Do those flailing arms and sharp teeth in the graphic above strike a familiar chord? The latest fantastical depiction of an as-yet-unbuilt multistory Houston residential development may even be available in yard sign form, per the website that’s been constructed in response to Bethany Methodist’s plan to build a 101-unit active-senior housing facility in its parking lot at the fringes of Knollwood Place. Also available on the site, in addition to solicitations for online petition signatures and donations, is a snapshot of what appears to be a gently-crumpled rendering of the 4-story complex, with a little less artistic liberty taken:
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The protest graphic isn’t the first to follow the Stop Ashby Highrise group’s cues on handsy building portraiture, though this one does go heavier on the teeth and claws (and lighter on the eyebrows) than the Stop Parc Binz signage from 2012:
- Previously on Swamplot: Senior Living on Linkwood Dr. Now Being Planned Half Mile from Planned Buffalo Speedway Senior Living; The Signs Around the Parc Binz Site; Favorite Houston Design Cliché: Vote for One of These Official Nominees (2009)
Images: Stop Bethany Apartments (top graphic and project rendering), Swamplot inbox (Ashby Highrise yard signs), Dave Hollas (Parc Binz yard sign)
I read the “serious concerns” posted at the StopParcBinz.org website and I also have concerns about this planned senior living facility. Especially 2, 5, and 7 below.
2. Approx. 140 – 170 new residents moving in.
5. Longfellow traffic, school children walking, competing with new residents.
7. Approx. 40 dogs walking and defecating, and Cats roaming the streets.
I can envision the approx. 140 – 170 seniors competing with the Longfellow students at school crossings and clogging the roads while driving slow with the turn signal left on. Children on their way to school dodging around approx 40 dogs, 40 dog’s poop bombs and feral cats roaming the streets. So sad. Where is Mayor Turner on this issue?
Most senior facilities have very little to no traffic. “Active” is a euphemism. In the grand scheme of things, if this church is forced to sell, then you could have an office park there or anything else. This is 4 stories tall, not 50 and will be populated with people who mostly stay inside and wait for their kids to visit them.
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Ashby was ridiculous. This not quite so much.
If you’re going to build multifamily all you have to do is say it’s sponsored by Target and dry zones…. clearly these are not.
The neighborhood mentioned is called Knollwood Village, and it borders on Bethany property, but others also impacted are Westridge, Woodside and Linkwood Park.
old is the new black
Thank god Texans believe in property rights so we can maintain a growing and vibrant community, er wait, nevermind. Keep the Californication coming!
clearly just a ageist and elitist neighborhood group. Added traffic?? Are you kidding?? roaming cats and dogs?? These facilities generally have pretty strict rules regarding animals.
It’s not like this neighborhood is so great as it is, its in the NRG park area between 2 major roads. Give me a break…
Nice to see that NIMBYism thrives, even in a city with no zoning, and for a midrise project that would deliver apartments for 100 elderly people who probably don’t leave the premises much. Anything to pretend you don’t live in an actual city, I guess.
@ Joel Frey
I live around the corner from a facility much like this in the Heights which is incidentally across the street from a Middle School. I have never seen a resident walking a dog. In fact, I’ve almost never seen a resident walking. When I see them out, it’s usually in a motorized scooter. They present no conflict with the schools and are in fact very good neighbors. The NIBYism at every single project has to stop lest people roll their eyes at resident concerns when they are actually serious. Pick your battles.
Laughing at that stupid sign! HAHAHA
I get not wanting a midrise building in a residential neighborhood. You lose sunlight and have some visual blight. But in this case, conditions may very well improve with an old folks home versus a church. There is nothing worse than the traffic generated by parents dropping off and picking up kids from church day care/pre-k.
Has anyone brought up the tax consequences of a church building a for profit senior living housing? Seems to be a snake in the apple tree, no?
@I Love Heights Walmart : Definitely speaking to your ignorance about the area—the Knollwood area is quite nice, mostly original 1950’s ranches with an ever increasing number of lot-filling mini-mansions now that North Braeswood and Braes Heights are almost all new construction. Main street is the dividing line between somewhat slummy NRG stadium area apartments and the increasingly upscale Knollwood area.
@Old School: That church is looking to build this thing because it has almost no congregation—- so the status quo for at least the last decade is almost no traffic, even on Sundays.
The main concerns about the height of the buildings/chopping down the 50ish year old oaks that fill the intended area for construction and the distrust of a for-profit below market rate “senior living” apartment complex on non-profit land are more legitimate than the issues with pets.
@Heightsresident. I think the “serious concerns†posted at the StopParcBinz.org web site are ridiculous and the post was to make fun of them. I should have used the sarcasm 0ff/0n designation.
@juancarlos – I’m very familiar with the area, i drive through it every time i go to a Texans game.
I have to echo juancarlos31’s comment that Knollwood Village is quite a nice inside-the-Loop neighborhood. He’s right that the ranch houses are slowly being replaced with new mini-mansions since Braes Heights has boomed. The Braes Bayou hike and bike trail draw a lot of neighbors outside and the ongoing flood prevention work is also allowing for upgrades to the trail.
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Main Street flows at a diagonal so there are a few older apartment complexes but they are limited to fronting Main Street (exception: that new Millennium property at South Main and Kirby). If you only drive along Main Street to/from Texan games, you’re missing out on some real hidden gems.
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Back on topic, the senior living project won’t add crazy traffic or be any kind of nuisance. I’ll gladly take a bunch of quiet, law-abiding, stabilizing seniors over a bunch of lawn-parking hooligans as neighbors. Leave the senior citizens alone.
I live in this neighborhood and I can tell you that some of the NIMBYs spearheading this initiative have voiced even more ridiculous concerns on our neighborhood website. Some are worried that the relatives of seniors may start committing crimes in the neighborhood. Another “concern” is that if they are allowed to build one apartment building, then they might build two or more! One resident was concerned that the buildings may one day be painted orange or neon green. It has all become laughably absurd.
Thank you all for your negative comments, but you don’t live here. If you did you would be very much opposed to this matter. We have two streets going down the middle of our neighborhood, which cannot take this new traffic going in and out. This land was given to the Church “In Trust” for a “place of divine worship”. There are two other churches next to this, along with the school. The traffic, congestion and 150 new residents is going to destroy our peace (not yours). Second, the church has failed for many reasons. Mainly due to the pastor and lack of interest in this church. Building a 4 story building in the middle of a neighborhood should NOT be the solution to a failed church. The community is all for helping this church, but not for another, un-needed apartment building. There is already a glut in this city. The dingbat who wrote the last comment is also spreading false information. No one said the seniors will commit crime. The concern is that this facility will bring crime into our neighborhood. No one has voiced they will paint it odd colors (similar to the Broadmead apartments that just did). This a pet friendly facility. This neighborhood already has an issue with dogs defecating in this neighborhood. Lights are a huge issue, along with the inadequate parking. There are not enough spaces to handle a church and an apartments. Before you make random, ignorant comments here, please consider the residents that have paid their taxes (the church pays none) and lived here for decades. The Church needs to find another solution for their failed church. Bottom line.
People ask more questions about things and the rationale behind them… I live in the neighborhood around Bethany. Our neighborhood is made up of a great number of professionals who work in the Med Center and Downtown. The majority of our homes are one story. Linkwood drive is a narrow street “inside” the neighborhood. This will impact not only the homes on that particular street but it will also drop the home values of the homes in that neighborhood. The church states it had a mission to do this for the senior in the area – a noble cause – Except no one in the area has every asked any senior residents what they need. Many seniors who currently live in the area will now have their home values drop due to this development. Is that fair to them??? The churches congregation has been dwindling …but maybe the area is saturated. Within a 5 mile radius of this neighborhood there are 12 Methodist churches; 7 jewish synagogues, 5 episcopal churches and 3 catholic churches.
Hold on, let me put on some sad violin music before I read your sob stories…
My house is literally 200ft from a 100+ unit subsidized senior living facility, there is 0 traffic associated with the facility, the residents and their families cause 0 problems. This proposed apartment building isnt even IN their neighborhood! Its NEXT to it! I used to live in a neighborhood with fascists like this, I know the type. These people need to get a life.
Generally speaking, if you have a “concern” about something the best thing to do is go study it rather than keep repeating as if it’s a fact.
Whoops- someone used the other ‘other’ f-word. Does this obey Godwin’s Law? Or is it only when someone is labeled with the ‘other’ n-word?
@stopbethanyapartments.com
Thank you so much for calling for calling me a dingbat! This shows everybody how your group resorts to name calling and bullying whenever anybody disagrees with you.
1. If you spent less time insulting me and more time reading you would see that I specifically said that you were worried that the “relatives of the seniors” would commit crimes. Please re-read my comment.
2. Yes a resident did voice a concern that the building would be painted odd colors. It was posted on Nextdoor. I’m assuming you have access to our neighborhood on Nextdoor (Is this Kevin? I’m not quite sure who is over your group). On Nov. 23 a resident said:
“…And just like The Broadmead decided to paint their apts hideous colors, this building could eventually be painted bright orange or neon green. It’s a giant hideous structure, among smaller dwellings and has no business here.”
If you don’t believe me please type in the words “neon green” in the search box on Nextdoor and read it for yourself.
So please do your research before you accuse me of spreading false information and calling me names. You should do the right thing retract your statements and issue an apology to me.
“Keep, ancient lands, your singled stories!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your old, your poor,
Your kin of criminals yearning for garish paint,
The aging hippies with poor financial planning.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the Linkwood Park!”
Longfellow, I get it but I don’t think there would be time to read all of the comments if apologies were required on this site.
@stopbethanyapartnents.com
Please post your survey that shows 75% of the neighborhood is opposed to the project. How many neighbors were surveyed, by what means, and what questions were asked?
Please post how much money has been donated to your effort and what that the money has been spent on. Are these donations tax-exempt? Is there any system of checks and balances in place to make sure that donations are spent appropriately?
Please post what businesses you are working with.
Please give the real estate report or name of the realtor that told you property values would decrease.
I’m so glad to know that having housing for elderly nearby reduces property values. There’s a “Memory Care” facility very near me that is always quiet, but who know what those Alzheimer’s patients are really up to late at night? I guess this spring when I go to HCAD to protest my appraisal valuation, I can just tell them about the old folks on my street and they’ll lower my value by $50k!
For the poster that maintains that this neighborhood “is not so great as it is” let us look at some facts.
The stats on HAR.com as of today show the average home price in Knollwood Village at $608,320 with an avg size of 1754sf. Houston Heights avg home price is $698,259 with avg size of 1823 so the market price and desirability seem to be on even footing between this “not so great neighborhood” and the Heights.
Saying you are familiar with this area because you drive through it on your way to the Texan games is about the same as me saying I know all about the Heights because I shop at the farmers’ market on Airline.
This apartment complex for “seniors” is not a care facility for scooter ridden old folk. It is for anyone over the age of 62 and any of their dependents over the age of 18. More than half the units will be for low income housing. Any idea how many low income seniors are responsible for their children and grandchildren? Hint..a lot.
From the level of discourse herein, I can only possibly conclude that all of this is just Russian propaganda, intended to sew discord and discontent. God help us.
only thing scarier than old people living in your hood is “low income” old people living in your hood.
Hey, they probably should have used a fanged clawed old lady going after little children with a cane on their poster.
@stopbethanyapartments.com
Your website is looking better, and more reasonable. In my opinion though you still need to list actual contact names of people who administer the site, whether or not the donation is tax-deductible, what attorneys you are working with, what businesses you are working with, and drop the bit about crime and property values. Unless you are willing to list the names of the realtors who have advised you that property values will definitely drop, you should not make these claims. Regarding crime, there is just a lot as a logical an argument that with added elderly people and in around the neighborhood, we will have more eyes out for undesirable criminals entering the neighborhood. It has been made very clear that the complex is for 62 and older and kids and grandkids will not be allowed to live in the units. There is no reason to think there will be extra crime. Also, the point about the wine bar is a bit ridiculous. Elderly people should be allowed to socialize and have a glass of wine like the rest of us. They should also be allowed to have dogs, although I doubt we will have 50 dogs defecating in our yard.I think more people would join your cause if your side or more reasonable and less far-fetched.