Bellaire - Meyerland - West University | April 2023

different DISTRICTS

Riverside Terrace

Conservation districts would allow for a simpler way to preserve neighborhoods than historic districts.

Historic district

Proposed conservation district

Heritage district

288

N/A, applies to public right-of-ways and land publicly-owned by the city of Houston.

67% of residents must be in favor for district to be created

51% of residents in the initial six neighborhoods must be in favor for a district to be created.

51%

67%

Residents choose from a menu of standards to determine what applies to the maintenance of the neighborhood. Does not typically deal with historic materials. District must be approved by the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission and Houston City Council

Approved organizations are permitted to protect, restore or install signicant elements within the district such as brick paved streets, curbs, driveways, sidewalks and walkways

All applications for alterations, additions, new construction and demolition must adhere to same standards, with some exceptions

3 Riverside Terrace proposed historic district (struck down in June)

District must be approved by Houston Planning & Development Department

District must be approved by Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission

which falls in the middle of the neigh- borhood’s numbered streets and runs through the neighborhood’s major thoroughfares, Yale Street and Main Street. According to the Texas General Land Oce, which repairs and rebuilds homes aected by Hurricane Harvey through its Homeowner Assistance Program, there have been 46 applica- tions for new homes in Independence Heights since Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and 18 of these applications are in the initial intake stage. “The General Land Oce uses contractors and about four designs of housing, and tell[s] our people to choose from them. Nobody who’s being contracted has a background in history, historical architecture, any- thing,” Debose said. “And so we feel like this conservation district can at least set a standard that when you do come into this community to rebuild it, don’t build against the designs that are there [and] that represent the his- torical character and signicance of the community.” While Freedmen’s Town—40 blocks founded by freed slaves as early as 1865—does not face the same GLO home challenges, it does battle a ght against time. McAllen said when he biked through Freedmen’s Town in

SOURCES: KINDER INSTITUTE FOR URBAN RESEARCH, TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE, ROMAN MCALLEN, CITY OF HOUSTON PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY IMPACT

Cullen Boulevard to discuss the poten- tial ordinance. Although Riverside Terrace residents were initially concerned that the ordi- nance was too vague and could create nancial burdens, they acknowledged that concept itself would be a useful tool for the communities that want it, ultimately supporting the version of the ordinance that targets the six spe- cic communities. Both Debose and Escobar expressed interest in development in Inde- pendence Heights and Freedmen’s Town, respectively, under the right circumstances. “We’re not against density. We’re not against wonderful new people with opportunities and a vision that is in alignment with the community com- ing into the community,” Escobar said. “But it’d be great if it just looked like it belongs here, as opposed to anywhere else.”

and the plan with 1611 Saulnier St. is to either build a period-correct home on the lot or move a threatened historic home to the lot. Working with change Some residents like Escobar said this ght is not new. Residents of these historically Black neighborhoods have been ghting natural disasters and construction—by means of developers and new highways—for decades, Esco- bar said. In February, METRO and city ocials found 33 remains from historically Black cemetery Evergreen Negro Cem- etery. In the 1960s, the city expanded neighboring Lockwood Drive, causing the disruption of 490 bodies from the cemetery, according to the Texas State Historical Commission, which deemed the cemetery historic in 2009. Concerned residents—including those from Riverside Terrace, who fought against a proposed historic dis- trict designation in June 2022—con- ducted a town hall on March 8 at the Harris County Justice Courts oce on

2020, only 53 out of 580 previously cat- aloged historic structures remained. Freedmen’s Town became Houston’s rst Heritage District in June 2021. Freedmen’s Town Conservancy Presi- dent Zion Escobar has championed the ght for preserving the community. “Our intention is to protect and pre- serve Freedmen’s Town in town for the benet of future generations. Our other intentions are to trigger invest- ment into this place, which has been divested in, has been set aside,” she said. “And so what we aim … to make sure that the heritage is front and cen- ter, and that people understand that this place is special.” The Freedmen’s Town Conservancy is fundraising for $300,000 after it “overpaid” to acquire two neighboring properties from a developer in Decem- ber, said Bill Baldwin, the fundraising coordinator for the project. The lots are 1609 Saulnier St., which is the site of a historic home in need of repair, and adjacent vacant lot at 1611 Saulnier St. Baldwin said 1609 Saulnier St. will be restored and sold by next December,

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BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • APRIL 2023