trying to get the state to relocate the Central prison unit, which is near U.S. 90A and Highway 6 (next to the airport). The city wants this land to expand its business park. Story here:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/3843/sugar...elocation-study

Yes, I believe Owens Road leads into the prison. That's over there by the big brown area that is keyed as "future development." Also known as, "um ... we're not sure what to do here."

Finally found site plans and renderings on the web. Seemed like it was too big to upload, so here's the link:

http://www.gayledaniel.com/files/706425/Al...%2012.15.06.pdf

Found this on fortbendnow.com today. Yet another smallish neighborhood for the southern end of FM 1464. The big developments like Telfair and Aliana automatically get an elementary school, but the smaller developments get nothing. So now, in addition to Chelsea Harbour, Orchard Lakes, Stratford Park, and Old Orchard, we'll have another similar size development with another hundred or so kids who won't have a school to call their own. My kids have gone to three different elementary schools in three years, and I imagine when the school in Telfair fills up, they'll be shipping us off again.

###

San Antonio Company To Develop Homes On Land Bought From State

by Bob Dunn, Feb 04, 2008, 03 24 PM

San Antonio-based Great America Cos. plans to develop a

Guess I should have said they have Richmond addresses. Technically, I think Orchard Lakes and Chelsea Harbor should have Richmond addresses, but I'm sure the developers pulled some strings with the Post Office when they first started building. Even the Chevron station located between the two subdivisions

I don't live there, but my kids go to school there. That doesn't make me qualified to answer your question, but my neighborhood requires oak trees in every front yard, so I wouldn't be surprised to find the same requirement in Telfair. You could still plant a magnolia in your backyard, right?

I think Sugar Land has Aliana, along with Village of Oak Lake, Summerfield, Orchard Lakes, and all the other developments south of West Airport in its eventual annexation sights.

Just stumbled onto this conversation. I live in Orchard Lakes, which has a Sugar Land address, but is located within Houston's ETJ (if you need proof, check out our green street signs and "City of Houston" manhole covers). Same goes for Chelsea Harbor and all the other neighborhoods north of U.S. 90A (on the east side of FM 1464). Those on the west side, including Old Orchard and Aliana, are in Richmond. The only way any of these neighborhoods will be annexed by Sugar Land would be through some sort of ETJ swap. I wouldn't complain if that happened, but I'm not holding my breath.