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jamesw

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Posts posted by jamesw

    Paul Carr Fired From Houston Heights Association

    in Local Politics

    Posted · Edited by jamesw

    My son got hurt.

    He fell off the roof of the train and hit his chin and forehead on the coal car on the way down.  I had to take off work at take him to the doctor because he had a bump on his forehead the size of an egg and I was worried he might have a concussion. :-(  In my business that would be "a recordable" and would raise a lot of eyebrows.

     

    Cheers
    James

    The Heights Historic Districts

    in The Heights

    Posted

    I live down the street from 1213 Harvard and I can not believe what the commission told them!  Their house was enlarged in the past w/ one of those 80's horrible looking "pop-outs" that looks like sticking a big box onto a house made of triangles.  The proposed addition will make the house fit in MUCH better w/ the historic character of our street and will look MORE compatible after this proposed addition is done.  But it was denied???  This is after the commission also denied their neighbor's addition (overturned on appeal) which is next to a multi-story apartment building...

    Anyhow this makes no sense to me what the commission is doing.  The proposed addition for 1213 would meet the needs of the homeowners (it's THEIR house and they have 2 young kids now) and will better the neighborhood while becoming MORE conforming to the historical character.

    And Lauren - put all the nut-job hyperbole aside that you read here (it's pretty out there) and just have a drive by the house(s) in question on the way home and you'll see what I mean.

    Cheers

    James

    Norhill Information & Developments

    in The Heights

    Posted

    I think the aim of slowing down or limiting tear-downs is good - but the way it was (and is) implemented is really bad.
     

    Example: It's starting to get nice out.  You want to open your windows to enjoy the weather and stop using your A/C (good for the environment and all) but they are painted shut! 

     

    If you want to hire someone to work on your windows - well you're going to need a permit for that.  But you can't get that permit anymore without having a COA.  And the meetings are only held once a month.  And you can't go because you have to work - or you can just pay an architect to go for $100 per hr...

    Oh, and you want to get the work done right away, but the HAHC meeting was just two days ago.  So now you get to wait another 29 days...

     

    Are you beginning to get the pictures?  Most people don't want to become "experts" in how the process works, and know how all the timing works, etc.  They just want to repair their house to enjoy the nice weather.

    HTH
    James

    • Like 1

    Best Neighborhood In Town According To CNN/Money

    in Houston Real Estate

    Posted

    Interesting thread - I too am just glad we got recognized - just as long as it's not reflected in my tax bill.  Just kidding about that last part!

     

    As for walkability - what it means to me is that there are 'destinations' that you can walk to from your house, as well as places you NEED to go on a weekly basis.  I can walk to Doug's to get a hair-cut.  I can put the kids in the stroller and walk to Antidote for breakfast and then take them to Donovan park.  If you live in Cinco Ranch, you literally CAN'T do that.  You can maybe walk to a park but not the combination - unless you live on the edge of a subdivision or something...  From my house, I can even walk to an auto parts store, one of dozens of restaurants, 2 to 3 close/good/safe parks, a grocery store, etc.


    One of the reasons to choose to walk is not always that it is faster - but w/ two kids it can be a heck of a lot easier to get them in the stroller and going on a walk, than into their car seats.  It just feels easier, and more fun.


    Cheers
    James

    The Heights Historic Districts

    in The Heights

    Posted

    I wrote a support email as well.  As a homeowner on Harvard street I find this a bit silly.  On my block alone there are at least a half dozen homes that already exist and that are larger in scale than this project.  It's WHY Harvard is one of the premiere streets to live on in the Heights, lol.


    I have two young boys and I can't see living in a 2-1 or an upgraded 2-1 with a small addition on the back.  I want more young families to move to the Heights so that the schools improve and there are some kids for my sons to play with. If people are going to be denied the right to appropriately upgrade their own home I think that is an overall hindrance to the quality of our great neighborhood.

     

    I also don't like the insinuation that if you support someone's appeal you are not "for historic preservation."  That is ridiculous.  I support historic preservation and keeping the character of the neighborhood feeling "old homie." I also support some amendments to the ordinance - as it should be a process of continuous improvement.

     

    On a separate topic - but relevant to 1811 Harvard - this should have nothing to do with the SIZE of the homes.  That just doesn't make any sense.  Is the Glassell home historic?  You bet.  Is it a massive house on a giant lot?  You bet.  Did the massive house at 11th and Heights (the one that burned) look historic and fit in?  It certainly did - it was beautiful and contributed to the character of the neighborhood.  As does Sara's B&B and the list goes on...

     

    Cheers
    James

    • Like 1

    The Heights Historic Districts

    in The Heights

    Posted

    As a counterpoint to Mark's post (holding his bungalow in the HD for a better price) my neighbor just sold her 2-1 bungalow on Harvard and it was on the market for less than a day.  She got exactly what I would have expected for it (mid 300's) both in and out of the HD's)   It was bought specifically by someone wanting to do an addition.

     

    I think the market in the Heights (both in and out of the HD's) is comparable.  I think the best person to talk to about his would be a realtor, as they see a large sample set - unlike us who see one or two. 


    I think the ordinance is a PITA.  I also think the dry district in the middle of the Heights is a PITA.  But on the other hand, I'm glad nobody can build and run a bar next to my house.  Nor can anyone build a 6 story solid brick wall next to my house (see 12th st).  I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.


    Cheers
    James

    The Heights Historic Districts

    in The Heights

    Posted

    Just as a general comment - I think that builders ARE agressively buying lots in the HDs.  In fact, they are even buying 2-1 bungalows on spec in hopes that they will get their "camelback" addition approved.   Sure it's a lot harder and takes a lot longer to get something "sellable" but they are still doing it and there is little to no inventory in the Heights right now.

     

    The house next to mine was just sold to a developer in fact.  She must be pretty savy about the process because what she has done is bought the house, and gotten a 6-month lease w/ a renter.  This will provide income while she gets the addition design through the CoA process.

     

    In my mind what the ordinance has effectively done is kept developers from buying lots w/ old bungalows on them and tearing down the bungalow to build a 5,000 sf lotline to lotline house - and I'm OK with that.

     

    I'm not saying there isn't a problem w/ the process because there is - the board needs to follow their own rules and enforce them consistently EVERY time.  What a "market" hates is uncertainty.

     

    Cheers
    James

    • Like 1

    Heights - Highway 249 Commute

    in Traffic and Transportation

    Posted

    I have the same issue that you do but the domestic group isn't moving out there until 2015.


    The real question is when if ever will you move to the burbs? ;-)


    I used to work out near Oceaneering and I took 290 outbound in the morning and it was fine.  Inbound was not good.  Presently, the construction at 290 and 610 is a fairly big problem so I would recommend 45 to bw8 to 249.  Also the ramp from WB BW8 to 249 is better than the other way around.


    James

    Crime In The Heights

    in The Heights

    Posted

    Yeah, not much information there or on Khou.com either. 

     

    Man, that must have been scary.  I too would have liked a heads up that the killer was on the loose in the neighborhood - especially if they thought he/she was on foot.  There really isn't a good mechanism for that.

     

    What I have learned from all of this so far - that corner of the heights is jinxed...

     

    James

     

     

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