At Wednesday’s council meeting I exercised my ability to parliamentarily delay, or “tag,” Item 11 of this week’s agenda. This item would have authorized a $400,000 contract with an Austin-based outside consultant to develop a “Livable Places” ordinance for Houston.
According to the documentation I received from the Mayor: “The Livable Places initiative will adjust development standards in order to achieve the goals prescribed in Plan Houston, Resilient Houston, Houston’s Climate Action Plan and others to help realize Houston’s vision and goals through innovative changes to the City’s development codes.”
I have concerns that this measure will ultimately permit developers to construct dense, so-called “missing middle,” housing in residential neighborhoods where it may not currently be allowed – or wanted. The term “missing middle” refers to housing that includes duplexes, quadruplexes, town homes, and condo complexes.
I believe that an ordinance of this type is the first step towards imposing yet another one-size-fits-all model upon the unique and diverse neighborhoods across our city – and because of that our residents need additional time to learn how this potential ordinance could impact their communities.
Last year’s passage of the “Walkable Places” ordinance forced a patchwork of disconnected, ununiform sidewalk construction upon residential neighborhoods. I expect that this new ordinance will be written similarly in a way that supersedes existing deed restrictions. As of right now, I am concerned that a proposed “Livable Places” ordinance could become a catastrophic boondoggle that further diminishes the cohesion of residential neighborhoods in our district.
These types of centralized planning approaches are antithetical to Houston’s development history.
Additionally, I have significant concerns regarding how densification could adversely affect flood mitigation efforts in some of our communities on the west side. I was pleased to see that District C Council Member Abbie Kamin shared similar reservations at Wednesday’s meeting.
Lastly, I want to hear from you on this issue. Do you want higher-density housing in your neighborhoods? I expect that this item will be presented at next week’s council meeting. If you have thoughts on this matter, please CLICK HERE to find information on how to sign up with the City Secretary’s office to speak at next Tuesday’s City Council public session.
