MTHA Board of Directors Monthly Meeting
When: Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Where: Lyn Buza's Home, 807 Elk Run Circle Agenda:
July Minutes Approval
Old Business
Continued discussions re: problematic MT properties
Director and Officer Reports
ACC update
Yard of the Month
New Business
Apartment development concerns
2022 Projects - completions and future projects
Addition of a picnic table on the east parcel of our neighborhood
Next Meeting
August Yard of the Month
James Homeyer and Claudia Saulnier at 823 Elk Run Circle This landscape has multi-season interests, with late summer predominant now. The purple fountain grasses, roses, and Mexican Bush Sage are in full bloom. Annuals were used in the spring for additional blooms. The combination of plants is also low maintenance and low water use. A Magnolia and a white Crepe Myrtle are used as vertical interest with the boxwood hedges.
August Yard of the Month - Claudia Saulnier & Jimbo Homeyer
Three Potential Apartment Projects in Our Area
Kickerillo Property
Background. The acreage where the Kickerillos had their home (15635 Memorial Dr.) has not been occupied since Harvey and the home was torn down in 2017, which left over 6 acres of undeveloped land. Over the ensuing years, various discussions and potential projects related to the property have occurred, but none have come to fruition. In fact, HCAD shows the property as still being owned by a Kickerillo trust.
Current Status. This past weekend, we had some questions and stories raised about the property, which led us to believe something else might be in the works. Further research by us found that at meeting of the Houston Housing Authority Board of Commissioners (“HHA”) (more about HHA below) on June 14, 2022, Resolution 3460 was passed related to lower income housing on that property.
The related Memorandum supporting Resolution 3460 states in part that HHA is “to facilitate the acquisition of that certain parcel of land located at or about 15635 Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas 77079, [and] the construction and development of the 334-unit Caroline at Memorial (the "Project")”. Under the terms, “no less than 50% of the units in the Project will be reserved for or occupied by individuals or families earning less than 80% of area median income.” For 2022, 80% of the area median income ranges from approximately $50,000 for a one-member household to $71,000 for a four-member household.
The Legal Structure for the Project: HHA created Lakeside Place PFC ("PFC") to assist in the development of certain multifamily housing developments such as the Project. On the same day as Resolution 3460 was passed by HHA, PFC passed Resolution LPPFC 22-23 in support of the Project.
PFC is to purchase the Project and then PFC and Caroline at Memorial Owner, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Owner"), will enter into a lease agreement granting site control of the Project to the Owner. The Owner will obtain a loan in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $60,000,000 from Amegy Bank to finance the Project.
Permits. We are not aware of any building permits having been issued by the City to date.
Actions. We notified points of contact in surrounding neighborhoods and have been coordinating with them. We have been working with and relying upon resources of Memorial Super Neighborhood. Councilmember Mary Nan Huffman has been engaged. We have also asked her to engage At-Large Councilmembers Alcorn, Knox and Kubosh.
Addicks-Howell Apartments
Status. On July 19th, we noted that building permits had been issued by the City for four apartment buildings and a parking garage to be built in the wooded triangle piece of property south of Memorial on Addicks-Howell Road on the east side of Highway 6. On that date, we communicated this information to points of contact in surrounding neighborhoods. Further information indicates that these will be 5-story multifamily units and a 7-story garage with no less than 50% of the units reserved or occupied by individuals or families earning less than 80% of area median income.
HHA Involvement. Subsequent research by us revealed that HHA is also involved in this project. On August 17, 2021, HHA approved a resolution to “facilitate the acquisition of the land located at 850 Addicks-Howell Road, Houston, Texas 77079 (the "Land"), [and] the construction and development of the 297-unit Memorial at Six (the "Project") thereupon”.
The Legal Structure for the Project. PFC and Memorial at Six Lessee, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (the "Owner"), are to enter into a lease agreement granting site control of the Land and the Project to the Owner.
Actions. Fleetwood has taken the lead on this Project, is coordinating with surrounding neighborhoods and has engaged Councilmember Huffman.
Westlake 4 High-Rise Conversion
The last project we are aware of is one that we don’t have much information about. As we understand, the proposal was to convert Westlake 4 across Memorial from Memorial Thicket from an office building to high-rise residences. The current status is unknown but one of our neighbors was asked to bid on a portion of the interior work.
Houston Housing Authority (“HHA”)
HHA was created by City Council in 1938 and all members of its Board are appointed by Mayor Turner. Part of Houston Housing Authority’s mission as stated on its website is it “provides affordable homes and services to more than 58,000 low-income Houstonians, including over 17,000 families housed through the Housing Choice Voucher Program and another 5,700 living in 25 public housing and tax credit developments around the city. HHA also administers the nation’s third largest voucher program exclusively serving homeless veterans.”
Petition
A Petition related to all three projects has been started by one of our points of contact in Fleetwood. Click here to access the petition. We are providing this link for your information; as whether to add your signature is up to you. At last count over 440 have signed in the two days the petition has been active.
Hunter has not been Home for a Couple of Weeks, but has been Sighted as recently as Yesterday. If you see him, please contact Wendy Kanaan on Bow String Cove.
Brenda Holden President - MTHA 731 Plainwood Dr. 713.875.2895
August 4, 2022