Jesse

Since everyone here clearly knows what everyone else thinks and wants, let's put it to a vote (which in my opinion is what the city should do):

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/23710-walmart-at-i-10-and-yale-for-or-against/

The 3 mile distance is somewhat arbitrary, but I figured it sounded reasonable.

Sarnoff reported that Blue Fish will be opening a location on 5820 Washington say that looks to be our spot.

I like that place a lot.

My link

Awesome! 1 more reason to not have to drive down Shepherd/Kirby

I don't know if this has already been posted, but apparently the site plan leaked to the Chronicle was incorrect - a revised one sketched by Peter Brown is attached. This information went out in a Super Neighborhood 22 informational email..

To be completely and totally honest, as much as I despise Walmart (and I won't be shopping there regardless), this plan is much better than what I was expecting. At least it's set back quite a bit from Yale.

Looks like Jenni's opened Saturday night. Our garage apartment resident walked over last night and had soup and egg rolls, which he said were both good. Looking forward to the new option!

Actually opened up Friday night (last minute announcement via their Facebook page). Great food, and a steady stream of folks coming in. Clean, fast, yummy, and BYOB. Can't complain!

Protesting is for people who think that the loudest mob can win the day with taunts, ad hominems, cute little slogans, vapid rhetoric, and bloviated talking points.

Counter-protesting is for people that are so insecure in their own stance that they feel they must fight fire with fire (which is really dumb)...instead of the quenching waters of reason.

Sooo.... which side of this fence are you on, Niche?

I am impressed that a Facebook page opposing Walmart has 3,500 likes. If they can get 600 more, it would add up to 10% of Heights Super Neighborhood's population. That means only 90% don't mind a Walmart. I guess that would also mean that 100% of SN22 supports Walmart...except of course, the guy that started the Facebook page.

Anyway, just thought I'd point out again that not every Heights resident is opposed to this, and in fact, most are unopposed. I'll return the next time this misconception is posted. Until then, toodles.

I'm sorry but that's faulty logic. Just because 90% haven't chimed in to the Facebook page doesn't mean they don't mind it. It means they haven't chimed in. In fact, unless you regularly visit HAIF, Swamplot, or one of the news websites on the day or two that it was publicised, there's probably a good chance you don't know about it. There aren't signs, banners, billboards, etc.

Until every single resident votes or somehow expresses their opinion one way or the other (or option 'C' of "I don't care either way), nobody can say "most are opposed" or "most are unopposed". Nobody knows. Toodles.

Thanks for reminding me. I amend my previous post here to reflect that anywhere the phrase "Heights residents" can be found should be prefaced with the qualifier "some".

Amen.

Arguably, renters pay taxes indirectly. But the landlord is the one who is on the hook for the taxes. Otherwise, this is accurate. But, in Houston, so many neighborhoods have been ruined by lack of planning, that when, as Ayn Rand would put it, "productive" people are seen as having the ability to influence development in their neighborhood, the, again, Ayn Rand's words, "unproductive" people resent the idea that the "productive" people have a voice when "unproductive" people don't. Thus, people cast scorn on the Stop Ashby Highrise people because they were largely a group of very wealthy and influential people who were able to throw enough sand in the gears to get the development modified and probably defeated (although the developers say they will still build). Likewise, people see the Heights residents as having some unfair advantage because they are better off than those who want to shop at Wal-Mart. But, your conclusion is spot on. The Heights and Westend residents should not have to fund (directly or indirectly) and bear the burden of a Wal-Mart that they do not want.

Renters pay their share of property taxes through the rent they are charged without the benefit of homestead exemptions or tax deductibility.

Unless of course the landlord negotiated some walmart style exemption.

Good points. Forgot about that. Neeeeeeevermind then!

In the spirit of stirring the pot, I'd like to make a few broad generalizations, and see how the argument plays out:

Earlier someone said that the median income of a 'typical' Walmart shopper was in the $35,000 range. Let's say that's accurate (even if it's $50,000, I don't think it will change my point). Based on home values in and around The Heights area, Washington, etc., I think it's a fair assumption that most folks in the $35,000/year income range do not own homes in the Heights, Washington area. I think a broader generalization would be that many of these folks probably rent their homes.

Since they don't own homes in the area, they don't pay property taxes in the area.

The folks who do own homes in the area, do pay property taxes.

By that logic, the folks paying for the roadway improvements, utility upgrades, etc to the Walmart property aren't the ones who will *primarily* be shopping at Walmart.

Broad generalization? Yes. Possibly accurate? Maybe.

Discuss....

My current hypothesis is that Trader Joe's has thus far avoided Texas because of our liquor laws (they sell hard stuff in their stores) and/or the alcohol beverage lobby. Or it could have to do with their Wst coast-based distribution system. I'm not sure why they just opened a store in Omaha, NE rather than say, San Angelo or Pflugerville.

I'm pretty sure their stores in MA only sell wine and beer. I thought I heard somewhere that they focus more on their distribution lines, and how quickly/cheaply they can get their wares into stores from their supply centers. Granted, we have a pretty large port down here that they could utilize. But they must just not have warehouses nearby or something.

Aren't the train tracks going to bisect the lot? Oooh, maybe they'll build a tunnel!

Those historic bungalow people are some of the most hypocritical, short sighted, snotty people out there. They think they get to control every aspect of everyone's lives. They have an idea of what they think something should be, and by god they have nothing better to do at all (they have no lives) than to sit around all the time, go door to door, write letters, petitions, start stupid face book pages, hire lawyers, etc, etc....

FYI I've flagged your post to the moderators. There's really no need to make such an ignorant, generalized, obtuse statement like that. Hope you edit and remove it before they do.

This might sound silly, but I emailed Trader's Joe and asked them to come to Houston, TX. I think they would do well near the Heights as opposed to Wal-Mart. You never know, it might work

If you want to suggest a location for Trader's Joe, go here: http://www.traderjoe...quests-form.asp

If you have never heard of Trader's Joe, it's kind of like a Whole Foods, but will more reasonable prices. They have locatoins in about 20 states, but none in Texas. People rave about it.

Greatest. Store. Ever.

I'd let them build in my backyard if I thought they'd come to town. Literally, my backyard.

Dr. Gould @ 610 and TC Jester. He's awesome, his staff is awesome. I hate hate hate going to the dentist but since I started going there, I really and truly have a pretty good time. 713-683-6655

This link provides feedback straight from the developer.

http://theyarebuildi...councilman.html

As a homeowner in the Heights, I feel ill after reading that.

I don't necessarily want wider streets. From my reading, it seems that Ainbinder/Walmart doesn't care about drainage issues (no detention ponds?). I don't think traffic on Heights will be impacted too much (too many stoplights to make it a through-street, plus it doesn't connect to 610), but I believe Yale will just be awful, and Washington will be worse too. I think their concern for asthetics is just talk, and the final design will be a standard bigbox Wallyworld.

*sigh*

Especially in this great city that brought us 2 Starbucks across the street from each other.

3

West End

Where's the Facebook Petition page to change it to 'West-Art-Car'?

There is no Heights Wal-Mart being proposed.

Correct-a-mundo. What is the definition of that area? "North Washington"? "South Freeway"? "West Art-Car"?

That the Heights already has a slew of corporate retailers that's somehow ok isn't supposition. Here's an admittedly incomplete list of corporate retailers actually in the Heights (for ease of definition, I'm arbitrarily setting the boundaries as 610 to the north, I-10 to the south, N Main to the east and TC Jester to the west):

I understand what you're getting at, but let's not contradict ourselves. If you're going to say "actually in" the Heights, then don't "arbitrarily" extend it ~1.5 miles to the West just to make your point. That list gets a lot shorter if you stop at Yale, which is closer to the "actual" definition:

http://www.houstonheights.org/historicdistrictmaps.htm#east

I do agree that there's a lot of wind-pissing going on though :-)

That is the largest pile of supposition I have ever seen.

Since WalMart coming to Yale St is still a rumor (or at the least, not finalized), this entire thread is supposition.

Since nobody here has direct evidence of WalMart's market research for the area, this entire thread is supposition.

Since everybody has their own opinions about who will or will not shop at WalMart, this entire thread is supposition.

Since everybody lives in different parts of town, and has different encounters with their local or distant big-box stores, this entire thread is supposition.

Since everybody is at different income levels, and different shopping needs/desires, this entire thread is supposition.

Can we all agree to disagree? Or shall we keep bickering and sounding more and more obnoxious, even though this entire thread is supposition?

Everyone has their opinion, but if nobody respects the other opposing viewpoint (note I said respect, not necessarily agree with), this thread will go nowhere except further downhill. Y'all need to grow up a little. Or a lot. The passive agressive nature of these comments is getting old and tiresome. HAIF is a great place for discussion, and even disagreements, but it needs to be based on respect. Without that, its just another forum where people can be arseholes behind shields of internet invisibility, and will quickly fade into obscurity.

And please don't start the "if you don't like it, don't come here" thing. I want to discuss WalMart coming to Yale St as much as everyone else, except in a respectful way.

Another good WalMart related clip from Tuesday

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/340896/july-06-2010/i-s-on-edjukashun---loyola--texas-textbooks---wal-mart

(At least 2 out of the 3 topics are relevant here)

Sorry, Jessie. Emotionless text strikes again. I live here as well, not elitist one bit either! Thanks for trying to bring some civility to this thread.

No harm done.

I do what I can :-)

You are really not as good at this as you think you are. Let me try to express my feelings rather then you glean them from my comments.

I think your presence is wonderful. You add heaps of value to this forum, in some weird way. So do the NIMBY elitist Heights residents, in their own odd way as well.

I also fully understand that walmart will change the world for all of us inner loopers. No where did I post otherwise. I have never said i don't like or don't want walmart to build on this site. I have not forgotten about everyone else and have not stated as such. you moved near the walmart in your backyard, perhaps you forgot that.

what i am asking of you, and i should have just typed this in the first place, is to let go a little. you are more then entitled to your opinion, but so are the elitests. So are the area residents that dont have a computer (so they cant post on forums all day) and now have a 180 degree better view towards life since they can (if its ever built) shop for cheaper "needs" at wallyworld! I wasnt attacking your ability to have and post an opinion, just asking for a little neighborly love.

Maybe I'm missing the tongue-in-cheek aspect of this (and if I am, please tell me... emotion is hard to convey via text), but I don't think you need to call Heights residents "elitist". I am a Heights resident, and I don't think I'm elitest in any way. If you believe so, please tell me and we can discuss. Otherwise, let's see some of that neighborly love

This just in....

http://swamplot.com/mayor-parker-to-walmart-start-talking/2010-07-07/

I just saw on the Free Press website that Wal-Mart is also planning a store at I-45 and Crosstimbers.

...

The benefits of having the Wal-Mart at Yale and I-10 are virtually non-existent if there is also going to be a location at 45 and Crosstimbers.

You could turn that around, and say that they should dump the 45/Crosstimbers store, keep the Yale/10 store, and directly compete with Target across the road.

I would also bet that in less than 10 years, Wal-Mart would dump the location, as they have done in many other powerplays when the competitive justification for the store was lost.

What other WalMarts have closed? Honestly, I can't picture any locations that used to be a store but have since shut their doors.