HOW A DEVELOPER MAKES FRIENDS IN GERMANTOWN 
Fisher Homes owner Terry Fisher has been scuffling with city officials and residents of the Germantown Historic District over the dilapidated state of the recently renovated 104-year-old bungalow at 121 Payne St. that he bought last year, got permission for a 2-story addition, but then let sit for months with an opened-up roof protected only by a blue tarp. Fisher may have had some difficulties maintaining the sticks and stones on his property (“demolition by neglect” is how one inspector put it), but he sure has demonstrated a way with words: “The neighbors and anyone else who doesn’t like me is welcome to go walk off a bridge,” he reportedly texted to Woodland Heights Civic Association member David Jordan: “Just try and remember I am a property owner in that neighborhood also and I’m just as important as the others. Considering how much I own, I may be more important.†The latest document attesting to that importance: the violation letter he received from the planning department ordering him to stop work on the Payne St. property and address concerns identified by the inspector. But Fisher tells reporter Erin Mulvaney his text to Jordan has been taken out of context: “God gave me two cheeks and I do what I can to turn them, but enough is enough,” he tells her, explaining that he lives in Spring, rather than in the Heights, where many of his developments are, in part to avoid ending up next door to a development he doesn’t like. “I have done nothing wrong,” Fisher says, “I’m not just a big bad developer. I’m a human, too.” But wait, there’s more: “I’m not ashamed of anything, including the Payne house,” says Fisher, who according to the article has been developing in Houston for more than 30 years. “At the end of the day,” he tells Mulvaney, “I’ve never done anything intentionally wrong. Anything has been out of ignorance.” [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot] Photo of 121 Payne St. in better times: HAR
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I’m sorry, but “human” and “big bad developer” are mutually exclusive terms. The irony of him living in Spring instead of the Heights so he can avoid being next to a development he doesn’t like is delicious, but obviously lost on him.
Terry Fisher: “I’m Not Just A Big Bad Developer.” For fun, compare the photos taken before Terry Fisher’s “redevelopment” (http://www.har.com/homevalue/121-PAYNE-ST-HOUSTON-TX-77009-M54693456.htm) to the photos taken after his “redevelopment” (the pictures included in the chronicle article).
The City makes developers and their a/e teams submit Accessibility Standards and UL listings when they issue for permit. I don’t understand why they don’t make them either submit the Deed Restrictions and Historic District information, or a signed affidavit saying that they have researched it and found there are no Deed Restrictions or Historic Districts in place on the land. This would prevent people like Terry Fisher from claiming ignorance on these things.
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I think this was suggested when they were reworking Chapter 42. I don’t know what became of it. It would make it easier for the City to enforce deed restrictions where they are in place (they would have something to refer to), and it would force developers and their designers to find and abide by the restrictions.
I thought this guy lived in a school bus and came to Houston after Ike…. He’d live in a school bus, but prefers Spring over the Heights???
The irony noted by road chick applies to developers of Ashby High Rise. They prefer to live in the comfort and legal protection of million dollar homes in the zoned cities of West University and Southside Place–yet to prefer to inflict their version of “responsible development” on citizens of Houston. Must be a developer thing–NIMBY applies to them also.
That’s brilliant, demolition by neglect. That opens up a whole new market of new construction in previously Nazi Historic Districts. Just buy it, start some work, let it rot, and then you’ll have no choice but to build brand new.
Not a level headed businessman with whom you want to entrust probably your largest single investment. Much less the place you call home. Unfortunately, he has targeted the Heights as a place to make money. Lucky for us!
So he says he’s a resident of Spring but he’s building a new “HOME/OFFICE” on Yale in the Heights? See earlier Swamplot article:
http://swamplot.com/a-heights-area-homebuilders-new-home-office-on-yale-st/2014-05-13/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+swamplot+%28Swamplot%3A+Houston%27s+Real+Estate+Landscape%29
Commonsense says: “That’s brilliant, demolition by neglect. That opens up a whole new market of new construction in previously Nazi Historic Districts. Just buy it, start some work, let it rot, and then you’ll have no choice but to build brand new.” This is EXACTLY why the City needs to throw the book at Fisher Homes. A $500 a day fine, per day, each and every day, until the house is brought back into compliance is the only thing that will keep Terry Fisher/Fisher Homes and others like him in compliance.
The Chronicle article say, “If he doesn’t [address the problems outlined in the inspection report by Wednesday], he could face losing the right to build anything on the site for two years and being issued a citation that could lead to fines.” My fingers are crossed that this happens.
I’m no fan of Morrison Heights, but leaving that beautiful home roofless to rot is, in my view, worse. Fisher is a menace to the neighborhood and evidently quite proud of himself.
His website says he came to Houston in 2008 after building in Iowa for years. It also says he built and eventually owned property in Iowa, but came to Houston in an old school bus with only $2,500 to his name. So, what happened in Iowa that left him with just $2,500 and an old school bus? Also, would it be possible for the same circumstances to come together in Houston to put Mr. Fisher on another school bus out of town?
“Just try and remember I am a property owner in that neighborhood also and I’m just as important as the others. Considering how much I own, I may be more important.”
And scene.
If he only arrived in Houston in 2008 how could he have been developing in Houston for more than 30 years?
Too bad he had to buy Payne – it was already a nice renovation. Hopefully he won’t F it up with some ill-suited / massive addition for the sake for commanding $$$.
That house was beautiful. This makes me sick to my stomach.
ZAW wrote: “I don’t understand why they don’t make them either submit the Deed Restrictions and Historic District information, or a signed affidavit saying that they have researched it and found there are no Deed Restrictions or Historic Districts in place on the land. This would prevent people like Terry Fisher from claiming ignorance on these things.”
On your Building Permit Application, the City DOES require a notarized affidavit that you are not violating ANY Deed Restrictions: “Even if the City issues a building permit for the Project, YOU MAY BE SUED by the City or by others if the Project violates a Deed Restriction, and a court may order you to remove all or part of the Project at your own expense.” Does this ever actually happen? Doubtful.
Since Mr Fisher is about 41 years old he started building here 30 years ago? What a prodigy!!! And he did it long distance as he moved here from Iowa about 4 years ago after he went bankrupt and left a bank holding the losses from his bad business decisions. He does not live in the Heights, just likes taking unsupecting buyers for a ride and for their money. BUYER BEWARE!
Mr Fisher has intentionally let this property rot so he could have the land for new construction and more profit. He will most likely build a hideous midrise on stilts as he has on Morrison.
@ Phil: I don’t remember seeing such a thing on any of the permit applications I’ve filled out. Of course those have all been commercial applications so maybe it’s different?
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Anyway, they really should make them submit copies of the deed restrictions when they submit plans. Have them scan it and include it on sheets just like they do with UL listings. This would let the plan reviewers actually check them, instead of just taking the submitter’s word for it. Plus it’d be easier to know that they aren’t lying.
I agree with ZAW, 100%. If people complain that it is too onerous to have to research and attach restrictions to their applications, that is a pretty good indication (1) they do not know what (if anything) restricts their property; (2) they do not care what (if anything) restricts their property and (3) but for the city’s requirement to research and attach restrictions, they never would have looked.
Here comes the NIMBYs whining..
Reading comprehension is good. The only “NIMBY” referenced in the article or comments by anyone other than you, elseed, was to Terry Fisher, who proudly lives in Spring to avoid his and other developments. He literally does not want this type of development anywhere near his backyard, but is happy to put it in everyone else’s. And, he wasn’t whining, he was bragging.
@Mel
I would ignore elseed’s comments. He/she just copies and pastes it from one posting to the next. It’s always the same and it’s never intelligent.