Swamplot Archives by Tag: 77449

Friday, October 9, 2009

Little Grand Parkway on the Prairie Not So Shovel-Ready After All

October 9, 2009 – 3:05 pm
   

Those pesky federal regulators, ruining all the fun: It’s now looking like the 15-mile-long Upper Katy Prairie paving project known as the Grand Parkway Segment E won’t be getting the bucket of cash Harris County Commissioners Court wanted. County officials will instead request that the $181 million in federal stimulus funds earlier allocated to the way-out-northwest loop road be distributed to other projects: “The recommendation to withdraw the project from the Texas Department of Transportation’s list of stimulus projects was made by Art Storey, who heads Harris County’s Public Infrastructure Department. Storey declined to comment on his recommendation until it is considered at Harris County Commissioner Court’s meeting next Tuesday. ‘Staff and consultants have worked diligently and successfully to be on schedule to meet the deadlines to enable Segment E construction to qualify for and receive the stimulus funding, but the federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cannot be completely processed by the required mid-February date,’ Storey said in a letter to the court. ‘In fact, because of conflicts over environmental impacts and mitigation, that permit might never be issued.’” [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]

3:05 pm | 8 Comments | Read more about Freeways and Toll Roads, Neighborhoods: Bridgeland, Neighborhoods: Katy Prairie, Proposed Developments, Quicklink, Transportation
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Flooding Report from the Northwest Houston Prairie Bowl

May 12, 2009 – 9:38 am
   

The worst flooding damage from those late April storms centered around a swath of Highway 6 stretching from the Katy Freeway to 290 in northwest Houston. The heaviest rainfall was centered further west, along the planned path of the Grand Parkway Segment E. “[Jennifer] Bayles said her section of Bear Creek Village wasn’t within the 100-year flood plain when she and her husband bought their house 17 years ago. But it was added to the flood plain in new maps developed after Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, and the couple purchased flood insurance despite the steep premiums. ‘We’re well-insured; we’ll be fine,’ she said, but some neighbors don’t have the coverage they need. And their recovery efforts grew more complicated when they learned that if their homes sustained sufficient damage they would have to elevate when they rebuild. In the past few years, Bayles said, her street has flooded regularly during heavy rains, stranding residents in their homes for hours. But the April thunderstorms were the first time she’s had water in her house, she said.” [Houston Chronicle]

9:38 am | 5 Comments | Read more about Flooding, Neighborhoods: Bear Creek Village, Neighborhoods: Northwest Houston, Quicklink
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Friday, May 1, 2009

The Grand Exit

May 1, 2009 – 11:59 am

Those long-lingering plans by the Simon Property Group to build a mall called “The Grand” on 134 acres wedged between I-10 and the threatened Grand Parkway — catty-corner to the Katy Mills Mall — appear to be uh . . . “in question.” The Houston Business Journal’s Jennifer Dawson reports:

The circular acreage surrounded by a mall ring road has at various times been earmarked for an outlet mall, regional mall, lifestyle center and mixed-use center.

Simon recently began marketing the vacant land for sale through local retail brokerage firm Page Partners.

Hmmm . . . how best to spin this?

Continue Reading This Story >

11:59 am | 1 Comment | Read more about Development Strategies, Katy, Land for Sale, Malls, Proposed Developments
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Monday, March 23, 2009

Grand Parkway Sprawl Stimulus

March 23, 2009 – 11:27 am
   

“The road exemplifies an unintended effect of the stimulus law: an administration that opposes suburban sprawl is giving money to states for projects that are almost certain to exacerbate it. A new master-planned community called Bridgeland is rising on the prairie along the proposed site of the road; once completed, the development is expected to have 21,000 new homes on 11,400 acres. Other developers are eagerly awaiting the new road so they can start building on their empty land, too. . . . [Roger H. Hord, the president of the West Houston Association] pointed out that the road would connect two existing highways and said it would ease congestion on some of Houston’s other beltways. He said that an existing leg of the Grand Parkway, just to the south of the proposed leg, would give a sense of what the new stretch of the Grand Parkway might look like when it is done. The existing stretch is lined with strip malls and gas stations and drug stores and a huge 7,600-acre residential development called Cinco Ranch that is popular with families.” [New York Times]

11:27 am | 4 Comments | Read more about Freeways and Toll Roads, Neighborhoods: Bridgeland, Neighborhoods: Cinco Ranch, Proposed Developments, Quicklink, Sprawl
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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Grand Parkway Segment E: Mall Shopper Express Lanes

March 12, 2009 – 8:55 pm
   

Approvals by the Harris County Commissioners Court this week — along with the timely arrival of $181 million of the state’s stimulus money — means nothing but a new Sierra Club lawsuit now stands in the way of building Segment E of the Grand Parkway toll road. The segment, which will cut through the Katy Prairie between I-10 and 290, will allow shoppers a convenient and direct link from the Katy Mills Mall to the new Houston Premium Outlets mall in Cypress, just west of Fairfield. “Peter Haughton with General Growth Properties said, ‘We need this road to continue the build out of Bridgeland, which we hope will be one of America’s best master planned communities.’” [abc13]

8:55 pm | 15 Comments | Read more about Freeways and Toll Roads, Katy, Malls, Neighborhoods: Cypress, Neighborhoods: Fairfield, Proposed Developments, Quicklink
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Monday, March 2, 2009

The Buzz in Settlers Village

March 2, 2009 – 8:18 am

The Katy real-estate rush spreads to the insect world:

Neighbors say bees are nothing new to the Settlers Village subdivision.

One homeowner just down the block had a similar infestation about a year ago and had to remove the siding from his home to get the hive out, said Rowhan Cummings . . .

“They’re traveling,” Cummings says. “Once they got rid of those, they came back here.”

The 12-year-old subdivision is surrounded by open fields, and Cummings says the bees simply appear when the flowers bloom, then look for a place to settle down.

“Those bees were probably here before we were,” he says.

Continue Reading This Story >

8:18 am | 2 Comments | Read more about Critters, Hazards, Katy, Neighborhoods: Settlers Village
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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Royce, Centex, and Roadkill: Touring New Construction in Katy

September 9, 2008 – 9:03 am

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Pay no attention to that dying possum by the side of the road! Lou Minatti takes a bike ride through a neighborhood of new Royce and Centex homes in Katy and finds lots of building going on — and plenty of “sold” signs!!! But . . . is anybody actually living here? And uh, some of those signs look awfully familiar — from a ride through this same area back in May.

After the jump: some of the same scenes, 4 months ago!

Continue Reading This Story >

9:03 am | 2 Comments | Read more about Buying and Selling, Development Strategy, Homebuilders, Homes for Sale, Katy, Neighborhoods: Morton Ranch, New Construction: Residential, Real Estate Marketing
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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Foreclosures in the Neighborhood

April 24, 2008 – 11:00 am

Bear Creek Meadows, Katy, Texas

A story by Paul Knight in this week’s Houston Press adds a little color to the Houston foreclosure map:

Houston’s 77449 ZIP code, on the northwest side, made the top 100 in the nation for 2007. The area saw rapid growth in the early part of the decade, with retail strip centers and a sea of new homes popping up almost overnight.

“They started developing that area really aggressively,” says Erion Shehaj, a Houston realtor who specializes in foreclosed homes. “Like clockwork…[foreclosures] have been popping up one after another, because they were pushing them to people that couldn’t really afford them in the first place.”

Large signs are now planted along the roadside, advertising housing deals such as “Inventory Clearance!” and “Closeout Specials.”

One subdivision in the area that was hit particularly hard is Bear Creek Meadows. The neighborhood was developed about five years ago, with houses priced in the $120,000 range and marketed to first-time buyers.

Below the fold: More on Bear Creek Meadows, plus a few photos to illustrate Knight’s reporting on foreclosure cleanups.

Continue Reading This Story >

11:00 am | Add a Comment | Read more about Foreclosures, Katy, Neighborhoods: Bear Creek Meadows, Real Estate Investing
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Monday, February 11, 2008

West Houston Real Estate and Roadkill: A Report from the Street

February 11, 2008 – 9:56 am

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Blogger and head Michael Pollack cheerleader Lou Minatti posts this street-level video report on the state of the real-estate market in Katy and West Houston, and includes the following odd claim:

I’ve never seen a stucco house in Houston before.

9:56 am | Read more about Construction Materials, Homes for Sale, Katy
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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Bear Creek Meadows Fourclosure Sale!

January 15, 2008 – 9:55 pm

Four Homes by Legend Homes for Sale in Bear Creek Meadows

The wave of foreclosures sweeping over neighborhoods at the outer edges of town has . . . an upside!

Remember back when these neighborhoods were new — like, four years ago? Well, for buyers it’s just like those good old days all over again . . . only cheaper! That’s right: if you’ve settled on one builder model, you can be pretty picky about which upgrades and finishing touches you really want — even though the builder has moved on.

If you’re shopping for a home in Bear Creek Meadows in Katy, for example, you’ll find the four distinct residences pictured above listed on MLS. That’s right, those are four different houses. But they’re all the same model — The Cairns, Plan 509, by Legend Homes — and they’re all resales!

Which one is right for you? Clockwise from top left, the contenders are: 19411 Billineys Park Dr., 19606 Ballina Meadows Dr., 19906 Brisbane Meadows Dr., and 19510 Buckland Park Dr.

After the jump, a look at the differences between these four newish but back-on-the-market homes!

Continue Reading This Story >

9:55 pm | Read more about Buying and Selling, Foreclosures, Home Design, Homebuilders, Homebuying, Homes for Sale, Katy, Neighborhoods: Bear Creek Meadows
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Thursday, October 4, 2007

Meanwhile, Way Way Way Outside the Loop . . .

October 4, 2007 – 12:34 pm

Plan of Grandeur ParkHouston’s middle-age spread continues:

  • Just north of I-10 at the Grand Parkway, Kickerillo is starting a large residential development called Grandeur Park. It’ll be across the street from The Grand, Simon Property Group’s new mall. Homes there will cost 300 to 600 Grand.
  • Houston will soon stretch to Sealy:

    Silvestri Investments of Houston has purchased 1,375 acres just west of Firethorne, which is a mile south of Interstate 10 on FM 1463.

    The new owner will hold the land for future development.

    “With the historical trend of development in Houston, it was only a matter of time before someone purchased land in the next logical pattern of growth,” said Michael Carroll, president of Riverway Properties, who brokered the deal. The price was not disclosed.

  • Ross Perot Jr.’s Hillwood Development Company has bought Sienna Plantation South. What we’ll get there: about 7,000 single-family homes on the 3,827-acre site. Included in that total: 300 acres for offices and retail, 100 acres for schools and churches, and 1,000 acres of parks and open space. No breakdown available on the acreage of cul de sacs, lakes, or driveways.
  • The fourth Del Webb retirement compound in Texas will be near Richmond, at Highway 59 and Thompson Rd. Fifteen hundred homes on 500 acres. You’ll need to be at least 55 years old to live there, and drive at least 55 to get there.
  • It’s tough building slabs in Texas City:

    After what developers described as a “minor slowdown,” the 574-home Grand Cay Harbour project in Texas City is back on track.

    Persistent rain during the summer was part of the problem. But project manager Norman Reed didn’t elaborate about what other factors led to a long stretch of inactivity at the development. The project is on 250 acres beside Galveston Bay at the end of the Texas City levee system.

    And don’t you worry about flooding after the construction’s done. This gated community will keep out the tides, too.

Plan of Grandeur Park: Kickerillo Companies

12:34 pm | Read more about Land Development, Neighborhoods: Richmond, Neighborhoods: Sienna Plantation, Neighborhoods: Texas City, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Senior Living, Sprawl
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Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Elrod Place: Credits Crunched

August 8, 2007 – 10:13 am

Katy residents upset with the prospect of a new low-income housing development in their community have won a round: Elrod Place, a 126-unit, 25-acre project proposed for 3700 Elrod Place—near Katy’s Bridgewater subdivision—won’t be able to get the $12 million in state housing tax credits the developers had applied for. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has denied the application by Barry Kahn of Hettig/Kahn Holdings.

10:13 am | Read more about Financing, Katy, Proposed Developments
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Low-Income Housing: Any Takers?

April 25, 2007 – 9:48 am

Construction of Waterside Court by Hettig-Kahn Holdings

One of the advantages of covering real estate throughout an area is the opportunity to spot larger opportunities—in issues that at first glance might seem only of interest to a particular neighborhood. Communities battling with new development, for example, might benefit from hearing how residents in other locations might deal with similar situations.

Over in Katy, residents up in arms about a low-income housing development proposed near the intersection of Clay and Elrod have been actively challenging the rosy picture of the low-density project presented by developer Barry Kahn. Residents of the nearby Bridgewater subdivision have been joined by the Katy Area Economic Development Council, Katy Rep. Bill Callegari, and the Katy Area Economic Development Council in opposition to Elrod Place, which would consist of 76 single-family homes and 50 apartment units for seniors.

Their complaints? The project would lower home values, put a strain on area schools, and increase crime in the neighborhood.

The Katy Area Economic Development Council sent a letter to state officials claiming that Katy was the wrong location for this project:

Our opposition should not be construed as a referendum on the need or lack thereof of affordable housing. We do not feel that the development of a project of this type is compatible with the stated goals and objectives of the Katy area.

More succinct are the comments of Jeff, one of many posters to news websites covering the controversy:

Fact is, Mr. Kahn just needs to pack his bags and go elsewhere. In fact, if he is such a philanthropist and wants to help the disadvantaged, why does’n he house 4 families of 4 in his 6000+ sqft mansion? Hmm…….

and:

This development must be stopped. We do not want Katy to become like the inner-city of Houston. We do not want an overburdened and underfunded school system. We do not want high-crime where gangs control neighborhoods while citizens lock themseves in their homes behind barred windows and doors.

This is what many of us moved to Katy to escape from.

So . . . readers, can we help out the people of Katy? Got a better spot for this development in your neighborhood? Just let us know, and we’ll pass the information on to Mr. Kahn. We’ll be waiting patiently for your email.

Photo of Waterside Court, another development by Hettig/Kahn in northwest Houston, under construction: Hettig/Kahn Holdings

9:48 am | Read more about Katy, New Construction: Residential
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