Memorial Drive ReConstruction. Goodbye Fast Food Alley (Houston, Spring: fit in, 2015)

[EasilyAmused]

What I don't understand is how that section of Wilcrest got to go first.

It wasn't bad by Houston standards at all. maybe a Pothole or two,while Kirkwood between the bayou and Briar Forest literally has road missing. It's like the movie 2012, where the road is crumbling away and opening up into the core. i never go down there anymore, but then I have no reason to go south to Westhiemer either.

Did anyone see the sinkhole in front of Memorial Drive Church? It was about three feet deep. They covered it with a huge metal plate, but something went wrong and there was a car down in it last week. Soooo, don't drive in the right lane over there. Yikes.

[sksainath]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

What I don't understand is how that section of Wilcrest got to go first.

It wasn't bad by Houston standards at all. maybe a Pothole or two,while Kirkwood between the bayou and Briar Forest literally has road missing. It's like the movie 2012, where the road is crumbling away and opening up into the core. i never go down there anymore, but then I have no reason to go south to Westhiemer either.

Did anyone see the sinkhole in front of Memorial Drive Church? It was about three feet deep. They covered it with a huge metal plate, but something went wrong and there was a car down in it last week. Soooo, don't drive in the right lane over there. Yikes.

Unless they had planned and had the funding to go East to West and fix all of them, Wilcrest being the first doesnt make sense to me. And it turns out Kirkwood south of the Bayou doesnt even have the funding!!!

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

I grew up in that area and still live nearby, so I'm not clueless about it at all. And yes, even if it's a smaller overall street, the same principles apply as to the other streets. I do the u-turns on Westheimer to get to driveways and it's no big deal.

I have little sympathy for school traffic. Make your kids bike / walk / take the bus. That's how it was not so long ago - and those schools have been around a long time. Parents need to get a grip.

[SIZE=3]Ok, you may not be clueless but your response is a perfect illustration of the problem - too many other people think they know better than the ones who actually have to live with it. Wholesale application of “principles” made up in some ivory tower is not the solution. What kind of principles lump a neighborhood street like Memorial in with Westheimer and Hwy 6? Why not throw in the I-10 while we’re at it? That’s pretty off the wall and as I pointed out it’s not just school traffic that’s negatively affected, it’s ALL local traffic. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]On the whole, it’s a great project but it just seems that not much thought went into the detail of it. What’s wrong with adapting design principles to local needs? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]But sure, whatever, to h*ll with them all. Let them eat cake. [/SIZE]

[EasilyAmused]

Well, all the buried cable pipes are being lined up along this section.

Question: quietly the strip mall on the southeast corner of DA and Memorial has been boarded up and development signs posted. Anyone know exactly the scale of this? Upward like everything else?

Also, a complex near Tully has apparently evicted all its residents...

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Well, all the buried cable pipes are being lined up along this section.

Question: quietly the strip mall on the southeast corner of DA and Memorial has been boarded up and development signs posted. Anyone know exactly the scale of this? Upward like everything else?

Also, a complex near Tully has apparently evicted all its residents...

I office down the street and haven't heard anything. I noted that the donut shop was closed up, but I was assuming that would be the new location of the doner kebap chain from Austin (they told me they were likely committing to a location at that intersection). But, maybe not, and something bigger is in the offing. I assume they know Memorial will be under construction starting next year.

Interesting news about the Tully complex - do you know which one? There was suprisingly little publicity about the projects replacing Wisteria Gardens and Princeton Club - usually you'd see something in the HBJ, Chronicle etc. for something of that scale, not to mention a full property redevelopment.

[ToyYot]

The whole strip mall is now boarded up and the Indian place relocated next door. The good news is the city listened to the neighborhood objections to the road reconstruction project and made some changes for the better.

[LocalPlanner]

As long as there's still medians and not a two-way-left-turn lane. Or if it is the latter, the speed limit will be significantly slower, like 25 mph.

[ToyYot]

Yep, medians still there but with added left turn lanes. The real world was taken into consideration with the new draft. Still, I'm sure the older residents don't like it but such is the price of progress. Unlike what some on here still believe, this part of town ain't suburbia anymore.

[EasilyAmused]

Just now heard the 13 acres that have been sitting empty for decades, across from Latern Lane, will be a mixed used development. Methodist, who owns the property, will be developing it with Midway.

Ugh. Sounds like we are going to be as crowded as Uptown soon.

[ToyYot]

Not suprised, too big a plot in such a prime location to leave it to the dog walkers. Even the Shell station charges a hefty premium (like 20c!) over the Shell station down the street! I hate to say it but that little stretch is going to need median too with all the people trying to turn across each other to get into the two deveopments.