High Density = Hot Debate

Remember that three month "cooling off" period a while back relating to the Ashby High Rise controversy?  Well, the three months are about up, and emotions are on the rise again.  I filed this story for the news tonight, it contains the video version of this report:

Should a city ordinance affect the whole city or just one neighborhood? That's the debate pitting some homeowners against developers. . . Homeowners living near the Ashby high rise development have been very effective in getting the attention of city hall. But the ordinance they want is facing some tough questioning from two very different sides -- residents in other neighborhoods who feel like they're excluded and developers who want the whole thing to just go away.

Case in point, I visited the edge of the Heights, where the site of a potential condo development called Viewpoint has had neighbors upset for some time.

"It's a narrow street," said Heights business owner and resident Gary Mosley. "We're concerned about the fire trucks getting through. People parking on the street and fire engines not being able to get through." His battle sounds similar to the Ashby high rise controversy in Houston's Southhampton neighborhood, but with less successful results.

A draft ordinance targeting high density residential developments was considered by a city council committee on Tuesday. "We just feel like we want to protect the environment that we have and we don't have room for this huge building right the middle of a single family area," said Anti Ashby activist Janet Spencer.

The ordinance is supposed to be city-wide, but in its current state, no other high rise developments underway would feel the impact and the development community says that points to a problem. It will only impact one development, 1717 Bissonnet.

"The ship has probably already sailed at this point, and even though the ordinance is about a particular project, the irony is that it will probably not affect it," said Kendall Miller with Houstonians for Responsible Growth. Miller's with the new Developers PAC, and he admit his side has been a little slow to respond.

So while the development community is worried the Ashby high rise ordinance would be too far encompassing, Mosley says he's worried it's not encompassing enough and leaves out other neighborhoods with similar battles. "I'm hoping the mayor is truly looking at the citizens," said Mosley. "We're pretty much crying right now."

This is very interesting because as it stands, the High Density ordinance would only apply for develops that involve 70 units or more.  The proposed Viewpoint development is 68 units, it's actually on a street more narrow than the Ashby High Rise development.  Viewpoint is in the Heights, and 3,000 neighbors have signed petitions against its development.  But, it's far behind in the public relations battle at City Hall. 

The ordinance is still a draft and can be altered. If more developments are included in the draft, it might make nearby homeowners happy. If the ordinance is loosened, it might make developers more at ease. No final decision has been made yet.   City Council is set to vote on the ordinance in early Febuary.  In the meantime, have a good time digging into the ordinance here..