Old Seabrook District

[texan]

The City of Seabrook is in the process of developing a plan to develop the Old Seabrook District into a "Livable Center". 

Looks like the consensus is either stay the same or more development. Hoping to see this develop into a more urban area. That part of town needs an urban center to give the community as a whole a gathering place instead of just endless suburbia.

[hindesky]

Going to need stilts or wading boots plus everything built up high. I used to ride on Toddville all the time and a high tide covers some of the roads.

[zaphod]

This is a crazy idea, but Seabrook and Bacliff seem to have a critical mass of stilt houses to make it viable and so do areas of Galveston Island...

A private pay parking lot that's elevated on reinforced concrete piers bored deep into the ground, above the highest known storm surge level. Catering to residents who live in stilt houses whose homes will survive a flood but whose cars won't. It would be located in neighborhoods like this so people could walk home after dropping off their car a few hours before the storm hits.

Alternatively buy a lot in Montgomery or Willis or somewhere that's usually OK during a Hurricane and people can subscribe to move their vehicle and schedule courtesy shuttle van pickups whenever there's a storm warning.

[wilcal]

I went and watched the public meeting on Youtube from a few months ago and it is pretty cool that HGAC helps fund these studies. 

This is what they end up with when the plan comes out:

It is interesting to see such a small-scale rezoning proposal, mostly because you can look at the entirety of the project. 

The proposed "more commercial" shot above involves switching over four mostly whole blocks (SW of Main) and four partial blocks (NE of Main) to commercial. 

The four main blocks already already has a bunch of commercial stuff in it including a little strip center: 

 

The other side is kind of laughable. A church is 1/4 of it, 1/4 is probably owned by the USPS, 1/4 is developed, so that leaves 1/4 down on the end by the Bed & Breakfast by the water:

 

[wilcal]

Sorry, just saw this but, lol. "We just want a Heights by the water with golf carts. Is that so much to ask?"

[X.R.]

Really shows you that whatever is happening in the Heights is being done in a way that is appealing with a broad audience if its resonating with the residents of Seabrook (sort of in a "if it appeals to them, it appeals to anyone" thing). 

Some people, in my professional experience and personally observed, like to paint the "Live Work Play" thing as millennial. But Seabrook residents are not typically millennial-aged. So its cool to see that desire make its way throughout Houston, both via age and location. 

[wilcal]

19 hours ago, X.R. said:

Really shows you that whatever is happening in the Heights is being done in a way that is appealing with a broad audience if its resonating with the residents of Seabrook (sort of in a "if it appeals to them, it appeals to anyone" thing). 

Some people, in my professional experience and personally observed, like to paint the "Live Work Play" thing as millennial. But Seabrook residents are not typically millennial-aged. So its cool to see that desire make its way throughout Houston, both via age and location. 

I honestly wish that there was a deeper conversation here to find out more. My guess is that it is the renovated historical home/district aspect and not the availability of Warby Parker/Lululemon/8th Row Flint/Coltivare kind of retail and restaurant experience. How often are Seabrook residents even going to the Heights? Basically, is it just some romanticized view? I would think that Galveston would be a better corollary. I also don't see any historical homes in Old Town Seabrook and new builds are all on stilts. 

I do agree that it is nice to see an older group of residents embracing the Live Work Play thing. There is definitely a lot of work to be done here. I don't see a single sidewalk, but city ROW clearly pretty tiny considering the width of some of the streets.

Will be interesting to see what the final report says. I didn't know H-GAC had this program and it was interesting to look at some other completed ones.