musicman

They did not announce properties on Richmond, because their is no route chosen yet. The other routes have been decided, therefore they know which properties are needed.

i agree partially. the part between main and montrose is on richmond in all options. so they could have produced a partial listing. IMO, it is in metro's best interest that they don't announce this small portion of richmond because properties will most likely be taken which would then mobilize the anti rail forces farther down richmond.

I don't know why you can't accept that there's a difference between a train running through an intersection on one street and a train turning in an intersection from one street to another. Unlike AO, I have no problem with a train running through my local intersection or any intersection. But turning through an intersection would produce more traffic headaches than it would be worth, regardless of whose neighborhood gets hit - I wouldn't wish that on AO or anyone. So again, no, I'm not favoring my neighborhood over a sensible citywide rail network. I'm arguing against a ridiculous rail plan that shouldn't be imposed on anyone, including my neighborhood.

Your statement, "if you like rail, then you should be willing to accept the resulting consequences" is laughably simplistic. Sorry, but there's big difference between a straight line that impacts traffic evenly along it and reaches the most people and points-of-interest, and a line that gridlocks a single neighborhood and actually avoids people and points-of-interest at a higher cost. Sorry, but I can't subscribe to your "all rail is good" theory. A bad rail plan is a bad rail plan, whether it harms my neighborhood or any other.

i never said all rail is good. i agree that a plan needs to be developed that serves the most yet affects traffic the least. i personally hate to see neighborhoods divided by this because access will be restricted and worse traffic will result for those living on streets than remain open.

you said "But turning through an intersection would produce more traffic headaches than it would be worth, regardless of whose neighborhood gets hit". whatever route is chosen, the train will be turning at least twice to get from richmond to westpark, metro has already made that decision. there is no way you can get from richmond to westpark without turning. so at least two intersections will be affected with a turn plus all the other ones will be affected by more traffic. there is no proposed plan by metro than doesn't involve turns.

Is that list for real, or just a fantasy?

only some of it is true. the president of the company said the website wasn't up to date.

Niche - found one slug, it's definitely a handgun round, but its pretty torn up.

Music - didnt hear a thing! Strangely, i just spoke with my neighbor and she heard the shots, did NOT hear the police... Our window faces Mckinney.

My wife has vowed to sleep in the guest bedroom (faces the complex) for the rest of her time in our house.

Well since it was on the McKinney side, i would venture to say it was a drive by of some sorts which i'd say is more random. You must be a sound sleeper!! I know an elderly lady in 3rd ward who told me it happens so much that she just gets on the ground from her bed. doesn't even phase her!

Again, no. I live closer to Richmond than Montrose and I cross Richmond every day of my life, whereas I probably cross Montrose every other day. So there's no doubt that having rail on Richmond would affect me from a traffic standpoint, just as it would've affected AO under the initial plan. But unlike AO, I am not opposed to rail on Richmond, for a variety of reasons. However, forcing the rail make a sharp turn onto Montrose would create far greater traffic problems in my area than was ever threatened before, in AO or otherwise. Whatever traffic problems the rail might cause on Richmond would be duplicated on Montrose, and then the two problems would meet head-on at that intersection. Really, is there any other at-grade public rail in the world that makes such a turn in the intersection of two major streets?

And even then, as I said before, AO never faced a rail line elevated over their backyards.

So, with all due respect, you're comparing apples and oranges. My complaints aren't the same as AO's just because we're both concerned about traffic., even if that were my only concern. That would be akin to saying that that a 747 and a crop duster are the same thing because they are both "planes".

It shouldn't be how it affects you but rather how it affects the city as a whole. AO was complaining that it will affect them by noise, increased traffic issues,etc just as you are saying it will affect you. You, just like the residents fronting richmond in AO don't want it to on "their" street as it will "cause far greater traffic problems in my area." unfortunately, for this to work, there will have to be some casualties whether it be on richmond or any of the proposed routes. and if it goes by you, then you have to accept the fact just as everyone will when the big decision is finally made.

notice how when METRO announced that it wouldn't be going thru AO, you hear less from those opponents which is good for those who want rail. the opposition is not as great when it doesn't affect them directly. The main opponents now are those that live ON richmond because their fates are unknown. METRO announced today on the other lines, properties that will have to be taken to build the rail. They definitely didn't announce the richmond ones because if they did decide on richmond, it would create more protests which wouldn't help their cause.

i do understand you're for rail. there's no problem with that. repeatedly saying that "it will cause more traffic in my area" for me means that rail isn't that important to you because you wouldn't accept it on your street. if you like rail, then you should be willing to accept the resulting consequences.

as for the intersection of montrose and richmond being busy, go farther down richmond. the traffic is worse and it will create more of a nightmare. I've mentioned before that the first line didn't affect neighborhoods. This is the first one that does and that is why people are more vocal.

I'm no expert, maybe y'all are, but I'm sure it's both. Although from reading transportation books, traffic reduction is the main reason, as the article points out.

LOL

100 people......build a 250 million bridge....i would say it would be cheaper to give everyone 1 million dollars to relocate. they could save 150 million!

Saturday, April 2nd, 2005 @ 12:42pm:

That was the first post on this thread, and I don't think two years of planning is bad for a project like this. I could only imagine what some of you guys were like while waiting for Christmas as a kid.

Um, no. If the original Richmond proposal that AO complained about had the train turning left on Weslayan, then flying over their backyards, before finally #$%*ing up 59 with even more construction, then I'd be on even footing with them. But even considering the Culberson route's impact on Montrose, I'd still be open to it if it was designed by professional urban and transit planners as a route that would serve the greatest number of people in the most efficient way. But in reality, it's just something that Culberson pulled out of his @$$.

afton oaks residents were complaining about the rail going on richmond (thru afton oaks) because it would impact them just as you were complaining it "would impact traffic in my area far more" if it went by you. so you want it on richmond so it doesn't affect you directly.

If it's another Camden jumbo-box it'll be a sad state of affairs.

I concur. i thought part of this parcel was HFD museum related? i remember seeing a sign for the museum at the corner of main/mcgowen when riding the rail or driving by.

that's been on the books since its inception. it will be great for the people down 288 to see this come to fruition. I hope they get the bridges over brays right so that it doesn't flood as frequently as the freeway portion of 288 does now.

Having the train make a 90 degree turn at Montrose would impact traffic in my area far more than just running it straight down Richmond.

Now you're sounding like the Afton Oaks people. The best route which optimizes the number of riders and affects/impacts the least amt of vehicular traffic should be chosen....whatever that might be.

a friend of mine at bracewell guiliani law firm told me this....

I'm in the Pennzoil building but I park at the city's Theatre District parking under Bayou Place and walk through the tunnel to get to the office. The firm give us $100 bucks a month and then we kick in the rest for the $125 monthly rate. If you want a reserved spot it's $200 a month.

no problem. when they update the website then people can stop speculating and start celebrating the new possiblities.

Do you know whether they were shooting at your house as a target or if they just stray bullets?

What kind of bullets were they? Small-caliber or large? Pistol or rifle?

any bullet is bad.

Sebastian since the police had to wake you up, you didn't hear the bullets go thru your window? I know i'd definitely wake up!

does the window face the exterior of the complex or the interior?

i emailed the contact person regarding what stores will be in Houston. Here's the response.

The website has to be updated. We have fallen behind, since we were busy closing on $170 million in financing last week. Construction is underway, with our formal groundbreaking on Tuesday, the 27th. If you are interested, I assume you can see the event on television that night, or the Chronicle the next day. We will update the web site soon. Thank you for your interest in Houston Pavilions.

William E. Denton, President.

Entertainment Development Group, Inc.

IMHO you absolutely have to have a dog in these parts and I know that requires a fence. The next question is what kind of dog? Rottweilers and Dobermans can be great guard dogs but can also be unpredictable around their very owners and kids. A pit also comes to mind but can be overly aggressive and unpredictable so that could be a liability nightmare.

i will have to defend the Dobermans. My parents have had female dobermans since the 60's. none have been aggressive. they have had one rott who was also non-aggressive. But her size was more of a factor for not getting another one. For me it is how they are raised.

It gets down to a two person width at times? Yikes. And the fact that you say you don't have to duck tells me they're tall enough, but probably not as tall as they should be. Sounds like they're eight foot ceilings, which doesn't sound all that comfortable.

heights and widths vary

True but keep in mind the New Orleans Megastore never reopned after Katrina. This could be like a "replacement" location. I figure it won't be any bigger than the old NOLA location if it does indeed get built in Houston.

for me personally..i would like it. the size of the nola location was fine to me.

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4575138.html

A number of homeowners and merchants along four routes where Metro plans to build Bus Rapid Transit lines can expect offers on their properties soon from the agency's real estate staff.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority Board voted Thursday to authorize right of way acquisitions along the North, Southeast, East End and Uptown routes.

"Those properties that we are authorizing them to acquire are both whole takings and pieces of parcels that have been fully identified as fully necessary under any scenario for acquisition," board Chairman David Wolff said after Thursday's vote.

The board took no action Thursday for right of way acquisition on the controversial University light rail line. But that line was at the center of a raucous gathering Thursday night at Rice University, where supporters and opponents of a proposed segment on Richmond argued about the plan.

'Friendly acquisitions'

After the board meeting earlier Thursday, Metro spokeswoman Sandra Salazar said the properties acquired for the four Bus Rapid Transit lines will be for transit use only, not for transit-oriented development.

She also described the board action as allowing only "friendly acquisitions" and said any condemnation proceedings under Metro's right of eminent domain would require separate authorization by the board.

However, officials expect that condemnation lawsuits will be needed to obtain right of way for the lines. Owners are entitled by law to fair market value for their property.

In a separate vote the board authorized condemnation if necessary to acquire 9.7 acres at the southeast corner of North Main and Burnett on the Near Northside for the planned Intermodal Terminal. Metro has bought 20 acres nearby for the facility, which would serve buses and trains, and is negotiating for a few other pieces, said Todd Mason, Metro vice president of real estate services.

with the way the record industry is selling cds and the downtown population, it really surprises me that virgin megastore is on the list for houston at that location.

Or this could look like this in a few years.

i think that's at the back of the complex LOL

i particularly like the one where the satellite dishes are lined up! you captured it well RPS.

Nice add to Houston. Such a well placed location, maybe the heart of the dense part of the metro area.

These "town centers" will be such classic examples of early 21st century urbanism and they should endure much longer than the last trend, the enclosed mall, due to a more economically diverse basis.

having ONE successful project such as this will do wonders for building others.

Yeah, that's what I was kind of thinking. So I guess price won't fluctuate too much from year to year, no?

prices have also been steadily increasing throughout houston

Not within three years, and not enough to make a huge difference. And I'm talking about in DT. I mean, a few more might pop up, but not drastically. I just don't expect it after talking about these things on here for the past few months and seeing and realizing how long things like that take to come to fruition.

I could be wrong, that's just what I think from looking at the past.

i think you can count on a slow steady increase not no increase in quantity in 1-3 yrs.