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Big Plans For The West Side


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Frank Liu of InTown/Lovett Homes - vague plans for the west side from the Chronicle:

A high-end home builder is planning three residential developments that could bring as many as 1,255 single-family homes to the city.

The proposed projects, valued at nearly $300 million altogether, lie north of Interstate 10, stretching from inside the 610 Loop to just west of the Sam Houston Tollway.

The developer, Frank Liu of InTown Homes, has been negotiating with the city of Houston to be re-imbursed for up to $20 million in public infrastructure improvements he plans to make to the sites, which will contain homes priced from around $200,000 to more than $500,000. Liu also builds luxury homes and townhomes under the name Lovett Homes.

The deal would be part of a statewide program called a 380 agreement that allows the city to grant or loan local tax revenue for economic development purposes. Andy Icken, the city's chief development officer, said it's a tool that can jump-start development and encourage investment in today's weaker economy.

"Residential projects are not flourishing in Houston right now," Icken said. "Our feeling was if we give a little bit of help to reinvest taxes in public infrastructure, that will be enough to kick-start it."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7170118.html

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That should be interesting, given how hard it is to get out of that area now when there's any traffic.

Calling it Cottage Grove isn't a stretch, that area IS Cottage Grove

I hope the buyers understand that the train yard is active. They will love seeing the circus train there.

I wonder where the area map came from. The Stanley streets to the North of the train yard don't exist.

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I was going to ask about the railroad yard there... when are they going to remove it?

I don't see that happening anytime soon. With a combination of NIMBY's, land costs, and environmental regulations and forms, it would be just too costly to up and move. The rail system will hold on to every inch of land they can unless it is profitable to give it up.

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well, they plan on changing the drainage patterns, the ditch will drain from the new TXDOT building (IH10 and Washington) and swing all of that flow to Eureka through the railroad yard eventually to White Oak Bayou.

The railroad separating that intersection from Cottage Grove is at a 60-foot elevation, but the feeders are at an elevation ranging from 50 feet to 56 feet...above a trenched freeway at 38 feet. (Source: TSARP) If water levels are so high to the west and south of the railroad tracks that they fill the freeway and crest over the tracks, don't you think that the ditch might be helpful as a diversion canal or even just as additional water retention?

The other thing to consider is that under most circumstances, Cottage Grove will flood only if the rain is falling way up in northwest Houston, affecting the entire White Oak Bayou watershed. Under those circumstances, White Oak Bayou floods and the trench has no effect except as minor stormwater detention. If the rain is falling extremely hard in the area of 610 and I-10, then sheet flow (if there are new pipes below-grade) would be diverted to White Oak Bayou via Cottage Grove, but only in a quantity commensurate with the throughput of a pipe beneath the tracks, which is probably less than the throughput of the trench.

So what's your beef?

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Vibrating beds will be the norm

But if you're a younger couple, it might be a bit of fun. Hell, it might even rejuvenate an older couple's relationship. :)

I hope it's soon. I've had it with all these railroad trax in the middle of the city. Ugh.

If you don't like the "Trax" in the middle of the city, may I suggest a city without a rail running through it.

Wait.

I don't think I can.

Let me think about the burbs...

Nope. can't think of one, unless you're out in Utah or something.

Try again.

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I hope it's soon. I've had it with all these railroad trax in the middle of the city. Ugh.

The rail was there long before you moved in. The Eureka yard isn't bad. There are not any through trains, and we seldom hear the noise despite living pretty close.

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