Three years ago while living on Marshall Street, I started a petition  https://chng.it/XjwcJvfyrW  and worked with a handful of neighbors to save several very old live oak trees from being cut down as part of a plan to close Lovett Boulevard at Graustark. Abbie Kamin worked with us on that effort and was very helpful in saving those trees.

But when she called me yesterday about this project, she said that the Montrose TIRZ had done “as much as they could” to notify people about the plan. And she said the most pressing concern she had heard from people in her district was for better sidewalks so their children can safely walk to school.  

I said the outcry represented by the signatures on this petition shows the shock most people are feeling as they are just now hearing about the 10 foot sidewalk zones being built down both sides of Montrose Blvd and the enormous number of trees to be cut down. 

But Abbie pointed out that many people signing this petition do not live in Montrose.  Including me.

Frankly I was insulted.

I lived in Montrose for 20 years and was an active member in the WAMM Civic Club before moving in 2021 to a nearby neighborhood off Braeswood.  I still spend almost every day in Montrose patronizing its businesses and visiting my mother, the co-author of this petition, who lives a block off Montrose Blvd in the museum area within Abbie’s district. We are not some sort of “outside agitators” as is being accused on social media.  And the other people who have joined with us under the banner of Save Montrose Live Oaks are all Montrose homeowners and residents. 

Montrose and it iconic trees matter to all Houstonians! They don’t belong only to people who live in Abbie Kamin’s district or the Montrose TIRZ.

Please email Abbie’s office AGAIN and let her know if you think there was sufficient notification of the public about this project. 

Her email is districtc@houstontexas.gov.

Outreach to her office and to the Montrose TIRZ is especially important if you live or own a business in Montrose. Please include your address in your communications so she will know whether you are one of her constituents.  Unlike the TIRZ board members who are appointed, Abbie is elected and she does care about the voters in her district. And I know from personal experience that she does care deeply about trees.

But what’s happening now with the TIRZ plan? 
The latest email released just yesterday from TIRZ has new numbers on how many trees will be coming down between Allen Pkwy and Clay- now it’s 57. And they’ve made some new commitments to preserve about a dozen city-ordinance protected trees. So we’ve made some progress!  

But we still have zero indication of what this concrete-heavy design plan will mean for the trees in phases two and three as the 10 foot-wide sidewalk zone continues down both sides of Montrose Blvd to US 59.

PLEASE show up on the sidewalks of Montrose Boulevard on Sunday at 2pm to make your voice heard!

Citizen outcry is our only chance to force changes to the overall plan NOW before phase 1 sets the design in concrete (literally) and sets a tree-destroying precedent for the rest of Montrose Blvd. 

They are actually beginning to listen to us, but another TIRZ board member is trying to discredit me personally and our efforts.  I went through similar personal attacks when I was trying to save the trees on Lovett so it is to be expected. 

As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

I speak for the trees!