Kingwood Complaints

[Ethanra]

Stop trying to incite racism just because the conversation involves minorities.

I'm not trying to say you or anyone is racist. Racist means you hate, and I'm sure everyone on this board doesn't hate. But prejudice is a problem that many people contribute to. Prejudice comes from every group of people and needs to be improved on. This conversation is a good example, just because "ghetto" got put in the discussion only blacks were associated with the neighborhoods you listed. I was pointing out some of the areas you listed were Hispanic and Asian neighborhoods as well. No beef with you......

I found this website about the current trends of Kingwood -- kingwoodsfuture.com

another message board from kingwood residents -- KWHipCitizens.com

Edited July 23, 2007 by Ethanra

[editor]

I'm not trying to say you or anyone is racist. Racist means you hate, and I'm sure everyone on this board doesn't hate. But prejudice is a problem that many people contribute to. Prejudice comes from every group of people and needs to be improved on. This conversation is a good example, just because "ghetto" got put in the discussion only blacks were associated with the neighborhoods you listed. I was pointing out some of the areas you listed were Hispanic and Asian neighborhoods as well. No beef with you......

I found this website about the current trends of Kingwood -- kingwoodsfuture.com

another message board from kingwood residents -- KWHipCitizens.com

Again, we're done with the "ghetto" discussion.

[wxman]

No...Kingwood can. But Conroe, TW, and others can't but yet are expected to contribute. Don't think so!

As far as being ghetto, there is trash in every race. And white trash is some of the worst.

Ok I take that back. I'm sure that there are people on here and others across the city who would love to charge the burbs to commute into the city. Not to mention that The Woodlands paid some odd millions of dollars not to be annexed. That money will be distibuted for regional projects. Yet we can't vote in elections for mayor or city improvements. If the city services were that great, and taxes up here are already high, why would The Woodlands fight so hard to stay out?

I think if you took a poll of the Kingwood residents, the majority are not happy with the way the community has evolved under the management of Houston. Houston can barely provide for Houston. Why should places like The Woodlands hand over a high dollar area with adequate fire protection, it's own police department (currently in the works) well funded parks and other ammenitities to the City of Houston who could give a hoot about plans The Woodlands has laid out?

I may be wrong, BUT, it would be taxation without representation if Kingwood did not get the adequate fire, police, water, school, hospital, parks, and infrastructure they deserve or had before Houston took them over. I may be completely wrong on this. I don't know what the coverage of the above is like. But I have yet to come across anybody from Kingwood who was thrilled that they are in the city limits of Houston.

[ricco67]

Geez.

It was interesting to see this conversation unwind the way it did.

My original intention to bring to light what a few kingwooders (Kingwoody's?) thought about the state of their "community" (they still don't think of themselves as even REMOTELY Houstonians) over the past few years.

One of the things they have mentioned was increased drug dealing and usage.

Traffic was another issue. Some have complained that initially the ingress and egress roads were adequate for the population at the time of annexation. The developers CLAIMED (or so my friends said) further expansion wasn't planned to keep the population steady.

SINCE the annexation, they claimed that development has gone out of control and the population is booming beyond the capabilities of local infrastructure to manage.

Speaking of infrastructure: They HATE road work. Guess who they blame for the slow pace?

You're good!

[MidtownCoog]

Kingwoodians are in a foul mood lately.

They are fighting TXDOT. They won't be allowed to have a new "Kingwood" sign after construction since they are now in the city. TXDOT will only allow a sign to say "Houston" or "The Liveable Forest".

[Vertigo58]

Ouch ... we've been warned.

Man I was just running for the fresh popcorn! Kingwood "focused topic" was just getting juicy. Just like a serial at the theater. Stay tuned...

[Trae]

Ok I take that back. I'm sure that there are people on here and others across the city who would love to charge the burbs to commute into the city. Not to mention that The Woodlands paid some odd millions of dollars not to be annexed. That money will be distibuted for regional projects. Yet we can't vote in elections for mayor or city improvements. If the city services were that great, and taxes up here are already high, why would The Woodlands fight so hard to stay out?

I think if you took a poll of the Kingwood residents, the majority are not happy with the way the community has evolved under the management of Houston. Houston can barely provide for Houston. Why should places like The Woodlands hand over a high dollar area with adequate fire protection, it's own police department (currently in the works) well funded parks and other ammenitities to the City of Houston who could give a hoot about plans The Woodlands has laid out?

I may be wrong, BUT, it would be taxation without representation if Kingwood did not get the adequate fire, police, water, school, hospital, parks, and infrastructure they deserve or had before Houston took them over. I may be completely wrong on this. I don't know what the coverage of the above is like. But I have yet to come across anybody from Kingwood who was thrilled that they are in the city limits of Houston.

But your not in Houston. You are basically paying Houston not to be annexed. You aren't paying Houston city taxes, so you don't get Houston services or are allowed to vote in City of Houston elections.

Edited July 24, 2007 by Trae

[VicMan]

I started topics on an idea to remove Kingwood from Humble I. S. D. and put it in Houston I. S. D. (along with the rest of the city of Houston) - The idea was not popular at all on either of the Kingwood sites. I am aware that school districts and municipal incorporations are separate in Texas (with the exception of Stafford M. S. D.), but I would redraw school district boundaries by consolidating four school districts into Houston I. S. D. and also taking portions of other districts to include all of the city, including Kingwood, in the Houston school district.

By the way, I made a map of what HISD would look like (in terms of zoned high schools) if it included all of the Houston city limits (plus the Memorial Villages): http://s143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/Vi...tonISDHSMap.png - I took a city of Houston map, altered it, and placed a red dot per zoned high school.

By the way, the "Richards" is where I would put a high school to accomodate people formerly zoned to Pasadena Memorial HS and South Houston HS (those two Pasadena ISD schools serve bits of Houston).

Edited August 5, 2007 by VicMan

[KatieDidIt]

I really don't understand the fear and biotching about Houston. We've been back in Houston for 4 weeks and have received better service in that time than in three years in the Woodlands. We have a neighborhood constable we know by name and face ( he introduced himself), a neighborhood mailman who walks the streets delivering door to door, water pressure, twice a week trash and a fire department less than 1/2 a mile away.

Seriously??????

When we moved to the Woodlands it wasn't to ESCAPE the city, but to try something different than the Houstonian norm, build a great house on CHEAP land.... only to find why the Houstonian norm is the way it is.

To each his own. But you know, when you live in the city there are OBVIOUS routes to take, people to blame and strings to pull and recourse that can be taken. You don't have that in unincorporated areas.

[VicMan]

Should I invite people from Kingwood and Kingwood Underground to the topic to discuss this?

HAIF needs more people from Kingwood, so maybe this will help.

[editor]

Should I invite people from Kingwood and Kingwood Underground to the topic to discuss this?

HAIF needs more people from Kingwood, so maybe this will help.

The more the merrier. Especially people with first-hand experience.

[VicMan]

The more the merrier. Especially people with first-hand experience.

I started this on KU: http://www.kingwoodunderground.com/topic.j...opicId=11071029

Check it out if you want!

[ricco67]

I'm sure that will be a hit for the owner of the kingwood underground site. LOL

[VicMan]

And here is the thread at Kingwood.com: http://www.kingwood.com/message_board/view...parent_id=94071

[cma01]

Stumbled on this thread, and I just wanted to make a couple of comments.

We moved to Kingwood long after the annexation, so I have no comparison for before and after. If the topic is brought up, people are still ticked off about it, so much so that the campaign of one of the candidates in the school board elections last year took a nose dive when he was blasted for supporting the annexation (10 years before) in a letter to the editor.

So yes, there are still very strong feelings.

Regarding septic systems, you must be thinking of Forest Cove. That is a preKingwood development.

Most of Kingwood is built out; however, there are a a couple of areas that are still being built. Oakhurst is a Kingwood development, but New Caney schools. Kings Manor is pretty much built out, not Kingwood (although I've heard they want to explore that), but right in the middle of the development, as is Kings Mill. For actual Kingwood (paying KSA fees) developments, most of the remaining villages that have new construction are spendy: Royal Shores, Barrington, Kings River Estates, and I think Deerwood have some lots left.

There are also several subdivisions going in on the North side that aren't part of Kingwood, but are zoned to Kingwood schools.

Kingwood Drive is terrible right now. If you had to drive it twice a day, you'd be grumbling too. Luckily for me, I don't, but I have sympathy for those that do. That road work is due to construction at the Kingwood High School, which has been in the works since the 2002 bond. It's hard to fault Houston for that. But what I think IS stupid is also taking Northpark down to one lane in a section. So either way you go you get stuck.

As for the crime, yes it has gone up. I don't know about pre and post 1996, but I can tell you it has post 2005.

And to the original poster, your friends are right about those apartments. That particular situation is a combination of poor management, an owner about to go belly up, and a large percentage of apartments with sponsored tenants. If you look at the crime stats for Kingwood, 60 to 70 percent of them come from that complex.

I recently talked to an owner with a business nearby who said that there is a break in almost every other day in the shopping strip, she has to pack up her computer terminal when she leaves for the day, and she leaves the key in the door of the store while she's there so she can lock it quickly if she hears sirens.

Houston's response to the situation was to send a female police officer to do a driveby periodically at night.

I guess the COH buys into the common belief that Kingwood is "safe" and doesn't need the manpower. The cops don't want to go in there unless they have to.

Edited August 15, 2007 by cma01

[mrfootball]

What you have at work is a differing set of standards. What is considered 'safe' by Houston standards is not 'safe' by Kingwood (or any other nice suburb's) standards. This is part of the reasoning why people don't want to be part of Houston. The other being the dual hate/love relationship that the City of Houston shows Kingwood where they hate having to serve the area but love taking their tax dollars.

Edited August 16, 2007 by mrfootball

[Vertigo58]

Stumbled on this thread, and I just wanted to make a couple of comments.

We moved to Kingwood long after the annexation, so I have no comparison for before and after. If the topic is brought up, people are still ticked off about it, so much so that the campaign of one of the candidates in the school board elections last year took a nose dive when he was blasted for supporting the annexation (10 years before) in a letter to the editor.

So yes, there are still very strong feelings.

Regarding septic systems, you must be thinking of Forest Cove. That is a preKingwood development.

Most of Kingwood is built out; however, there are a a couple of areas that are still being built. Oakhurst is a Kingwood development, but New Caney schools. Kings Manor is pretty much built out, not Kingwood (although I've heard they want to explore that), but right in the middle of the development, as is Kings Mill. For actual Kingwood (paying KSA fees) developments, most of the remaining villages that have new construction are spendy: Royal Shores, Barrington, Kings River Estates, and I think Deerwood have some lots left.

There are also several subdivisions going in on the North side that aren't part of Kingwood, but are zoned to Kingwood schools.

Kingwood Drive is terrible right now. If you had to drive it twice a day, you'd be grumbling too. Luckily for me, I don't, but I have sympathy for those that do. That road work is due to construction at the Kingwood High School, which has been in the works since the 2002 bond. It's hard to fault Houston for that. But what I think IS stupid is also taking Northpark down to one lane in a section. So either way you go you get stuck.

As for the crime, yes it has gone up. I don't know about pre and post 1996, but I can tell you it has post 2005.

And to the original poster, your friends are right about those apartments. That particular situation is a combination of poor management, an owner about to go belly up, and a large percentage of apartments with sponsored tenants. If you look at the crime stats for Kingwood, 60 to 70 percent of them come from that complex.

I recently talked to an owner with a business nearby who said that there is a break in almost every other day in the shopping strip, she has to pack up her computer terminal when she leaves for the day, and she leaves the key in the door of the store while she's there so she can lock it quickly if she hears sirens.

Houston's response to the situation was to send a female police officer to do a driveby periodically at night.

I guess the COH buys into the common belief that Kingwood is "safe" and doesn't need the manpower. The cops don't want to go in there unless they have to.

All of this makes perfect sense. I trust your experiences. Get ready for the nay-sayers, let's see if they say your exagerrating. Stop watch.

[VicMan]

In the Houston Chronicle article about the Woodlands self-government, the discussion veered towards Kingwood.

Check the four Kingwood fire stations, and you will see that none of them have municipal ambulances: http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/index.html

So, I said "What the COH needs to do is place an ambulance in at least one of the four Kingwood stations. Summerwood should also ask for its own municipal ambulance. Clear Lake should have a second ambulance."

And I got "Uh, it ain't gonna happen." as a reply.

I do not see how that attitude will carry one far in life. If one feels that the city is shortchanging him, he needs to raise awareness about it.

See: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/5094105.html for the discussion

[musicman]

vic the ambulance problem has been a problem for yrs in kingwood, clear lake, etc. it has taken yrs for the city to even build fire stations. now that those are almost all in operation, now they need to have the proper apparatus, including ambulances.

guess you didn't see the expose' wayne dolcefino did earlier in the yr on this very subject.

[VicMan]

vic the ambulance problem has been a problem for yrs in kingwood, clear lake, etc. it has taken yrs for the city to even build fire stations. now that those are almost all in operation, now they need to have the proper apparatus, including ambulances.

guess you didn't see the expose' wayne dolcefino did earlier in the yr on this very subject.

I saw a Dolcefino expose, but it was concerning different areas of town. It mainly talked about a section of the northside of Houston in Aldine ISD.

Kingwood residents need to twist the city's arms a bit more to get a municipal ambulance, followed by a 2nd. Clear Lake needs its 2nd as well. Summerwood needs its ambulance.

[musicman]

I saw a Dolcefino expose, but it was concerning different areas of town. It mainly talked about a section of the northside of Houston in Aldine ISD.

Kingwood residents need to twist the city's arms a bit more to get a municipal ambulance, followed by a 2nd. Clear Lake needs its 2nd as well. Summerwood needs its ambulance.

the fire dept has been playing the shell game for quite a while with its ambulances. seems to be worse in the areas with less calls. i will say that ms wiseman has fought for kingwood and clr lake wrt equal services.

[VicMan]

If I was a council member, even if I wasn't representing Kingwood, I would still campaign for municipal ambulances and other services for Kingwood.

Clear Lake seems to be settled as a member of Houston. Kingwood needs a fire station with an ambulance (or two ambulances, or three), and along with the new library and community center, Kingwood should hopefully be "pacified" and become a distinct Houston community.

[jfre81]

The City of Houston should just de-annex Kingwood and have more HPD patrolling the actual city.

[Guest Marty]

The City of Houston should just de-annex Kingwood and have more HPD patrolling the actual city.

That's what I have been thinking for a long time they are spread to thin.

[jfre81]

I'm actually in favor of the city de-annexing large parcels of land way outside the loop, perhaps even allowing places like Kingwood or Clear Lake to form their own municipalities.

They would lose tax revenue but they would also not have to pretend to provide services for those places.

[VicMan]

I'm actually in favor of the city de-annexing large parcels of land way outside the loop, perhaps even allowing places like Kingwood or Clear Lake to form their own municipalities.

They would lose tax revenue but they would also not have to pretend to provide services for those places.

Clear Lake could stand on its own feet. Unfortunately, I don't think Kingwood will be able to stand on its own feet. Kingwood's businesses are concentrated in Humble.

I don't see why Houston would ever get rid of Clear Lake since it brings tax into the city.

Edited August 31, 2007 by VicMan

[jfre81]

They won't do any of that. It's just something I'd like to see.

Just like I'd like to see Godzilla trampling the FEMApartments on the Southwest side into splinters.

Looking at the crime maps, I'd say HPD is having plenty of its resources diverted to the car break-ins and burglaries and such there (Kingwood).

Edited September 3, 2007 by BrewsterMcCloud

[PureAuteur]

Maybe in some places around the world black does not equal ghetto. Here however, how do you explain: 3rd Ward, 5th Ward, Kashmere Gardens, Denver Harbor, South Inwood, Acres Homes, Independence Heights, South Union, South Park, Sunnyside, ALL the apartments on the southwest side in neighborhoods like Forum Place, Gulfton, Westwood, Aleif - and along streets like Hilcroft, Fondren, Gessner, Wilcrest, Kirkwood, Synott, Harwin, Bellaire, Beechnut, Bissonnet, Bellfort, & West Airport?

Those are all predominantly black neighborhoods, and they are all ghetto. At what point can we put down policital correctness so that we may call things as they are?

FYI Jew's made up the first ghettos in the middle ages.

Are you saying Kingwood residents aren't allowed to vote in public elections concerning the City of Houston?

I know what you mean Jeebus, and I'm sure others on here get it as well. They would just rather make a racial issue of it for no good reason. Everyone has seen upper class blacks and middle class blacks on tv and likely in person as well, so hopefully nobody is really ignorant enough to think that all blacks are ghetto, but for the purposes of the Greater Houston area socio-ethnic map, black areas, with a few exceptions, tend to be lower class, or tend to cause areas that started out nice (i.e. Inwood Forest area/Alief/Westfield/East side of Spring) to decline. Of course, for example, if a black middle class family moves into the East side of Spring off Aldine-Westfield, they do not contribute to decline, but more to white re-locating. It's just the natural way that ethnic groups prefer to be around their own kind in bedroom communities.

[PureAuteur]

I'm actually in favor of the city de-annexing large parcels of land way outside the loop, perhaps even allowing places like Kingwood or Clear Lake to form their own municipalities.

They would lose tax revenue but they would also not have to pretend to provide services for those places.

I never understood the purpose of annexing that far out. Kingwood is beyond 1960, which, at the time of annexation, was still considered far out of town. Much of close-in NW Houston is not even COH, but unincorporated Harris County with MUDs. How can they not annex an area that is inside the Beltway 8 (Fairbanks N. Houston, Gessner, Windfern), yet they annex an area that is beyond 1960? I guess the close-in NW areas are not valuable enough to the city, but attractive to people who want low taxes, so the status quo remains. I guess Houston will always be a strange city with no zoning and asymmetrical annexations.

[mrfootball]

I never understood the purpose of annexing that far out.

Answer: Lee Brown was/is an idiot.

Edited September 3, 2007 by mrfootball