Tag: White Oak Bayou

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The ongoing saga of theÂ Allen’s Landing trees coming downÂ recently in bits and pieces — apparently the handiwork of an elusive Buffalo Bayou beaver or 2 — has come to a likely end with the non-rodent-assisted removal of the final stumps, Swamplot’s semi-regularÂ Franklin St. correspondent and wildlifeÂ tipster notes. But life around the White Oak-BuffaloÂ confluence goes on! Spring is here, which means the ducksÂ have beenÂ out and about, while the cranes are busyÂ pulling fledgling parking garage superstructures up into the air:

Didn’t Leave It To Beavers

77002, Allen's Landing, Bayous and Waterways, Buffalo Bayou, Downtown, Trees, White Oak Bayou, Wildlife

01/24/17 12:30pm

New Yale St. Bridge Opens 11 Months Early; Unemployed Bricks Recruited For New Projects

Houston Heights

6 Comments

Yale St. at I-10, Heights, Houston, 77007

The crossing ofÂ Yale St. over White Oak Bayou is open again as ofÂ yesterday, beating that initially announced estimated reopening dateÂ by close toÂ a year.Â TheÂ newÂ structureÂ should reduce the chronic weight anxietiesÂ of those using the crossing, which has been subject to variousÂ pounds-per-axle limits for years.

And what of the original 1931 Yale St. bridge bricks, and their fundraising Friend group? Â TheÂ online component of the crowdfunded save-the-bricks campaign launched last yearÂ fell short of that $100,000 goal by more than a bit, but the organization says that pretty muchÂ all of the bricks are still being preserved — most of them were just boughtÂ by someone else, for incorporation into aÂ not-yet-officially-announced “art-centered mixed use project in First Ward.” Boulevard Realty, headed byÂ Bricks and Fountain Friend and instigatorÂ Bill Baldwin, also recently posted a photo purportedly showing theÂ incorporation of some of the bricks into new segments of the White Oak Bayou greenway trail, somethingÂ the crowdfunding effortÂ helped pay for:

White Oak Crossing

77007, Bayou Greenways, Crowdfunding, Historic Preservation, Openings and Closings, White Oak Bayou

Downtown

01/19/17 1:00pm

Where Yesterday’s Sewage Overflows Flowed

Magnolia Park, Quicklink

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WHERE YESTERDAY’S SEWAGE OVERFLOWS FLOWED Yesterday’s floodwater causedÂ diluted sewage releasesÂ from the 69th St. Wastewater Treatment Plant,Â located near the crossing of 69th St. over Buffalo Bayou (just upstream from the new Buffalo BendÂ Nature Park and the Port of Houston Turning Basin). Houston Public MediaÂ notes the city’s rundown onÂ where and how much:Â “The estimated volume of released wastewater as of 6 p.m. Wednesday was approximately 500,000 gallons at Halls Bayou at US 59 at Parker Rd.; approximately 160,000 gallons at White Oak Bayou Near Interstate 45 N.Â atÂ Wrightwood St.; and approximately 500,000 gallons at Buffalo Bayou near the University of Houston Downtown, officials said.”Â The city also says anybody using their own private water wellsÂ in those areas should get them checked out (and boil waterÂ in the meanwhile). The 69th St. plant is the city’s largest wastewater facility, as well as a production site of Hou-Actinite fertilizer. [Houston Public Media; previously on Swamplot]Â Photo of 69th St. Wastewater Treatment Plant:Â Webber

77011, Buffalo Bayou, Downtown, Halls Bayou, Magnolia Park, Sewer Systems, White Oak Bayou

10/21/16 1:30pm

Bike Trail Now Creeping Down Toward White Oak Bayou Greenway from Near Northside

Near Northside

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A reader caught someÂ shots last week of the current trailblazing going on betweenÂ the Leonel Castillo Community Center and the White Oak Bayou greenway trail in Near Northside. The new connector should hit the pathÂ roughly between the south end of the building and the nearby Thomas Street Health Center HIV-slash-AIDS service building, just north ofÂ where theÂ Heights hike-and-bike trail crosses over the bayou and under the Hogan St. bridge to merge with the White Oak trail on the way into Downtown:

Closing Distance to Downtown

77009, Greenways, Heights Hike-and-Bike Trail, Near Northside, White Oak Bayou

Flooding

07/13/16 5:15pm

Might White Oak Bayou Ditch Its Concrete?

Quicklink

23 Comments

MIGHT WHITE OAK BAYOU DITCH ITS CONCRETE? white-oak-bayou The Harris County Flood Control District is looking at removing the concrete lining from sections of the White Oak Bayou channel, writes Mihir Zaveri. The agency is conducting a study on redeveloping parts of the waterway along with the Memorial-Heights Redevelopment Authority (a.k.a. TIRZ 5); any future projects to come from the study would be within the TIRZ 5 boundaries, along sections of White Oak between roughly N. 610 and Houston St. Zaveri writes that the push “in part reflects the idea that waterways where flooding must be controlled don’t have to be eyesores, and in fact can become more natural settings for residents to bike, walk and gather. It follows decades-old conversations about how to shape waterways in a flood-prone region like Houston, where the rapidly growing population has increasingly come to demand improvements in quality of life.” With respect to balancing aesthetics against effective flood controlÂ practices, TIRZ 5 chairwoman Ann Lents tells Zaveri that “pretty is never going to trump functional . . . But because of new techniques, if we can find a way to do both better, I think that will be a great thing.” [Houston Chronicle] Photo of White Oak Bayou: Swamplot inbox

Flooding, Green space, HCFCD, Infrastructure, Parks, TIRZs, Waterways, White Oak Bayou

Jersey Village

06/20/16 11:00am

Texas Supreme Court: Flood Control Agency Didn’t Cause White Oak Flooding by Not Controlling It

Quicklink

4 Comments

TEXAS SUPREME COURT: FLOOD CONTROL AGENCY DIDN’T CAUSE WHITE OAK FLOODING BY NOT CONTROLLING IT Harris County Flood Control District map of White Oak Bayou watershed On Friday the state’s highest court reversed course on aÂ class-actionÂ lawsuitÂ filed byÂ White Oak Bayou-adjacent homeowners flooded by turn-of-the-century storms including Allison, writes Mike Morris. Gabrielle Banks previously reported that some 200-plus families living along the upper reaches of bayouÂ between Jersey Village and Houston Rosslyn Rd.Â had been asking for aÂ collective $85 million or so to make up for flood damage and property devaluation they say was caused by the agency not completing some planned detention projects that haven’t gotten expectedÂ federal funding.Â The court decided last fall thatÂ the plaintiff’s case was strong enough to warrant a juried trial — at which pointÂ more than a dozen city and state government bodies filed lettersÂ asking it to please reconsider. Friday’s ruling came downÂ in favor of the flood control agency, though the 4 dissenting judges wrote that theÂ organizationÂ knewÂ approvedÂ upstream development would lead to flooding without the planned projects,Â and therefore caused floodingÂ by not requiring enough mitigation.Â The rulingÂ could impact the similar lawsuit recently filedÂ by aÂ group ofÂ Memorial-area homeowners against the city andÂ TIRZ 17,Â thoughÂ in that case the group Residents Against FloodingÂ isÂ askingÂ for floodÂ control-related actionÂ rather than money. [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot] Map of White Oak Bayou watershed: Harris County Flood Control District

Flooding, Lawsuits, White Oak Bayou

04/18/16 1:00pm

White Oak Dr. Bus Stop Sign Still Valiantly Flagging Down Passengers Despite Full Metro Service Halt

Flooding, Woodland Heights

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1031 Stude St, Woodland Heights, Houston, 77007

While all bus and rail serviceÂ is currently on hold due to widespread flooding, the route 66 bus stopÂ signÂ on White Oak Dr. is still bravelyÂ performing its signaling dutiesÂ (lower left above) as water from White Oak Bayou rushes past. A reader sends several studies of the area around Stude Park at the Taylor St. bridge at the southern edge of the Woodland Heights area; here’s a few more shots of the White Oak Bayou greenways gone brown this morning, with I-10 in the background to the south:

Woodland Heights

77009, Flooding, Greenways, Metro, White Oak Bayou

03/07/16 12:15pm

Bayou-Side White Oak Village Hopes To Woo Cyclists, Ninja Warriors, Coffee Shop to Antoine Dr.

Uncategorized

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Plans are in the works to give the shopping center at the southwest corner of Antoine Dr. and W. Little York Rd. a thoroughÂ redesign andÂ rebranding as White Oak Bayou Village.Â A spokesperson for Nankani Development tells Swamplot that the group is seeking both tenants and ideas for theÂ center’s redevelopment, which will be geared toward drawingÂ bicycle traffic. SoÂ far, plans include an about-face for theÂ bayou-side building in the back of the shopping center (labeledÂ Building BÂ above) by way of new glassy storefronts opening toward theÂ White Oak Bayou greenwayÂ now running behind it; the developers claim the center would become the first private development to cater explicitly to the expanding bayou trail system.

Per preliminary plans, car access to the back of the shopping center would be blocked off. Former parking spaces along the back Building B (currently home to Northwest Beauty School) would be made over into a covered patio leading to the bayou trail.Â For the pad site of theÂ burned-down former restaurant next door, the development group is considering a park-like events plazaÂ that could host a bi-monthly farmer’s market —Â alongÂ with a giant chess board, maybe, orÂ even a bayou-sideÂ zip lining station.Â “We are open to anything at this point,” writes the Nankani rep.

Hoped-forÂ tenants for the center currently include a coffee shop-slash-electric bike rental joint, an ice house-style music venue, and an outdoor obstacle course and adult gym — possiblyÂ fromÂ Sam Sann of American Ninja Warrior fame, who trains contestants at hisÂ Iron Sports gym in Cypress.

Bayou Turnaround

77088, Adaptive Reuse, Bayou Greenways 2020, Green space, Redevelopment, Restaurants, Retail, Trails, White Oak Bayou, White Oak Bayou Village

04/24/14 12:00pm

There’s a Lot of Lot Over Here by Little White Oak Bayou in the Near Northside

by CALwords

Homes for Sale, Land Development, Land for Sale, Near Northside, Redevelopment

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800-booth-16

800-booth-01

Little White Oak Bayou meanders by the back of a property (and so do a couple of uh,Â hikers in the background of the top photo) located east of N. Main St. and about 3 sidewalk-lined blocks from the Metro rail station at Fulton St. Is the Northside property located in De Noyles, as indicated in the listing, or is it Booth North Main, as recorded by HCAD for all addresses on the block? The listing’s all-cap message is all about redeveloping the acre-plus lot of land, not the 1960 home that sits on it at the end of a long driveway (above). A month ago, the asking price dropped to $1.1 million. Since January (and in a previous listing dating back to September 2013) it had been sitting atÂ $1.6 million. But even that was down a bit from someone’s expectations: In 2008, a six-month listing’s asking price kicked off at $2 million.

Mind the Gap

77009, Bayou Views, Booth North Main, De Noyles, Homes for Sale, Land for Sale, Near Northside, White Oak Bayou

Houston Heights, New Construction

12/06/13 10:30am

Poking Around Those New White Oak Bayou Retention Ponds South of the Heights

by Swamplot

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Retention Pond Along White Oak Bayou Between Shepherd and Yale, Houston Heights

A reader sends in pics showing how construction is progressing on the 3 retention ponds along White Oak Bayou TxDOT is building between Yale and Shepherd — and hoping to trade them for any available updates about plans for the adjacent segment of the planned bayou-side path: “Looks like they are making progress with tree planting and installation of pavers on the slopes. They have left a wide swath of level ground around the entire perimeter. They are still doing earthwork on the north end, and it looks like they still need to excavate more soil from the center pond, but you can make your way around all three detention ponds.”

The photo at top shows the center pond (south of the bayou), looking northeast, with White Oak Bayou barely visible off to the lower right. Below, a view of the northernmost piece, Rutland Pond, a portion of which interrupts 6th St. (where the orange construction fencing is visible):

On Rutland Pond

77007, Bayous and Waterways, Houston Heights, New Construction, Retention Ponds, White Oak Bayou

10/03/13 3:30pm

Here Comes More Greenway Mileage for White Oak Bayou

Houston Heights, Parks, Spring Branch

15 Comments

Construction began yesterday on a new 1.35-mile segment of hike and bike trail on White Oak Bayou, the first of 5 planned sections that will more or lessÂ formalize the route that some trail users have taken it upon themselves to blaze. Eventually, the $3.4 million that theÂ Bayou Greenways project will spend here will create about 11 miles of off-street passage from Hollister Rd. in Spring Branch to Downtown.

But first things first: This new segment will span Shepherd and Durham and W. 11th St., where, as this rendering from SWA Group shows, that charred MKT railroad trestle will be replaced with a snazzy new one — somewhat to the chagrin of John Nova Lomax, you’ll remember, who’s on the record lamenting theÂ yoga dads and their ilk that that char might have onceÂ scared off.

Previously on Swamplot: Fearing the Yoga Dads the New Heights Hike and Bike Link Will Bring, Off-Trailing with Houstonâ€™s Northwest Bike Path Pioneers, Parks By Youâ€™s Feel-Good Campaign To Build More Bayou Parks by You, Enormous Plan To Build Bayou-Side Parks: The Movie

Rendering: SWA Group

Houston Heights, Parks, Recreation, Spring-Branch, Trails, White Oak Bayou

08/21/13 4:15pm

Fearing the Yoga Dads the New Heights Hike and Bike Link Will Bring

Houston Heights, Proposed Developments, Quicklink

34 Comments

FEARING THE YOGA DADS THE NEW HEIGHTS HIKE AND BIKE LINK WILL BRING The Houston Chronicle reports that the Bayou Greenways project is paying for a newÂ 1.35-mile section hooking up the existing White Oak Bayou and Heights hike and bike trails. Part of completing this stretch will require replacing the bridge shown here, a burned-out trestle that butts up to the former Eureka Railyard. Psyched about this new link that, when completed in 2014, will get cyclists from Downtown all the way out to Antoine Dr.,Â Houstonia’s John Nova Lomax still seems more than a littleÂ ambivalent about losing the blackened thing: “The eastern foot of that bridge has been a meditation zone / power spot of mine for the last few years, my own trash-strewn bayou-pungent pre- and post-work Eden. No more — soon it will teem with with yoga dads and crossfit maniacs and their occasionally ill-behaved pooches.” [Ultimate Heights; Houstonia; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Patrick Feller [license]

77007, Bayous and Waterways, Bridges, Houston Heights, New Construction, Trails, White Oak Bayou

Art

05/13/13 11:00am

The Art Guys To Start Unraveling

Bayous and Waterways, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Quicklink

12 Comments

THE ART GUYS TO START UNRAVELING This is the route the Art Guys say they will be taking tomorrow morning when they stage the 5th of the yearlong series of monthly celebratory stunts they’re calling “12 Events:” Titling this oneÂ “A Length of String,” Jack Massing and Michael Galbreth will unwind a spool of thread they’ve had sitting around since 1983 while walking along White Oak Bayou between W. Tidwell and T.C. Jester, just north of the Loop, and then they’ll turn around . . . and wind it back up. Last month, you’ll remember, they donned tuxedos andÂ conducted the sounds of the Ship Channel from the Santa Anna Capture Site in Pasadena. [Art Guys; previously on Swamplot] Map: Art Guys

77091, Art, Art Guys, Bayous and Waterways, Garden Oaks, Oak-Forest, Performances, White Oak Bayou

04/05/13 2:00pm

That Naked Spot on White Oak Bayou