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I rent a small cottage in the Heights and have lived in the Heights for the
past 8 years. I love it for the very reasons Jeff Balke has stated. I also love not having to get on the freeway to drive to work every day - I used to live in Kingwood. I don't want to see huge townhomes built on every available property because ten years from architectural styles will change again and some of this new construction will appear even more ugly than it is now. Just my opinion. Diane Garbutt National City Mortgage 3800 Buffalo Speedway, Suite 520 Houston, Texas 77098 713/892-1055 713/892-1058 Fax garbuttd@National-Citymortgage.com -----Original Message----- From: Zero Zero 8 Productions - Jeff Balke [SMTP:jeff@zerozero8.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 10:41 AM To: info@houstonheights.org; HEBERT, TRENT A. (JSC-CB) (USA); deedrestrictions@houstonheights.org; announcements@houstonheights.org; dmarkey@pdq.net; RAnhorn@aol.com Subject: Re: Protect Your Most Important Investment with Deed Restrictions Well, this isn't Kingwood (thank God). It is one thing to eliminate businesses that create a significant problem for traffic, noise or whatever else. It is another altogether to eliminate the existence of businesses. This is a community and, by definition, requires a little bit of everything. I, personally, would hate to lose places where I can walk to eat like Java Java or pick up some gardening supplies like Buchanan's or shop for some antiques. Those businesses are part of the charm of the community that is the Heights. Without them, we are just another deed restricted suburb of Houston. Jeff Zero Zero 8 Productions Music - Digital Audio - Web Design http://www.zerozero8.com/ < From: "HEBERT, TRENT A. (JSC-CB) (USA)" <trent.a.hebert1@jsc.nasa.gov< < Reply-To: info@houstonheights.org < Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 10:17:42 -0600 < To: "'info@houstonheights.org'" <info@houstonheights.org<, "HEBERT, TRENT A. < (JSC-CB) (USA)" <trent.a.hebert1@jsc.nasa.gov<, < deedrestrictions@houstonheights.org, announcements@houstonheights.org, < dmarkey@pdq.net, RAnhorn@aol.com < Subject: RE: Protect Your Most Important Investment with Deed Restrictions < < So Bob, < Are you saying that if I sign a Deed Restriction on my home that does not < limit me to opening a "low traffic" business there? What is the limit 3 < cars per day, 3 cars per hour, or what? What is the definition of "low < traffic?" Some could submit that a tire repair shop only gets 3 to 5 < customers per day. That sounds low traffic to me. However, I bet that with < employees and customers a law office, real estate or mortgage office gets < about that same amount of traffic. < < The reality is that neither a law office nor a tire shop have a vested < interest in the community as would a private residence. < < This all started with HHA asking folks to sign deed restrictions on our < property. My issue is that they are making a big deal about folks singing < deed restrictions but out of the other side of their mouth they are not < doing anything about the businesses that are coming into the community. It < seems there is always a lot of effort to beautify the Blvd and I ask why < make the Blvd so beautiful for all the businesses. If that is the case then < lets say - lets beautify the business park! < < So what I hear you saying is that it would be okay if Perry Homes opened a < "model home" office on Heights Blvd as this would be "low traffic" the same < as our law office or mortgage company. < < Personally I think that either we live in a business park or a neighborhood. < Allowing some businesses and not all businesses is not an option. < < < Trent Hebert < Astronaut Office - Flight Crew Engineering < E-Mail: trent.a.hebert1@jsc.nasa.gov < Phone: 281-244-7336 < Pager: 713-501-7300 < Fax: 281-244-8545 < < < -----Original Message----- < From: Bob Pearson [mailto:bobpearson@pdq.net] < Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 9:40 AM < To: info@houstonheights.org; HEBERT, TRENT A. (JSC-CB); < deedrestrictions@houstonheights.org; announcements@houstonheights.org; < dmarkey@pdq.net; RAnhorn@aol.com < Subject: Re: Protect Your Most Important Investment with Deed < Restrictions < < < There has never, to my knowledge, been an objection to professional < offices on Heights Blvd. We have a number that fit in very well. these < include law offices, real estate offices, and other low traffic businesses. < The objection has been to high traffic retail establishments such as the < Church's Fried Chicken. < Another point to answer: The Heights was designed to be a mix of large < houses for the wealthy and modest bungalows for the rest of us. The early < developers had no problem putting a Victorian mansion next to a Craftsman < bungalow. < For the person that though Perry Homes would be improving the < neighborhood, I say "hog wash"! < As I stated at the Land Use Committee Monday night there is nothing more < dangerous than the "it is better than what was there" approach. I gave the < example of the ugly almost townhouses going up at 11th and Oxford. Yes, < there was a used tire shop there previously, but we didn't get rid of it it < just moved across the street. Now we have both the tire shop and the < townhouses. < A lot of the e-mails in this thread seem to be from newcomers and it is < gratifying to see them interested, but they need to take the time to learn < the nuances of the Heights. A good place to start is the book History of < Houston Heights 1891-1918 by Sister Agatha. It is no longer in print, but < it is available at the library. < Bob Pearson < ----- Original Message ----- < From: "Hatcher, Melissa" <Melissa.Hatcher@WBR.com< < To: <trent.a.hebert1@jsc.nasa.gov<; <info@houstonheights.org<; < <deedrestrictions@houstonheights.org<; <announcements@houstonheights.org<; < <dmarkey@pdq.net<; <RAnhorn@aol.com< < Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 7:53 AM < Subject: RE: Protect Your Most Important Investment with Deed Restrictions < < << I agree with Mr. Trent! I remember being horrified when I heard about the << lawyers buying it. I was so disappointed, but then again I thought << something along those lines would happen as I heard about the price for < the << home getting higher and higher. Most families would be hard pressed to << afford such a house. However, having the choice of the apartments that < were << there and the lawyers' offices in the Victorian style building, I would << chose the lesser evil (the new construction) anytime. << << Should HHA spend more time working with (or against!) some of the owners < who << possess multiple properties? I hate to use the term slum-lords, but then << again I want to call it as I see it. Some owners of rental properties in << the Heights seem to be squeezing every last penny out of their rentals, < and << not putting any of that back into maintaining their holdings. As a < result, << houses fall into disarray; their ability to attract people who take pride < in << their homes diminishes, and a spiral of destruction begins. Surely there < is << some set of codes in existence for which these owners can be held << accountable? << << I agree we should be concerned with the demolition of some of the homes, < but << if the properties had been maintained in the first place, maybe demolition << would not have been the only answer. I guess my point is, why are we << creating so much grief for people who want to bring money into the Heights << and allowing those who simply want to take the money out to continue on < with << their neglect? << << -----Original Message----- << From: HEBERT, TRENT A. (JSC-CB) (USA) << [mailto:trent.a.hebert1@jsc.nasa.gov] << Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2001 3:27 PM << To: 'deedrestrictions@houstonheights.org'; << announcements@houstonheights.org; 'dmarkey@pdq.net' << Subject: RE: Protect Your Most Important Investment with Deed << Restrictions << << << Debbie, << I was curious as to what the HHA did to try and prevent the Lawyer's < office << from buying the property at 18th and Heights Blvd. I believe it is the < one << designed after the Cooley house. << << I was very, very upset when I learned that the house of which so much << attention was paid and so much publicity was made about returning the < Cooley << house to the Blvd that in fact what has happened is that it is an "office << building." I know for the moment there is grass in the front and side < yard << but I can already tell that a parking lot will be coming soon as there is < no << place to park. << << Did HHA do anything before the house was built or during construction to < try << and convince the builder/owner to sign a deed restriction on that < property? << What happened? << << I guess I am having a hard time with keeping Perry Homes out when we let << such a situation occur on Heights Blvd. Especially on the west side of << Heights Blvd where there is still much room for improvement. Don't get me << wrong, I hate those "big box" style town homes but if money talks as it << appears it did at 18th and Heights then I cannot help but believe that my << property value will increase if new constructed town homes are built to < the << west of Heights Blvd. << << If you would like to discuss this further please feel free to e-mail me < back << or call me at home. My number at home is 713-864-9889. << << I look forward to hearing from you on this matter. << << Trent << << Trent Hebert << Astronaut Office - Flight Crew Engineering << E-Mail: trent.a.hebert1@jsc.nasa.gov << Phone: 281-244-7336 << Pager: 713-501-7300 << Fax: 281-244-8545 << << << -----Original Message----- << From: Debbie Markey [mailto:dmarkey@pdq.net] << Sent: Monday, December 03, 2001 6:02 PM << To: announcements@houstonheights.org << Subject: Protect Your Most Important Investment with Deed Restrictions << << << Deed Restrictions are the best tool that the property owners in the << Houston Heights have to curb over-development and the encroachment of << commercial businesses. A signed deed restriction document protects the << investment you have made in your property by restricting undesirable << development. These restrictions do not restrict you from painting your << house any color you like, putting up fences, adding garage apartments, << or remodeling your property in any way. Once signed, a deed restriction << applies only to the specified property to which it applies and is an << effective tool ensuring future protection, despite changes in future << ownership. More important, even if your entire block is not deed << restricted, the existence of deed restricted properties within a block << can often benefit the entire neighborhood by limiting developers' << choices in future construction on not only that specific lot, but also << adjacent properties. << << The Houston Heights Association ("HHA") is not a homeowners association. << The HHA is prohibited from assessing maintenance fees and cannot put a << lien against your home. Why? As a volunteer-based 501©(3) charitable << organization, the HHA is dependent upon volunteers to donate time and << effort to maintain community assets and services that improve our << quality of life; these include Donovan Park, Marmion Park, the Fire << Station at 12th and Yale and the esplanade of Heights Boulevard. << Volunteers coordinate all the fundraisers for these properties and the << projects that the HHA supports. HHA's four biggest fundraisers are the << Spring Home Tour, the Fun Run, the Heights Festival and the Holiday Home << Tour. Monies raised by these fundraisers go right back into your << Houston Heights Neighborhood. << << The Deed Restriction effort initially started when concerned residents << saw their property values plummet in the late 1970's. Volunteers crafted << a document that would enable our neighborhood to slow down and/or << prevent commercial development. Large businesses were moving in and << depleting the historical housing stock by destroying the houses or << turning the houses into businesses that were not desirable for the << neighborhood. With Houston's absence of zoning, deed restrictions in << the Houston Heights were their only method of preventing commercial << encroachment. While the restrictions spurned businesses that invited << 18-wheel truck traffic, unsightly dumpsters that were emptied at early << morning hours, and the use of paved front yards as parking lots, the << restrictions did allow small businesses and arts and crafts enthusiasts << to co-exist with the neighborhood. Currently there are approximately << 1,034 Heights properties protected by deed restrictions and HHA << volunteers make themselves available to answer questions and attend deed << restriction signups and other Civic Association meetings to talk about << the positive results of deed restricting a neighborhood. << << The HHA recently revised the restrictions to protect the neighborhood << from dense townhouse construction and encourage preservation of some of << the few remaining larger lots in the Houston Heights. By early 2002 the << revised restrictions will be voted on by those properties that are << currently restricted. Their passage is vitally important to encourage << development that suits the character of the Houston Heights. Their need << is immediate and severe. In the fall of 2001, Perry Homes purchased << large tracts of land on the West Side of Heights Boulevard. Its plan is << to build townhouses rather than single-family homes. Representatives << from the HHA have thus far unsuccessfully met with Perry Homes to << encourage them to build period-style single-wall constructed homes. The << passage of amended deed restrictions and their ongoing wide spread << adoption is the most significant tool our neighborhood has to stop over << development and the mass construction of townhouses. << << For more information please phone 713-861-4002, mailbox 1 or visit the << website at www.houstonheights.org. <
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