Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers At 1902 Westheimer Rd.

[hysinger]

I was driving down Westheimer tonight and noticed a "Variance Request" sign in front of the old Martha Turner building at the corner of Westheimer and Hazard. The name on the sign indicated the development was called "One Origin Center". Has anyone heard anything about this?

[Jax]

Sounds interesting. Which building is this again? Is it the grey colored abandoned building around there?

[hysinger]

Sounds interesting. Which building is this again? Is it the grey colored abandoned building around there?

That is the one - directly acrosss the street from the former Dietrichs. I didn't have a chance to drive around the block to see if other parcels of land are included, such as adjoining houses. I'll try and do that tomorrow.

On a related note, is there anyway to view Variance reqeusts online at the City of Houston website?

[Jax]

Awesome. That part of Westheimer has a lot of potential to turn into something really cool (it already is a cool area around there). This is very exciting if its actually going to be developed.

[dguet]

You beat me to the punch. I too was interested in what anyone might know about the variance request. Please let me know if you find anything out; I live just a few blocks away.

PS Didn't notice that any other properties were involved.

[sidegate]

Cool! I posted on another thread asking about this - thanks for the info. I agree with Jax, that strip has a lot of potential. With the new apartments going in, I wonder how long the storage place and the 99 cent store will hold out. Hopefully they will keep the zero setback to be consistent with the properties just to the east (e.g. Paulie's). Is the variance request for zero setback or will that be grandfathered in?

[capnmcbarnacle]

Cool! I posted on another thread asking about this - thanks for the info. I agree with Jax, that strip has a lot of potential. With the new apartments going in, I wonder how long the storage place and the 99 cent store will hold out. Hopefully they will keep the zero setback to be consistent with the properties just to the east (e.g. Paulie's). Is the variance request for zero setback or will that be grandfathered in?

I'm really curious about this one too. I think they can grandfather the setback if they use part of the old building. They really have the chance to do something cool and set a precedent along with the new building between Woodhead and Dunlavy.

I think the oak farms storage will be there for the long haul, as a lot of locals need extra place to put their stuff. And the guy that started the 99 cent stores had a great idea -- he puts them in upscale neighborhoods. The logic is that rich people will shop there but won't go to a bad neighborhod to shop. Poor folks will travel to a rich neighborhood to shop. He gets em all.

Keep your fingers crossed on this one.

[Jax]

I think the oak farms storage will be there for the long haul, as a lot of locals need extra place to put their stuff. And the guy that started the 99 cent stores had a great idea -- he puts them in upscale neighborhoods. The logic is that rich people will shop there but won't go to a bad neighborhod to shop. Poor folks will travel to a rich neighborhood to shop. He gets em all.

I actually shop at the 99 cents store on Westheimer sometimes because the one in my hood (Almeda and Sothmore area) always has people begging out front and you can't go there without being hit up for spare change. So, I can kind of see where this guy is coming from. Even though its not in my neighborhood, I am more likely to shop there than the one in my hood.

[sidegate]

I think the oak farms storage will be there for the long haul, as a lot of locals need extra place to put their stuff.

Storage places like that should go along the freeway where no-one lives - still reasonably convenient for the neighborhoods but leaves space in neighborhoods for for more sociable land uses. That storage place is unspeakably ugly.

[Jax]

Gotta love no zoning...

[hysinger]

I have uncovered a little more info regarding this Variance:

It is on the January 3 planning commision agenda

The submitter is Vernon G. Henry & Associates which is apprently a planning firm

The owner of the land is listed as 1902 Westheimer, L.P. & Demo Costa Pr

I have requested a copy of the application via email - when I get more info I'll post it to this board.

Chris

[KatieDidIt]

I have uncovered a little more info regarding this Variance:

It is on the January 3 planning commision agenda

The submitter is Vernon G. Henry & Associates which is apprently a planning firm

The owner of the land is listed as 1902 Westheimer, L.P. & Demo Costa Pr

I have requested a copy of the application via email - when I get more info I'll post it to this board.

Chris

Where do you find the information on variances? I noticed one went up today just south of Lakeside County Club. I find this odd because those units don't seem to be the Katrina Haven that the other complexes a little father down are. I'm wondering what's up with this one.

[hysinger]

Where do you find the information on variances? I noticed one went up today just south of Lakeside County Club. I find this odd because those units don't seem to be the Katrina Haven that the other complexes a little father down are. I'm wondering what's up with this one.

If it is in the City of Houston, you can go to the Planning Commission Agenda at the Houston Planning Commission. You then click on the "View Planning Commission Meeting Schedule" link and select the meeting date on which the Variance will be considered. You have to know the meeting date, which is listed on the Variance Notice Sign posted at the property. The meeing agenda will have item numbers for each issue to be considered, and you can submit a request to have the application for the item you are interested in emailed to you. I have only done this once (today) and I am still waiting on the email, so I don't know what the turn around time is. Not the most user friendly and open means of conveying this information, but I guess it is better than nothing.

Alternatively, you can call 311 and request the information, or I would assume go to the Planning Commission and ask them in person.

I would like to not that the meeting agendas don't seem to be available until about two weeks prior to the meeting date.

I hope this helps.

chris

[texassilver]

looks like they finally posted the request on the planning commision website.

i have attached a copy of the request......

[KinkaidAlum]

That looks fairly promising. Keep the existing building and add an addition and a garage. Ground floor retail in the old building and new addition and office space above. Garage entrance on Hazard rather than Westheimer. Add windows to the Westheimer streetfront for the retail space.

I hope this goes through. It could really help unite the nicest stretch of Westheimer IMO.

[hysinger]

looks like they finally posted the request on the planning commision website.

i have attached a copy of the request......

This looks interesting - thanks for posting the application to the forum. The City of Houston has yet to respond to my request for the application via their web based request system.

CLH

[dbigtex56]

Moved thread into new Deed Restrictions, Variances, and Permits subsection.

What do those seven small circular shapes on the Westheimer side represent? They're too small to be trees... aren't they?

[largeTEXAS]

Still working out the exact design, but the developer is aiming to create a ground-breaking infill development that is cutting-edge while blending well with the neighborhood. The retail should also be a great addition to the neighborhood..

Edited December 31, 2007 by largeTEXAS

[kylejack]

Moved thread into new Deed Restrictions, Variances, and Permits subsection.

What do those seven small circular shapes on the Westheimer side represent? They're too small to be trees... aren't they?

Looks like outdoor tables for a restaurant to me.

[dbigtex56]

Still working out the exact design, but the developer is aiming to create a ground-breaking infill development that is cutting-edge while blending well with the neighborhood. The retail should also be a great addition to the neighborhood..

Glad he's retaining the existing building; my understanding is that if it were to be demolished, any new structure would have to be moved further back on the lot. Another successful example would be Katz's Deli, which could not have been rebuilt in its current configuration if the existing building had been demolished.

[sidegate]

keeping the zero foot setback - huzzah! now, hopefully there'll be some cool retail coming in - maybe a Diedrich's? :-)

Edited January 1, 2008 by sidegate

[texassilver]

keeping the zero foot setback - huzzah! now, hopefully there'll be some cool retail coming in - maybe a Diedrich's? :-)

Hello everyone. I figured I would check the Planning Commission website to see if there were any updates.

It looks like the item has been deferred at the past two meetings. I also found that the applicant added pictures this time around (the Jan 31st meeting). I have attached them as an adobe file.

The pictures are pretty fuzzy but if you look in the lower left corner (by the bikes) there appears to be a Green Bank. It looks like the architect on this project is the Mirador Group http://www.miradorgroup.com/. They apparently designed the former Deidrich's space.

Off topic, but does anyone know why Mandell was blocked off from Westheimer to (almost) Fairview last night?

[Jax]

I don't think your attachment worked... at least I don't see it.

[texassilver]

I don't think your attachment worked... at least I don't see it.

Sorry about that. I just realized that it rejected the file because it was too big.

Any ideas? It is only a two page file.....

Well, here is one of the two pages.

origin1.pdf

Edited January 29, 2008 by texassilver

[OkieEric]

Sorry about that. I just realized that it rejected the file because it was too big.

Any ideas? It is only a two page file.....

Well, here is one of the two pages.

Jan 31st meeting agenda shows it was approved - was approval here really that big of a hurdle?

From those grainy sketches, this looks like a bigger project than I had envisioned

[sidegate]

is that a brick facade? If so I like it.

[capnmcbarnacle]

is that a brick facade? If so I like it.

There is a new chainlink fence up and it looks like the are starting prelimnary demo work on he house and old apartment complex along Hazard. I'm anxious to see how this goes.

ADMIN: Can you move this back to Montrose or maybe Going Up?

[woolie]

I stopped going to this area after Diedrich's was forced out of their space. That was one of the worst days of my life. Winlow Place and anyone connected to it is dead to me.

[sidegate]

I stopped going to this area after Diedrich's was forced out of their space. That was one of the worst days of my life. Winlow Place and anyone connected to it is dead to me.

As a Winlow Place subdivision resident I take exception to that. WP residents, me included, weren't exactly doing cartwheels over the loss of Diedrich's.

[woolie]

As a Winlow Place subdivision resident I take exception to that. WP residents, me included, weren't exactly doing cartwheels over the loss of Diedrich's.

I mean the building and its owners, not the subdivision.