ashbury highrise (Houston, Kirby, Atlanta: apartment complexes, city hall, condos)

[jfre81]

Stopping Ashby high rises since 2007.

[texas7]

I really don't care if they stop it or not. Those residents don't care when their conveniences invade other neighborhoods but want the whole world to care about theirs. I could see if it were a business, rehab joint, bar, etc. that people would complain. Sort of like the people who bought in some of the nice townhomes near Jax Grill on S. Shepherd but demanded that the live music stopped because it was disturbing them -- uh, wasn't that restaurant there with live music well before those homes were.

[jfre81]

If it was there before you came around, deal with it or go somewhere else. And if you want it to be peace and quiet all the time, get out of the city.

[txguy2009]

My God Houston, let's get some zoning. We need more density though.

I know partners at my firm who are opposed to this, it's the wealthy people who want to prevent Houston from evolving, let it go through for god's sake.

If there's more traffic then maybe our public transportation will improve as a result which would be great

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by EEstudent

I was driving through bellaire and then through a small part of W. University...

You were driving thru Southampton. We're part of Houston, not West U.

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

A big, ugly highrise that is going up in the area that will cause traffic headaches. The big, ugly signs have been around over a year now. Almost makes you wonder which is the worst offender.

If we had sat quietly, the highrise would be halfway up by now. By raising a ruckus, and putting big, ugly yellow signs in our yards, we managed to draw attention to it, and effectively kill it. I'll take ol' ugly over ineffective any day.

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

I especially like seeing all of the BMWs and Mercedes with massive yellow bumper stickers telling us to stop the Ashby highrise. As if the rest of us (1) care, or (2) sympathize with them.

Again, we didn't do it because we thought you might care. We did it because we wanted everyone to know about our fight. And it worked!

Originally Posted by coog78

The people I have talked to in the area are definitely opposed to it. The public reason is that it is not on a main thoroughfare and would cause major traffic headaches. The private reason is they are scared it will start a domino effect in their neighborhood and quickly turn into an area dominated by midrises and highrises as property owners sell their properties one by one.

Don't know that I totally agree. We weren't that worried about a domino effect. It was (and I should add, I am a resident, but not any kind of official spokesperson) really about the traffic, and the inappropriateness of the project. Bissonnet ain't Kirby. Kirby is 4 to 6 lanes wide, with even more turn lanes. And traffic lights. Bissonnet is two lanes, no lights, no stop sign. It really would have caused a traffic disaster. You can joke about "it only adds a few hundred cars", but it adds them all at the same time, to an interection that normally handles 20-30 an hour. Recipe for disaster.

Another big reason for our fight was the total inappropriateness (I'm sure there is a better word, but I can't remember it ) of the project. It was on the edge of our subdivision. We are 100% single family homes, deed-restricted to two stories. There isn't a single project within a mile over 3-4 stories. And they wanted to build a 23 story highrise!? How does that fit with our area? If they had annnounced a five story or a seven story or anything else, we probably would have grumbled, but life goes one. But a 23 story monster? That would have been within 25 feet of two story houses?

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

The traffic argument is silly. This is a luxury highrise, and not even all that "high." Last I checked, this development had under 150 units. So assuming 2 cars per unit, plus the usual delivery drivers (who already use these streets), and staff cars (many of whom take the bus anyway), and you are talking about a negligible impact on Kirby and Bissonnet.

I think 23 stories is high. Stand in the back yards of the houses around this project, and look up 200+ feet. "Not even that high"? I think it is.

And I already addressed your traffic point. Come drive in our area, and see how badly Bissonnet & Sunset backup; they are the only two ways in & out of our area on that side, and both are two lane roads. Backed up for dozens & dozens of cars every afternoon. Most people don't realize how little traffic the roads in this specific area were designed to handle.

We're not against development. There are many, many projects built on the edges of Southampton (SH is deed-restricted, so all projects have to be on the outskirts). Look at Wynne (sp?) just east of us at Sunset & Ashby (4 story townhomes). Or Frank Lui's townhomes on Ashby & Dunstan. Or the project just east of the proposed Ashby highrise on Bissonnet. Or even the Rice Graduate Housing just east of that. Yes, apartments on the edge of our area!

My point is, these all fit in with this part of town. We're not against development. Unless it's the 23 story kind.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by EEstudent

I was driving through bellaire and then through a smal part of W. University; and i started to see these signs up about stopping some highrise called ashbury.

They're big ugly yellow signs at almost every house; what is it?

It's just an example of people in that neighborhood thinking that Houston's lack of zoning does not apply to their neighborhood. I mean, really, what part of "there is no zoning in Houston" do these people not understand?

[westhou]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

It's just an example of people in that neighborhood thinking that Houston's lack of zoning does not apply to their neighborhood. I mean, really, what part of "there is no zoning in Houston" do these people not understand?

They should be glad that it's only a highrise and not a landfill like they put near Shadow Creek Ranch.

[coog78]

I say build it. I've heard all of the talking points from both sides and it REALLY comes down to the "not in my backyard" logic on the against side.
Moderator cut: off-topic

[houstoner]

I applaud the Ashby Highrise protesters for preserving their beautiful neighborhood and protecting their quality of life. If more Houstonians fought crap from going up in their neighborhoods, they would look a lot more aesthetically-pleasing and quality of life would increase. And Bissonnet is a narrow street. Besides, do we really need yet another "luxury highrise?" If so, put it downtown, Midtown, or somewhere more appropriate. Fighting the Ashby Highrise is not being anti-development, and if it is, so what? Houston is already way over-developed as it is. The time is way past to start fighting the developers, IMO.

[coog78]

Originally Posted by houstoner

I applaud the Ashby Highrise protesters for preserving their beautiful neighborhood and protecting their quality of life. If more Houstonians fought crap from going up in their neighborhoods, they would look a lot more aesthetically-pleasing and quality of life would increase. And Bissonnet is a narrow street. Besides, do we really need yet another "luxury highrise?" If so, put it downtown, Midtown, or somewhere more appropriate. Fighting the Ashby Highrise is not being anti-development, and if it is, so what? Houston is already way over-developed as it is. The time is way past to start fighting the developers, IMO.

That IS exactly the point of the pro side. The Ashby protestors are being anti-development. They are sandwiched between Midtown and the Med Center, surrounded by highrises on all sides. Everyone inside the loop wants an efficient mass transit system and the more highrises that go up will equal greater traffic congestion. On that point (mass transit), we can agree. Houston is way under-developed and I am in no way pro-developer. What this (stopping the highrise) effectively may do is causing highrises to develop on all major streets surrounding this neighborhood, creating a situation where it will be difficult to get in or out at all. Is that what the protestors prefer? Main St. is a great example.