CYPRESS BARBECUE TRAILER THREATENED WITH GUN VIOLENCE FOR SUPPORTING OPEN CARRY 
Perennial Allison Cook’s Top 100 listee Brooks’ Place, the parking lot barbecue joint in Cypress which began offering a discount on New Year’s Day to those visibly bringing a holstered gun to the establishment, received a review via its Facebook page this morning threatening a Saturday shootup (with explicit reference to the spot’s “gun-toting patrons”). Owner Trent Brooks tells the Houston Chronicle’s Sid Kearney that he has contacted the authorities and that he is “not taking the threat lightly, not with all the crazy stuff that is going on in the world today.†But the barbecue shed-trailer will be open this Saturday, with peace officers stationed nearby if necessary. [Houston Chronicle, previously on Swamplot] Photo: Cletus O.
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COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE WAY OF ALL HOUSTON REAL ESTATE 
“I agree that there’s no tangible need for the Grand Parkway out there. On the other hand, I’ve owned a few hundred acres by Dayton that now have doubled in price in the last 5 years because of the anticipation of GP — so who am I to argue?” [commonsense, commenting on The Grand Parkway Segments Planned Between 59 and I-10 Are Looking for Love (or Whatever Else You Might Be Feeling)] Illustration: Lulu
NATIONAL GUARD TO DEPLOY DISCARDED CHRISTMAS TREES TO RESTORE LOUISIANA WETLANDS Meanwhile, in New Orleans:Â The US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Louisiana National Guard’s 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, will conduct the city’s annual Christmas Tree Drop, in which thousands of fir trees collected this week will be deposited by Black Hawk into the 23,000-ac swamp that sits within the city limits. The dead trees placed in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge allow sediment to collect and provide habitat, creating a base for recolonization of degraded wetland areas by native marsh grasses and birds; about 175 acres of wetlands have been restored in this way since the program began. [The Times-Picayune, Mother Nature Network]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: REMEMBERING THE WONDERFUL LIFE IN THE HEIGHTS 
“Back when it was a drugstore, I remember buying sodas from George Bailey when he worked there. His boss Mr. Gower ’bout ripped his damn ear off one time when he almost poisoned a kid. Old man Potter came in with his cheap housing, building all these stucco Mcmansions. Things haven’t been the same since.” [Violet, commenting on Oolala, Heights Candy Bar Calling It Quits on Studewood Storefronts] Photo: Heights Candy Bar
COULD A $40 BILLION BIRD STOP COASTAL FLOODING IN THE INDONESIAN CAPITAL? Meanwhile, in Jakarta: A Dutch firm has designed a giant seawall complex shaped like a mythical Indonesian bird to help the city deal with present and projected coastal flooding, linked to subsidence from massive groundwater extraction. What could go wrong? According to impact studies of the project, plenty: skeptics’ concerns include the complete erosion of nearby islands, the inadvertent creation of a polluted and oxygen-depleted zone in Jakarta bay that would be toxic to marine life, and even an increase in corruption as the $40 billion project is executed. The Great Garuda and its 17 artificial islands would need to be in place by 2025 to shelter the 10-million-person capital as intended; the project would be partially funded by the sale of newly created land to developers. [National Geographic]
VILLA ARCOS TACOS’ PERSONALITY SPLIT 
A Sunday post to the Facebook page of Villa Arcos Tacos announced that the East End taco joint would be moving, changing its name, and offering barbecue alongside its familiar Tex-Mex specialties. An emphatic press release issued this morning, however, asserts that “None of these claims are true. In fact, they are completely false.” Villa Arcos operator Dena Gutierres (sister of recently deceased former owner Yolanda Black Navarro) told CultureMap’s Eric Sandler that she had been planning to end her 5-year lease on the space at 3900 Navigation Blvd. long before her sister’s November passing, in light of some $250,000 of modifications needed to comply with City inspectors’ requests. But Black Navarro’s son Christian insists that the restaurant will remain at 3900 Navigation Blvd., where it has operated for the past 38 years, and that he and City inspectors are “working together to determine what corrections are required”. Gutierres plans to open Texas Tacos and Barbecue at 1000 Telephone Rd. in the current home of Oak Leaf Smokehouse after her lease ends on January 31st. [CultureMap] Photo of Villa Arcos Tacos at 3900 Navigation Blvd.: Jamanta F. via Yelp
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WELCOMING HOUSTON’S NEW HIGH-DENSITY OVERLORDS 
“Why should the image of a small, single-family home surrounded by townhouses be frightening? This image is a symbol of the fact that Houston is the city with perhaps the single fastest ability to adapt to changing housing demand. This kind of densification is why a lot more people can afford to live close to jobs and recreation, rather than being forced into the suburbs. This picture is a sign of a vibrant, thriving neighborhood, and fills me with hope for the future.” [Angostura, commenting on Getting Ready for What 2016 Has in Store for Houston] Illustration: Lulu
THE “UBER OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE” IS STRETCHING ITS REACH FROM MINNESOTA TO TEXAS Meanwhile, in the Twin Cities: Online commercial real estate matchmaking startup Crelow, originally founded to connect building owners to potential tenants online (and pocket a share of the would-have-been brokerage fees) is expanding its reach cross-country as 2016 rolls in. Crelow launched in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area at the end of 2014 and opened up shop in Denver last March; Houston and Phoenix came online in early December, and entry into more cities is planned. The company has since revised its business model to allow tenant reps to participate, but still offers incentives to those flying solo. [HBJ, Minneapolis Business Journal]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW DOES ALCOHOL COMPLICATE THE BARBERSHOP EXPERIENCE? 
“Do I want to drink a beer while getting my hair cut? Will it get hair in it? Is it comfortable to drink a beer while holding your head in hair-cutting position? Will I have time to finish it? I have a lot of questions about this concept.” [TacoTruck, commenting on Getting Ready for an Alcoholic Barbershop Experience Where the Parking Lot is Going Pink on E. 20th St.] Illustration: Lulu
EPA ASKS FOR NEVADA’S HAND IN CLEANING UP RADIOACTIVE GROUNDWATER AT BP’S ANACONDA MINE Meanwhile, in Yerington: The EPA is pushing to place Nevada’s Anaconda Copper Mine on the Superfund list, after 15 years of investigating the area’s uranium-contaminated groundwater and a nearly $20 million resident settlement: a 2013 class-action suit accused mine owner Atlantic Richfield and parent company BP America of intentional and negligent concealment of the extent of contamination from the site. The EPA sent a letter to Nevada governor Brian Sandoval last week, giving the state about a month to respond with any concerns about the intended listing. Nevada has previously fought the listing of the site 65 miles south of Reno, hoping to avoid drops in property values. In 2004, former Anaconda cleanup supervisor Eddie Dixon was fired by the Bureau of Land Management for alienating groups that help the agency to work “in an efficient and effective manner” — a 2008 panel upheld that Dixon was actually fired for insisting that health concerns be publicized. Dixon also documented irregularities like changes to content in his presentations by company marketing consultants. (Some dozen Superfund NPL sites are listed around the Greater Houston Area, including sites adjacent to or within a few blocks of 610 North, 610 South, and I-10 east of downtown.) [NYTimes, High Country News, Houston Chronicle, previously on Swamplot, HBJ]
CHICKEN OUT TONIGHT ON MEMORIAL DR. 
Hybrid Peruvian-Mexican restaurant Pollo Bravo will be flying the coop at 5 PM — the Memorial Dr. and Reinicke St. location will close permanently this evening. The chain’s remaining 2 locations on Hillcroft and Richmond will remain open, and the owner is currently looking for a new space to roost. The locale, which previously housed Hartz Chicken Buffet, converted to a Pollo Bravo by the end of 2012. An LLC connected to developer Amir Taghdisi purchased the property in May, adding to his existing holdings a few blocks west across the street; his strip center at 5801 Memorial Dr. currently houses a Dunkin’ Donuts and Piada Italian Street Food. Photo: Google Places
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE LIMITS OF OPEN CARRY 
“Jogged the Memorial loop trail yesterday with my holster and 9. Applying lots of cream today.” [J, commenting on Simon Says Don’t Bring Your Guns to the Galleria] Illustration: Lulu
A SAMPLER OF 2015’S MOST FOGGY, BEST FORESTED, AND OTHERWISE INTERESTINGLY UNHELPFUL ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS Meanwhile, in the digital ether: Designing any building comes with the concurrent challenge of producing appealing and informative renderings of the new project — a feat which not every project manages to achieve. To wrap up the year, the folks over at CityLab have pulled together 2015’s most um, “memorable” renderings. Notable entries include the museum shown entirely obscured by fog, a skyscraper optimistically covered in mature trees, and developments set in blank space and mysterious marshes. [CityLab]
FARM-THEMED PLANNED COMMUNITY RIPENING ALONG THE WESTERN GRAND PARKWAY Hous
ton’s first farm-centric master-planned community is moving forward on the Grand Parkway along Oyster Creek in Richmond, writes Paul Takahashi of the HBJ. The Harvest Green residential community will be structured around working farms and themed accordingly throughout: in addition to opting for a backyard planter (available in L-shaped or rectangular), residents can elect to work a plot in a 5-acre community garden, part of the 300 acres of farmable land that will be associated with the development. Not sure what to do with a backhoe? An on-site farmer will offer classes in both agriculture and nutrition. Those less keen to get their hands in the dirt will be able to visit the farm-to-table restaurant instead — or simply partake of the edible landscaping. Johnson Development has recently opened model homes at the site, and is currently constructing non-model homes as well. [HBJ] Photo: Johnson Development
FLOODING IN SOUTHEAST INDIA WORSENED BY MANMADE ISSUES OTHER THAN JUST CLIMATE CHANGE Meanwhile, in Chennai: An unusually heavy winter monsoon season led to serious flooding in the coastal Indian city earlier this month, costing hundreds of lives, disrupting local infrastructure and economic sectors, and interrupting access to food and water for millions of residents. The city’s plight precipitated discussions during the Paris Climate Conference of how the impacts of extreme weather events may be exacerbated by poor urban planning. The New Delhi-based Indian Express released a short video walking through some of the local planning issues that contributed to the catastrophic flooding — including illegal construction in floodplains or on top of filled-in water bodies, stormwater runoff infrastructure built without crucial topographic data, and valuable projects never executed at all. [Indian Express, Citylab]