UPDATE: Watch the July 11, 2019, P&Z hearing on this property here: https://bellairetx.new.swagit.com/videos/30138 Nothing was decided, major issues are apartments and the environmental situation (underground water contamination and VOCs) on the property and lack of reports or studies. “There are … Continue reading
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Planning and Zoning I want to preface this article with one piece of information. Many Bellaire residents point to the Rice Village as an example of shops in West University. It is not. The shops and the huge apartment complex … Continue reading
I planned to write an article about the Planning & Zoning vote on April 11, 2019, on an application filed by a developer to amend the official zoning map. It would rezone the property located at 4301 Bellaire Blvd from … Continue reading
This is from a City Council Meeting Overview issued on October 2, 2018: Presentation of the City of Bellaire World Trade Center Memorial Project, including updates on proposed concepts, stakeholder input, and private fundraising strategies. No action was requested of … Continue reading
I watched the recent Flood Mitigation Task Force meeting held on March 26, 2019, available on Facebook. The focus was streets and drainage. How to prioritize what streets get fixed first. Suggested ranking criteria was first discussed – how many … Continue reading
Over half of the $23.38 million in bonds approved in 2016 for Water and Wastewater Improvements did not go toward new water or sewer lines. It was devoted to a contract with Siemens for new water meters and improvements to … Continue reading
Don’t be fooled by recent City Council votes on sidewalks. Five foot wide sidewalks are still the standard with street reconstruction. The stand-alone sidewalks have been shelved but the funds have not been redirected by City Council to other projects … Continue reading
NOTE: The State of the City Powerpoint presentation from February 4, 2019, can be found at the end of this article. Despite the large number of speakers at recent City Council meetings who opposed the Spruce/Fifth St project as planned, … Continue reading
Welcome to Bellaire in the first decade of the twenty first century. From 9/11/2001 to Bellaire’s Centennial year of 2008. A new city manager, new parks, more bonds for streets, drainage and sidewalks, aquatics centers and municipal facilities. Zoning changes, … Continue reading
Do We Value Our Small Businesses? Can’t the appearance of downtown Bellaire be improved without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to drive out our longtime businesses? We already have everything we need to remain a successful and … Continue reading
UPDATE 2/18/2019: Find the breakdown for the final proposed cost of $5,200,890.50 for the Spruce/Fifth ($2.5 million) and Maple/Bolivar ($1.76 million) projects – plus $1 million to the engineering companies. About 10% of the 2016 bond issue. The project was … Continue reading
The highlight of the December 17, 2018, Council meeting was the presentation a Bellaire Master Drainage Concept Plan, beginning with a proposed interlocal agreement among Bellaire, TX-DOT, and the Harris County Flood Control District. Bellaire is located at the east/southeast … Continue reading
At this point the proposed date for Council’s approval of the project is February 18, 2019. A pdf of the presentation can be found here: 1_7_19_Spruce&Fifth The City of Bellaire seems determined to narrow 60 foot wide commercial streets to … Continue reading
At the November 19th City Council meeting, Denton Ragland, CEO of the Bellaire Business Association, made a presentation promoting a campaign to encourage residents to ‘Stay Local to Bellaire Resources’ and stay loyal to their local businesses, then City Manager … Continue reading
At the November 5, 2018, City Council meeting a specific use permit for a car wash business at the corner of Bellaire Blvd and Ferris St. was not approved. The vote was 5 to 2, with Council members Pappas and … Continue reading
Preface: In order to maintain our current revenue stream City Council has agreed on an increase to our property tax rate from $ .4159 to $ .4313 for tax year 2018 to compensate for the lower property values on the … Continue reading
Many city governments find themselves up against a wall when they need money for day-to-day operating expenses, building new structures, improving existing structures or making repairs. Ongoing expenses, including employee wages, maintenance andinsurance, plus periodic projects including building schools, improving … Continue reading
UPDATE: Recent information has been received. Find out what streets in the Group D Phase 1 and Phase 2 are approved for sidewalks and what streets have been removed. Read it here. A few weeks ago, out of the … Continue reading
You’ve heard the phrase ‘Not in my backyard’, right? This Spruce St/Fifth St project is everyone’s back yard. We tend to spend most of our home time in our neighborhood, but just about everyone in the City spends some time … Continue reading
Reminder – Flood Insurance information is available here: https://www.bellairecivicclub.com/are-you-covered-up-to-date-on-your-flood-insurance/ 2. Item for Individual Consideration: Council discussion on sidewalk program implementation and possible action to provide direction to the city manager as appropriate – Submitted by Paul A. Hofmann, City Manager. Was … Continue reading
Dear Mayor and Members of City Council, As you work towards the 2019 City budget and the possibility of another $45 or 50 million dollar bond issue I’d like to suggest the following. First, check out the Comptroller’s
It appears that at least some members of City Council were listening to Bellaire residents who attended last week’s Council meeting. Discussion during the Special Session on August 13th focused on financial concerns and about flood mitigation rather than adding … Continue reading
Bellaire City Council faced a large crowd of Bellaire residents who turned out for the August 6th City Council meeting. The Council chambers and the City Hall atrium were full, and resident after resident spoke their mind on the Pathways … Continue reading
View the August 13th City Council Session on the Proposed Budget: http://bellairecitytx.iqm2.com/Citizens/SplitView.aspx?Mode=Video&MeetingID=1880&Format=Agenda
UPDATE: City Council has tabled this plan but did not vote it down. Unless it returns for consideration and approval it will sit on the same shelf as the Branding proposal, available for a rerun in the future. The latest … Continue reading
Even as we enter another hurricane season many residents in Bellaire and the Houston area continue to suffer from the damage and the costs of Hurricane Harvey. Numerous homes have yet to be repaired with the owners living in them … Continue reading
Streets shown on current maps: 8 feet wide path – South Rice, Evergreen, Fournace, Newcastle; 6 feet wide path – Maple, Alder, Chimney Rock, Ferris, Anderson/Second, Englewood, Avenue B, Mulberry, Sunburst. (This Plan is not part of the sidewalk project … Continue reading
When a new City Manager takes the reins in Bellaire we might expect that he or she would bring a former executive assistant along, someone already in tune with their style of management.
UPDATE: The Pathways Plan was presented to Planning and Zoning on Thursday, July 12th. The Meeting video is available to view online. P&Z voted unanimously not to recommend the Plan to City Council at this time. The Pathways Project will … Continue reading
Final version of Council Priorities: https://www.bellairetx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18482/Council-Priorities—Adopted-61818?bidId= Find it here: Council Priorities 2018-06-18. Take a look at the overview – the Chevron property; the costs to the city from Hurricane Harvey – $3.5 million, much of that will be reimbursed by FEMA … Continue reading
Here are the City Manager’s 7 easy steps to beautify downtown Bellaire: 1) Take the 60 foot wide commercial Spruce Street that runs behind a large grocery store, contains no small retail stores or boutiques, and is traversed daily in … Continue reading
Some background: In March of 2018 Public Works presented a plan to City Council to reconstruct the 5100 and 5200 blocks of Spruce St. and three blocks of North Fifth by the new H-E-B grocery. The plan would add public … Continue reading
The City Council and the City Manager are fond of referring to various plans and studies to justify expenditures, sometimes on questionable projects and more studies. We hear about the Comprehensive Plan, the Branding Study, Terrain Studios and something called … Continue reading
Thursday, May 3, 2018, the Mayor and City Council will hold an all day pre-budget planning session in the Centerpoint Energy Community Center, located over the entrance to the Aquatics Center. For those residents unable to attend the Session you … Continue reading
Residents are speaking out in opposition to the proposed Pathways Plan. The cost may be paid by the 2016 Bonds for Better Bellaire funds for Streets, Drainage and Sidewalks. The estimated cost could exceed eight million dollars. You’ll find more … Continue reading
Substandard and Abandoned Houses Substandard and abandoned houses were an early topic of last Monday’s regular Council meeting. After numerous complaints from residents on Nextdoor and articles in the Southwest News about abandoned houses the City Manager provided a PowerPoint … Continue reading
Why would a City choose to harm its small businesses? Spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to do so? In November of 2016 Bellaire voters gave the City Council and City Manager a big pot of money – right at … Continue reading
Have you tried to find information on the City of Bellaire website? One example: search for City Council agenda packets. You’ll find the calendar for the current month where you can click on the Council meetings. The next best possibility … Continue reading
Ever wonder if the $50,000 Branding Study has gone away? Despite the tepid to downright comical response to the meaningless logo presented to City Council in January 2018, there’s been no word from the City that the contract with the … Continue reading
This excerpt is from the most recent City newsletter, The Boulevard: Group C Phase II: Streets, Drainage and Sidewalks project – There are five street blocks identified in this project. Three of the street blocks are adjacent to the HEB … Continue reading
Per the April 11th Cultural Arts Board agenda, Item D: DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION – Recommendations to name the hallway in City Hall that will house art. – Chair Terry Leavitt-Chavez What art? Donated or Purchased? Here’s the agenda: Cultural … Continue reading
This is a link to an article in Sunday’s Houston Chronicle (April 1, 2018) that issues a warning about our flood plain maps and our future under the new normal of climate change. You can find information on Bellaire’s flood … Continue reading
Bellaire has come a long way and thanks to longtime resident Lynn McBee the City’s history will unfold on this web site. Just click the menu item for Bellaire History and enjoy a good read!
When Bellaire voters approved a bond issue for $24 million dollars for Streets, Drainage, and Sidewalks with the explanation that ‘Projects will address replacement of streets and drainage systems in order to reduce the occurrence of flooding and improve street … Continue reading
As of 2016 the City of Bellaire had over $104 million dollars in outstanding debt, $5600 per person, which is much higher than any of the surrounding municipalities. Almost a quarter of the of the City budget, about $9 million, … Continue reading
Mentioning bonds in a prior post, I wondered where the City or Council planned to find the $8 million plus for Pathways or the $4.1 million for the Spruce Street upgrade. In 2016 Bellaire voters approved the sale of $54 million … Continue reading
Are you aware of the Branding Study? Over $50,000 has been spent as of March 15th but the cost could climb! The result was a new logo to replace our longtime and much loved one. It’s a B with a … Continue reading
Click the Spotlight for more information.
WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE? WHY NOT RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL?
SPRUCE/FIFTH AREA: Construction has 
begun on Fifth Street on the first block of ‘streetscapes’ in the area. Six members of City Council are responsible for the destruction of one of the most functional areas of our central downtown. Businesses are already in trouble.
Planning and Zoning – July 11, 2019 – 4800 Fournace Place Request to rezone a portion of the Sheena (Chevron) property to Corridor Mixed Use (CMU) and for a Planned Development-Multi Family Highrise.
4301 Bellaire Blvd Rezoning – Consideration of the application has been postponed at the request of the applicant. Now scheduled for August 5, 2019
5235 Bellaire Blvd Planning and Zoning approved the application to allow a drive-
through service station for oil changes and emissions testing. City Council Public Hearing August 5, 2019.
FEMA Due To Release New Flood Maps in August
New Medical Building Proposed for 4460 Bissonnet @ Fournace
Medical offices are planned. They hope to break ground by July.
Recycling, organic gardening, less pesticides – all win/wins for our kids and our community. So are reusable bags!
Find informative articles here.
Leaks
at or near water meters have been reported around town. City crews make repairs for some residents, but others are advised to call a plumber. Check with the City, ask if Siemens is responsible for the repair.
Click on the Trolley to view the Table of Contents for Lynn McBee’s history of Bellaire.
And for a terrific photo history check this out:
You’ll find Little Free Libraries popping up throughout Bellaire. Loftin Park, Evelyn’s Park, Ware Family Park, plus private LFLs. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin
Construction on the new Bellaire High school began in 2018.
The ne
w school was financed by the 2012 HISD bond election and completion is expected in 2022.
According to the City manager and staff our longtime City logo, representing Bellaire as a City of Homes, will soon be gone, thanks to City Council and the $50,000 branding study. Read more here.
We are
no longer informed of emergency repairs, water leaks, or Public Works projects underway. There seem to be excavations all over town. What sort of enforcement is required by the City for construction sites? Click on the photo for details.
Jim Blackburn, J.D. Professor in the Practice of Environmental Law, Rice University; Philip B. Bedient, Ph.D. Herman Brown Professor of Engineering, Rice University © 2018 by the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University Read more here.
Bellaire Flood Plain Elevation Map
Link to Harris County Flood Map (include your zip code)
Using a Flood Insurance Rate Map
FEMA Flood Map Service Center
How Base Flood Elevation is Determined
Find information on Flood Insurance here: https://www.bellairecivicclub.com/are-you-covered-up-to-date-on-your-flood-insurance/
Find Updates on the actions of the Harris County Flood Control District actions that affect Bellaire and Southwest Houston – the Brays Bayou Watershed.
New Flood Maps due August 15, 2019 – Residents are encouraged to examine the maps to determine their location and risk in the flood zone.
Click to review the Bellaire Comprehensive Plan
