GOMO & GOCC+

July 5, 2022 Civic Club Meeting

At our July 5, 2022 Civic Club meeting, we will meet IN PERSON ONLY (no Zoom) in the private back room of Great Heights Brewing, 938 Wakefield, at 7 pm.

At this meeting there will be a vote on a motion to submit an application to the City of Houston seeking designation of the Garden Oaks neighborhood as a Heritage District.

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS RE THE HERITAGE DISTRICT DESIGNATION?
Email: heritage@GardenOaks.org

All residents are welcome to attend the meeting. You don’t have to be a member to attend. You do have to be a member to vote.
If you want to join the civic club, you can do so before the meeting starts. Our meetings generally last about an hour.

The purpose of the amendments are to encourage creation of networks of sidewalks rather than the “sidewalks to nowhere” which result from the Ordinance as it currently stands.
The amendments provide more sidewalk options and establish a sidewalk fund and protocols for sidewalk projects/networks.

What affects us in GO?
The proposed amendments provide an option for owners to pay a fee in lieu of putting in a sidewalk as required by the October 2020 ordinance. The fee amount will be approximately the same as the cost of installing a sidewalk. These fees would go into an area fund dedicated to sidewalk projects.

Exceptions to an automatic approval for paying a fee in lieu of building a sidewalk would be:

lots on a block with a school
lots on a block with existing sidewalks
lots that make up more than 20% of a blockface
corner lots - this exception drew concern from commissioners as running counter to the desire to avoiding “sidewalks to nowhere”

Lots not eligible for an automatic fee in lieu of building a sidewalk may seek approval from “The Sidewalk Committee” who may approve if:

sidewalk construction is infeasible
sidewalk creates a safety problem
a sidewalk project has already been approved on the blockface
sidewalk would adversely impact a street project

What is the Timing?
There is a public comment period (May 20 - June 23) prior to presenting the amendments to City Council for adoption in July.
Feedback on the proposal may be submitted here.
We are suggesting that you make a copy of feedback you submit and send it to Abbie Kamin, City Council District C.
Possible adoption would come late summer with an effective date in October.

What happens to all the money collected as in lieu fees?

The outlines presented on May 26 included:

70-30% split of funds being dedicated “in area” versus being usable city wide
15 Service areas for CoH (Proposed-Sidewalk-Service-Area-Map-20220526)
spending limited to sidewalk construction, does not currently include lighting or repair

Investment of fees collected in sidewalk projects will be prioritized based on: