Historic Preservation Ordinance Info Session

As an FYI and information-gathering purpose, residents from Winlow Place may be interested in attending an upcoming meeting hosted by the City of Houston Planning and Development Department. The department is in the process of updating the historic preservation ordinance. Public meetings on that process will begin on Monday, September 29. Details are below.

Date: Monday, September 29
Time: 6pm – 7:30pm
Location: 900 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002 (in the Council Annex Chambers)

From the original email:

The ordinance was updated in 2010 to create permanent protections for historic structures in designated districts and to establish a new process for creating a historic district. The goal of this process is to correct and clarify targeted items and create greater consistency for the applicants and for the commission. The amendments will provide applicants with additional options for a streamlined approval, provide the commission with improved guidance on which to base their decision and create a more efficient process.

The results of Committee meetings will be posted on the Department website. Citizens can email historic.ordinance@houstontx.gov to sign up to receive updates about the process, meetings and proposed amendments. For additional questions, call 713.837.7963.

Public Meeting Regarding Memorial Park

The community is invited to a public meeting to receive updates on the Memorial Park Master Plan on Wednesday, September 17, 2014.

Details:
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
6:00 pm
Eldorado Ballroom at 2310 Elgin Street

Memorial Park is going through some big restoration and preservation processes so please attend this meeting for updates from the planning team if of interest. The planning team will be providing new information at three other checkpoints during the planning phases this fall through spring.

From their email:

The master plan is an initiative of Memorial Park Conservancy, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the Uptown Houston TIRZ. Award-winning landscape architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW) is leading development of the plan.

Visit their website for more info.

– Thanks to Russel Garrison and Caroline Garry for the details!

Buffalo Bayou Park – In the Works

These days, nothing beats a stroll along the ever-improving trails at Buffalo Bayou Park – with its bike and pedestrian trails, beautiful landscaping and best of all, safety from the roads, it's quite the urban oasis... with our Houston skyline as a backdrop and easy access by trail to downtown/the Heights to boot.

Rendering published in the August 2014 Buffalo Bayou Park - In the Works Construction E-Newsletter

It looks like it's about to get even better. Next summer, Houstonians can make the park even more of a destination with the opening of "The Dunlavy" – this project is brought to us by the Clark Cooper restaurants (Ibiza Food & Wine Bar, Brasserie 19, Coppa Ristorante, etc.). The Dunlavy will be located at "Lost Lake" (which is near the Western edge of the park) and will feature breakfast and lunch foods, a 3,800 square foot indoor space, a relaxing patio and free WiFi. 

The structure will also include a visitor center and canoe/kayak rentals for a day of family fun, or a perfect stop for tourist/visitors.

This is only one of many improvements happening at Buffalo Bayou Park – be sure to check out their website and subscribe to their e-newsletter by following the instructions here.

– Thanks to Debbie Leflar for providing us with this tip!

Renovation Celebration at Mandell Park

Save the date for August 21st!

Nearby Mandell Park has been undergoing renovation since this past February and they are pleased to be celebrating its completion on Thursday, August 21 with a "Renovation Celebration." This project was made possible through fundraising of over $1 million by Friends of Mandell Park and will feature a larger organic community garden (known as Meredith Gardens), a compost station, a lovely tree-lined area for relaxation and a garden center (made out of a recycled shipping container!).

This is an excellent example of an urban green space within the city, and we are happy that it is a Neartown retreat for Winlow Place residents.

Details about the grand opening and celebration:

• Thursday, August 21 from 9am – 10:30am
• Located at the corner of Richmond and Mandell
• Free and open to the public; refreshments will be served
• Special guests Mayor Parker and Houston Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner are expected to attend

– Thanks to Kay Warhol for passing along information regarding this upcoming event!

Construction on Shepherd Drive

You might have noticed that construction recently started on Shepherd Drive around August 4th. Our President, Russel Garrison, was able to attend a meeting regarding this portion of the City's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Attached to this blog post are two items he collected: a map and FAQ that you might find helpful in answering questions related to this work.

High-level summary:

• This project will be completed in 3 phases over 370 days (through August 9, 2015) and will include new underground utilities as well as new pavement/pavement repair
• The project begins on Shepherd at the intersection of Avalon and moves south to Westheimer; then Westheimer to McDuffie; then they move back up to the intersection at Avalon and proceed north to Chilton
• Details of the three phases are outlined below:
  • Phase 1 includes closure of the south-bound lanes (west side of Shepherd Drive) from August 4, 2014 – January 11, 2015
  • Phase 2 includes closure of the center section of Shepherd Drive from January 12, 2015 – March 26, 2015
  • Phase 3 includes closure of the north-bound lanes (east side of Shepherd Drive) from March 27, 2015 – August 8, 2015
• It is focusing on 400-800 feet of roadway at a time
• Work takes place 24/7 (no off-days), generally from 7am-7pm
• Download the map
• Download the FAQ

Again, please review the map and FAQ for any additional questions regarding the project, or reach out to your Winlow Place Board for items uncovered in those documents.

– by Caroline Garry