LegacyTree
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Posts posted by LegacyTree
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Today it looked like the bomb squad was getting some practice b/c they had Smith St. cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. Also before the Cherry signs went up, the top floor windows were taken out. Now black plastic sways in the breeze from the upper floors. Any day now...
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Last time I was by there they were reconstructing the site drainage.
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Is Lonestar getting a new outdoor patio? Is the sign part of the new design?
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Will the bldg setbacks remain if they have to pull reconstruction permits?
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From WAZ's blog: http://civcarchitect...position-1.html
(which btw I abhor when people run off to their blogs b/c they feel they cannot succinctly debate their points; it's cowardice and I will be monitoring :looking at you txpropertyrights: )
Debunking the Myths about Proposition 1
If you live in Houston, you’ve probably heard about Proposition 1 – a piece of Municipal legislation on the November 8 ballot that would create a dedicated fund for the repair of Houston’s infrastructure. I moved here in 1998, and I’ve yet to see a more desperately needed piece of legislation.
Unfortunately, a groundswell of opposition has formed to Proposition 1, and they’re hard at work spreading misinformation about it. As a supporter, I feel it is my duty to correct them.
Myth # 1: Proposition 1 is just about drainage. Actually, Proposition 1 is about ALL infrastructure under the City’s control. That includes storm sewers, and ROADS. Our City is riddled with pot holes that do severe damage to vehicles.
I’ll pause and let the first myth sink in, because it really is the most important – and the one everyone overlooks (including four members of City Council). Whenever you drive over a pot hole or have to replace the shocks in your car, think about Proposition 1 and how nice it’d be if we could FIX HOUSTON’S ROADS.
Myth # 2: Proposition 1 is a tax. In fact, Proposition 1 is an assessment on impervious cover. You might own ten acres on the outskirts of Houston, but you’ll only pay for the part that’s paved over. The reason for this is that impervious cover contributes to flooding, and also requires curb-cuts for road access to your property.
Myth # 3: We already pay a tax for the Harris County Flood Control District; we shouldn’t have to pay an assessment for the same thing.Harris County Flood Control handles big, regional stormwater detention and drainage facilities. But those big facilities are fed by a network of smaller, City owned storm sewers, open ditches and culverts. The City does an abysmal job at maintaining these facilities – and usually their excuse is that they don’t have the money. Proposition 1 would take away that excuse.
Myth # 4: Proposition 1 will place undue burden on the poor. The fees are estimated at only $5 per month for an average house. That’s the cost of a cup of coffee. For commercial properties, it’s $92 per acre of impervious cover per month – less than the cost of printing up flyers for advertisement. Bear in mind that most small businesses are on far less than an acre of land.
Myth #5: The Mayor is behind Proposition 1. Actually Proposition 1 was spearheaded by City Councilman Stephen Costello and a non-profit group called Renew Houston. Our Mayor supports Proposition 1, but it wasn’t her idea.
I don’t work for Renew Houston or Stephen Costello’s office. I am not being paid at all for writing this. I actually wish Proposition 1 weren’t necessary. But we can’t rely on City Hall to repair roads or drainage out of the general fund. They neglect our infrastructure and use our tax dollars to build new Soccer stadiums and Walmarts. We need Proposition 1, and a special fund that they can only use for roads and drainage.
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He was a real jerk to me, but I figured that's just the internet and the nature of Houston (aka Hate-town).
RIP
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"Beware of those in whom the will to punish is strong."
-Nietzsche
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Glad to hear you're alright.
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LCD soundsystem is James Murphy's band from Brooklyn, NY http://www.discogs.com/artist/James+Murphy
He also runs DFA records http://www.discogs.com/label/DFA
his claim to fame was 45:33 for Nike
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Fugly.
Way to reinforce stereotypes of power, ya know so kids can have something to rebel against.
Wanna see a high school kids will like
Just as cheap to build too.
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Does anyone know if you buy out your lease on an apartment (via the reletting fee) the effect it has on your credit? I can't find anything on teh g00gz about reletting and its effect on your credit.
It seems that it wouldn't have any effect on your credit but I wanted to check with folks here that might have done this before.
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I will lament the losing of the look of our own resident "Parisian tenements" but having previously worked at Kirksey I'm glad their involved in the updates.
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There are architecture programs/documentaries/travelogues on the Ovations channel.
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So has light rail transformed the areas around it? Well...the TMC probably would've grown with or without it. Hermann Park's re-do would've still happened. UH-Downtown's rapid expansion probably wouldn't have been affected very much. A couple of downtown towers probably would have been developed in different places (including METRO's own headquarters). Some of the Crosspoint retail in Midtown admittedly might not be there. All in all, however, evidence of a transformation is somewhat lacking.
Land prices did go up along the Red Line, particularly in Midtown. But that's mostly just speculation. It may be highrise land in 2040, but it won't be anytime soon. And hell, if the Red Line had been built in 2040, it'd probably have used superior technology and also made the highrise land viable (to the extent that it still existed, because of course it would've been less expensive for longer and more easily developed at an earlier date). So...it's kind of a wash.
To be fair Niche, you don't think it would be in a future developer's best interest to build another Greenway plaza/Exxon campus further out in the burbs on greenfields. Enclaves seem to be the Houston development paradigm with or without light-rail. I think Metro and the city leaders thought they could try to entice development back to the CBD with the rail line but speculation ensured that only high-rises would be feasible. The fact is light-rail increases land values too much and is a gov't give away to property owners along the corridor. This stall just allows more time for real estate investors to buy up land around the new rail lines and perpetuate what we saw with the red line corridor.
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Why would demolition be a year-long process, then?
Thanks, I missed that piece of info.
Here's the previous threads on the building.
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My understanding was that it would be demo'd and then the underground garage would be reconstructed in the aftermath. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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such as the obvious bias displayed by the writer?
Calling the area the 'urban core' of the city is hardly accurate.
in the article they call the walmart development the 'washington heights development' and it is represented above.
A.) So right away, by making it seem like that area is the urban core, it makes the reader feel like the area is high density living, walkable, and very urban, and that this development will bring it a step back towards suburbia.
Anyone that knows the area knows that it is suburban (especially the area that houses the loudest opponents to the development).
They want high density, mixed use, lets knock down some of those houses at heights and 11th and build a nice midrise with ground level retail, in fact, lets do that in multiple places in that area. so long as the facade looks like it is victorian, and it isn't walmart, it'll be alright, amirite?
'between several neighborhoods' heh, downtown is technically 'between several neighborhoods' as well. So's the target that was recently built a few years ago, just down the street.
'it serves as the primary thoroughfare' yale is hardly used as a primary thoroughfare, except maybe by 300 people a day. quiet residents and to the west and light industry, what about the railroad track directly to the south, and the businesses to the east?
Finally, the piece references there are 2 camps of people that want to have input (one by asking them to go somewhere else, and the other asking for input). There is a link to the FB page of the stop heights walmart, and a written link to the .org page, as well as an outline of the purpose of the page.
Where's the same for the second group?
All that's said is that the group consists of 'activists and design professionals'
B.) what's the name of the group, how can I contact them? There's plenty of contact notes for the first group, and nothing for the second?
what if I want to become an active participant? You'll show me how to fight it directly, but not how to work with it?
I'm sure I have better ideas of better fitting in with that area than 'vertical parking'!
From that point on, it seems to focus in on the fact that for a specific visionary site plan they didn't spend time accurately representing the surrounding area (like anyone wants to have railroad tracks and old industrial complexes in their renderings).
Anyway, I certainly wasn't ignoring the issues brought up by the article, I just had a hard time seeing through the obvious propaganda to see the issues that are presented.
1st off, this is a trashy post which is why I gave you a neg. I generally appreciate your posts but I expect better from you.
A.) Washington Ave is middle density and walkable, this is simply the midtown/4th ward CVS all over again. Yes, they have a legal right to develop as they are but it is short-sighted with an strong undercurrent of spiteful envy to develop a suburban site plan in context to mid-density residential. Further this is not in the Heights, don't try to decontextualize it. It's the equivalent to the deadening of downtown by parking lot zones, which is say Houston's foolish pride and flag waving for almighty individual freedom is a false justification for being a willfully ignorant neighbor. You get what you deserve.
B.)Your sarcasm is not appreciated, if you look at the top of the page you will see it was written by a Rice Grad student representing the RDA.
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Central Square At 2100 Travis St.
in Midtown
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The trees along Gray St. have been fenced off for the sidewalk upgrades. The city will be fixing up the sidewalks along Gray from Brazos east down to Main and has done some preliminary surveying, sawcuts, and markings already.