Woodlands future

[Yetti0]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

Seriously, guy, I GREW UP in Kingwood, lived there from 1977 to 1991 and I have NO idea what you are talking about. We rarely, if ever, saw a Harris County sheriff's deputy patrol car in Kingwood. We had Precinct 4 Constables. As I said before, Kingwood is in Harris County, we paid taxes just like everyone else, and whatever you're smoking, bud, take a break.

I never smoked in my life anything except second hand smoke. This board is to help others decide on the community they want to spend their life savings and life being involved. I have moved to many locations in my life and was always grateful to learn everything about a community, the good the bad and the ugly.... Knowledge is power.

I made some mistakes when I was young with a new baby choosing a wrong community to invest our lives in. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me ... I got all kinds of "Dimple cheek tweeking ~ Little Mary Sunshine" goody two shoes report about one Tx community I moved and soon learned it was like the Peyton Place, Harper Valley PTA , and STepford wives all rolled into one.. I was given a bill of goods by the company and others ... who basicallly had a vested interest in making $$$ off of us in a two bit company town, and an entire community that were desendants of gamblers and prostitutes from 1920... The Charming community turn out to be a nightmare and We are native Texans... People who moved there from others states were given a trumped up bill of goods and lies about the place and many left within a couple of years.. they could not keep or get employees or professionals.

From that time on , I Did my own research and listened to everyone and not just those who put on a sugar coated report about their communities. I truly feel for new comers who come here wanting all information , only to be received with sugar coated bill of goods of a promised land and by the same token those who did not do their homework and blame the community when they made a decision that was not right for them.

Texas has everything for everyone.. its a matter of making the right match at the beginning and to do that we need to give people the truth as we experienced it...

I love Texas, and because I love it, I expect communities to stop pretending and be realistic about where they are.

Kingwood has lovely homes yes, and many move there because they can get a "KING's House" for the price of a barn. I remember the old Kingwood commercials... Also the community takes pride as having their HS voted as the snobbiest school in the nation.

If people like that kind of atmosphere fine.. but you can't remove the dirt that surrounds it... Like those Humble Mobile home communities... Even Native Sugarland people and Houstonians do not go to Kingwood unless they have to!

As I said.. Watch the animated film "The Hedge" that reminded me of Kingwood. I love when people want to live in woods and trees and then complain about raccons, snakes, spiders when they infiltrate their environment and then in the same breath talke about protecting the environment and the wildlife ! The same thing happens in the NE... taking over farm lands and wildlife areas and then scream to high heaven that the sky is falling when they meet up with a bear or snake.

Most ranchers and farmers do not care for the burb people who live near their woods or fields... Their kids are a major problem with no adults around due to the commute. I was talking to my insurance agent who insures the ranchers and the burbs.. He said the burb people are a major insurance problem. The lawsuits they make when farmers are spraying their fields... their kids tresspass and use their land to run their 4 wheelers (burb idea of a babysitter) . It was a wake up call to me when he told me all this but I was not surprized. It happens in the burbs in the NE. They have very similar stories. Its the nature of the beast of Burbs

Two films I recommend. "The Hedge" "Neighbors" "The Burbs' And there is one from the early fifties with Tony Randall about the new subdivisions made after WWII and the reality of their lives.. most excellent. I can't remember the name. Other shows "Peyton Place" "The Stepford wives" (book is better)

[ruby67]

Which community was a mistake? Which community do you live in now? Just wondering.

Thanks

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by Yetti0

I worked for Harris county and was involved. That is how I learned about Kingwood. Another misfit community is Hedwig Village... The stories I have on that little Peyton Place!

I experienced it from the county agency level. Facts are there. Most in Kingwood did not know who the car bombing gang was and the president of the civic club at the time harrassed the county law enforcement agencies about how Dare Houston crime come into Kingwood. He demanded they find the criminals to disgusting tiresome levels, and all along it was his son. When they found out.. they told the Sheriffs office. "UH NEver mind! we will take care of it" ... The sheriffs department siad no way... major crimes committed. The boys were prosecuted. Careful what you wish for.. You just may get your wish!


Looking at the fathers (civic club pres) behavior, its no wonder his little "Billy The Kid" thought he could get away with anything and there were family problems, which of course shows its ugly head in the neighborhood adn school... no telling what problems his little sapling caused the school while dad was commuting to works. IF the parents aren't around, the kids are on their own with community friends.


Kingwood is in major denial... and if you are denying the Little drill team girls who held up the doughnut shop with their fathers guns... They served their time in prison like ther rest of the deliquents. Drive to that major doughnut shop in Kingwood and ask the owners. it was all over the news... The Drill Team Bandits was the label they were given.

Hey I grew up in Houston.. Its a small town in many ways... and many of us never forget!

I remember the idiot boys that were blowing up mailboxes, and I remember the girls that were arrested in 1999 for robbing the convenience store...but apparently you don't, because you don't have your facts right.

They were not called the "Drill Team Bandits". Only one of the girls, Katie Dunn, was a member of the Fillies, the KHS drill team. One of the girls had graduated high school already, one was a volleyball player, and one was a sophomore who just wanted to fit in with any group she could.

What major doughnut shop are you talking about? They robbed three places: Jack's grocery on Hamblen Road, the bakery next door, and a convenience store in Porter.

Look, I'm not saying Kingwood doesn't have its fair share of issues, but come on, what town doesn't? Houston definitely has its share as well as Sugar Land.

A lot more people are realistic about the suburbs than you think. You say you saw this all from the county's perspective. Well, I lived there, and I didn't see what you are talking about.

[AustinTraveler]

Originally Posted by StepRN3

We are moving to the Houston area from Connecticut. We really like the Woodlands area. We have learned that the Woodlands is not technically a town, it is a very large private development. We also read that in the year 2011 the Woodlands will either be annexed by Conroe or Houston OR the Woodlands will need to incorporate their town.

Our question is: What does this all mean for the future of the Woodlands? How is this going to affect the Woodlands in terms of investing in a home there.

Thanks.

This is the question being asked. Everyone needs to please get back on this topic.

[randalmartin]

Yetti0, you clearly have a problem with The Woodlands that sounds more personal/political than pragmatic. I love how you try to make the case that somehow people in the woodlands want to avoid paying taxes. Are you kidding? I lived there for many years. My annual HOA dues are just like the City taxes you pay (I paid over $1200/yr) for fire/police and other city type functions. The whole point of the timing of annexation is that cities like Houston want to wait until all of the residents have paid off the MUD bonds and done all of the heavy lifting of building infrastructure and then swoop done and pick up all of the results. Believe me the people of the woodlands are more than capable of self governance and forming a city if that is what is desired. As far as employment, The Woodlands is not Kingwood in that TW has thousands employed locally. The HQ of Anadarko, Chicago Bridge & Iron, and major offices for several other Oil and Oil Service companies. TW is not just another bedroom community.

[randalmartin]

StepRN3, Sorry that you have had to wade through all of the nonsense unrelated to your original question. I lived in TW for the better part of 14 years and can tell you it is a wonderful place that was developed with the idea of preserving as much of the forest as possible. The original developer George Mitchell did a tremendous job of setting the stage for a world class development in every respect. If you are planning to work in Houston (Downtown or Galleria area etc.) then perhaps I would consider something closer. But if you will be working on the north side then I don't think you can do better than The Woodlands. The Woodlands is in the hands of strong/smart community leaders that I believe have already provided strong leadership through the Governance committee process to ensure that The Woodlands will be firmly in control of whatever direction is deemed in the best interests of the community.

[BearBranch]

Kingwood doesn't have major employers? Adminstaff (among others) HQ is in Kingwood.

[Mom2Feebs]

Just an update:

May 23, 2007, 1:18AM
Legislation puts Woodlands on track for future
Partnership with Houston gives the community option of incorporating

By RENÉE C. LEE and KRISTEN MACK
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN — Residents of The Woodlands can officially start their journey into self-governance now that two key legislative bills have passed, making it possible for the community to become a city in the future.

Lawmakers on Tuesday approved the last bill necessary for the master-planned community north of Houston to pursue a new form of governance.

~story continued below~

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4828223.html

[spark20]

Well this is all very interesting to me since I live in Kingwood. My family and I hadn't heard about any of this before we moved here in 2002 so this is interesting. I don't know what Kingwood used to be like, clearly, but I think that it's a wonderful place now. It's very safe and clean, and yea, the Fillies...LOL. I'm surprised that with the Nazi of a coach they have that anyone would dare think of doing something like that and "disappointing the team."

But in the 5 years that we have lived here, there has been very little crime to speak of, and I find that the majority of the students at the high school are incredibly intelligent and well-behaved (meaning they engage in very little crime compared to other areas we have lived in). It's not known as "the bubble" for nothing...