SilverJK

But the only way to keep people from building houses out of character from the rest of the historic neighborhood is to have some sort of architectural review.  Deed restrictions can only go so far. 

I think the majority is okay with that.  It isn't necessarily the new builds that anger people... it is suburban style house with front facing garages, and pseudo styled victorian/craftsman mcmansions that completely fill the lot (especially when lots get subdivided).  No forward facing attached garages, 5000 minimum lot size (unless already smaller), minimum setbacks and they we won't have any of the 8th street style row houses.  If someone builds a giant house on a 5000+ sq. foot lot that satisfies all the criteria, it would likely be over a million dollars, and not wanting million dollar homes in your neighborhood is just stupid at best.   (any attempt to complain about property tax increase will just prove that your trying to keep values down in the neighborhood).

Thats the beauty of deed restrictions... nobody is going to support architectural review for one, because it is stupid.

I didn't say Brooke Smith had good deed restrictions... simply stating that a lot of the new builds over there look great and don't detract from the vibe at all.  The one you linked is aweful, there is also the epitome of suburb homes directly accross from D&T Drive in... I swear the house has 9 keystones are whatever those dumb things are called.  I think not allowing front facing attached garages would be a good deed restriction.

Exactly... the hysterical preservationist basically try to threaten that the HD is the only way to prevent this... while deed restrictions are what the majortiy of people actually want.  EVEN with new contruction if it stays in the same look and feel of the historic homes... the charm isn't really lost.  I just went through Brooke Smith yesterday and there are brand new builds next to renovations and from the street... its pretty hard to tell which are which.  They seem to be building a lot of 3/2 1600-1800 homes over there and I really like what they are doing.  They are going to have to do something about street parking though... if two trucks part on opposite sides of the street there is barely enough room for one vehicle to pass.

you mean rapping about being in the upper echelon isn't referring to the top tax bracket? 

My point has always been that things are changing in Houston.  Houston is definitely affordable, but gone are the days where $250k got you 3000 sq ft new construction in the burbs with great schools or a cute little bungalow or townhome close in.  Back then, Houston was cheap.  Houston has gone from cheap to affordable and if all things stay constant will begin to push the cost of living in northern cities in a few years.  That is significant because the major advantage Houston has on other cities is gradually eroding away.

Back then???  even in 2010 you could still get a cute little bungalow for 250k...  You could get one in Brooke Smith for 175 and can still get one for 250 there...  When i first moved to Houston... bungalows that are now going for 300+ were going for 150...    back then you could get a 2500 sq. ft house for less than 200k in the burbs... which you easily still can.   So yeah... the Heights are no longer as cheap as they were (still cheap to comparible cities/proximity to town), but Houston as a whole still is. 

Most of the bidding wars were 2br bungalows that were listed between 250-350k.  From what I can gather from Realtors and a few friends that sold...  The bidding wars were pretty much just during April-June, and a few of them (one being a friends house) fell through.  I almost listed my house in June... but decided I'd rather rennovate in 2 years as I couldn't find anything in my price range that would compare to my house with a renovation (which will cost hundreds of thousands less with initial cost + rennovation vs buying 3/2 with 2 car garage and yard space and probably 50k less than buying - profit.)  

I agree with you about the 50% setback rule; it results in camelback shaped homes which don't flow with the original shape of the house.

 

I wonder how one would go about creating a referendum to revise the existing ordinance?

And to make camelbacking worse... The HAHC has often recommended starting at 66%  back even though the guideline says 50%.  This makes the camelbacking even worse, as it would require you to use an even bigger footprint to get the same sq. footage.  To block "Lot line filling mcmansions" they have created something that causes the same issue they are trying to block... oh but you keep the same facade.    There is no reason why someone couldn't add a second story tastefully without having any setback or less than 50%, and the house wouldn't look nearly as stupid.  Humper houses have got to be one of the dumbest, ugliest things I've ever seen.

Not sure how true this is... but I've heard that a lot of the signatures used for the HD implementation (in Woodland Heights specifically) aren't even the current homeowners.

I could see something like the HAHC (obviously not in its current configuration) being useful around demolitions.  Mandatory waiting periods for demolition unless approved by the HAHC seems like a task that would be appropriate... but after what I've seen from the HAHC, I will never support anything that doesn't have clear cut guidelines (prior to implementation).

The Historic Districts are like using a full body cast when you only need a bandaid.

Yeah, I had a paper cut and needed something to stop the bleeding but now I can't move...

I do beleive if you modified your petition to get everyone in the "norhill addition" to support Minimum Lot size/Minimum set back you would get more support.  (does Norhill Addition already have these?).  Norhill was the perfect example of how things should have worked... the Historic Districts didn't really change anything for Norhill residents (they had good deed restrictions already), other than add extra steps to the process.

BTW, there are a few new to the neighborhood people already pushing to expand the Woodland Heights lines outward as well.

i saw a few good blues bands play at Waldos, great experiences there, but the coffee was just mediocre.  I'm really looking forward this change.

i guess my sarcasm was missed on you...

I think they drug it out a bit to catch the market on it's peak.  I am curious on how these will sell once completed. 

Yeah, it really ticks me off when someone says the victim is to blame for leaving valuables in their car...  I've heard people say it was their own fault and etc. and that is just rediculous.  It is always the theif's fault.  It sucks that we have to be carefull with hiding or not leaving valuables in our vehicles but in what world is it not the theifs fault? 

North side of 11th is trying to be like the south side of 11th...

The one time I was ever followed I made a couple of lefts in the neighborhood (obviously making a circle) and the people stopped following me.  (they must have realized that I  knew they were following me).  If you ever feel like you are being followed make a block in neighborhood and if they are still following you find help.  At night there are almost always police officers at Andy's on 11th, or Valero on Studewood.

Masks don't cover Height and Build. 

How is there not a detailed description of the robbers, that makes no sense whatsoever. 

I live in Woodland Heights and have no clue what this is... give you give more details? 

Mark,

Do you really think these criminals give one crap about whether or not who they are robbing is liberal or conservative?  Do you think they pull up a map of politcal affiliation and decide where they are going to rob based on poll data?  Give me a break dude.  They break into your car because they are walking by and see something in your car and nobody around.  This ain't the damn wild west either... if someone jumps out of a car with a gun drawn and wants your cell phone... it doesn't really matter if you have a gun or not... all you are going to do is get yourself shot.  I'm all for gun rights, I own several, but your vision is highly dillusional.  Now if you hear someone trying to break into your house and you get your gun and wait on them... thats a bit of a different story.

We as a community need to be on our watch more.  I'm personally responsible for the arrest of a few people (called the cops and they showed up VERY quickly) because of my late night tendencies and my constant looking outside when I hear noises.  One of the guys I caught was a habitual offender and was responsible for a plethora of burglaries just on my block alone.  I'm not saying we don't need more police presence, but meeting and organizing with your neighbors to make a community effort to help the police will make better progress stopping these kinds of crimes.  As you stated, these are mostly opportunity crimes.  I've seen many times where someone is walking down the street (instead of the sidewalk) and checking door handles to see if they are locked.  If there are cops around they obviously won't do this... but they will simply wait until they aren't there.  The real issue is these people just get slapped on the wrist when caught.  The guy I caught had an arrest record of over 18 convictions.  (i had to go to court because the fool wouldn't plea down and I got subpoena'd).  Several of his arrests for drugs or burglary he didn't even spend more than a month in jail.  Rediculous.  If you knew that you would spend serious time (years) behind bars for breaking in to a car or detached garage then you'd probably think twice about it.

These were broad daylight armed robberies... not exactly the standard vehicle smash and grab of the heights.  I don't think this is a trend for the area, but more of a one off group of desperate losers who will quickly be caught.  I see a rather large police presence in the Heights... but I do live on a block that is sort of overlapped by two beats so we get both patrols. 

Actually, farm to table Thai makes lots of sense in Houston.  A lot of Asian vegetables grow well in Houston's hot and wet climate.  Eggplant, basil, chilies, yardlong beans, clinatro, lemon grass, mint, sweet potato, and Chinese kale are some examples of typical Thai vegetables and herbs that grow well in Houston.  Even jasmine rice, used in Thai rice noodles, is grown in Texas. 

I agree. (WHAT!!!!)

I grow lemongrass, thai basil, chilies, mint, chinese mustard greens, and I have a kafir lime tree myself.  (most of my incredients I originally got for making my own Tom Yum Goon soup, which I admittedly hardly ever make anymore). 

So people who can't afford it... will flock to places like Morrison Heights...

two pages of foundation related topic don't really fit in to the thread either... 

I definitely think the market has cooled off a little... there are a few houses near me for sale that are asking about what I would have suspected  them to get early in the summer that haven't sold yet.  I have also seen a few houses reduce their prices lately (this wasn't happening at all earlier). 

When I had my foundation worked on almost 4 years ago... they dug down and reset and troubled or new piers/blocks on the harder clay  (it is only about 2-3' down).  They also added 12 new piers/blocks, a new beam running the entire length of the house are raised the entire house a block (8 inches).  My plaster did crack around most of the windows and doorways (nothing severe just light stress cracks).  I had them repaired and cheaply repainted... a few recracked and I just had the entire house scraped, thincoated with a very mild texture, and repainted.  I'm sure it will be find for several more years  (probably even longer if I put gutters on to keep water from going under the house).   My foundation work cost ~5k.  Just the additional beam cost like $500 for the material (thats a big chunk of wood).   I'm not sure about superiority to slab, but  I'm confident in fixing any issues that arise in the future myself, which to me is a definite winner. 

True pier and beam construction is superior to block and beam, only a fool would say otherwise.