For years, a controversial proposal to build a high-rise in the affluent enclave of Boulevard Oaks appeared dead — a lesson in how land-use battles can erupt even in a city with virtually no zoning.
But after six years of sitting on the proposal — and the vacant, proposed site at Ashby and Bisonnet dormant — the owners, the Hunt Cos., resurfaced. of El Paso, last year our attempt to build the tower. They brought in a new development team, Dallas-based Street Lights Residential, to create a scaled-down version of the high-rise, now called The Langley, which they hope would win over neighbors who had opposed the earlier project called The Ashby. .
Nearly a year after StreetLights submitted updated plans to the city, the developer says it is weeks away from breaking ground on the 20-story apartment building. The city of Houston gave StreetLights Residential a permit for site work and foundation work Monday, although it is still awaiting approval to begin vertical construction.
Stephen Meek, developer at Street Lights Residential, said the approved work could begin in early April.
“(The site now) is a brown field that looks like a black eye right at the entrance to the beautiful neighborhood,” Meek said. “What we’re proposing is to bring something beautiful and something so architecturally significant.”
EARLIER: Developers are unveiling plans for The Langley, a 20-storey tower proposed on the high-profile site
The spacious units and high-end design of The Langley are aimed at attracting affluent empty-nesters, and Meek believes some neighborhood residents would want to live in The Langley if they decide to downsize but want to stay in the area .
However, many of the neighbors are still opposed. Several houses around the project area are adorned with bright yellow signs with a menacing cardboard caricature of a high-rise building and the words “Tower of Traffic” and “Protect Our Neighborhood” – a nod to previous protests against the previous high-rise proposal.
Geoffrey Walker and Ann Kennedy in their Boulevard Oaks / Southampton neighborhood near Rice University on Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Houston.
Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographerA small group of concerned neighbors has been quietly working to pressure city officials and Street Lights Residential to abide by a 2012 agreement reached between the city of Houston and the site’s owners that set certain parameters for size, traffic, noise and other concerns. (StreetLights denies this, saying it is following the 2012 agreement to the letter.)
Neighbors also argue that StreetLights should be required to follow updated city codes — rather than being built according to laws in place at the time Hunt Cos. and Buckhead Investment Partners first applied for a building permit in 2007.
It was not immediately clear Tuesday night whether the city’s legal department had decided whether The Langley could be grandfathered.
Neighbors claim The Langley would not be able to build today if it followed suit. an updated ordinance requiring 30 to 40 feet of space between high-rises and single-family homes, depending on the size of the street.
“This isn’t just a NIMBY (not-in-the-backyard) issue. This isn’t just about a building in an affluent neighborhood — this is about complying with city bylaws,” said Ann Kennedy, a longtime Boulevard Oaks resident who helps to file a lawsuit against the project with her husband, Geoffrey Walker.
Pete Patterson, an attorney representing Kennedy and other concerned residents, said his clients will consider all legal options “with respect to what we believe is a grossly inappropriate project.”
This ad hoc group of residents works separately with community groups in the neighborhood who appear to be cooperating with StreetLights despite some skepticism.
EARLIER: A brief summary of The Langley and The Ashby proposals
The 20-story tower, The Langley, will feature a fitness center, a pool with covered cabanas, concierge and valet services and other luxury perks aimed at appealing to wealthy empty nesters.
StreetLight’s residenceThe Boulevard Oaks Civic Association and the Southampton Civic Club do not want to block the project. Rather, they want to ensure that it falls within the hard-fought parameters outlined in the 2012 restrictive covenant and settlement agreement related to the property.
Evalyn Krudy, executive director of BOCA, said the groups are trying to maintain a positive relationship with StreetLights Residential to minimize traffic, noise and prevent damage to 100-year-old oak trees in the neighborhood during construction. So far, StreetLights has been responsive, she said.
StreetLights argue that their proposal significantly improves the plans for The Ashby, with more modern stormwater detention, a design that meets updated building codes and minimizes the building’s traffic by building fewer units and by eliminating a retail component.
“We’ve gone above and beyond what was necessary for those permits … and we’re doing things that we’re not required to do because we think it’s the right thing to do,” Meek said. “It’s not just for the benefits of (The Langley) residents, it protects the neighbors.”
