A Bright Spot in My Day: From the Planning Director |
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Greetings and happy new year! I hope this coming year will bring you joy, health and prosperity. Looking back to 2021, I am proud of our Planning team’s accomplishments: record-setting platting, permit and historic preservation reviews; continued support to our Complete Communities; kicking off three neighborhood resilience plans; a project to help guide and measure increased equity in Houston; implementation of Vision Zero goals and a life-saving Lake Houston mapping project from our GIS team.
What will next year bring? Even though the past two years have taught me that predicting the future is folly, I can assure you that the Planning & Development Department will continue to provide you with the best service possible. Looking forward, we will add a fourth neighborhood resilience plan. We will update development standards that will provide opportunities for a wider variety of housing and new options for neighborhoods to protect their character while still encouraging appropriate development. We have a lot going on. Stay tuned here and on our other media channels to see how we live out our mission: Growing and preserving Houston’s diverse communities to create a resilient city.
Margaret Wallace Brown, A.I.C.P.
Director, Planning and Development Department
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ADU Design Book Showcases
Small Homes with Big Possibilities
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The ADU | HOU project has reached another milestone. A digital book featuring 26 Accessory Dwelling Unit design contest submissions is available for free at letstalkhouston.org/adu.
Touted as, “a practical and creative collection of small homes with big possibilities,” the online book features designs in a a variety of styles, sizes and construction materials with flexibility to complement and fit within single-family lots. The designs range from single and two-story detached units to garage apartments, ADUs built with shipping containers and more. Many of the submissions were designed with resilience, sustainability and affordability as a guiding principle and inspiration.
The final step is to develop the grand prize-winning design by Rice Architecture students Adam Berman and Siobhan Finlay will be developed into a set of construction as part of their coursework in the spring semester.
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Homeowners will be able to use these free plans to build an ADU on a single-family residential lot where deed restrictions allow. The construction-ready plans will go through preliminary plan review and will comply with the City’s current building code and development standards.
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Canopied Community of 6 Historic Homes
Earns Historic District Designation
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City Council unanimously approved the designation of the Brunner-Harmonium Historic District located east of the Rice Military neighborhood in City Council District C. Brunner was a town developed in the early 1880s near what was known as the Houston & Texas Central Railway. Residents voted to be annexed by the City of Houston in 1913.
Brunner-Harmonium, which comprises six homes built between 1905 and 1915 and two vacant greenspace lots, is the 23rd historic district in the City of Houston and the first to be designated since 2011. The district includes 4519 Floyd Street and the 4600 block of Blossom Street located between Fowler Street and Parker Street.
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The six structures are in the Folk Victorian, Queen Anne, and early 20th century vernacular styles.
The site has natural vegetation replanted from surrounding neighbors, that over time, has created a verdant landscape and oak tree canopy over Blossom Street. Resident Salle Werner Vaughn submitted the application for the historic district and selected the name, “Harmonium,” because she sees Brunner as a place of harmony. View the full historic district designation report. View an interactive map of Houston historic districts. Brunner-Harmonium was featured in a Jan. 27 Houston Chronicle front-page article .
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Livable Places Discussions Focus on Compact Development |
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In January, the Livable Places Action Committee discussed the benefits of compact development and elements needed to support it. Committee members expressed the need to consider the changing needs of households as we plan for Houston's future. Speakers also pointed out that coordination between various departments and external agencies will be essential for building compact development.
Staff presented recommendations for allowing multiple units on unrestricted lots. The Committee was generally supportive of the recommendations, and suggested taking a closer look at eliminating parking minimums in certain areas. Watch the virtual meeting video.
The February virtual meeting will be held
Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m.
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Discussions will focus on recommendations for ADU size and parking requirements. The Committee will discuss the benefits and trends for small lot developments. small lot developments. View meeting details at letstalkhouston.org/livable-places.
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Catch Up on Transportation Projects |
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Cleburne and Blodgett Streets serve as critical connections through Third Ward. The City of Houston is exploring how to fill in the gaps to create a complete network across Third Ward from east to west. The Cleburne and Blodgett Street proposed bikeways are a partnership between the City of Houston and Harris County Precinct 1. The design will be guided by community feedback, so join us for a virtual meeting, Thursday, Feb. 3 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Meeting links and details can be found at letstalkhouston.org/third-ward-bikeways.
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The Planning and Development and Houston Public Works departments will present a project update at the Houston Heights Association Land Use Committee virtual meeting on Monday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Community feedback has been incorporated into the design of 11th Street regarding the concrete median in the two-lane configuration between Shepherd and Yale, pedestrian refuge islands at intersections like Nicholson, and physically protected bikeways. Visit letstalkhouston.org/11th-street-bikeway for meeting details.
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Kudos to These Employee Achievements |
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Jennifer Ostlind, AICP, was promoted to Deputy Director. Jennifer has been an integral part of the Planning Department for the last three decades. She joined the Department in 1992 as a Planner 1 in the Comprehensive Planning Division. She was promoted to Division Manager of the Development Services team, then Deputy Assistant Director of Development Services. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Director of the Community and Regional Planning Division. Please join us in congratulating Jennifer! |
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Larry Nierth was promoted to Assistant Director. Larry has been with the City for nearly 17 years. He started as Senior GIS Analyst in 2005, and was GIS Supervisor, Enterprise GIS Manager, GIS Division Manager through his career. He served as Geographic Information Officer since 2017. Larry is a Certified Technical Trainer, accredited Geographic Information Systems Professional and ArcGIS Certified Instructor. He has awarded more than 400 ESRI Certificates to students for ArcGIS Desktop course completions. |
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611 Walker Street, 6th Floor,
Houston, TX 77002
832-393-6600
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