Harris County needs zoning laws now! (Houston, Sugar Land: apartment complexes, waterpark, crime rates)

[Callo]

Okay, after reading countless posts in this forum and others, and talking to people IRL, I have come to one very obvious conclusion: Harris needs zoning laws. I'm not talking about just the city of Houston. If anything, unincorporated areas need it more than the city. They're the ones who house the most desirable areas, IE places where families want to live. They're also feeling the pinch of the creeping ghetto. Bammel/Westfield is already too far gone, and now Katy and Humble are feeling the heat. Honestly, how much more has to happen before people understand what's going on? As it is, much of the younger generation is bypassing the area in favor of Sugar Land or Montgomery County. What will things be like ten or twenty years from now?

It wouldn't even have to be a long set of strict laws. It could be a county board. Or a new agency. Or anything really. But we need some relief.

[Metro Matt]

Zoning always gets voted down in Houston. The citizens don't want it & never have. Property taxes would skyrocket. Deed restrictions do exist however & are enforced.

[jfre81]

Counties generally don't have zoning laws anyway.

[studiobtm]

Look I'm very anti-big government, conservative, free trade etc. But why would property taxes skyrocket? Land values would go up. Crime rates might go down?

I would welcome common sense zoning. Of course I realize that once you give liberals that stick they will happily beat you to death with it - this after they have just moved from some totally wrecked blue state like California and yet they still insist you adopt their failed political philosophy).

But I'm curious about your take on the taxes.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by Callo

Okay, after reading countless posts in this forum and others, and talking to people IRL, I have come to one very obvious conclusion: Harris needs zoning laws. I'm not talking about just the city of Houston. If anything, unincorporated areas need it more than the city. They're the ones who house the most desirable areas, IE places where families want to live. They're also feeling the pinch of the creeping ghetto. Bammel/Westfield is already too far gone, and now Katy and Humble are feeling the heat. Honestly, how much more has to happen before people understand what's going on? As it is, much of the younger generation is bypassing the area in favor of Sugar Land or Montgomery County. What will things be like ten or twenty years from now?

It wouldn't even have to be a long set of strict laws. It could be a county board. Or a new agency. Or anything really. But we need some relief.

Houston without zoning laws is like New York City without Time Square! It's what makes Houston unique and ugly.

[Huckleberry3911948]

there is a certain charm to be able to wake up and go to work next door.
signed
a former houston resident

[Poltracker]

Texas state law does not allow counties to enact zoning ordinances. If you want zoning, you will have to start at a state legislative level and get that passed first. Chances of that happening is pretty remote. Yes, taxes would go up because you would have to establish a whole new beauracracy to enact and govern the zoning laws.

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by Callo

Okay, after reading countless posts in this forum and others, and talking to people IRL, I have come to one very obvious conclusion: Harris needs zoning laws. I'm not talking about just the city of Houston. If anything, unincorporated areas need it more than the city. They're the ones who house the most desirable areas, IE places where families want to live. They're also feeling the pinch of the creeping ghetto. Bammel/Westfield is already too far gone, and now Katy and Humble are feeling the heat. Honestly, how much more has to happen before people understand what's going on? As it is, much of the younger generation is bypassing the area in favor of Sugar Land or Montgomery County. What will things be like ten or twenty years from now?

It wouldn't even have to be a long set of strict laws. It could be a county board. Or a new agency. Or anything really. But we need some relief.

Actually THE MOST desireable areas are NOT in unincorporated Houston. They are smack dab in the mix. Amazingly, people raise families there too. Poltracker is right, the massive restrictions and organizing of zoning will cause property taxes to rise, and everyone here in COH is pretty happy to be in the 2.8-2.9 range.

Strangely, zoning is not the answer to crime not development. Montgomery County and Sugarland have their fair share of crime. There are stories of a neighborhood having to contend with some huge waterpark being built behind their homes because the development company, or zoning board have you, wanted it.

Also, I think more the "ghetto" is creeping outward as land prices have climbed in Houston. Look at all the apartment complexes being build in the exurbs, look at the posts thread in here devoted to this.

Last, from what I've seen, a good percentage of the "younger" generation is moving in. They don't want to drive and want to escape the suburbia they grew up in. Just ask EE.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Poltracker

Texas state law does not allow counties to enact zoning ordinances. If you want zoning, you will have to start at a state legislative level and get that passed first. Chances of that happening is pretty remote. Yes, taxes would go up because you would have to establish a whole new beauracracy to enact and govern the zoning laws.

Either that or the easier thing is to incorporate, which means you have a city government with a zoning board and the whole works, and yes that requires tax revenue.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

As someone else mentioned, the no zoning policy in Houston is what makes Houston unique. Having been here since the early 80's, I've seen this issue raised numerous times. Again, as someone else mentioned, it is always voted down.

With zoning laws, you would not have the Energy Corridor, the Galleria Area, Midtown, Greenway Plaze, Greenspoint, etc. Basically anywhere you see high rises that are not in downtown is the result of not having zoning laws that would require everything to be concentrated in one area.

At the same time, with zoning laws, you would not have the ugly (I'd go so far as to describe as grotesque) boulevards all over Houston. You know, the ones with all the bill boards, rundown strip centers, taquerias, taco trucks, shrimp trucks, glass repair huts, etc.

I think in the end, people like the convenience of living in Seven Meadows, Grand Lakes, etc., and working in the Energy Corridor for example. I think Houston is good as it is, I like the skyline, and different parts of the city. Each business area has it's own pluses. As far as the ugly places, well, I just avoid them.