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HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 OCT. 1 31, 2022
VOTER GUIDE 2022
Harris County voters to decide $1.2B bond
Bond on the ballot Harris County’s $1.2 billion bond is split into three propositions for public safety facilities, roads and parks. Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to adopt an allocation plan by precinct for the road and park bond funding.
New brewery to launch near White Oak Music Hall
BY RACHEL CARLTON
6
Harris County residents will vote on a $1.2 billion bond to fund public safety facilities, road mainte- nance and parks during the midterm elections Nov. 8. Voters can approve or reject three separate prop- ositions: $100 million for public safety; $900 million for roads, drainage and multimodal transportation; and $200 million for parks. Historically, the county has proposed road and park bonds every six to eight years, most recently an $848 million bond in 2015. Commissioners were divided on whether to hold a bond election this year, voting 3-2 to place it on the ballot Aug. 19 with Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle opposed. But Daniel Ramos, executive director of the Harris County O ce of Management and Budget, told Community Impact that he believes the county needs to issue a bond because the 2015 bond will be almost fully expended by the end of next year. “Folks are driving on unsafe … [and] poor-qual- ity roads today. Our public safety personnel are in substandard facilities today. We have folks that we can take out of the ood plain today. And all of that requires funding,” Ramos said. “At the end of next year, we’re not going to have another funding source to continue to do projects.” The county has not published a list of projects that would use bond funding—something that Ramsey has voiced in his opposition to the bond. CONTINUED ON 18
OVERALL
$100M: Public safety facilities $200M: Parks and trails $900M: Roads, drainage and transportation
$1.2B Total bond amount
11th Street Bikeway work to begin in October
$900M total
ROAD FUNDING
A
B
C
D E F
$50M Vision Zero program— re-engineering F
$300M general
$100M road
A
D
road bonds
rehabilitation $50M multimodal transit E
$200M drainage $200M partnership funding B C
Transportation
11
layouts for high-injury corridors
VOTER GUIDE 2022
Precinct 3
BY PRECINCT
Total* $1.1B
Precinct 4
Precinct 2
Precinct 1
*$100 MILLION GOES TO PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES REGARDLESS OF LOCATION. to each precinct $220M
to be allocated at a later date** $220M
Sample ballot
13
**UNASSIGNED FUNDS WILL BE DIVIDED AMONG PRECINCTS OR MANAGED CENTRALLY BY THE COUNTY ENGINEER’S OFFICE.
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
When Harris County District Attor- ney Kim Ogg walked onto the stage of Texas Southern University’s auditorium on Aug. 25, emphatic boos from several audience members set the scene for a two-hour panel on the county’s and country’s approach to bail reform. The back and forth of the panel typ- i ed the discussion in recent years around Harris County’s bail practices. Judicial races could impact bail reforms BY RACHEL CARLTON
A COURT SYSTEM Experts said Harris County Republican and Democratic judges can treat bail for misdemeanor cases di erently, and the Nov. 8 election could a ect bail reforms made in recent years.
Montrose gastropub gets creative in the kitchen
25
2022 ?
NOTE: Fifteen of 16 county courts at law are holding elections. For a list of candidates and election info, go to harrisvotes.com. The election for County Criminal Court at Law No. 16 was held in 2020.
2014 15 REPUBLICAN judges elected to county criminal court judge seats
2018 15 DEMOCRATIC judges elected to county criminal court judge seats
15 COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT JUDGE seats up for election Nov. 8
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR COMMUNITY IMPACT
CONTINUED ON 20
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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
Cancer treatment that’s built around you.
Everyone in oncology has reasons for going into this field. It could be the patients they treat or a loved one who dealt with this diagnosis.
This calling is personal. That’s why U.S. News & World Report ranked our cancer program at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center among the nation’s best. We knew it didn’t just show the leading-edge medical care we provide or our advanced specialists and researchers at our NCI designated cancer center with Baylor College of Medicine. It shows the reasons behind it all.
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
ABOUT US Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact Newspaper in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today. We have expanded to include hundreds of team members and have created our own software platform and printing facility. CI delivers 30 localized editions across Texas to more than 2.4 million residential mailboxes. MARKET TEAM GENERAL MANAGER Jay McMahon SENIOR EDITOR Shawn Arrajj SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Anya Gallant ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dimitri Skoumpourdis METRO LEADERSHIP PUBLISHER Jason Culpepper MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Schafler COPY EDITOR Kasey Salisbury SENIOR ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Kaitlin Schmidt CONTACT US 16300 Northwest Freeway Jersey Village, TX 77040 • 281-469-6181 CI CAREERS communityimpact.com/careers PRESS RELEASES hrmnews@communityimpact.com ADVERTISING hrmads@communityimpact.com Learn more at communityimpact.com/advertising EMAIL NEWSLETTERS communityimpact.com/newsletter PODCAST communityimpact.com/podcast SUPPORT US Join your neighbors by giving to the CI Patron program. Funds support our journalistic mission to provide trusted, local news in your community. Learn more at communityimpact.com/cipatron
ANNOUNCEMENT: COMMUNITY IMPACT REBRANDING & NEWSROOM COMMITMENT
2005 Total mailboxes 60,000 1 Journalist
2015 Total mailboxes 1,495,000 40 Journalists
2022 Total mailboxes 2,450,000 75 Journalists
The CI Local Pin Incorporated into our main logo, the CI Local Pin symbolizes our focus on local and making an Impact in every community we serve.
The new mission statement is: “Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets,” which speaks to both the editorial content and business ads that our communities love and use. The vision statement was created by all Impacters and speaks to what we hope to accomplish with each day of our work: ”Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team.” There are no changes to the company’s purpose and values, and Community Impact is committed to living those out every day. CI’s purpose is: “To be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other.” The company’s values , or stones that are physically awarded internally for a job well done each month are Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity. The company’s updated logo features the signature CI red and gray, but lighter, brighter and bolder. CI also incorporated a new design element—the CI Local Pin , a simple recognizable icon—into the new logo to further solidify its focus on local news and making an impact in every community it serves. The design of the new logo more accurately reflects CI’s design philosophy, Creative Director Derek Sullivan said. “Less is more—we always aim to keep it clear, clean and concise,” he said. “In addition, the new CI Local Pin helps us visually connect the main brand with our other internal and external initiatives. For example, the pin is part of our IRG logos (Impacter Resource Groups promoting equity, diversity and inclusion), and the pin is shifted upside down to become an ink drop in our new CI Printing logo." Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tess Coverman said CI’s updated name speaks to the company’s robust product line and allows for continued innovation in the future. “As new ideas come up, as long as they filter through our updated mission statement and core values, we can more easily introduce them to the Community Impact audience,” she said. “For example, hosting events is a recent request by some CI Patrons as a benefit to the community and a new revenue stream, which we might consider in 2023.” With this brand update and newsroom expansion, CI prides itself on being the largest community journalism newsroom in the state, covering local businesses, transportation and road projects, development, health care and government.
No longer just a newspaper company, Community Impact is rebranding to better align with one of its core values: innovation.
Although many readers may know CI for its monthly, full-color print newspapers, the company is much more than just a printed newspaper. Since its inception in 2005 in the gameroom of John and Jennifer Garrett’s home in Pflugerville, Texas, the company lived up to its entrepreneurial roots, creating its own in-house customer relationship management software, building a printing plant, launching email newsletters and podcasts, and expanding its reach to four Texas metros and more than 2.4 million homes. To reflect its entire product line and continue to allow for future growth, the media company has changed its name from Community Impact Newspaper to Community Impact. This process began in early 2022 when leadership at CI completed a workshop with Jeff Hahn of Hahn Public to strategize their next innovative move. Following the workshop, CI made the decision to update its entire brand schematic, including the logo, colors, tagline, mission statement and vision statement. "Since 2005, Community Impact has been a trusted source for local news as we have built the largest community journalism news organization in Texas,” CEO and founder John Garrett said. “Our award-winning monthly newspaper and our innovative daily digital products will be the focus of the investment Jennifer and I are making in local news for—God willing—years to come. Our team is committed to helping all Texans we serve, regardless of your socioeconomic status or political affiliation, to get news you can trust to help you connect to your community." In an effort to produce even more local journalism, CI has already promoted 10 editorial team members since January and will add more newsroom positions in the coming months to maintain its status as the leading newsroom in the state. A portion of this growth is attributed to local CI advertisers along with CI’s reader-funded Patron program that launched in 2020. The company plans to expand with a corporate Patron program in 2023 based on similar demand. As part of the rebrand, the company’s new tagline , News Everyone Gets, was shortened from Local. Useful. Everyone Gets It. to mirror what CI does best—simplify complex information into various news formats in a delivery method and tone accessible to anyone. Plus, CI created a new mission statement and updated its vision statement to reflect both present-day and future goals.
Owners and founders John and Jennifer Garrett
communityimpact.com
@impactnewsHTXmetro
Publisher, Jason Culpepper
@impactnews_hrm
linkedin.com/company/communityimpact
@communityimpacthouston
We've teamed up to bring you more of the stories you care about.
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© 2022 Community Impact Co. All rights reserved. No reproduction of any portion of this issue is allowed without written permission from the publisher.
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HEIGHTS - RIVER OAKS - MONTROSE EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
IMPACTS
Businesses that have recently opened or are coming soon, relocating or expanding
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COURTESY BECCA WRIGHT
W. 11TH ST.
3 Second Draught , a beer and wine taproom, is the latest addition to the Ion tech hub in Midtown with its opening Sept. 12. Located at 4201 Main St., Houston, the pub o ers 18 beers on tap from local breweries, including Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Great Heights Brewing Co., True Anomaly, Eureka Heights and Frost Town. 713-485-4221. www.facebook.com/seconddraught 4 A grand opening took place Sept. 20 for Cherry Block Smokehouse in the Stomping Grounds at Garden Oaks, 1223 W. 34th St., Houston. The eatery o ers a ranch-to-table experience where menu items are locally sourced, harvest- ed, butchered and cooked. In addition to in-house dining, the venue o ers a full bar, and future plans involve opening a butcher shop at the site. Founder Felix Florez runs another location of the eatery that can be found in Katy. 713-485-4373. www.cherryblockbutcher.com 5 The rst Texas location of the “made-to-fade” tattoo studio Ephemeral opened Sept. 12 at 1655 Westheimer Road, Houston. The company uses ink that disappears in between 9-15 months and is applied in the same method as a traditional tattoo. Ephemeral only uses black ink, but is in the process of developing more vibrant types. 832-544-7259. www.ephemeral.tattoo COMING SOON 6 The rst Texas location of the Chica- go-based Flat Top Grill , an Asian fusion stir-fry restaurant, will open in December in the Lower Heights mixed-use devel- opment 2795 Katy Freeway, Houston. The eatery combines full-service dining
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NOW OPEN 1 Numero28 , a new New York-based Italian restaurant, opened Sept. 9 in Highland Village, bringing authentic pasta dishes, hand-tossed pizzas, and an array of wines and cocktails. Located at 3974 Westheimer Road, Houston, the new eatery o ers bar, tableside and patio seating. It was co-founded by
1609 Westheimer Road, Houston. The venue is similar to a location that opened in the Heights in February, o ering co ee, cocktail and dispensary elements. The Montrose location also includes a dining experience under Executive Chef German Mosquera. Menu items will take guests to locations around the world and can be infused with hemp-de- rived CBD or THC. 832-582-7641. www.wildconcepts.com
Sicily native Bernardo Nolfo, who also runs an Austin location that opened in 2014 and a North Dallas spot that opened in 2020. Menu items focus on Southern Italian cooking and range from shareable antipasti to pizzas and pasta della casa. 713-485-5248. www.n28highlandvillage.com 2 The Montrose location of Wild opened in late September at
EMERGENCY CENTER ANY DAY, ANY NIGHT
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OPEN 24 HOURS
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a s h i n
MHEHC.COM 4000 WASHINGTON AVE. (281) 436-4566
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
COMPILED BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
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Se7en
Georgia James
RENDERING COURTESY SEVEN HOSPITALITY GROUP
COURTESY MICHAEL ANTHONY
From left: Chris Manriquez, Anthony Heins and Henryk Orlik will open Black Page Brewing Co. in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood this fall.
with an interactive, create-your-own bowl experience. Menu items are made with hand-cut vegetables, scratch-made sauces and signature spices. In addition to building their own bowls, diners can also order from a list of bowls, poke and ramen options. Desserts and cocktails are also available as well as keto, gluten-free, low-carb, vegan and vegetarian options. www. attopgrill.com 7 Construction started on a new location of Feng Cha Teahouse in early September at 625 W. 19th St., Houston, where store o cials hope to open before Christmas. With locations in 10 states, the store specializes in tea drinks, including boba teas, milk teas and fruit teas. Other menu items include co ee drinks, a selection of blended drinks called Breezes and sponge cake desserts topped with creamy milk foam. Other locations are in Bellaire, Sugar Land, Humble and Spring Branch. www.fengchausa.com 8 O cials with Gatsby Hospitality Group will open a new upscale seafood concept, Gatsby’s Prime Seafood, this fall. The 6,700-square-foot restaurant is located at 1212 Waugh Drive, Houston. Like other Gatsby concepts, the vibe is inspired by 1920s American culture captured in the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel “The Great Gatsby.” The menu o ers fresh seafood items, alcoholic beverages and desserts. The new eatery can seat up to 225 guests, including at an outdoor patio and at a bar area. www.gatsbysteakhouse.com 9 The Kirby Group, the hospitality company behind Heights Bier Garten on Shepherd Drive, will open Bayou Heights Bier Garten in October at 3905 Washington Ave., Houston, near the intersection of Washington
Avenue and Yale Street. The venue will feature a separate building for specialty cocktails, beer and wine as well as a patio with covered seating. Menu o erings will include elevated bar food and smoked meats. www.facebook.com/ bayouheightsbiergarten 10 After being announced just over a year ago, the wood-burning steakhouse Andiron is now expected to open in November in a historic building at 3201 Allen Parkway, Ste. E110, Houston, near Waugh Drive. The eatery is run by the Sambrooks, the company behind The Pit Room and 1751 Sea and Bar. The menu will include traditional steakhouse o erings along with more modern small plates. Food will be cooked with live- re techniques. The restaurant is named after the metal supports used to hold wood burning in a replace. 11 A combination entertainment and high-end restaurant concept will open sometime in the fourth quarter of 2022 in the Upper Kirby area at 3300 Kirby Drive, Houston. Few details have been released about the venue, dubbed Se7en , but o cials said menu items will be themed after the Seven Wonders of the World, while dessert and cocktail menus “feature notions of the Seven Deadly Sins.” The 5,141-square-foot nightlife venue will seat 225 diners and another 50-75 people on a 1,110-square-foot outdoor patio. The project is under construction and is being developed by Seven Hospitality Group. www.se7enhouston.com RELOCATIONS 12 Frank’s Americana Revival , a staple of the River Oaks area specializing in
COURTESY BECCA WRIGHT
FEATURED IMPACT COMING SOON O cials with the upcoming Black Page Brewing Co. announced the venue’s planned opening sometime this fall at 210 Glen Park St., Houston, just east of the Heights in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood near White Oak Music Hall. The brewery is being founded by Anthony Heins and Chris Manriquez, the latter of whom also launched Trash Panda Drinking Club in Northside Village. The brewery will specialize in traditional German-style lagers and more adventurous American ales. It will be located within a historic 1940s-era warehouse that has been restored. regional American dishes, will relocate in early 2023 from its spot on Westheimer Road to the nearby Alexan River Oaks development at 3015 Weslayan St., Houston. Construction on a new 6,895-square-foot space for Frank’s will begin in October. The move will give Frank’s more space, including room for an expanded bar concept, private dining areas, outdoor patio seating and the debut of a new co ee cafe concept that will operate during the morning hours. The current location—3736 Westheimer Road, Houston—will remain open until the new restaurant is up and running. 713-572-8600. www.frankshouston.com
Henryk Orlik, former brewmaster with Abita Brewing Co., was brought on to work on the build-out of the production facility. The brewery has also teamed up with taco truck La Macro to create a taco menu for the site that fuses street tacos with traditional German fare. www.blackpagebrewing.com
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EXPANSIONS 13 A new rooftop lounge debuted Sept. 16 at the Georgia James steakhouse at 3505 W. Dallas St., Houston, featuring re pits and a view of the downtown Houston skyline. The Underbelly Hospitality concept specializes in cast iron seared steaks while also o ering seafood options and a selection of sides. The lounge spans 11,000 square feet with seating for 150 people and an indoor dining area. 832-241-5088. www.georgiajamessteak.com
W 11th St
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HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
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Our multispecialty clinics in River Oaks and Greater Heights welcome new patients. When it comes to exceptional care right in your neighborhood, Kelsey-Seybold has you covered with two multispecialty clinics. Offering innovative, connected healthcare, both clinics feature specialists in primary and specialty care, plus the convenience of an on-site laboratory and X-ray. There’s even an on-site pharmacy at the Greater Heights location. Same-day or next-day primary care appointments are available now.
Scan to schedule your appointment today, or call 713-442-0000.
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897272287
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
TO DO LIST
October events
COMPILED BY RENEE FARMER
FEATURED EVENT Houston 2022 Home Tour Oct. 22-23 • Join the American Institute of Architects for its Houston 2022 Home Tour. The self-guided, two-day tour features AIA-designed houses in the Greater Houston area completed within the last ve years. Noon-6 p.m. $10 (single house), $25 (full-tour advance). 713-520-0155. www.aiahouston.org HOUSE LOCATIONS: Arc Three Studio 4730 Redstart St., Houston Architangent 5311 Rose St., Houston Albany Studio 4126 Gairloch Lane, Houston Mirador Group 5417 Pine St., Bellaire Content Architecture 1011 East 7 1/2th St., Houston m + a architecture studio 2814 Ruth St., Houston McIntyre + Robinowitz Architects 1036 E. 6 1/2th St., Houston StudioMET Architects 1334 Glourie Drive, Houston
OCTOBER 06 THROUGH 08
“Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers” as part of its Opera to Go series designed for students at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Bringing together in uences from India, China and West Africa, the opera shares the tale of Monkey and Francine, who must gure out how to work together to escape a crocodile and the Lord of the Tigers. 11 a.m. Free. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston. 281-373-3386. www.milleroutdoortheatre.com 15 VISIT THE ARBORETUM FOR HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL Spend the day at ArBOOretum hosted by the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. Enjoy fall activities for all ages including live animals, pumpkin decoration and a Trick-or-Treat Nature Trail. Free o -site parking is available at 1001 W. Loop S. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Houston Arboretum, 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston. 713-681-8433. www.houstonarboretum.org 28 HAUNT THE HEIGHTS Join the Houston Heights Association for A Haunting in the Heights. The dinner and auction serves as a fundraising event for the association. 7 p.m. Cost TBA. SPJST Lodge No. 88, 1435 Beall St., Houston. 281-615-9484. www.houstonheights.org
CELEBRATE FESTIVAL CHICANO Visit Miller Outdoor Theatre to celebrate the 43rd annual Festival Chicano, an artistic re ection of the Chicano cultural experience after centuries of in uence from native peoples, Mexico, Europe and the U.S. See performances by Jay Perez, David Farias Band, Elida Reyna y Avante, La Fiebre, Little Joe y La Familia and Ram Herrera. 7-9 p.m. Free. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston. 281-373-3386. www.milleroutdoortheatre.com 09 LISTEN TO MUSIC Listen to music inspired by nature at The Wilderness Anthology by the Kinetic Ensemble, a Houston new- music orchestra. Performances include Nicky Sohn’s “What Happens When Pipes Burst?”, Patrick Harlin’s “The Wilderness Anthology,” Paul Novak’s “A String Quartet Is Like a Flock of Birds” and Leó Weiner’s “Pastorale, Fantasy and Fugue.” 6 p.m. $30. Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston, 3400 Main St., Houston. 713-325-5370. www.kineticensemble.org 10 THROUGH 13 SEE OPERA TO GO Houston Grand Opera will present
OCT. 30
ATTEND LOCAL FESTIVAL DISCOVERY GREEN
30 ATTEND A LUNCHEON TO CELEBRATE WOMEN The Women’s Fund for Health Education and Resiliency will host the 12th annual Rockin’ Resiliency Luncheon at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The “Girls Who Rule the World”-themed event supports the Women’s Fund, a nonpro t dedicated to providing Houston women with the tools they need to be advocates for their health. 11:30 a.m. $250. Royal Sonesta Hotel, 2222 W. Loop S., Houston. 713-623-6543. www.thewomensfund.org The fth annual Día de los Muertos festival features a screening of the movie “Coco,” live performances and a community altar. 3-7 p.m. Free. Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney St., Houston. 713-400-7336. www.discoverygreen.com
Find more or submit Heights, River Oaks and Montrose events at communityimpact.com/event-calendar. Event organizers can submit local events online to be considered for the print edition. Submitting details for consideration does not guarantee publication.
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HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
TRANSPORTATION UPDATES
COMPILED BY SHAWN ARRAJJ & SOFIA GONZALEZ
UPCOMING PROJECTS
11TH STREET BIKEWAY Di erent parts of 11th Street will have varying safety and multimodal structures in place.
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Washington Avenue at Westcott Street roundabout The roundabout at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Westcott Street is getting a face-lift with the goal of improving driving surfaces and pedestrian safety. Colin Lupold, managing engineer at Houston Public Works, said the project includes the replacement of damaged curbs, refreshed signage and pavement markings, the installation of raised crosswalks to improve visibility and bring speeds down, drainage improvements to mitigate ponding and repairs to damaged roadway surfaces. Street rehabilitation e orts will address tripping hazards on sidewalks and bring ramps up to Americans with Disabilities Act standards, Lupold said. Construction will be on a 150-day schedule and is anticipated to start in the late fall. During construction, the area will be treated with traditional tra c-control measures to minimize the e ects on route accessibility, Lupold said. The project will be done in phases that will be limited to single-lane closures on the main approaches. The inner portion of the roundabout will be tackled rst with construction then moving to the outer ring. Timeline: TBD, anticipated late fall- early 2023 Cost: $136,650 Funding source: city of Houston
Studewood to Michaux Street • Two lanes with bike lanes on each side • Crosswalk and pedestrian refuge island at Northill Boulevard D
Shepherd Drive to Yale Street • Two main lanes with bike lanes on each side • Concrete median at Dorothy Street with shared-use crosswalk restricting left turns • Pedestrian refuge at Nicholson Street restricting left turns A
Yale to Heights Boulevard • Improved crosswalk markings • Floating bus stops to accommodate bike lanes • Left turns restricted from Heights to 11th and vice versa B
Heights to Studewood Street • Three lanes, including a center turn lane, with bike lanes on each side • Pedestrian refuge island at Columbia Street to accommodate Heights High School travelers • High-visibility crosswalks at Oxford and Beverly streets C
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SOURCE: CITY OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY IMPACT
Construction is set to begin on 11th Street in October Crews are preparing to begin con- struction on the 11th Street Bikeway in October after design work wrapped will begin in October with completion in February 2023. In August 2023, a follow-up assessment will be done
Department, said the city took the project on in response to feedback from the residents about safety along 11th. The project includes maximiz- ing the impact of the right of way and identifying areas for improvement, such as sidewalks and curb ramps. While work is underway, crews will be sensitive to the historic blue tiles used to display street names in the area, Grove said. If tiles are a ected by required curb repairs, they will be replaced, she said. In advance of construction, milling and overlaying work began in September. Construction for the 11th project
up in September on the project. The roughly $600,000 project— which spans from Shepherd Drive to Michaux Street on 11th and from 11th to Stude Park on Michaux—is expected to increase safety and multimodal connectivity, decrease the number of vehicle lanes for a slower vehicle speed, add safer crossing for people who are walking or biking, and add on-street barriers to have separated bike lanes. Lauren Grove, senior sta analyst with the Houston Public Works
in response to resident concerns about a reduction in car lanes on 11th and the potential for the project to divert tra c to neighborhood streets nearby. During the follow-up, city o cials said they will look at cut-through tra c data alongside crash data and tra c volume data. The city’s Plan- ning and Development Department will provide information and updates to the community through its Let’s Talk Houston website, which can be found at www.letstalkhouston.org.
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF SEPT. 14. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT HRMNEWS COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM.
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HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
CITY & SCHOOLS
News from the City of Houston & Houston ISD
COMPILED BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS HOUSTON The Houston City Council will vote Oct. 5 on the adoption of a proposed scal year 2022-23 property tax rate of $0.53364 per $100 of valuation. The proposed rate is lower than the current tax rate of $0.55083. In a budget passed earlier this year, city o cials projected bringing in $1.28 billion in property tax revenue in scal year 2022-23, up from $1.23 billion in the previous year. Under the proposed tax rate, a home valued at $300,000 would yield about $52 less in annual property taxes owed. However, rising home appraisal values may still result in higher bills for homeowners. HOUSTON At a Sept. 14 meeting, the Houston City Council voted to allocate just under $5.5 million to professional services for the city’s Permitting Center. Funding will help design and build a new permitting and inspection system, including a new customer portal, a back-end comprehensive web-application, and a mobile application for eld inspector use. HOUSTON ISD Houston ISD is hosting a series of town hall events in the rst half of October, including an event at 6 p.m. Oct. 4 at Lamar High School, 3325 Westheimer Road, Houston. Attendees will hear an overview and give feedback on the district’s ve-year strategic plan released in February and progress that has been made so far. Houston City Council will meet for public comment at 2 p.m. Oct. 4 and regular business at 9 a.m. Oct. 5 at 901 Bagby St., Houston. Meetings are streamed at www.houstontx.gov/htv. Houston ISD will meet for its regular meeting at 5 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St., Houston. Meetings are streamed live at www.houstonisd.org. MEETINGS WE COVER
Houston approves $2M toward navigation center
HOUSTON In an 15-1 vote Sept. 14, the Houston City Council approved an agreement between the city and a local homelessness services orga- nization for the operation of a new navigation center in the Fifth Ward. As part of the agreement, the city will pay just under $2 million in federal coronavirus relief money to help fund operations at the center through Aug. 31, 2023. Located at 2903 Jensen Drive, Houston, the center will provide
temporary beds to a minimum of 350 homeless people annually along with services to help them obtain employ- ment and address health care and other needs. The city’s partnership is with the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, which will operate the center. Addressing concerns from Fifth Ward community members who have expressed frustration about the proj- ect being placed in their community while other issues went unaddressed,
Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city was committed to making sure the new center enhanced the area. He emphasized that a navigation center is di erent from a homeless shelter, adding it does not take walk-ins and individuals will only stay for 60-90 days before being transitioned into other housing. “There was a need for the Navigation Center in order to get people o the street,” Turner said at the Sept. 14 meeting. In addition, Turner said the rst year of the center’s operation will serve as an evaluation period. He vowed to shut the center down if it does not “live up to the promise” of not burdening the community. Other services will include transportation to and from the center, 24/7 security, three meals a day, laundry and one-on-one case management.
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A building on Jensen Drive will be turned into a homeless services center.
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Houston approves Midtown a ordable housing project despite concerns
HOUSTON A new a ordable hous- ing project for homeless individuals is moving forward in Midtown after the Houston City Council approved a $18.7 million loan agreement at its Aug. 24 meeting. The loan funds were made pos- sible through Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grants designed to help cities recover a ordable housing projects that were lost during the 2017 ood. The project at 3300 Caroline St. will feature 149 apartments and shared space for sup- portive programs and o ce space.
It will be built through a partner- ship between the nonpro t Magni - cat Houses and the NHP Foundation, a New York City-based company that runs other communities in Houston. Some council members opposed the agreement, citing poor living conditions at those communities. The project is being funded through a collaboration between the city and Harris County with the latter contributing $10.2 million. As part of Harris County’s funding agreement, a tenant bill of rights has been established, providing protections for
tenants in forming a tenant orga- nization, getting broken elements repaired and dealing with hazardous conditions, among others. The loan term stretches 40 years from the date construction on the project is completed, which is estimated at August 2024.
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
2022
VOTER GUIDE GUIDE
Candidates and information for general elections
COMPILED BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
DATES TO KNOW Oct. 24 First day of early voting Oct. 28 Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) Nov. 4 Last day of early voting
WHERE TO VOTE
Nov. 8 Election Day Nov. 8 Last day to receive ballot by mail (or Nov. 9 if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at location of election on Election Day)
Voters in Harris County can vote at any polling center in the county during both the early voting period and on election day. A list of polling centers will be published at www.harrisvotes.com.
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE COMMUNITY IMPACT
SAMPLE BALLOT
R Republican
D Democrat
L Libertarian
G Green
I Independent *Incumbent
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9 D Julia Maldonado R Evan Young* Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 5 D Dana Hu man R Scott Walker* Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 6
Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 6 D Kelley Andrews* R Mark Montgomery Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 7 R Mike Monks D Andrew A. Wright* Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 8 R Mark Goldberg D Erika Ramirez Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 9 R Sartaj Bal D Toria J. Finch* Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 10 D Juanita Jackson R Dan Spjut Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 11 R Dan Simons D Sedrick T. Walker II* Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12 R Matthew Dexter D Genesis E. Draper* Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 13 R Lance Long D Raul Rodriguez* Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 14 R Jessica N. Padilla D Je’rell A. Rogers Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 15
Probate Court No. 1 D Jerry Simoneaux* R Loyd Wright Probate Court No. 2 R Sophia Mafrige D Pamela Medina Probate Court No. 3 D Jason Cox*
STATE Governor
LOCAL Harris County Judge R Alexandra Del Moral Mealer D Lina Hidalgo* Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 1 D Audry Lawton Evans* R James Lombardino Harris County Civic Court at Law No. 2 D Jim F. Kovach* R Clyde Raymond Leuchtag Harris County Civic Court at Law No. 3 R Aaron G. Adams D Lawshawn A. Williams* Harris County Civic Court at Law No. 4 D M. K. Monica Singh R Brian Staley Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 1 R Nathan Moss D Alex Salgado* Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 2 D Ronnisha Bowman* R Paula Goodhart Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 3 D Porscha Natasha Brown R Leslie Johnson Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 D Shannon Brichelle Baldwin* R Zachary Gibson Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 5 R Elizabeth Buss D David Marcel Fleischer*
R Greg Abbott* G Delilah Barrios D Beto O’Rourke L Mark Tippetts Lieutenant governor
D Mike Collier R Dan Patrick* L Shanna Steele Attorney general L Mark Ash D Rochelle Mercedes Garza R Ken Paxton* Comptroller of public accounts D Janet T. Dudding L V. Alonzo Echevarria-Garza R Glenn Hegar* Commissioner of the General Land O ce R Dawn Buckingham D Jay Kleberg G Alfred Molison Commissioner of agriculture D Susan Hays R Sid Miller* Railroad commissioner R Wayne Christian* G Hunter Crow L Jaime Andres Diez D Luke Warford Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3 R Debra Lehrmann* D Erin A. Nowell L Thomas Edward Oxford Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5
R Rory Robert Olsen Probate Court No. 4 R Will Archer D James Horwitz* Harris County District Clerk D Marilyn Burgess* R Chris Daniel Harris County Clerk D Teneshia Hudspeth* R Stan Stanart Harris County Treasurer R Kyle Scott D Carla L. Wyatt Harris County Commissioner Precinct 4 D Lesley Briones R Jack Cagle* Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Place 2 D Roberick D. Rogers R Bob Wolfe
D Robert Johnson R Jesse McClure*
Texas Senate, District 15 R George Brian Vachris D John Whitmire* Texas House of Representatives, District 134 D Ann Johnson* R Ryan McConnico L Carol Unsicker Texas House of Representatives, District 145 R Michael Mabry D Christina Morales* FEDERAL U.S. House of Representatives, District 7 D Lizzie Fletcher* R Johnny Teague U.S. House of Representatives, District 18 I Vince Duncan D Sheila Jackson Lee* L Phil Kurtz R Carmen Maria Montiel U.S. House of Representatives, District 38 I Joel Dejean R Wesley Hunt D Duncan F. Klussmann
R Xavier Alfaro D Tonya Jones*
R Rebeca Huddle* D Amanda Reichek
Only candidates in contested elections are included. Go to county election websites for information on uncontested races.
For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.
13
HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
KNOW the signs RECOGNIZE the patterns END the cycle of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Knowing the facts about domestic violence, recognizing the
predictable patterns and talking about it can help end the cycle of domestic violence and abuse.
If safe, call 1 (800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit www.hawc.org
14
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
GOVERNMENT 7 Houston bond propositions would fund public safety, parks
Voters will be asked to weigh in on seven separate propositions during the Nov. 8 election. PROPOSITIONS
BY SHAWN ARRAJJ
Projects: renovations, replacements and maintenance projects for re and police departments PROPOSITION A Public safety Projects: improvements to swimming pools, park facilities, salaries and the Hermann Park Conservancy PROPOSITION B Parks Projects: funding for the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care, including a new facility PROPOSITION C Animal care Projects: renovate facilities that provide health-related services, salary recovery PROPOSITION D Public health
PROPOSITION E General permanent improvements Dollar amount: $29M PROPOSITION F Libraries Dollar amount: $26M Projects: general maintenance and improvements PROPOSITION G Solid waste Dollar amount: $6M
“The bond allocation will fully fund projects currently included in the ... plan,” Turner said. “These are critical projects located in every council district throughout the city.” Among the projects labeled “future bond election” in Houston’s plan are more than $70 million for emergency response vehicles; $23 million to replace or renovate
In addition to races at the local and statewide level that will be on ballots this November, Houston voters will be given the chance to vote on seven bond propositions that would help fund city needs, including police department maintenance projects and the expansion of a city-run animal shelter. If all seven bonds
Dollar amount: $277M
Projects: City Hall and annex structure repairs, exterior waterproo ng, renovations to the water system and replacement of sanitary lines
re stations; and about $20 million in salary recovery across the police, re, solid waste, public health and parks departments. About $905,000 would go toward renovations at the West End Multi-
“THESE ARE CRITICAL PROJECTS LOCATED IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.” SYLVESTER TURNER, HOUSTON MAYOR
Dollar amount: $60M
pass, it would give the city the ability to sell roughly $478 million in bonds to investors, which would be paid back with interest over a longer term. The bonds would not
Dollar amount: $47M
require an increase in property taxes, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. Voters have the ability to choose which of the seven bonds to support. The largest bond, which will show up on ballots as Proposition A, would provide $277 million toward public safety, including for renovations of police and re stations as well as new vehicles. Other referendums would support parks, animal care, public health, libraries, the city’s solid waste department and general improvements to city facilities. The city has not released a detailed project list for the bonds, but o cials said they would in part be used to fund roughly $194 million in projects in Houston’s 2023-27 capital improvements plan but have not yet been funded.
Projects: roof replacements, environmental services, salary recovery, locker room upgrades, concrete
Service health center on Heights Boulevard, while $255,000 would help renovate the Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center in southwest Houston. Another $500,000 would go to the Hermann Park Conservancy. Conservancy CEO Doreen Stoller said CIP funding helps the group with general needs at Hermann Park, including the repair of broken infrastructure, such as mechanical systems, lighting and leaks in the ponds in the Japanese Garden. The remaining $274 million would be used for projects for 2028 and beyond, city o cials said. This would help future councils by increasing spending exibility to avoid having to schedule future smaller bonds,
and pavement repairs, and a facility conditions assessment
Dollar amount: $33M
SOURCE: CITY OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY IMPACT
according to Will Jones, Houston’s interim chief business o cer and director of nance. Abbie Kamin, who represents District C on the Houston City Council, said there are other needed improvements that are not in the current CIP, including renovations to the West Grey Metropolitan Multi- Service Center. “MMSC is the primary location
citywide where families and those with disabilities can access city programs and support,” she said. “It is in desperate need of renovation, and I will continue to push hard for it.” The city most recently called bond elections in 2017. Informational public hearings are slated to take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 5 and Oct. 12 and at 9 a.m. Oct. 19 at City Hall, 901 Bagby St., Houston.
In a 2022 Readex Research Survey, residents ranked Community Impact Newspaper #1 for usefulness of ads across TV, Radio, Social Media and Targeted Digital.
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HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
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