As we all know, some wealthy/influential Houstonians are in a tizzy about a high-rise going up in their neighborhood, so Mayor White has sprung into action, proposing a new ordinance aimed directly at cutting the high-rise down in size. Really!
Mayor Bill White’s administration has proposed an ordinance that could require developers to reduce the size of a planned high-rise building that’s ignited a bitter dispute over what’s appropriate to develop in Houston.
The ordinance, distributed to City Council members Tuesday, could be on the council’s agenda next week — an unusually fast timetable for a new regulatory law in Houston. Such measures typically take months to work their way through the city bureaucracy.
White acknowledged that the ordinance was drafted in response to a controversial high-rise planned near Rice University that has not yet received a building permit. Residents of the adjoining Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods hired a prominent attorney and staged a street protest against the project.
The ordinance would require traffic impact studies of projects on two-lane, two-way streets that include at least 100 dwelling units and increase density 100 percent or more. This description fits the 23-story building that developers Kevin Kirton and Matthew Morgan of Houston-based Buckhead Investment Partners want to build at 1717 Bissonnet.
The measure would give the public works director broad discretion to require steps to ease traffic problems involved. In the case of the Bissonnet project, White said, reducing the building’s size would be the most logical solution.
Wow.
New legislation directed at one construction project. Do you think this ordinance could have a wider impact? Of course:
In its current form, the ordinance would have an impact on nearly all multifamily developments, not just high-rises, said Andy Teas, vice president of public affairs for the Houston Apartment Association.
But let’s not worry about that right now. Some Houstonians are concerned about their view, and that needs to be addressed, immediately! I mean, it’s possible a big shot at the local daily newspaper lives in the vicinity!
Just to emphasize how absurd this is, recall that Councilman Johnson noted his constituents could hardly get anyone to listen when they had complaints about housing developments in their not-quite-as-affluent neighborhoods, a point that didn’t impress the Chronicle editors:
Influential opponents of the Ashby Tower have won considerable support at City Hall and are represented by prominent litigator Rusty Hardin. Their clout has led some Houstonians to charge favoritism and inequity.
Well, of course. Well-heeled, civically active voters wield more influence than low-income residents who might have less time or inclination to vote and take part in civic affairs.
Nor have we seen Mayor White propose ordinances to help residents along Metro’s University Line. From today’s story, here’s Mayor White’s rationale for the Bissonnet ordinance:
“The development on Bissonnet that will dump more than 2,000 (daily) trips onto a two-lane, two-way street exposed a loophole” in city regulations, White said, explaining why he put the ordinance on such a fast track.
When residents and business owners along Wheeler and Richmond have complained about what the billion-dollar light rail line would do to traffic, Mayor White has ignored their concerns. He says running rail down those streets will ease congestion, contrary to what actual studies have said.
As the Chronicle admits, well-heeled voters wield more influence. We can only conclude this is the case with Mayor White’s administration. Something to keep in mind when Mayor White tries to become Governor White.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Mayor White previously asserted that no special treatment was being doled out to the well-heeled:
White and other city officials denied that the Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods near the site at 1717 Bissonnet had received any special treatment.
We made light of that dubious assertion at the time, and today’s story (as highlighted by Anne above) confirms we were right to do so.
The ordinance, distributed to City Council members Tuesday, could be on the council’s agenda next week — an unusually fast timetable for a new regulatory law in Houston. Such measures typically take months to work their way through the city bureaucracy.
Clearly, the well-heeled ARE receiving special treatment, and they are receiving special treatment in the form of a punitive, reactionary ordinance that hasn’t received proper vetting (committee meetings, input from the public, input from ALL stakeholders, input from municipal and other experts) and thus could have unintended consequences and implications. Even worse, this poorly vetted ordinance moves significant power (“broad discretion” in fact!) from the city’s elected officials (Council) to the city’s director of public works — again, without any real vetting or any real guidance.
This is running the city like a business?
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