Many thanks to our talented and dedicated contributing photographers this round: russell.hancock, can-da-chee garcia, elnina909, and lulubird24. They ventured boldly into the Bellaire Triangle, and came out — with this feature!
Here’s their group portrait, and Swamplot’s 6th photo feature. All photos taken within 500 ft. of the intersection of Bellaire Blvd. and Bissonnet St.
How’s it looking?
Coming down in today’s snow: the Bellaire Fire Station at the corner of Jessamine and South Rice Blvd. The new station will go in at the same location — but at a much higher elevation:
The new station includes built-in flood protection, because the floor will rest at an elevation of 55 feet, five inches, which is one foot and one inch higher than the 100-year flood elevation.
During Monday’s council meeting, several council members raised concerns because the station design does not comply with the city’s residential building code. The station is considered a commercial building, so it is not required to meet the residential code.
Councilman Jim Avioli asked about why the station’s tower is 48 feet tall, which exceeds the size limit for residential construction.
Lauren Meyers, archivist of would-be Houston, digs up an earlier plan for a building at 4500 Bissonnet, on the corner of Mulberry St. in Bellaire. That’s the vacant property long in the possession of legendarily delinquent Wilshire Village landlord Jay H. Cohen, where Matt Dilick, the man who now apparently controls it, is planning to build a 2ish-story stucco mild-West meets retail-Tuscan strip center and sell off the rest of the land.
Back in 1946, Cohen’s father, who had developed the Wilshire Village Apartments on West Alabama and Dunlavy 6 years earlier, planned a 122-home subdivision on the 30-acre strip between Avenue A (now Newcastle St.) and Mulberry St. with a partner. And at the southern end of the property, facing Richmond Rd. (now Bissonnet St.), a sweeping, low-slung modern structure spanning Howard St.: the Mulberry Manor Community Center, designed by Houston architects Lloyd & Morgan.
Meyers quotes a Houston Chronicle report from September 1, 1946:
FIRST THEY’LL NEED TO CLEAR OUT ALL THAT VEGETATION THAT’S IN THE WAY Nancy Sarnoff hears word that the owners of the 100-year-old Teas Nursery at 4400 Bellaire Blvd. near Newcastle are hoping to sell off the property for single-family homes: “The Bellaire business will be relocated, sold or liquidated, according to Tom Teas, president and manager of the landscaping division. Plans are for the nursery company to redevelop the five acres of land itself and then sell lots to builders. The project will start in January.” [Prime Property; previously on Swamplot]
Let’s see . . . there was today’s planned foreclosure auction for Wilshire Village. What else does Matt Dilick of Commerce Equities have going on?
Swamplot’s neighborhood correspondent for Bellaire reports on Commerce Equities’ proposed development on one portion of a couple of long-vacant tracts at the northeast corner of Bissonnet and Newcastle:
The plots of land at 4400 and 4500 Bissonnet, between Newcastle and the Centerpoint service center, are being cut up and sold. . . .
Evidence of surveying and subdivision in recent weeks has recently given way to signboards indicating that the north third of the open land at 4500 Bissonnet will be cut up into six residential lots while the two-thirds fronting Bissonnet is reserved for commercial. The next block over, across Howard Street, commercial space is being developed to open before April of 2010. According to flyers on broker David Nettles’s website, approximately 62% of the 20,000-some-odd square feet of office space is still available.
But the two parcels — totaling almost 4 acres — have more of a connection to Wilshire Village than just the involvement of Dilick.
Just a couple items this time:
[Owner Henry] Tsao’s current agreement with the donut chain is expiring; the company requires new agreements to last a 10-year duration with a new set of parameters for facility and mechanical upgrades totaling as much as $400,000. Tsao, 62, doesn’t want to make a long-term commitment at his age and isn’t inclined to make the required financial reinvestment, so his store will close Oct. 24.
Helen spent all of September getting the new shop ready – and if you ever wanted to check out wall to wall seagrass, this is your chance – I think she bought out all the rolls of it available in town.
The Swamplot Price Adjuster needs your nominations! Found a property you think is poorly priced? Send an email to Swamplot, and be sure to include a link to the listing or photos. Tell us about the property, and explain why you think it deserves a price adjustment. Then tell us what you think a better price would be. Unless requested otherwise, all submissions to the Swamplot Price Adjuster will be kept anonymous.
Location: 4901 Evergreen St., Bellaire
Details: 6,890 sq. ft. lot, marred by only by existing house. “BEING SOLD AS LOT VALUE ONLY***DRIVE BY ONLY***Great Corner Lot***Lots of Trees**”
Price: $700,000
History: Listed at the current price since late May.
Note: Story updated below.
The reader who’s nominating this Bellaire lot wonders why it’s priced like a Bellaire house:
This is probably priced more than double what it should be. While Bellaire is not a cheap neighborhood, there are plenty of nice 3700-4000 square foot homes selling in Bellaire for this same price or lower. It isn’t even a big lot. The appraisal district appraises it at $254,069 for a price difference of $445,931 . . .
It is also a corner lot, and there is a stop sign in front of the house. I know there is an older house on the lot, but the agent is selling it “As-is” without scheduling appointments . . .
There is a beautiful 4400 sq foot house also on Evergreen a block or two away (5113 Evergreen) on a similar size lot that
is selling for 825[was recently reduced to $799K].
What would be a better price for this little piece of Bellaire?
COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW A FORM-BASED CODE FOR BELLAIRE MIGHT WORK “In the interests of improving the community as a whole do you think it would be possible for the City of Bellaire to call a moratorium on the building of faux Tuscan McMansions? Or perhaps a number of turrets per home limit?” [Jimbo, commenting on Crossing That Thin Baby Blue Line]
CROSSING THAT THIN BABY BLUE LINE Two Bellaire City Council members are upset about a very long, baby blue line Metro painted along Bellaire Blvd. last month: “‘We work hard in Bellaire to improve the look of our community, the planning commission is working hard on a comprehensive plan, and then some outside entity decides to paint a stripe down our street, and I don’t like it,’ said Councilmember Peggy Faulk at Monday night’s council meeting. ‘We are continually plagued by visual pollution,’ said Councilmember Pat McLaughlan, who also challenged signs posted at-will by government jurisdictions through Bellaire. Metro painted the blue line along the entire route of its Quickline Signature express service, which offers high-tech hybrid buses at peak hours down Bellaire/Holcombe Boulevard from west Houston to the Texas Medical Center.” [Bellaire Examiner]
THE GREAT INNER-LOOP TEARDOWN BACKUP “Since builders cannot get credit to build spec homes right now, they are not buying older “tear-down” homes in West U and Bellaire. As a result, the $400K-$499K price range in West U and Bellaire is a strong buyer’s market with inventories stacking up.” [Strictly a Buyer’s Agent]
From the website of Top View Builder — builders of this 6,017-sq.-ft. home at 5607 Whitehaven St. in Bellaire — under “Company History”:
Founded in 2007 by four well-rounded partners, the company is desitned to set the benchmark of excellence.
Maybe helps explain the bloated look, too.
SHELL STILL LEAVING BELLAIRE Shell Oil will renovate and expand its Westhollow campus off the Westpark Tollway near Highway 6 and send most Bellaire employees there. “. . . two-thirds of the 5-acre [Bellaire Technology Facility] is built on leased land. That lease will expire in 2010, which added to the decision to close the operation there.” [Houston Chronicle]
Joni Webb goes on a tear through Bellaire, describing some new builder homes:
Each year, Bellaire builders compete in a Showcase of Homes where they try to out build each other with more and better amenities, more square footage, more details, more windows – more of everything and anything to win the Best of Show. The builder is the star here, architects are rarely if ever mentioned. I don’t blame them, I wouldn’t want to claim one of these “show” houses myself. Is it truly harder to design an attractive house? Is it more difficult to design a home with inviting curb appeal? I don’t think so. I think it actually must be harder to design one of these detailed overloaded showcase style houses.
And then . . . she takes readers on a tour of Bellaire’s baddest spec homes! Here’s Swamplot’s edited version . . . actual addresses, details and asking prices, and links to the listings have been added (and some contrasting homes Webb likes much more have been left out):
Location: 4701 Braeburn Dr.
Details: 4-5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths; 5,076 sq. ft.
Price: $999,000
The Pitch: “Stunning Mediterranean stone and stucco new construction in Bellaire! . . . Virtual grass added to photo!”
Docent Comments: “Is it Mediterranean or French, contemporary or Tuscan? Take your pick, there are elements here of each style. The front loading garage is the focal point. Can someone please explain the two windows lowered on the stone at the front of the garage? Are they lowered for children or dogs to peer out of them? And why are there two faux windows on each side of them? I count FIVE lanterns on the garage alone. The house itself is barely noticeable, it’s so pushed to the back of the garage. The front door is encased in a square stone facade, again, why? Two turrets of different heights flank the front door. The stone work is placed with no regard to design. The left turret has a stone base, the right turret has a stone facade with bands of colored stucco at its base. The windows are contemporary, while the house is not. And why are there three faux windows with a small gable above the right turret on the second floor? There is nothing, absolutely nothing attractive about this house. If someone buys it, it will be a miracle.”
Oh, yes . . . there’s more!
From a story by Mauricio Guerrero in this week’s Village News:
The Bellaire home at 4616 Maple St. where Dennis and Randy Quaid grew up during the 1950s and 1960s will be torn down. The house was previously owned by Kathleen McQuill[an], who purchased the home in 1978 from the Quaids.
“I bought from Mrs. Quaid herself,” she said.
Nita Quaid was the realtor and owner of the house.
McQuillan lived in the house for three years, then let her mother-in-law, sister and various other friends rent and live in the former Quaid home. She said that after owning the house for the past 30 years, it was time to sell.
“It makes me sad, but progress is ongoing,” she said when she found out that the house would be torn down.
Photo from Dennis Quaid’s Sophomore yearbook: Flickr user denquaidfan
In this episode: Bellaire east of Newcastle, aka Southdale. Close to parks, schools, pools, and trains! Our open-house tour features new homes, newer homes, and an actual Bellaire original.
Location: 4340 Valerie St.
Details: 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths; 4,048 sq. ft.
Price: $809,000
The Scoop: 2005 “great party house” on corner lot designed “to maximize liveable space.” More is . . . uh, more! Mudroom, Game Room, Sewing Room, wine bar; Pantry has second refrigerator. Master Bath has double doors. Listed since February; price just chopped $6K.
Open House: Sunday, 2-5 pm
On with the tour!
