More Sprawl Planned In Northwest Houston

[Guest danax]

From the January 31, 2005 print edition

Residential Real Estate Beat

Four Parcels of Northwest Land Sold for Housing Developments

Allison Wollam

Houston Business Journal

Four new residential communities are sprouting up from separate segments of land in northwest Houston.

NewQuest Properties has sold four parcels totaling more than 1,000 acres in separate transactions, says Jeff Lokey, executive vice president of brokerage with the company. Lokey brokered all four deals.

The proposed projects include:

Cypress Lake Crossing, a 600-acre development at Telge and Boudreaux roads, marks one of the largest land assemblages in the Tomball area for new home development, says Lokey.

The project will consist of 1,500 lots, with Royce Homes on board to build in the new community.

Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2006.

Royce Homes spokesman Gary Latz says it's too early in the project to speculate on the size or price of the homes.

Northcrest Village, located on Kuykendahl Road and FM 2920, is expected to begin construction this year.

The 225-acre development will feature 720 lots. D.R. Horton and Beazer Homes have signed on to build in the new community.

Home prices are expected to range from $120,000 to $200,000.

Twelve Oaks, 175 acres located off FM 2878 north of FM 2920, is also in the early stages of planning.

Lokey says 150 lots will be available in the first phase of the project, and builders will soon be announced.

Pine Trace, 170 acres on FM 2920 at Stuebner Airline, will consist of 600 new home lots over five phases of development.

Lennar Homes will be the builder, with homes priced in the $150,000 range.

"These sales indicate a continued strong residential market," says Lokey.

Lokey notes that he also has several offers pending on additional tracts in the area.

He adds that land in northwest Houston is being sought because it lies in the direction of the city's growth.

"There's more undeveloped land out there now than you can find in any other parts of town," Lokey says.

The Woodlands sees home sales dip

Overall home sales in The Woodlands last year were down 7 percent from 2003.

Sales of new homes and lots in the community north of Houston reached 1,328 for the year.

Tim Welbes, senior vice president of residential for The Woodlands Development Co., attributes the decline in sales to the Harper's Landing neighborhood nearing completion. In the past three years, Harper's Landing has generated nearly 300 home sales annually.

The Woodlands has watched year-over-year home sales decline in three of the last four years as some of the larger neighborhoods in the master-planned community have begun to reach maturity.

But Welbes believes 2005 sales will be spurred by a surge in urban residential living along The Woodlands Waterway.

The Woodlands plans to launch several new neighborhoods and new residential products and builders this year.

Houston-area newcomer Wilshire Homes, a homebuilder in the San Antonio and Austin markets since 1987, has begun building in the Terramont area of The Woodlands' Village of Sterling Ridge.

Builders Exchange maps out planroom

In an effort to increase the level of topical news available to the Houston construction industry, The Builders' Exchange of Texas has opened a planroom at 3910 Kirby.

The room houses more than 80 different local construction plans and includes a scanner and a plotter.

The room is available to members of The Builders' Exchange of Texas, Associated Builders and Contractors and the American Subcontractor Association.

awollam@bizjournals.com • 713-960-5936

[pineda]

Northcrest Village, located on Kuykendahl Road and FM 2920, is expected to begin construction this year.

The 225-acre development will feature 720 lots. D.R. Horton and Beazer Homes have signed on to build in the new community.

This development is being built by developer/realtor Ronnie Matthews of Ronnie & Cathy Matthews of Remax in Northwest Houston. They are knowingly building out this subdivision in the planned "Preferred Recommended Alignment" of Segment F-2 of the Grand Parkway. Their builders, D.R. Horton and Beazer are knowingly building homes right in the midst of the planned route of Segment F-2 of the Grand Parkway. Let's hope that the potential homebuyers looking at Northcrest Village for a D.R. Horton or Beazer home realize that this information will not be passed on to them from either the developer, Ronnie Matthews or the builders, D.R. Horton or Beazer. Let's hope these potential homebuyers do their homework and research the property on which their new home will be built. The Grand Parkway Association has these maps on the website, www.grandpky.com and learn the truth for themselves.

[houstonsemipro]

I wouldn't call it sprawl. I call it life. Buildings more homes is great for people looking for a house or an apartment. People drive into houston to shop for new homes, and I think their doing a great job buildings homes, townhouses, apartments where it is needed.

[pineda]

I wouldn't call it sprawl. I call it life. Buildings more homes is great for people looking for a house or an apartment. People drive into houston to shop for new homes, and I think their doing a great job buildings homes, townhouses, apartments where it is needed.

This is sprawl, by the simple definition that people are NOT driving into Houston, they are driving OUT of Houston, looking for new homes.

[jt16]

This is America. Where you're free to live how and where you want.

[pineda]

never said it wasn't...

[Lowbrow]

This is America.  Where you're free to live how and where you want.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where did that come from?

[Talbot]

People like this are no good for a city and its people. All they are trying to do is make a quick buck, and they don't care how it will affect anyone. Especially if they are building purposely right in the planned Segment F-2.

And I know this is Houston, but they do not help a city trying to turn itself around by building more suburban homes.

Too bad we can't ban pre-fab housing like Dallas.

[houstonsemipro]

It's apart of houston metro. So what.

[pineda]

It's apart of houston metro.

Not sure what the "it" is here.

If "it" means "sprawl" is a part of Houston Metro, and you're okay with that idea, then so be it.

If "it" means "Spring, Tx." is a part of Houston Metro, then this really isn't true. We are governed by Harris County Commissioner's Court, not Mayor White who actually does govern Metro Houston. This has always been part of the problem in the county is we have very little representation. Precinct 4 which covers Kingwood to Spring only has one representative, Jerry Eversole, who is on his last legs these days and already got one of his feet out the door. Perhaps if we did have Mayor White looking out for us, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in with rampant over-development of cookie-cutter future slums neighborhoods and clear-cutting everything in sight. It really is a different world, and it's really not Houston Metro.

[UrbaNerd]

Condemn it! If we are going to sprawl, at least sprawl with quality stuff, not this below 200,000 crap!

[tw2ntyse7en]

...

[pineda]

Wow, you make it sound so easy! Just how does one start a process to incorporate a town that has no mayor, no city hall, no chamber of commerce, no city council, no anything? How did Friendswood do it, 27?

[jm1fd]

Too bad we can't ban pre-fab housing like Dallas.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What's wrong with pre-fab? It is the same materials and techniques, just done in a controlled environment.....

[Talbot]

Ok maybe banning it all together is a bit of a stretch, but in Houston it certainly isn't controlled. unless controlled is acre upon acre of cookie cutter housing.

[houstonsemipro]

Still, whatever happens in Spring, Kingwood, Woodlands, Sugarland, etc effects Houston. In news somewhere else they not going to say Woodlands, they going to say Houston then the subburb where it happen. But anyway, who cares. They building this stuff all over america, and y'all crying like somebody took y'all candy.

[pineda]

y'all crying like somebody took y'all candy.

ROTFLMAO!

[kjb434]

Wether or not the house is under 200k or over 500k, the essentials of the home or the same especially if a developer is doing it. The quality of the home is purely based on the builder themselves.

It is also important to know that a 150k home out in spring or cypress would cost around 250k or 300k in the loop even though nothing in the house has changed.

I'm buying a patio home just off TC Jester by I-10 for 182K with 1463 sq-ft. For the same amount of money, I can get a 2500 sq-ft home out in the suburbs with the same or less taxes.

As for developers build near the alignment of the Grand Parkway. This planned from the very beginning. They know the parkway is going to be there and it is actually a selling point for many buyers. With HCTRA potentially building this segment of the parkway, it conceivable to have a tollway in 3 or 4 years. I'm currently working on a drainage study in Brazoria county for 1500+ acres that is on SH288 between Pearland and Angleton. The acreage is right next to where the southern stretch of the Grand Parkway will intersect with SH288.

Is all this called sprawl? Yes. Is it all really bad? Maybe not. Everyone talks about how people move out in the suburbs and drive into Houston (either downtown or uptown) to work. With as much development that has occured out in the burbs, not all those people (even if its just one person in the household) drive into downtown or uptown. A large part of traffic problems in the burbs is suburb to suburb traffic. Either for shopping or working. The first attempt to handle this back in the sixties was the I-610 loop. This free was an attempt to handle suburb to suburb traffic and to allow a bypass for hazardous cargo and through traffic around downtown. Years later the Beltway was built to handle this same scenario. Suburbs built out to the Beltway and in some area beyond. The beltway was built to facility mainly suburb to suburb traffic. Hazardous cargo has limited accessibility to the expressway portions of the beltway. The Grandparkway is just the next scenario. It is an attempt to handle suburb to suburb traffic that has developed from suburbs that exist outside the beltway and beyond the future grandparkway.

It seems from this explanation that the region can keep building more and more rings are portions of new rings, but there is a breaking point. There will be a poing where development out on I-10W, US-290W, SH-249N, I-45N and S, and US-59N will slow down and almost cease because people just won't buy homes that far out unless there work is closer out there. This meanse that development will move and continue on US-59S near Rosenberg, SH-288S in Brazoria, and even on I-10E. When the point in time comes the most of the acreage out on the outlying areas that is deemed developable and has been developed, the move will be to move inward and redevelop more of the inner beltway and inner loop areas. It is a cycle. Currently many inner loop areas are under intense redevelopment and densification. The next area is the regions just outside of the loop to beltway be redeveloped. This cycle will continue as long as Houston's economy keeps is steady diversified slow growth pace. We're no longer a one industry city. Our diversified economy is insuring slow growth.

And an important last note, I really get agitated when people just start attacking developers. Developer are businessmen and are only responding to demand. It people won't buy homes that were built on a cleared forest and now have a few small twigs in there yards as trees, then the developer won't sell them. The woodlands has seen a slump in homes sales primarily because of location. Demand is there for the homes, but not those homes. Most of the Woodlands can easily get to I-45 and head south on I-45 or the Hardy Toll Road, but the newest areas of the Woodlands are a good 5 to 6 miles from I-45 or further. It is a little far to comute to get to the freeway to finish your commute. The Woodlands orginally antipated that their downtown area would be home to more office buildings so they can support the homes that are on the edge of the Woodlands. Eventhough the Woodlands sees a drop, just west of I-45 of the Woodlands developers are selling homes as fast as they can building. Many people are buy preconstruction homes out there and just have to wait until it's finished.

Understanding the cycle of development in large freeway based urban centers allows me to accept the sprawl as a part of life. Who knows in 100 years, the density of the region just inside the beltway could be what we are seeing in the Inner-loop area that are being redeveloped.

[GovernorAggie]

so who are the best/worst builders in Houston?

[Guest danax]

It seems from this explanation that the region can keep building more and more rings are portions of new rings, but there is a breaking point.  There will be a poing where development out on I-10W, US-290W, SH-249N, I-45N and S, and US-59N will slow down and almost cease because people just won't buy homes that far out unless there work is closer out there.  This meanse that development will move and continue on US-59S near Rosenberg, SH-288S in Brazoria, and even on I-10E.  When the point in time comes the most of the acreage out on the outlying areas that is deemed developable and has been developed, the move will be to move inward and redevelop more of the inner beltway and inner loop areas.  It is a cycle.  Currently many inner loop areas are under intense redevelopment and densification.  The next area is the regions just outside of the loop to beltway be redeveloped.  This cycle will continue as long as Houston's economy keeps is steady diversified slow growth pace.  We're no longer a one industry city.  Our diversified economy is insuring slow growth.

Understanding the cycle of development in large freeway based urban centers allows me to accept the sprawl as a part of life.  Who knows in 100 years, the density of the region just inside the beltway could be what we are seeing in the Inner-loop area that are being redeveloped.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree that sprawl is inevitable here with such huge tracts of undeveloped land still available. The sooner that all of this open land is either developed or preserved, ie; rendered not available, the sooner the inner city areas will become more valuable and that means more of the kinds of nice, artistic amenities that we all talk about and seem to want.

The natural limits to the sprawl will be, as klb434 mentions, determined by commute times mainly. In Los Angeles in the 80s, I saw the same kind of sprawl taking place 2-3 hour commutes from CBD, so apparently people will tolerate not having a life in order to have the American dream. I haven't kept up with the latest developments in LA but I would imagine that gentrification has increased a lot in the last 15 years as those tolerance limits have been reached.

Traffic here hasn't gotten to the horrible level yet, which I suppose is a tribute to our freeway system (?). When it starts to be bumper to bumper from 1960 to Downtown every single day during rush hour, then sprawl out that way will slow down and the inner-beltway will get much more attractive.

[GovernorAggie]

I agree, and the existing activity centers that already exist (Uptown, Greenspoint, Westchase, etc.) will also see much more growth and demand as self-sufficient centers of business, residences, and commercial uses.

However, the central part of Houston will remain preeminent due to the advantages of having options such as sports and entertainment.

[N Judah]

Well, L.A.'s expansion is somewhat limited by mountains and the ocean. Houston could grow outwards forever, except to the southeast.

About the homes being built in Spring: I don't think they'd be built if the Grand Parkway weren't there. Like the guy said, it is apparently even a selling point. Ever notice how the freeways come first, and then the development? I was driving down the Grand Parkway (or since it's not fully freeway-ized yet, Hwy 99) from Katy to Sugarland and it's all empty fields and one prison. In ten years it'll all be houses and Taco Bells, probably right up to the walls of the prison.

I don't think Houston is an organic city at all...I think it's subsidized to the teeth in favor of suburban real estate developers...

[pineda]

This development is being built by developer/realtor Ronnie Matthews of Ronnie & Cathy Matthews of Remax in Northwest Houston. They are knowingly building out this subdivision in the planned "Preferred Recommended Alignment" of Segment F-2 of the Grand Parkway. Their builders, D.R. Horton and Beazer are knowingly building homes right in the midst of the planned route of Segment F-2 of the Grand Parkway. Let's hope that the potential homebuyers looking at Northcrest Village for a D.R. Horton or Beazer home realize that this information will not be passed on to them from either the developer, Ronnie Matthews or the builders, D.R. Horton or Beazer. Let's hope these potential homebuyers do their homework and research the property on which their new home will be built. The Grand Parkway Association has these maps on the website, www.grandpky.com and learn the truth for themselves.

As for developers (who) build near the alignment of the Grand Parkway, this (was) planned from the very beginning. They (the developers) know the parkway is going to be there and it is actually a selling point for many buyers.

My point was, in case it was missed, that yes, the developers may be aware of where the Grand Parkway is slated to go. However, the homeowners may NOT be so fortunate or aware or lucky or view it as a selling point when they will not be told of the Grand Parkway plan or shown it on a subdivision map. They will just get to find out about it after they move it and the developer and builders have moved out. They'll just figure it out when they get a letter from HCTRA or TxDOT or the Grand Parkway Association informing them that they will either need to take the buyout amount offered to them or face condemnation proceedings. But, hey, what am I talking about here? Caveat emptor, right guys? Go developers, go screw over the homebuyers, sleep tight. Who cares, sprawl is inevitable, right? Why fight city hall? Why bother doing anything AT ALL about anything at all? Wouldn't want to ruffle any engineer's feathers, now would I?

[kjb434]

The developers are building there subdivisions to be along the parkway but not in the way of it. HCTRA will avoid having to buyout any homes for cost reasons.

The developers will avoid building within the alignment just like in HCMUD 368 at Boudreaux and SH 249. If you look at an aerial photo, property (tax) maps, and the primary proposed alignment; developers built around the alignment.

I have worked on 4 developments between Spring and Tomball along the F-2 alignment. Every project had to consider the placement of the Grand Parkway to avoid placing future homes in the proposed path. The developers (at least our clients) do not want to build homes in the pathway of the Grand Parkway because they worry it will not sell. The developer gives the buyer the benefit of the doubt that they know the Grand Parkway is being built and that they would buy house that will have to be demolished only a few years later.

Also remember, a HCTRA toll road is much more flexible in its alignment unlike TxDOT freeways. A tollway can produce a sharp turn with a low speed limit. TxDOT has to maintain a minimal spreed on freeways unless it is in a crowded urban setting. This requires broads curves and gentle slopes in th road.

I don't like the scare tactics that HCTRA is coming in and tearing out these new homes without consideration. It is simply not true. The cost in tearing out an existing home is not just cost of a bulldozer. It involves cost of disposal and re-configuing any utility lines (power, water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer) so that it can still serve the nearby residents. The can run construction costs much higher than the bonds and other funding sources HCTRA would pull out for construction. Even though the road will be tolled, HCTRA still has to pay for it with something before it starts collecting any tolls.

[pineda]

I have worked on 4 developments between Spring and Tomball along the F-2 alignment.

Which ones?

[kjb434]

The developments I have worked on are as follows:

Stonepine (Boudreaux @ Hufsmith-Korhville)

Willow Falls (immediately west of Stonepine)

Northpoint East (just south of the proposed Grand Parkway F-2 Alignments and Bodreaux Road. South of Stonpine and Willow Falls.)

Forest Ridge (under design now, located north of Spring-Stuebner just east of Falvel Road wich is future extension of Ella)

Parkside (under design now, located south of Spring Stuebner just west of Falvel Road)

Fox Tract (Early Development, this tract will have the proposed alignment cutting through it if the developer follows through, as part of our feasiblity process we will probably realize that this tract should not be developed, it is located just east of the Klien Ballpark between the railroad tract and Spring Stuebner)

[pineda]

Fox Tract (Early Development, this tract will have the proposed alignment cutting through it if the developer follows through, as part of our feasiblity process we will probably realize that this tract should not be developed, it is located just east of the Klien Ballpark between the railroad tract and Spring Stuebner)

Would this developer you mentioned be Betz or Lokey?

[kjb434]

I haven't dealt with the developer directly yet on this one. I'll have to get in touch with our project manager for this tract for the client name. It may very will be one of them. The names don't sound familiar from our list of normal developer clients. Maybe a new one.

The status right of the project is the collection of proposals from each department of the company for different aspects of the project. The proposals will give the client an estimate for the total cost of feasibility and expected cost of engineering fees for our work. I'm from the hydraulic and hydrology portion. I primarily handle drainage but i have to keep abrest of the aspects of the project to ensure my drainage concepts will still be funtional and feasible. Once the client accepts the proposal, we will be able to move forward with work.

With the proposed alignment slicing through the tract, i see it maybe heading off to a commercial and/or apartment development, but i'll have to wait and see.

Typically, at this point in the game the developer hasn't event bought the land. We will tell him if the land is even feasible to build on. The cost of the giving up the land for the grandparkway may hinder the initial costs and potential profits from the tract.

It could also make drainage cost skyrocket. I'll keep you posted.

[pineda]

Finally, some "news I can use". Thank you very much!

[H-Town Man]

Incorporate and impower yourself. As long as you and all the other county supported neighborhoods are not incorporated, then you have no power to influence things where you live. Look what happened to Kingwood & Clearlake. Friendswood incorporated to keep the COH from annexing them and they are doing much better than they would on just county support.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can't incorporate anything inside Harris County. The City of Houston has Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction, which dates back to the sixties when Houston threatened to annex the whole county, and prevents either any new cities from forming or any existing cities in the county from enlarging (besides Houston).