Some residents of 9-year-old Victory Lakes have been demonstrating against a La Quinta Inn proposed for the commercial strip that separates the recent master-planned community from the Gulf Freeway in League City, reports Rhiannon Meyers in the Galveston County Daily News:
[Developer Roy] Mease turned what was supposed to be an upscale suburb and high-end offices into a hub for big box retailers, fast food restaurants and hotels, Victory Lakes residents claimed.
“I’m opposed to these hotels,†resident John Calebrese said. “It’s just another step in the wrong direction of the promises made to the original homeowners of Victory Lakes … (The subdivision) is nothing like what was promised.â€
But Mease said the subdivision, with its 14 big box retailers, brings in an “ungodly amount†of sales tax revenue for League City. There is no reason to oppose a hotel plotted for land far away from any Victory Lakes homes, he said.
A Hampton Inn and Candlewood Suites are already under construction. What’s wrong with La Quinta?
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“People who generally stay there are hardworking construction workers, welders and truck drivers,†Kim Tecca said. “At night, they relax like they like to relax — they stay up all night drinking.â€
Several residents argued sexual predators could live in the hotel, which they said is less than 2,000 feet from a school. . . .
One resident said the hotel would become an after-hours rendezvous spot for men who frequent Heartbreaker’s Gentlemen’s Club. . . .
Despite residents’ arguments otherwise, La Quinta is planning an upscale version of its hotel for League City, complete with an indoor corridor, a pool and a small meeting space, said Craig Brantl of the La Quinta Corp.
The $8 million hotel, which would have an urban design, would attract “upper business clientele,†such as medical professionals and aerospace engineers.
“This is not built for the local trucker,†he said.
Those fighting the hotel are the same unhappy residents who fought the Wal-Mart in 2005, Mease said. Residents in 2005 became enraged when they learned high-end offices and upscale eateries planned nearby would instead become a Wal-Mart Super Center. The homeowners’ lawsuit settled out of court.
In last week’s vote on the La Quinta, members of the League City Planning and Zoning Commission split down the middle. Approval of the project now depends on city council.
- Proposed La Quinta sparks outrage [Galveston County Daily News, via HAIF]
Map of Victory Lakes: Victory Lakes
OMG! When I first read this last week, I was flabbergasted. Blue collar workers are now undesirable? Come on folks. You bought a house near a freeway, you can’t be expecting hill country living. The gated communities are going to start gating their gates.
“Mease turned what was supposed to be an upscale suburb and high-end offices into a hub for big box retailers, fast food restaurants and hotels, Victory Lakes residents claimed.”
Has any of these residents looked at the land plan? Have any of them look at the plats filed with League City? Do you see that big green area along I-45? It says “COMMERCIAL”.
I bet that land is also labeled as commercial on the plats and had signs on it for commercial land to be developed.
These residents fall in to the dumb category for thinking freeway frontage would remain undeveloped.
They were “told” by the developer that it would be high end office buildings.
When dealing with ANY salesperson…if it ain’t contracted, it ain’t so. If it is contracted, it could still be ain’t so. If it is built, it is so, but could be made to be un-so.
Funny, they didn’t protest until they heard “La Quinta.”
I’m just saying.
This is rediculous. People want the lower home prices that come with buying into a new subdivision and then complain when the undeveloped land doesn’t live up to their vision. If they want a sure bet, they should pay the higher price and buy into a built-out community with the Whole Foods/Central Market mixed use project that they are looking for. You can’t have it both ways.
So where will the Denny’s go? LaQuinta… Spanish for “next to Dennys”.
Since when is League City to upscale for LaQuinta? There’s a LaQuinta on 59 just a stone’s throw away from West University Place!
EMME, I do not see any racism here. Your first post did hit the nail on the head. These homeowners were led to believe the commercial development would be upscale and it proved otherwise. I have seen the traffic around the big box retailers in the Clear Lake area. What a nightmare!
May not be racism, but one of the articles I read about pointed out that they were only protesting LaQuinta and not the Hampton and I think a Courtyard, or something like it. Either way, definitely elitism. Blue collar workers built America, when did they become “undesirable?”
I wonder why is LaQuinta is considered sub par?
Depending on the age of a particular LaQuinta hotel, many are in the same league as other popular roadside hotels such as Hampton Inn or Courtyard.
The older LaQuintas are of a different era in travel hotels. Also, being franchise means the quality is based upon the franchise owner.
On top of my 2 cents, EMME is right. What are we supposed to do? Classify blue collar as less important and then segregate them? People need to grow up.
Wherever you choose to live, you should be able to anticipate what your surroundings may be like in a few years. If you aren’t comfortable with the what may happen, then don’t live there.
Today’s La Quinta is tomorrows El Rondo heels.
The homeowner’s settled out of court with Wal-Mart.
Hmmmmmm, where might they be going with La Quinta.
The issue is that residents should have some say so into what gets built around their homes. Yes, they all were advised that the surrounding land was commercial – they were also told what those commercial developments were at the time and they were not hotels and Walmarts.
What is not on the table is that because of the commercialization that Mease has sold to, home sales and prices in VL have gone down significantly and some of the higher end builders have moved out and he is trying to get cheaper builders in to take their place. 30% difference lot to lot in home prices – how long will the values stay up
If every residents gets to say what gets built around them, then no city could exist.