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Geoff8201

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Everything posted by Geoff8201

  1. Geoff8201
    So is the railing glass recalled/defective/unsafe? Only conclusion I can figure... this would be too much, time, money and disruption if all i was was a slight visual change for aesthetics.
  2. Geoff8201
    So will all employees be required to bring their own hats, sunglasses and sunblock, or will Apple provide it? I'm kidding... at least I hope the Glass is UV filtered and tinted...
  3. Geoff8201
    Yup, I was right, more luxury apartments... they had a banner on the site for this website:http://www.themansionswoodland.com which just redirects to Western Rim Property Services http://www.westernrim.com
  4. Geoff8201
    Yep, refer to this thread on the Woodlands Town Center for recent discussion. This is such a nice area, and it's continuing to come up rapidly. http://www.houstonar...er/page__st__60 I heard in a reply post on that thread from Bachanon about 3 Waterway set to break ground, which may contain more street level retail, as well as a 2nd Anadarko building right across the street from where 3 Waterway is going up.
  5. Geoff8201
    Well, that's it then, every other county is spraying, so they all came here. I rarely get swarmed when going outside, but these last few days have been like something out of an end of the world, or horror movie. Even though rain is coming tomorrow, colder weather is following. That oughta drive the little bastards back underground.
  6. Geoff8201
    Traffic impact is a debatable issue when it comes to something like this. While residents come and go at all different times, the bottom line is there will be an increase in traffic from not just residents, but their guests, and building employees. Will it be marginal, yes. Will it have a huge effect, not really. Will rush hour still suck, absolutely. I think these two improvements could make traffic here a non-issue: -Re-top Weslayan, less braking for bumps helps. Widen slightly if possible... which would help the second issue I see: -Being a superb location two blocks from 59, I'd be most concerned about the Southbound Traffic. Any traffic exiting would make a right, go northbound, and have to u-turn. If you've ever driven on this street or one like it with a skinny median, you know that an over sized vehicle or more than one person making the same turn during oncoming traffic can put one lane at a halt. Somehow reworking this street for better ability to u-turn would help. BTW, this post is based on my assumption the entrance and exits to the parking will be on the Weslayan side and not the W. Alabama side, so pending that we will see. For your analysis: The Google Map of this area.
  7. Geoff8201
    I heard this being talked about a year ago, and was expecting something to happen by spring 2011, but it didn't... So I will believe it when I see it, starting with clearing the area... although this sounds like a good indicator. Hopefully approval from the county comes through with no issues. Personally, I don't like streets with breaks in them like Research Forest has here, and others like Kuykendahl from Crownridge to Alden Bridge... it's inconvenient when it could otherwise be a great alt route and very confusing to those navigating the area for the first time. Just my opinion.
  8. Geoff8201
    I looked over that flier several times... yea, other speculative indicators it's out of date by at least a year are the Google maps being copyright 2010 and the traffic data from 2009... I don't see why the condo tower wont be there from the flier alone. All that is indicated is street level retail, in which the tower would be mixed use. Unless there is official word it's scrapped, or another development will take its place perhaps? I can definitely see a market for it... Rich Woodlanders who prefer high rise living that is within walking distance of Waterway Square, the Mall and Market Street. (Although this kind of defeats the overall purpose of living in the woodlands...you know, that whole home in the woods feel thing). I see a Luxury Hotel on that pdf also... Seems a bit redundant with the Marriott a stones throw away, but I guess if they are going to build it it's because there is a market for it. Exciting stuff, especially the garage not being just a garage anymore. I frequently visit this area most weekends, as Grimaldi's has become a new favorite pizza place (when the wait isn't two hours) and Coal Burger my new favorite burger. Now those make you go Mmmmmmmmmm. And where would another Anadarko building be built, if it is a building of similar size regardless if it is a twin or not?
  9. Geoff8201
    Is your attic ductwork not already insulated? Does you attic have a little venturi fan to move the hottest air out? If it is already insulated, it needs something with a higher R value (flex included as well as the transition off the unit)... I can't see you not having more issues from the ductwork sweating on humid days if this is the case.?
  10. Geoff8201
    Isn't a chain an lock system just a workaround when an OS&Y valve isn't present? The Outside Stem and Yoke valve gives you an instant visual verification that the valve is open, but if you only have a traditional gate valve, that valve ideally needs to be replaced. If replacement requires a massive shutdown (which in our case a few years ago it would have, affecting the entire block and more than just our building) then the Fire Marshall MAY let you work around it by making sure the valve is open by turning it CCW till it stops, and then chain and locking it so it cannot be turned by anyone not in possession of the key (or a good set of bolt cutters). I can see some potential heavy code enforcement and code rewrites in the future pending the outcome of this investigation...
  11. Geoff8201
    In a highrise building it absolutely does. It should send an alert to the fire panel where a trained staff member would receive it and to a monitoring company. The Valve should have a tamper so when that valve handle is turned at all it sends that trouble alarm... Now in a Retail store like this, I'm not so sure. Is it a Valve with a tamper, or a simple OS&Y? And if it does have a tamper and sounds a trouble, are the employees including sales associates, cashiers and particularly managers trained in how to handle this? I still think if my theory pans out, that the closing of the main isolation valve and the actual starting of the fire happened in a very short time frame. Even if Trouble alarms went off all over the place, it wouldn't have been enough. If someone committed premeditated arson, they would most likely know a sprinkler system existed (look up, it's obvious) and that it would foil their attempt to destroy the building. It would be like barbecuing in a downpour.
  12. Geoff8201
    I stand corrected, but I was too general in my statement. I was thinking more of the on and around Westheimer area when I wrote that.
  13. Geoff8201
    I've heard a theory, (and this may just be people's need to explain things off and look smart) that Buffalo Speedway was planned as a fast route from Buffalo Bayou down to Brays Bayou and beyond, though the lack of that stretch says otherwise, it's not impossible this was it's original intention and to this day from Westheimer on up remains incomplete from the original vision. Most likely not the case, but I found this theory very interesting and it gets you thinking.
  14. Geoff8201
    Probably the most likely suspect... an angry employee whom was recently terminated, or a very angry customer, although I think an employee is a better fit, similar to what happened at Gallery Furniture. Again regarding the sprinkler heads... it's not a perfect world, a well designed system can still have errors like incorrect heads for the height and popping temperature. Shipping errors occur, installer errors occur, and some things can be inspected over and over and caught years later. These things happens, I've seen these things happen on a variety of systems where life endangerment is not outside the realm of possibility (sprinkler systems included). However if I were a betting man, at this time I'd place my money on disgruntled employee who shut the valve to the sprinkler system prior to setting the fire, knowing any supervisory alarms sent to a monitoring company would have taken hours to get corrected if there was no one on staff with the know how to check.
  15. Geoff8201
    While my expertise lies in commercial heating and cooling, I feel it pertinent to ask why not use window AC units that also have a resistance heating coil? They can be energy monsters, but you could use it on a room by room basis on the colder days (which Houston doesn't have too many of, but when it gets cold, it can get cooooold). And I know you wanna stay away from the cost of a central unit, but what about having a central heat pump system? While I remain skeptical of them, I've heard some good things. It can cover your summer cooling, and by reversing the refrigerant flow and functions of the evaporator and condenser, you winter heating. Some of these new systems can be very efficient and actually save you money in the long run, thus covering that high cost in energy savings several years down the line. How much though depend on what you spend now. And as always, simple things like caulking window frames, weatherstripping doors and hanging blackout drapes can help reduce costs and the needed tonnage/btus needed to cool/heat your home.
  16. Geoff8201
    Something like This maybe?
  17. Geoff8201
    Well that's good news... but I have trouble envisioning a 35 story building on that piece of land with the number of lanes Weslayan and Alabama have currently... we'll see. I'll be eager to see the renderings of the two possibilities they are proposing. this would be the tallest building between downtown and the galleria if built... I like the idea of it being mixed use, and ironic/poetic there being an upscale restaurant since that land was a restaurant before. Hopefully this wont be another project to get scaled back... 35 story in the proposal, 9 stories by the time it actually gets built... hopefully not.
  18. Geoff8201
    Does anyone know what their message clearly is? Cause I'm a little lost there. From what I gather... I'm mad too bailouts had to be given, like rewards for bad behavior, I think it sucks that there is such an outnumbering of poor over rich, and I'm planning my future based on uncertainty, and the assumption I will never be able to retire... But you know what, these cycles in the economy happen...corporations get greedy, but I believe they pay for it in the long run, and this is when things even back out... and as for me, I'm trying to increase my earning potential, going back to class, spending less, saving more, trying to eliminate my debts, trying to stay healthy cause I'm gonna be working a looooong time, and living within my means as much as my sanity will allow. That last one is probably the most important... if you have money, you get to let loose and let that trickle down economics things actually work a little, don't hoard it and if you don't have money, don't rely on credit cards and government because you cant pay what you don't have and handouts wont last forever... they can't. However, to get back on topic... I did find it ironic however, some photos i saw from NYC of the protestors Tweet/Blog command centers. High dollar computers which of course come from big corporations like Apple, Sony, etc...all running on portable generators powered by gasoline, aka big oil.... used to protest Wall Street. Gotta love it!
  19. Geoff8201
    So would the condo tower replace what is presently the pay garage for Waterway Square?
  20. Geoff8201
    I keep missing what the signs say when I drive by... whatever it is, it's not small, and the slab is down and wood framing is coming up fast... more apartments maybe?
  21. Geoff8201
    Sprinkler heads have to take on so much heat before the fusible link or bulb breaks. I'm guessing the heads were pretty high up in a store like this and the fire may have spread significantly near the floor before setting even the first one off. They are designed to keep the fire from spreading, however if it was already able to, or was intentionally set and planned, that's another story. And there's no real true way to test them until they actually go off. Visual inspections and flow tests are pretty good indicators and are important to do, but can only get you so far. Also unless it's a high rise building, the pressure supplied to the sprinkler system is usually only city water pressure(no dedicated fire pump until a pumper truck arrives and hooks to the FDC)... the more heads that go off, the less pressure per head. Once a fire gets that big and out of control, that's it.
  22. Geoff8201
    Yes, your right on location, I was zeroing in on the lot that used to be Central Ford, that threw me off. It is nicer than what's there and it's not awful per say, it's just disappointing at the continuous scale backs. To me it looks so.... short. Personally if you added just two more floors to the buildings on the current design, and some sort of tower, even it it's only 8-10 floors high that would be enough to turn around this initial perception of the new design. But the initial opinion may subside and improve among those here as this project gets underway, is finished and open for business. I think that's what's going to happen ultimately, myself included. EDIT: For the time being it's understandable the reaction when you compare Post #1 & Post #26 , to Post #111 ... I'm not losing perspective of what we will still gain out of this, but I'm also not forgetting what it could have been.
  23. Geoff8201
    Oh it's just going to get worse anywhere you go, everywhere and any season. That's my most optimistic prediction. And, Its sad when a project gets scaled back THIS far... thank you bad economy... but this land has been vacant and losing money for how many years now? It's pretty much do or die as far as developing something...anything. I hope the calling of this River Oaks District will be completely dropped... once this gets built I don't think River Oaks will want to be associated with this... then again most of us in this forum hold the design to a higher standard, while the masses might not care and just be excited some new store opened there that they really love to go to. Who knows.
  24. Geoff8201
    Well as far as luxury apartments with excessive amenities go I'm sure people will see what the property has to offer and be wowed into moving in with an expectation that they now somehow "need" these things, when in reality they will never use most of them. Also if you want to talk about the human condition, the desire to have bragging rights is never absent. Feels good to have your friend who has 3 dogs envious that you live in a building with a Pet Salon, even though you don't actually have a dog yourself. Indoors yes, but outdoors however is a nice feature in my opinion. If the actual flames are contained properly, how nice would it be to have an outdoor fire on a cold night in the city limits. Again were they indoors or outdoors? An outdoor heated jacuzzi near the pool, I think would be nice and frequently used, if done right. Agreed. The range to what you would get depends on the type of residents the property wants to attract. But typically, the room with a copier and fax would be enough to becalled a "business center" from what I've seen, and if it is why bother? The RedBox on property sounds very cool! Maybe that will start to be a growing trend. Again though, this is something that can be done with a very long range of size and scale, all of which can be labeled as a theater room. A lot of theater rooms seat just a few more than what your living room could, making them a waste in my opinion... But if a property wanted to do a full Microplex, then that's a different story, and could be wildly successful like what you described. From just the rendering of The Horizon, the number of units and all the other amenities they want to squeeze in, I doubt their theater room will be anything more than a big screen, 5.1 surround sound setup fitted in a room a little larger than a good sized Living Room able to host a small number of people via 2or 3 sofas or two short rows of reclining theater style seats. I never said they were, and It would be nice, but again, I've seen some proposed poor attempts of this. A room with that 100+" screen and a great sound system sounds like my dream spot for a party game like Rock Band.
  25. Geoff8201
    Looks so much like a smaller West Ave...
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