musicman Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 News that this glorious tower will go up has catapulted today into the realm of the top 5 moist wonderful days for Houston. I am happy to call this stupendous city my home. just when city hall closes for the day. should be an interesting monday morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 just when city hall closes for the day. should be an interesting monday morning.What else do they still have to discuss? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citizen4rmptown Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Great news. Did I hear correctly that they cancelled the retail portion of the project and made it 100% residential?From the chron link already postedhttp://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/breaking/6582223.html#noneThe latest plans reduced the number of apartments from 226 to 210 and eliminated a spa, retail space and executive offices.The approved plans, however, don't change the original 23-story height of the building, which would tower over single-family homes in the adjacent Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 What aspect of living in that neighbourhood is idiotic?None. Well, maybe spelling things in British English...I kid! I'm talking about how all of them claim this will be the end of the world with their "tower of terror" nonsense. Yeah I hope they don't suffer the fate of River Oaks, which has one or two of these things and has been doing just fine for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citizen4rmptown Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Also, does anybody have a rendering for the project. When i joined, i was under the impression that this would never get built, so i never looked into it. But since its approved, i want to see what all the fuss is about. Don't feel like looking through 28 pages....Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 (edited) A rendering of the townhomes Edited August 22, 2009 by Urbannizer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 22, 2009 Author Share Posted August 22, 2009 What else do they still have to discuss?i'm talking about the angry constituent phone calls. since the mayor can't run anymore, the we'll vote you out threat is meaningless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAZ Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I might be the only one on this forum to say it - but I feel for the neighborhoods around the Ashby High Rise. The building would be better suited to the Upper Kirby District. It is WAY out of scale for Southampton and Boulevard Oaks. It fronts on minor streets and will create gridlock. Some homes will lose sunlight at certain times. And now that the permit has been granted, there's nothing they can really do. .The Ashby High Rise is a perfect example of how Houston needs to listen more to neighbors. Call these neighbors NIMBYs if you want, but in a city without zoning, we need a better mechanism for neighborhoods to voice their concerns over projects that impact them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 Doesn't the earth revolve around the sun?It revolves around the sun once each calender year. It also rotates 360 degrees every 24 hours, which is what I think you're referring to. So I guess having your property cast in the shadow of this complex, say, every afternoon from here on out is okay then? On the positive side, maybe it will save them on cooling cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 wow, the chron commentors are not being nice at all to Tori at his new chron.com blog. Watch out!http://www.chron.com/commons/persona.html?newspaperUserId=toryg&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=toryg&plckPostId=Blog%3atorygPost%3a2c84bb0d-4e0b-4a0c-9add-20859d4b9721&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 wow, the chron commentors are not being nice at all to Tori at his new chron.com blog. Watch out!http://www.chron.com/commons/persona.html?newspaperUserId=toryg&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=toryg&plckPostId=Blog%3atorygPost%3a2c84bb0d-4e0b-4a0c-9add-20859d4b9721&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDestChron.com commentor might be the lowest form of human life. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Judah Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 wow, the chron commentors are not being nice at all to Tori at his new chron.com blog. Watch out!I'm really surprised they gave him a blog. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citizen4rmptown Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Chron.com commentor might be the lowest form of human life.agree 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 I'm really surprised they gave him a blog.why?Chron.com commentor might be the lowest form of human life.well, the two commentors I read seemed like they lived in the neighborhood, so they're wealthy low form of human life who might have a say in this thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 why?well, the two commentors I read seemed like they lived in the neighborhood, so they're wealthy low form of human life who might have a say in this thing.The comments on his blog were tame - not at all like the typical chron.com drivel. I consider myself somewhat conservative and chron.com commentors strike me as ignorant right wing reactionaries that border on racist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Judah Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 why?Nevermind, I thought it was the equivalent of them giving him a column. In fact I think anyone who wants a blog on Chron.com can sign up and get one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 The comments on his blog were tame - not at all like the typical chron.com drivel. I consider myself somewhat conservative and chron.com commentors strike me as ignorant right wing reactionaries that border on racist.Considering how incredibly stupid his suggestion was (bribe the residents with a free spa membership? Really?), the comments really were tame. He should have been raked over the coals for that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I'm not sure I'd agree if my home was about to be cast in the permanent shadow of this tower.I hardly think shadows are permanent. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Doesn't the earth revolve around the sun?LOL 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 The comments on his blog were tame - not at all like the typical chron.com drivel. I consider myself somewhat conservative and chron.com commentors strike me as ignorant right wing reactionaries that border on racist.If their posts indeed display racism, have them reported. If people report and get the admins to delete bad posts, chron.com would be a much better place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Nevermind, I thought it was the equivalent of them giving him a column. In fact I think anyone who wants a blog on Chron.com can sign up and get one.Well, it's not a column, but it's "sort of" an official chron.com blog. At least he's on their blog roll page and he's already been featured on the front page twice that I've noticed. It's sort of a big deal. They asked him to do it, he didn't just sign up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I'm not sure if anyone has answered this in the 59684309683 pages of this thread, but what's wrong with the apartments currently holding ground at 1717 Bissonnet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 They don't make much of an impact on the skyline. This new tower is better. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 They don't make much of an impact on the skyline. This new tower is better. Did you think of that one all by yourself? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 (edited) I'm not sure if anyone has answered this in the 59684309683 pages of this thread, but what's wrong with the apartments currently holding ground at 1717 Bissonnet?How many units are there now anyway? Wait... I think I just found it. 67 units there now. So whatever traffic that place generates now, it will be about 3.25 times more with Ashby... Edited August 24, 2009 by capnmcbarnacle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 (edited) How many units are there now anyway? Wait... I think I just found it. 67 units there now. So whatever traffic that place generates now, it will be about 3.25 times more with Ashby...For the purposes of this discussion, it may not be a significant numerical difference, but I've gotta point out: Maryland Manor serves a lot of Rice students who walk, bicycle, or ride scooters to campus. I'd be willing to bet that every one of the likely residents of the Ashby high-rise will drive to and from work. Edited August 24, 2009 by marmer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 For the purposes of this discussion, it may not be a significant numerical difference, but I've gotta point out: Maryland Manor serves a lot of Rice students who walk, bicycle, or ride scooters to campus. I'd be willing to bet that every one of the likely residents of the Ashby high-rise will drive to and from work.Is that a bad thing?I'm sure the Rice grad students will find another complex to bike and scoot to and from. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Yeah, wasn't sure about the number of units at Maryland Manor, but I figured it was populated with Rice folks.Is that a bad thing?I'm sure the Rice grad students will find another complex to bike and scoot to and from.But the point is that it's there, it's built, and fairly functional from what I gather (and I assume it is somewhat affordable considering the area). If that is indeed the case, then off-campus (but nearby), affordable, non-Rice built housing doesn't seem that prevalent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Yeah, wasn't sure about the number of units at Maryland Manor, but I figured it was populated with Rice folks. But the point is that it's there, it's built, and fairly functional from what I gather (and I assume it is somewhat affordable considering the area). If that is indeed the case, then off-campus (but nearby), affordable, non-Rice built housing doesn't seem that prevalent. Ashby & Rice University: Together, turning riders into drivers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Maryland Manor used to be a dump, but a fairly cheap dump. Yes, lots of Rice students used to live there. It was extensively remodeled in the mid-90s, seems to be pretty nice now. I would not assume for a moment that those people who live there now, probably grad students, med students, and middle-income-ish retail and office workers, will be able to find 67 similar units in the area. I could be wrong, but I bet I'm not. But, hey, go ahead and tear down a perfectly decent, up-to-date, highly occupied apartment complex, and build something that might not get financing, might not find tenants, and almost no one in the area really wants. That's what property rights at all costs, with a side order of urban density, really means! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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