ashbury highrise (Houston, Dallas, Cinco Ranch: real estate market, HOA, home)

[houstoner]

Originally Posted by coog78

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.

I wouldn't say they're surrounded by highrises on all sides. There aren't many in the Museum District or Rice Village area. I don't think the protesters are anti-development, I think they're anti-inappropriate development. Most people think that area is one of the nicest in the city. It didn't get that way by allowing just anything to go up or move in. A highrise would be more appropriate in the spots you suggested, or along Kirby or Holcombe. There's one going in on Fannin across the street from First UU. I'm excited about that project because it's transit-oriented development; a fitting place for it, being directly on Fannin and right on the rail line. Also, Main Street is only difficult to navigate around the TMC because of the light rail. Fannin and San Jacinto, the streets on either side, make it pretty easy to get around. (Or is the light rail on Fannin through the TMC? I forget where the "switch" occurs.)

[EasilyAmused]

Arg. Lightrail and mobility. Don't het me started. It's going to really suck on Post Oak.

[houstoner]

An example of more inappropriate development I wish someone would fight: Near Rice Military, there is a HUGE storage facility going up a block north of Washington Avenue, right next to a newish yuppie mid-rise, behind the Hickory Hollow restaurant on Heights. Washington Avenue has LOADS of potential to be a walkable, pedestrian-friendly area. It would be a PERFECT place to put a rail line, and it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to do; the street is certainly wide enough. There are lots of shops, restaurants, bars, cleaners, etc. on this street, making it a great area to develop a more urban lifestyle for those who want it. But what are idiot developers putting up? A giant storage facility! While I know many Houstonians would argue "that's progress," or "that's practical," for the residents in the yuppie condos, there are other things to be considered besides mere practicality to make places nice to live in. Just because something's always been done that way, or people voted on it, doesn't mean it always has to be that way. I wish Houstonians would get that through their thick skulls!

[houstoner]

Oh, to hijack the thread further, those $300K townhouses some fool put up two feet from the railroad tracks on Heights I've mentioned a couple times some months ago? Still vacant! Gee, I wonder why...

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by houstoner

I wouldn't say they're surrounded by highrises on all sides. There aren't many in the Museum District or Rice Village area. I don't think the protesters are anti-development, I think they're anti-inappropriate development.

+1

You said it better than my feeble attempt a few posts above. There is not a single high-rise anywhere near the proposed Ashby project. Yet there are literally dozens of smaller projects going up. Most of us (I can't speak for all) are in favor of intelligent development. Believe it or not, it's part of what makes the inner-city an interesting place to live. Businesses next door to homes, next door to restaurants, yada yada. Raven (a restaurant) is across the street from million dollar homes. Not a problem.

A 23 story high-rise? A problem.

BTW, even Sonoma, a project on the other edge/side of Southampton, wasn't met with anywhere near this kind of organized protest. Why? Maybe the fact is was much smaller in scope (6 stories? not sure).

[AK123]

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.

If Houston had zoning, people wouldn't have to worry about these things as much. Didn't zoning get on the local ballot in the past, and was voted down? Well, this is what happens. Too bad... a big, lost opportunity for the city.

[modster]

It is certainly understandable why the residents of Southampton and Boulevard Oaks would oppose this development. Their ability to organize their opposition /protests so effectively is very impressive.

That said, I do have an issue with all of this. The Mayor was jumping up and down saying basically if this development wasn't against the rules, he would make it against the rules. Didn't city council rush to pass some kind of ordinance as a direct result of Ashby hi-rise? I can't remember all the details, but there seemed to be an awful lot of activity down at city hall related to this one condo development.

Of course I understand this is how politics works. The people who get the attention are the ones who organize and/or make the big political contributions. It is what it is. Jumping this "problem" to the front of the line really bothers me knowing how understaffed departments are like neighborhood protection, (the people who go around and take care of things that negatively affect neighborhoods, especially those that do not have HOA's). Clearly, there are not enough inspectors to keep up with the apartment complexes around town. It seems to take a child dying or getting hurt at one, (one that has been a disaster for a very long time), before the city takes actions that should have been taken a LONG time ago. The list of issues like this goes on and on.

Meanwhile, the Mayor is acting like this condo development is a 911 emergency while the needs of much of the rest of Houston go with out being addressed. The rest of Houston, however, does not have the political muscle of Southampton and Boulevard Oaks though. While I understand that is how things work, it does make me lose a lot of respect for the Mayor that he is so busy accommodating those that pay his campaign costs while ignoring many of us that pay taxes. He wants to invent new rules and ordinances especially for this, while already existing ordinances and provisions do not get enforced around town because there isn't staff to do it properly. That is clearly a bigger problem affecting more people and more worthy of the Mayor and council's time, but again, that is not how things work unfortunately.

[westres1]

Zoning was voted on the year Sylvester Turner ran for Mayor. Must have been 90 or so. I wanted it to pass but it was defeated. The city would be a much different place if it had passed.

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by modster

Didn't city council rush to pass some kind of ordinance as a direct result of Ashby hi-rise?

Meanwhile, the Mayor is acting like this condo development is a 911 emergency while the needs of much of the rest of Houston go with out being addressed.

An ordinance was proposed. It was later dropped when it was determined it would do more harm than good.

And your comments about the mayor presuppose that his activities are a zero-sum game. Bill White has been the best mayor we've seen in many, many years. Doing more good for more disparate groups than one would have thought possible. And he still found time to help us defeat this monstrosity.

Originally Posted by westres1

Zoning was voted on the year Sylvester Turner ran for Mayor. Must have been 90 or so. I wanted it to pass but it was defeated. The city would be a much different place if it had passed.

Yes it would have. It is most unlikely Houston would have had the growth & vitality we've exhibited if zoning had passed. It's unlikely our housing prices would have remained as stable as they have if zoning had passed. Which would have led to a housing bubble, then a collapse. Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas & Atlanta are remarkably similar Sun Belt cities, showing tremendous growth over the last ten years. Of the four, only Houston has not seen housing prices collapse. Of the four, only Houston has no zoning.

Can you imagine the back-room politics this city would suffer thru if zoning comes to pass?

[DJboutit]

I heard this project has been put on hold or maybe even cancled