Last night at their public board meeting, the TIRZ and their consultants presented the feedback and modification requests received from the City of Houston to their Montrose Blvd project.

The resulting modified plan would preserve all the trees while still including the new 10x10 drainage culverts, new sidewalks, new roadways, a pedestrian bridge over Allen Parkway to allow easier and safer access to Buffalo Bayou, modern sidewalk lighting, and a safe crossing at W Clay.  You can read about the new plan in the Board Book for last night’s meeting, posted on the TIRZ website. 

Unfortunately, the board vote was split 3 to 3 on whether to authorize Gauge to move forward to incorporate these changes into the design.   Matt Brolier, Helen Zunka and Murad Ajani voted in favor.  Abby Noebels, Jeff Watters, and Robert (Robby) Guthart voted against.  One board member, Eureka Gilkey, is on leave so she was not present last night to cast a vote.  It requires 4 votes to pass, so the motion to move forward with this new design failed.   The board will now have to meet again to decide what they will do next. 

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR SUPPORTERS OF SAVE MONTROSE LIVE OAKS?

For starters, we MUST keep showing up at meetings.  The other side is doing a better job than us at getting people to the meetings to speak.  It shouldn’t work this way where you have to bring a swarm of people to every meeting to prove you have the community’s support, but it does seem to matter, both to City Council and to the TIRZ.  

URGENT:  The Neartown Super Neighborhood meeting is TONIGHT 7:00pm at the Women’s Home at 607 Westheimer in the 2nd floor conference room.  This group goes to the mayor, city council and the TIRZ and claims to speak for the whole Montrose neighborhood via the civic clubs, so you need to make sure they are hearing from YOU. 

The next TIRZ board meeting is currently scheduled for Monday, November 18.  Mark your calendar and please plan to attend.  You can sign up on their website www.montrosehtx.org to be notified of their meetings, including any schedule changes. 

We also must keep making our voices heard through MORE EMAILS.   I have learned that the TIRZ board actually does read them.  Please email this week to indicate your support for the revised plan! 

Send email to info@montrosehtx.org.  Copies to SaveMontroseLiveOaks@gmail.com, districtc@houstontx.gov and mayor@houstontx.gov