Montrose Real Estate

[sevfiv]

permits are issued for that sort of thing - the city of houston parking ordinances are a fright to read, but the information is within - maybe...

http://www.houstontx.gov/codes/chapters41to45.html

[musicman]

what about valets that do it downtown, or especially at Myako (sp?). At Myako, as a car pulls out of a non valet spot the guys run over and put a cone in front, then all of a sudden its valet, WTF....

downtown has valet zones that are clearly marked and are paid for by nearby business. if the space is not marked, you can call the police who used to be amenable to writing tickets for this. This i what the city was trying to prevent went they started the valet zones.

[torvald]

but this is residential. what if... it includes your house? what if

you pulled up the cones in front of your house and parked there.

it is a public street but for that time they have more of a right to

it than you?

it's not a parade or city event.

[dbigtex56]

Owner says she'll raze area eyesore

Home at 2119 Converse vacant for over 10 years

By TOM MANNING

Chronicle Correspondent

The owner of a dilapidated house in Montrose that neighbors have been trying to get torn down for years must demolish it soon, or the city will do it for her.

The building at 2119 Converse has been vacant for more than a decade. Vacant, that is, except for the vermin and vagrants that occasionally call the place home, said Gentry Verner, who lives across from the property at the intersection of Converse and West Drew.

link

From the article:

"Once the developers start to call, the city listens," he said. "All of us have been calling for years, but we got no action at all."

Now, where do people get the notion that developers rule this city?

[musicman]

but this is residential. what if... it includes your house? what if

you pulled up the cones in front of your house and parked there.

it is a public street but for that time they have more of a right to

it than you?

it's not a parade or city event.

like i said earlier, this is one of the things that the city does sell a permit for even in residential areas. And if you hire a band, they'll even sell you a permit for that as well. they coulc care less, it is about money and only becoming more ridiculous.

[Zippy]

Now, where do people get the notion that developers rule this city?

I'm no fan of developers "running the city", but I think owners of property have a responsibilty to take care of their property.

Kudos to mowing this down.

[ricco67]

I'm in the montrose area quite a bit over the past few months and one thing that I noticed is that if you're on a street going SOUTH to richmond, you're almost taking your life in your hands when you're trying to even access that street by car. Doesn't matter if you just need to cross it, turn left or turn right. It's almost like a gamble to do so. I've either witnessed or seen the cleanup of at least 8 accidents in the past few weeks.

Wouldn't it be wise to close off most of those streets and put up a signal at one of them to make it safer? I think making a cul-de-sac of a few of them would be welcomed by a few of the residences, maybe even make them into a mini greenspace.

The same thing should be done on the streets along W. Alabama along with a few places along Westheimer?

In some cases the same hazard exists on all 3 streets off and on all the way to shepherd!

[musicman]

Wouldn't it be wise to close off most of those streets and put up a signal at one of them to make it safer? I think making a cul-de-sac of a few of them would be welcomed by a few of the residences, maybe even make them into a mini greenspace.

No. i sure would be irritated if i lived on the street that remained open cause there would be more traffic. i definitely am against closing streets in general because of the altered traffic patterns.

[infinite_jim]

perhaps some measures could be taken to add visual clearance at these intersections like clearing low hanging tree limbs, signage, etc

[infinite_jim]

but this is residential. what if... it includes your house? what if

you pulled up the cones in front of your house and parked there.

it is a public street but for that time they have more of a right to

it than you?

it's not a parade or city event.

so can they get your car towed? is that legal?

[ricco67]

Well, in a number of the cases there is shrubbery and OLD trees that prohibit proper views. But it seems like quite a bit of the time it's buildings that are pretty up close to the curb (with the fencelines and such).

I've seriously thought of writing down alot of the street hazards in the area and submitting them in a report to the mayor. Montrose makes for some challenging driving as it is, we don't need residences' poor landscaping habits to help with the matter.

congradulations on your 100th post.

[musicman]

so can they get your car towed? is that legal?

you'd get a visit from the police first who would attempt to get your compliance.......if you don't, then it could get ugly. it's all about being a good neighbor.

[sabasushi]

I guess this topic could apply to anyone living any area with trash service by the city of Houston, not just Montrose, but here it goes....

We're getting a little frustrated by all the rules involving residential trash service -- for example, you can only put stuff in the trash can provided by the city. If you have trash overflow (like when you just moved in or forgot to take out the trash the previous week), you can't just leave the extra bags sitting around -- you have to go to a supermarket and buy these so-called "bag tags" which they're always out of. And if you have plenty of empty boxes sitting around....forget it. (I've already given away most of the boxes suitable for packing and moving, but we still have these awkward flat boxes used for unassembled furniture.) I know you can get another trash can for an additional fee but it doesn't make sense for a temporary situation. And forget about so-called heavy trash pick-up -- they will pick furniture and applicances but not flattened boxes. We had called the city about what to do about the boxes, and they had told us to flatten the boxes, tape them together and leave on the curb. We did taht, but the boxes were never picked despite being there for 2 weeks.

Other than illegal dumping (I've seen full trash bags stuffed into trash cans at Memorial Park -- clearly, they weren't from picnics :-) ), are there any alternatives as where you can take the trash? Like when you're going on a trip and can't take out trash for a week and don't want to have all that trash sitting in the garage for a long time, especially during August?

Thanks for letting me vent,

-- Angeli

[MidtownCoog]

we take all our paper products, boxes, etc to our local school:

[sevfiv]

might want to check out the city depositories:

http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/disposal.html

ooh...and the rules:

http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/depository-rules.pdf

[sidegate]

you can use 311 to request additional recycling containers; just flatten your boxes and stick them in there....might take a few weeks if you have a bunch, but it's also the right thing to do environmentally.

as for trash - if you have any single neighbors buy them a bottle of wine and ask if you can use stick it in theirs on trash day; with the lunar landing module-size trash cans they have nowadays there should be plenty of room to spare. as long as it's not happening every week shouldn't be a problem if they are nice neighbors....

[RedScare]

Sorry to hear you are frustrated. I think the City's trash services are one of the things they do best. I have remodeled my house, and the city picked up all of my waste. You just have to read the guidelines carefully. If you have too much trash, get a neighbor to let you put it in their bin. Boxes should be flattened and less than 4 feet long. Place them out with your recycle bin. If you do not want to wait for your pickup day, the dumps are easy to use. Take your DL and a utility bill to prove you are a resident.

The reason for these rules is that non-City residents will leave their trash for city residents to pay to haul off. Also, businesses willput extra strain on the residential pickup. The rules help keep the trash pickup affordable.

Now, I am no city booster, but if you saw the amount of waste my remodel has generated since December that the City has faithfully and efficiently hauled off, you would be singing their praises too. I can't say enough good things about the Solid Waste guys. They rock in my neighborhood. Oh, and they smile back at you too.

[sabasushi]

we take all our paper products, boxes, etc to our local school:

Thanks for the good suggestion! I'll go look for the nearest schools in my neighborhood (I live in Hyde Park).

[sabasushi]

might want to check out the city depositories:

http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/disposal.html

ooh...and the rules:

http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/depository-rules.pdf

Thank you for the suggestions. My, the rules look like something you'd use for the security check-through at airports. :-)

[sabasushi]

Sorry to hear you are frustrated. I think the City's trash services are one of the things they do best. I have remodeled my house, and the city picked up all of my waste. You just have to read the guidelines carefully. If you have too much trash, get a neighbor to let you put it in their bin. Boxes should be flattened and less than 4 feet long. Place them out with your recycle bin. If you do not want to wait for your pickup day, the dumps are easy to use. Take your DL and a utility bill to prove you are a resident.

The reason for these rules is that non-City residents will leave their trash for city residents to pay to haul off. Also, businesses willput extra strain on the residential pickup. The rules help keep the trash pickup affordable.

Now, I am no city booster, but if you saw the amount of waste my remodel has generated since December that the City has faithfully and efficiently hauled off, you would be singing their praises too. I can't say enough good things about the Solid Waste guys. They rock in my neighborhood. Oh, and they smile back at you too.

Thanks for shedding light on this...that explains all the rules. Though it's certianly a little frustrating at times, like when you jsut moved in, or your DL forgot to take out the trash half the times.

[musicman]

i'd have to concur with red here. this service is one of their better ones. if you do know you're going to have a large load, you can plan it for heavy trash OR take it to the dump.

i do ask neighbors if i can place a bag in their can, when necessary and they ask the same of me.

one thing the lady in charge of the dept told our civic club a few weeks ago was never put so much trash in the can that the lid won't close. she said they are NOT responsible for picking up the trash should it fall out of the can before it can be dumped in the truck.

[Seeker]

i'd have to concur with red here. this service is one of their better ones. if you do know you're going to have a large load, you can plan it for heavy trash OR take it to the dump.

i do ask neighbors if i can place a bag in their can, when necessary and they ask the same of me.

one thing the lady in charge of the dept told our civic club a few weeks ago was never put so much trash in the can that the lid won't close. she said they are NOT responsible for picking up the trash should it fall out of the can before it can be dumped in the truck.

Another thing I do, with large unmanagable cardboard boxes, is to leave when out side to get rained on, once they are wet, they are like paper, they can be crushed, easily.

[cottonmather0]

I agree with the OP - I am perpetually frustrated with the garbage collection in my neighborhood. 311 is worthless because there is no accountability. If they don't want to pick something up, they won't, and you are stuck with a load of heavy trash in your front yard. There is no one to call and since they come do this at random times during the day when I'm usually at work there is no one to chase down the street to complain to.

Similarly, a few weeks ago my wife and I generated a LOT of extra trash when we were moving back into our house - 25 bags worth of packing paper and dead tape and bubble wrap, so I went to Fiesta and waited in line for 20 minutes behind people paying their phone bills in cash and sending money to Mexico and shelled out $1 apiece for the bag tags in a transaction that took 30 seconds. I put stickers on the bags and then placed them out on the curb... and as I was leaving for work it was starting to rain. I get home and there are 25 WET garbage bags still sitting on my curb next to my now empty dumpster.

So I called 311.

"I'm sorry sir, maybe there is another truck on the way."

"No ma'am, I have used these tags before, they are picked up by the same guy who dumps the dumpster. He gets out of the truck to load the bags. I just think he didn't want to get out in the rain."

"Oh. Well sir, your case # is _______."

"Great. Is someone going to come pick these bags up today?"

"Oh no sir, it's after 4:00."

"OK, is someone going to come tomorrow?"

"Is tomorrow your regular trash day?"

"No. Today is. That's why the bags are in front of my house TODAY."

"Oh, well then no, they are on a rotation and won't be in your neighborhood tomorrow."

"So when will these bags get picked up?"

"On your next regularly scheduled trash day."

"So why did I even bother calling you?"

"Well sir, I am a customer service representative."

"Is there someone else I can talk to? May I please speak to your supervisor?"

"No sir, I am the only person you can speak to on the telephone. You can contact the department in writing."

So then I hung up.

And the bags sat out there for a week until the next Monday, and on that day, I called in late to work and sat in the house until the garabage truck showed up. And then I walked outside and stood on the dark porch watching. The driver pulled up, dumped the can, then started to pull away, and THEN he saw me standing on the porch and stopped again and loaded the bags.

Yes, I get great city services for my tax dollars.

[musicman]

I agree with the OP - I am perpetually frustrated with the garbage collection in my neighborhood. 311 is worthless because there is no accountability. If they don't want to pick something up, they won't, and you are stuck with a load of heavy trash in your front yard. There is no one to call and since they come do this at random times during the day when I'm usually at work there is no one to chase down the street to complain to.

Similarly, a few weeks ago my wife and I generated a LOT of extra trash when we were moving back into our house - 25 bags worth of packing paper and dead tape and bubble wrap, so I went to Fiesta and waited in line for 20 minutes behind people paying their phone bills in cash and sending money to Mexico and shelled out $1 apiece for the bag tags in a transaction that took 30 seconds. I put stickers on the bags and then placed them out on the curb... and as I was leaving for work it was starting to rain. I get home and there are 25 WET garbage bags still sitting on my curb next to my now empty dumpster.

So I called 311.

311 is different than trash. 311 is definitely useless in this instance. you should have called your councilmember directly and expressed your concern. a call to the dept head from them is more effective...usually. i think the bag tags are a joke personally, they are just another way for the city to make money.

[dbigtex56]

311 is worthless because there is no accountability.

In 311's defense, several months ago I saw my street strewn with trash and the heavy trash truck making a quick getaway. Fortunately I was able to get the truck number and called 311. Within twenty minutes, the truck returned, and the trash was picked up.

[cottonmather0]

In 311's defense, several months ago I saw my street strewn with trash and the heavy trash truck making a quick getaway. Fortunately I was able to get the truck number and called 311. Within twenty minutes, the truck returned, and the trash was picked up.

Well, that's my point. If you had not been there to get the truck number, he would have gotten away and no one would have been the wiser. That's what I mean by no accountability - usually everyone is at work (or busy inside the house) and the truck just does what he wants.

[musicman]

Well, that's my point. If you had not been there to get the truck number, he would have gotten away and no one would have been the wiser. That's what I mean by no accountability - usually everyone is at work (or busy inside the house) and the truck just does what he wants.

for the most recent heavy trash pickup, the driver was asleep in front of my house with the truck running. after 15 mins i reported it ot the councilmember's office and about 15 mins later, he drove off.

[Native Montrosian]

We sent pictures of our emptied recycling bins with half the contents strewn around our yard to the mayor's office with the caption "THIS is one of the reasons why people don't use curbside recycling!" That was over 2 months ago, and we haven't seen any repeat shenanigans to date.

[Scharpe St Guy]

Ok on to the Trash subject.

1. First off I will second that at least my neighborhood trash/heavy trash do a great job in Broadmoor. We have thrown out everything and anything when moving in, renovating, projects, etc... etc... and each time it all gets hauled off completely. I love it!

2. On the last flip house we did I hired a nice guy to haul off assorted trash such as old sewer pipe, dirt, broken brick, pvc pipe, misc trash, etc... each time he charged me $60 to pick up and take away. I would have used my own trailer to go to my local dump transfer station but they have tightened that one down while road work is in progress so that they only accept pickup trucks and no trailers.

3. In regards to trash we have it pretty darn good here in Houston compared to other parts of the country. My parents in Seattle have a tiny trash bin to use once a week along with a few recycling containers to use. If they overfill or if bags are sitting next to the bin then the garbage man will write you up and you will receive a pretty hefty bill in the mail. Forget about heavy trash as well that is not offered, so I will take my large bin and heavy trash once a month and the ability to go to the transfer station to get rid of extra items all for one monthly price.

Regards and if you want the guys name that picked up the rubbish from me just shoot me an email.

Scharpe St Guy

[Original Timmy Chan's]

...all for one monthly price.

Yeah...FREE! I like that price.

Although I've heard that Bill White is looking into instituting a monthly garbage fee in the City of Houston.

As far as my experience with COH garbage service, it's been great. In our neighborhood, the heavy trash guys take anything and everything. I've not seen them leave anything. They pick up remodeling/construction rubbish (not supposed to happen), oversized tree limbs (not supposed to happen), they'll pick up 50 garbage bags of trash (not supposed to happen).

For regular trash pick-up, we don't have any problems. Recently, the garbage man hit our street right at 7 am, and I didn't have my trash out yet. I just put it out on the curb that evening, called 311 and told them they missed our garbage. They said they'd be out the next day to get it, and they were there early the next morning.

I agree with others that COH garbage service is probably the one service that COH does best. Now if they could add a weekly recycling service...