Houston19514

The site plan shows a bunch of trees, and just clicking around and looking at New Hope Housing's other projects, there's no reason to think they would not add trees here.

Did you mean S Post Oak Ln and San Felipe?

It's not clear from your story where the horse topiary was located. Where was it? FWIW, River Oaks Plant House has always been famous for its topiaries. When they had their location at Westheimer & Buffalo Speedway, the Buffalo Speedway median had a whole menagerie of topiaries. Very cool. Not sure when they closed the lower Westheimer location, but the horse may have been left behind when they closed.

An even number should be on the west side of the street. Bed, Bath & Beyond is 3102 Kirby. The little Chase Bank is 3002. There doesn't seem to be a building with an address of 3024 Kirby. What makes you think it's a restaurant?

HAS gave an update presentation about the ITRP this week. Here's the slide deck: https://www.houstontx.gov/council/committees/econdev/20210322/ITRP-Update.pdf Highlights: The design is VERY far along. By this summer, the design will be completed and they will be fully into construction. Ground has already broken for foundations and utility work for the new Terminal D West pier. They will be adding a new baggage screening building to the southeast corner of current Terminal D, with airline club space on the upper level(s). Completion Schedule: New D West pier: 4th Quarter 2022. Full refurbishment of current Terminal D: 3rd Quarter 2023 New baggage screening building: 4th Quarter 2023 New International Terminal Phase 1: 4th Quarter 2023 New International Terminal Phase 2: 2nd Quarter 2024.

From the article: “On the first floor, Texas Tower will have an oval-shaped “City Room” where workers can grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine while watching city life as it goes on about its business downtown. Like other first-floor retail spaces in the tower, the City Room will feature 10-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows.”

I believe it (or was, at least prior to Harvey) a drug treatment facility for people on probation.

Doesn't seem like the canal should affect this particular property at all.

The were all completely working just recently. I had hoped they finally had it fixed. You don't see all those buildings in China, Dallas, etc. up close and on a regular basis. I wouldn't be so sure they are all working seamlessly either.

Sadly, they actually do maintenance, at least on the lights. Very recently there were crews working on the LEDs and briefly they were working great. This is not uncommon on LED lighting installations, unfortunately (and surprisingly). One would think the technology would be more perfected by now.

You're joking, right? The right side of the page being the city's "recommendation", which is based on the false premise that the $27 Million is the only commitment to cover replacement of displaced housing units. That is demonstrably categorically false. Again, from the ROD (responding to the city's clueless recommendation): "It is important to note that this $27 million affordable housing commitment is separate and apart from, and is above and beyond the funding for the acquisition, relocation and enhanced relocation services for the directly impacted residential properties. Please refer to the section below labeled “Displacements and Relocations” for additional information regarding enhanced relocation services." Did TxDOT make the "change" referenced in the Mayor's letter? No, because they were already committed to doing far more than the Mayor's recommendations.

Then he should have told the people who prepared the letter to TxDOT. ;-)

Yeah, someone should probably tell the Mayor's office.

-- Mayor's Letter: The Coalition for the Homeless has submitted a plan to address the project's impacts to houseless populations impacted by the project. TxDOT should commit to partner and finance this plan. ROD: Regarding homeless camps and homeless individuals in the right‐of‐way, TxDOT will coordinate with the City of Houston and homeless services providers to develop a plan to assist in the relocation of the homeless prior to construction. -- Mayor's Letter: TxDOT should coordinate with the CoH and its partners and provide sufficient funding to ensure these facilities will be replaced and the residents can be relocated successfully (Midtown Terrace and Temenos Place). ROD: TxDOT is coordinating early with other facilities important to the community so that these facilities have time to search for a new location, plan for the move and continue operations uninterrupted. These facilities include Midtown Terrace Suites (provides transitional and long‐term housing and support services for veterans), Loaves and Fishes Magnificat House Ministries, Fatima House (provides social services and religious ministry services), and SEARCH Homeless Services. TxDOT has executed an agreement with the Temenos Place Apartments II management to replace the 80 residential units affected by the project within a one‐mile radius of the existing Temenos II facility (executed agreement May 12, 2020). During the relocation process, the residents will be able to remain in the existing facility so that services can continue uninterrupted. -- Mayor's Letter: TxDOT should clarify how these units (Clayton Homes and Kelly Village) will be replaced or coordinate with the CoH and its partners if additional approaches are needed. ROD: TxDOT and the Houston Housing Authority (HHA) have agreed that the 296-unit Clayton Homes Apartment complex would be purchased earlier-than-needed (executed agreement August 29, 2019) so that HHA is provided time to search for and develop new property. HHA's goal is to have replacement units available for residents so that each resident will only have to relocate one. TxDOT committed in the agreement to compensate for relocating all 296 units even though 112 of the units have been uninhabitable since 2016 due to flooding. -- Mayor's Letter: TxDOT should coordinate with the CoH, HCFCD, and other partners to identify the appropriate criteria and design the sections (failure of FEIS to identify specific design criteria for depressed sections of roadway's design to handle rainfall). ROD (Actually from the FEIS): "The I-45 Segment 2 depressed section . . . would be serviced by one pump station facility . . . the pump station was designed to handle the 100-year storm event (Atlas 14). The pump station will have multiple pumps. Depressed sections of the proposed project will be designed to handle extreme weather events with rainfall levels similar to the region's three most recent flood events . . . . Additionally, the project will be designed to meet and/or exceed the most recent guidelines set by the HCFCD. This will be achieved through a pumped drainage system that will collect rainwater falling inside the depressed sections and discharge it to an adjacent detention basin or receiving channel." (And the FEIS continues at some length with further design criteria.) --Mayor's Letter: TxDOT should coordinate with the City of Houston, HCFCD and other partners to design the multiple detention basins. ROD: Construction of the proposed project would comply with Harris County, CoH and HCFCD guidelines and policies. -- Mayor's Letter: Future (air quality) conditions with the project must be compared to future conditions without the project. ROD: Again, the FEIS already did what they are asking (Section 3.5). -- Mayor's Letter: TxDOT should coordinate with the CoH and other partners to avoid visual impacts on the Bayou Greenways. Specifically, White Oak Bayou is heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists from many surrounding communities, can be reconfigured to achieve a level of comfort and connection commensurate to the impact. The need to provide visual mitigation measures for this area has been acknowledged by TxDOT and the opportunity to properly address this must not be lost. ROD: Design bridges in consideration of visual aesthetics. Optimize open space by aligning substructure for multiple roadways where feasible. Evaluate the use of stormwater detention areas in the area as potential open spaces with opportunities for aesthetic enhancements under the elevated sections of the roadway in this area (White Oak Bayou Greenway). Mayor's Letter: Based on their statement that the FEIS "states that feeder roads in Segment 3 . . . and Segment 2 . . . will be designed to CoH standards, but not in Segment 1 . . . .", the city says "TxDOT should work with the CoH and project partners to complete this design component for Segment 1." ROD: (I don't know where the Mayor's office came up with this one; From the FEIS: "In accordance with the federal Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations Regulations and Recommendations by the USDOT (2010), TxDOT is including bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the proposed project, taking into consideration existing and anticipated bicycle and pedestrian facility systems and needs, and linkages to transit stops and corridors, including future changes to METRO transit systems. The Preferred Alternative will provide continuity of sidewalks and shared-use lanes along the frontage roads by adding sidewalks and pathways in areas as needed. . . . In the instance of any modifications to existing or proposed hike and bike facilities, TxDOT will coordinate with the City of Houston, Houston Parks Board, and other agencies or organizations to have the same level of connectivity as the existing and planned future facilities provide.") And there are other mentions of sidewalks in the FEIS as well. The ROD also adds: "TxDOT will coordinate with the CoH, Independent School Districts, and METRO during project design to minimize the temporary and permanent impacts to existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Additionally, TxDOT will accommodate or replace existing trails that are impacted by the proposed project, as well as allow for planned future trails as shown on the City of Houston Bike Plan. In the instance of any modifications to existing or proposed hike and bike facilities, TxDOT will coordinate with the City of Houston, Houston Parks Board, and other agencies or organizations to have the same level connectivity as the existing and planned future facilities provide. TxDOT is providing improved pedestrian‐bike accommodations on cross‐streets and on frontage roads (subject to availability of right‐of‐way). Although the December 2019 schematic design shows shared vehicle/bike use lanes along some frontage roads, during detailed design following the ROD, TxDOT will evaluate the placement of a bike lane behind a protective curb and not in the lane shared with a motor vehicle. The pedestrian‐bike realm was developed in collaboration with the City of Houston’s Public Works and Planning Departments and is aligned with City of Houston’s Bike Plan." No. Sorry, but you have it completely wrong. The $27 Million commitment has nothing to do with relocations or providing replacement housing for those who are displaced by the project. Re-read the language you quoted earlier from the ROD (and cut off from your latest post). FWIW, it's on P 17 of the ROD: "It is important to note that this $27 million affordable housing commitment is separate and apart from, and is above and beyond the funding for the acquisition, relocation and enhanced relocation services for the directly impacted residential properties. Please refer to the section below labeled “Displacements and Relocations” for additional information regarding enhanced relocation services." AND, from the FEIS, pages 5-221 and 5-222: "The relocation assistance program described previously will be available to assist those displaced and is intended to support and encourage those wanting to stay in the community by giving them the means to do so. However, another aspect to consider is affordable housing, particularly from the perspective of community cohesion. As shown in Table 5-17, the environmental justice communities exhibiting the strongest indications of affordable housing problems (as measured by the increase in median home values between 2000 and 2015) are Independence Heights, Greater Third Ward, Fifth Ward, Second Ward and Near Northside (the top four, in descending order). In consideration of the impacts of the Preferred Alternative, TxDOT intends to support affordable housing initiatives in those communities most affected. The mitigation is intended to compensate for the direct effects of potentially contributing to ongoing housing affordability problems and past and present contributions to recurrent adverse effects. TxDOT will provide financial assistance to neighborhoods to support specific affordable housing initiatives. The eligible initiatives include construction of affordable housing and supporting programs that provide assistance and outreach related to affordable housing. to carry out this commitment, TxDOT is committing an amount no less than $27 million towards developing affordable housing in the neighborhoods most affect by the proposed project which includes EJ neighborhoods." The relocation assistance and replacement of directly displaced affordable housing are covered separately in the FEIS in some detail.

I don't need to do much digging to find in the document that the state agrees with any terms of the Mayor. You've already done it for me. Thank you. What you have shown us is a perfect example of where TxDot is already committed to doing MORE than the letter requests. This item in the letter is premised on the incorrect idea that TxDoT's $27 Million commitment is meant to replace all of the affordable housing being taken by the project. As their response in the ROD shows, they are committed to replacing all of the housing, moving all of the people PLUS making an additional $27 Million commitment to Houston affordable housing. This is actually very clear to anyone who has studied the FEIS and unfortunately makes the Mayor's letter look pretty sloppy and unreliable. He was not well-served by his staff on this one.

As I keep telling you, it is very much an ongoing process. The designs are FAR from complete.

According to their website, they have 15 stores in the Austin area and 16 in the Houston area.

It's worth noting that even the low end of that is significantly more than the present value of what is being paid for long-term lease of the park parcel. (And as you suggested, a lot as small as those two posted lots probably take a pretty big hit on price because the possible uses for downtown lots of about 8,300 and 4,800 sq ft are pretty limited. I suspect an appraiser would not even be able to use them as comps for a 1 acre parcel)

I don't think there is really much of a case to be made for this thesis. The fact is, TxDoT has been making changes to this design in response to city and public feedback throughout the process and the process continues. Again, the design is not complete. The RFP has not been issued. Discussions continue on a whole list of the city's feedback items. In a presentation to the Downtown TIRZ Board, there were 27 items listed on the city's feedback list. The feedback was characterized as follows: 2 items "already in". 11 items are "more than on the bubble". The strategy is to "advocate for inclusion in the RFP" 7 items are "on the bubble". The strategy: "Need further development" and "advocate for inclusion in the RFP" 4 items are "not getting traction". The strategy: "City of Houston to elevate importance of these" 3 items are "Critical City Leadership". The strategy" "City of Houston Approach with TXDOT" (These three are dealing with surplus ROW disposition.)

People will continue to commute as they do now... the vast majority take the quickest route. Currently, for the Gulfton to Independence Heights commuter, that is usually going to be the West and North Loops. For the Garden Oaks to Medical Center commuter, it's currently more dependent on time of day, but it's either West Loop/I-45 or North Loop/I-45. It's hard to imagine a scenario where more of those commuters would choose the West Loop after this project is completed. To the extent there is any shift, it is far more likely to be a shift away from the West Loop to the new downtown I-45/I-69.

The present value of that stream of payments is probably closer to 7.5'ish Million. The land is quite likely worth a good deal more than that. (Skanska's purchase about 3 1/3 acres over near Discovery Green was reported at about $16.5 Million per acre; this property is almost exactly 1 acre.)

You may have stumbled onto a nugget of truth here, but so what. Of course they don't know the precise timing of any light rail service interruptions at this point in the planning.

You really went off the rails here. Aside from your ridiculous claims of racism, there will be more connectivity between the northside and downtown post-project than there is now. How is anyone north of I-10 going to be cut off from the Medical Center in the event of a disaster due to this project??? How does it not tie into public transportation plans? The design is not complete; they are still working with Metro to finalize plans and determine exactly how and where Metro's plans will fit in.

This makes no sense. There is nothing about the project that will cause all of West-Central Houston's traffic to go to 610.

Quite the contrary. Once the project is complete, the pregaming/postgaming culture around Minutemaid and BBVA will be hugely improved. Check back with me in ten years (likely less than that).