Houston Planning

Welcome to Ultraground. This Planning Commission meeting focused on single-family subdivision plats and replats.

So, we are going to start off with a SFR analysis + data and include some of the most notable unrestricted and commercial plats at the end.

July 13

• 5-7 Units Testing Ella Lee Forest Deed Restrictions | Approved

• 5 Lots Show Art of Precedents in Greater Heights | Approved

• SFR Development Data

Citywide

• 151 Plats

• 347-Acre GP | Approved

• Prologis Proenergy Reserve | Approved

You saved: 3h 28m

West 12th Street Manors

Greater Heights | Acres | 5 Lots | Approved

The West 12th Street Manors development has defied opposition and set a promising precedent for real estate developers, clearing a path through legal and community obstacles to push forward an innovative project.

Initially, the proposal to build a shared driveway development housing five single-family homes on West 12th Street in Houston's Cottage Grove neighborhood met resistance. The neighborhood locals voiced concerns over traffic safety and the violation of deed restrictions dating back to the 1940s.

The developer’s request to reduce the right-of-way dedication on Prince Street from the usual 10 feet to 5 feet, citing the residential character of the street, was at the heart of this dispute. Residents worried that the reduction would exacerbate existing safety issues, creating bottlenecks and parking problems.

However, a thorough legal review by the City’s legal department ruled the old deed restrictions obsolete, opening the door to increased development density. Furthermore, despite the strong neighborhood opposition, the Planning Commission gave the development the green light, affirming that a persistent developer could overcome community pushback.

Commissioner Colvard was the sole voice of dissent.

Notably, the developer successfully argued that the reduced right-of-way aligned with previous developments on Prince Street.

Developer: Prebisch Homes

Plat Plan

SFR Plats X Neighborhoods

Oak Forest Villas

Ella Lee Forest | 0.64 Acres | 5-7 Units | Approved

The Oak Forest Villas project faced strong backlash from local residents during the recent Houston Planning Commission assembly. Spearheading the project is Randy Hargrove, who stands as the sole executor of his late mother's property, which is the proposed site for the development. Hargrove's intent is to reconfigure the property to accommodate seven detached homes, sharing a common driveway.

The proposal ignited strong disapproval from the local community, primarily objecting to the fact that it contravenes the deed restrictions of the Ella Lee Forest community, to which they belong. David Burke, a lawyer representing the Ella Lee Forest Homeowners Association, claimed that the shared driveway concept was in clear violation of the deed restrictions, which also preclude the addition of a driveway linking the new development to the existing community. More than two-thirds of Ella Lee Forest's homeowners have united to resist the proposed replatting.

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