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February 7, 2023 Dear Mayor and Members of Bellaire City Council, After the Council meeting on January 23, 2023, I drove by the location of the West University dog pound. It is situated with the City’s wastewater plant at 2801 … Continue reading →

February 7, 2023 – Please take the time to view Mayor Friedberg’s February 6, 2023, presentation on the State of the City. Thanks to no floods, a new City Manager, and some fiscally conservative decisions Bellaire is doing well. Bonded … Continue reading →

On December 19, 2022, Bellaire City Council approved a work order contract with Ardurra Group Incorporated (Ardurra) to manage a regional drainage improvement program.  The twelve month contract cost is not to exceed $390,795.  Ardurra will produce monthly reports for … Continue reading →

UPDATE 1/24/2023:  At last night’s meeting, Bellaire City Council members agreed to postpone a decision on the location of a new dog pound.  Instead they have requested that City staff provide more information on zoning issues for the 1311 N. … Continue reading →

Some great news!  Per the most recent Mayor’s Musings January 13, 2023: Another $3.3 Million in Grant Funding Coming Our Way A great way to start the new year, we’ve recently been informed that several of our federal and state … Continue reading →

The Environmental Sustainability Board will vote on submission of a resolution to City Council to install solar panels on the roof of City Hall at the January 4, 2023, meeting.  Click on the image above to view an earlier ESB … Continue reading →

My sincere wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy holiday season and a wonderful start to 2023!   Some quick updates: The Dog Pound dilemma is scheduled to go to Council soon, probably in January. The Board of Adjustment chose … Continue reading →

City Council held a workshop on Monday, November 21, 2022,  regarding the proposed new dog pound.  Find the meeting here.  Find the presentation for a new pound by Bellaire Chief of Police Lopez here.  I encourage every Bellaire resident to … Continue reading →

On August 20, 2020, Bellaire’s Board of Adjustment voted NO, 4 to 2, on a request from O’Reilly Auto Parts for a variance in the zoning of the UV-D to construct a new one-story building at their current location at … Continue reading →

UPDATE: The discussion at the October 11, 2022 joint workshop included a decision to hire a consultant and suggestions on seeking public input, What do residents want in their commercial areas, especially the UV-D and the UV-T.   Would they prefer … Continue reading →

UPDATE 10/21/2022: Because a unanimous decision was required to approve the requests the appeal for the oversized scoreboard was voted down.  However, by unanimous vote the Board of Adjustment voted in favor of additional signage at Bellaire High School even … Continue reading →

Bellaire City Council approved the final numbers for the 2023 City budget on September 19, 2022. First up was a vote to retain the current property tax rate of $ .4473, approved by 7-0.  A hearing on the tax rate … Continue reading →

On September 8, 2022, members of the Planning and Zoning Commission were treated to a conceptual presentation for a Planned Development, a medical office building on the old Randalls grocery store site.  At right are three options proposed by Page … Continue reading →

Realty News Report’s Michelle Smith reports that the Randall’s space at 5130 Bellaire Blvd has been leased by a group associated with Houston Methodist Hospital. Find the article here. The old grocery store, erected in the 1950s, would be demolished … Continue reading →

An article in the Houston Chronicle reports that a re-design is planned for the Bellaire Triangle.  The center’s longtime owners, MC Management & Development, plan extensive renovations including the addition of an open-air space for outdoor events.  There’s no word … Continue reading →

Presentation by City Manager at the August 15, 2022, Council meeting Video of the August 15, 2022,  Budget Public Hearing and Council meeting here Find video of the August 16, 2022, Budget Workshop #3 here – discussion of the 8/15/2022 … Continue reading →

City Council – July 18 2022  Presentation of the proposed annual budget for the City of Bellaire, Texas, for the fiscal year commencing on October 1, 2022, and ending on September 30, 2023 – Submitted by Deacon Tittel, Interim City Manager. A … Continue reading →

Harris County Flood Control District is proposing a system of large diameter tunnels, 80 to100 feet underground and 30 to 45 feet in diameter, to carry flood waters to Buffalo Bayou and the Ship Channel.  The suggested location for these … Continue reading →

From the Mayor’s recent article, Council has hired a new City Manager: “Following a nationwide search that attracted candidates from far and wide, we ended up finding our next City Manager just a few blocks away. A resident of Braeswood … Continue reading →

FINAL UPDATE 7/12/2022:  At the third meeting before City Council to address the SUP application from Salad And Go the motion to approve the application was denied by a unanimous vote of 7-0. You can watch the meeting here. UPDATE:  … Continue reading →

With her children at her side, Kathleen Ballanfant, longtime resident and the publisher of the Southwest News and the Village News, passed away on Friday, June 24, 2022.  Kathy has been a a prominent member of the community and a … Continue reading →

Budget talks have begun, the City’s fiscal year begins October 1st.  The City Manager position has been in play for some time, hopefully we’ll have a new, highly qualified City Manager soon.  Meanwhile Council is currently mulling over a number … Continue reading →

UPDATE: MAY 13, 2022: There is no application for a PD at this time.  Greg Thompson with Thompson+Hanson Landscape Company, located in Bellaire, spoke and his representatives made a conceptual presentation for one and two-story structures located in a garden-like … Continue reading →

UPDATE: Portions of recently completed 5100-5200 Spruce are once again being demolished and reconstructed due to improper installation of electrical conduit and irrigation lines.  Ponding and poor drainage are also problems.  The good news is that the cost is on … Continue reading →

Apparently some of our zoning ordinances aren’t in line the the Comprehensive Plan, and the Planning and Zoning Commission is tasked with review of those “inconsistencies”.  Although the Comp Plan is just that, a plan, and one that is constantly … Continue reading →

Bellaire City Council held a workshop on Monday, April 18, to continue their discussion on flood risk management in Bellaire. You can watch the video or view the presentation online. The next workshop is on May 2 at 6 pm … Continue reading →

Councilmember Gordon made a compelling presentation on flood mitigation in Bellaire at the recent Council meeting, which in turn sparked a lively and informative discussion on past floods and future possibilities.  Find the PowerPoint Presentation here and a link to … Continue reading →

UPDATE 3/30/2022:  The last meeting on these PD applications, styled as Bellaire Place, was held on March 21, 2022, when a portion of the PDs was approved.  Here’s a link to that meeting.  After a Public Hearing in January and … Continue reading →

UPDATE 4/18/2022: The application was approved by a 5-0 vote from P&Z.  The application will now move to City Council. Find a Summary below from the Agenda for a hearing for a new food establishment at 5201 Bellaire Blvd. Several … Continue reading →

The City Council meeting on March 7, 2022, once again ran almost 5 hours.  Members addressed City business and then, about an hour into the meeting, the three applications for Planned Developments in the new North Bellaire Special Development District … Continue reading →

The State Of Our City – February, 2022 On February 7, 2022, Mayor Friedberg delivered his State of the City Address. Prominent in the presentation was on the hiring of a City Manager, Council priorities, filling staff vacancies, and City … Continue reading →

In the last 6 months of 2021 numerous mid-level and high-level employees left the City of Bellaire’s employ.  A recent claim of the Mayor and his candidates in the 2021 City election was that City employees are unhappy and leaving … Continue reading →

UPDATE 12/28/2021: The City of Bellaire received a Public Information Request in November, 2021, from the office of a local attorney.  Find the detailed request here.  As of this date the Request is still open.  Are we going to see … Continue reading →

In December of 2018 Bellaire City Council viewed a presentation for an interlocal agreement among Bellaire, TX-DOT, and the Harris County Flood Control District.  In July of 2019 the City signed an interlocal agreement with Harris County Flood Control committing … Continue reading →

The election for Mayor and three members of City Council is over.  A slate of candidates has been elected: Winfred Frazier, Ross Gordon, and Brian Witt, who ran as a slate and were supported by the Mayor, who ran unoppposed. … Continue reading →

Update 11/24/2021:  P&Z essentially approved the three applications at the November 18th meeting, with an agreement to add some clarifications or conditions.  The Chairman will draft a written agreement for approval.  Once the P&Z process is complete the applications will … Continue reading →

We hear a lot about Bellaire’s Comprehensive Plan, the one some Bellaire residents insist must govern our future zoning.  That it’s some sort of civic law or such. Well, for starters, what is a Comprehensive Plan?    

UPDATE: The City of Bellaire Budget FY2022 was adopted on September 20, 2021. Interpreting the budget doesn’t get any easier.  Please take some time to review these pertinent items.  Better yet, grab a cup of coffee and review the Adopted … Continue reading →

Update 11/24/2021:  P&Z essentially approved the three applications at the November 18th meeting, with an agreement to add some clarifications or conditions.  The Chairman will draft a written agreement for approval.  Once the P&Z process is complete the applications will … Continue reading →

UPDATE: City Notice: Community Rating System Open House and Community Discussion – September 8, 2021.   Bellaire residents were informed recently that as of October 1, 2021, they will not receive a 15% discount on flood insurance premiums.  Thanks to an … Continue reading →

UPDATE 8/3/2021: A vote on the agenda item was postponed after it became apparent that only Councilmembers Lewis and Hotze felt the ordinance was justified at this time.  Towards the end of the meeting Bellaire’s City Attorney, Alan Petrov, confirmed … Continue reading →

UPDATE May 25, 2021: The new zoning ordinance was approved by a 4 to 3 vote on May 24, 2021. The May 3, 2021, the City Council meeting ended after almost 5-1/2 hours.  The proposed language for the new zoning … Continue reading →

UPDATE May 25, 2021: The new zoning ordinance was approved by City Council on a 4 to 3 vote on May 24, 2021. UPDATE 5/5/2021: After another 5 hour marathon session on May 3rd, this matter has been postponed.  A … Continue reading →

In May of 2021 the Bellaire City Library will celebrate 70 years of service to Bellaire residents. In January of 1951 a committee was named from the Bellaire Women’s Civic Club for the formation of a Bellaire Library. The Friends … Continue reading →

The City of Bellaire has reached an agreement with the developers of Southside Commons regarding the parking lot illegally permitted and built on the CenterPoint property at the entrance to the City.  The lot will be removed by our Public … Continue reading →

On February 11, 2021, the Bellaire Planning and Zoning Commission approved proposed language for a new zoning district, the NBSDD (24-544 North Bellaire Special Development District), to replace the existing TRPD (24-544 Technical Research Park District) zoning on the former … Continue reading →

At the March 1, 2021, Council meeting Councilmember Wesely objected to an agenda item for a service agreement contract costing almost a half-million dollars.  A 95-page agenda item for $478,897.95, to be exact, for a 5-year contract for a Police … Continue reading →

The City distributed this information on the lack of City water on February 17, 2021.  Frozen pipes were not the main problem, and this information was helpful: We are aware that there has been a lot of confusion regarding the … Continue reading →

UPDATE May 25, 2021: The new NBSDD zoning ordinance was approved by City Council on a 4 to 3 vote on May 24, 2021. Watch the 5 hour meeting here. Update: 2/12/2021: In a long and somewhat confusing meeting on … Continue reading →

For over 70 years the 30 acre Texaco/Chevron campus along Fournace between South Rice and what is now Loop 610 was a mix of offices and labs, running primarily on a 9 to 5 schedule five days a week. It … Continue reading →

The item below is from the Mayor’s blog on 11/10/2020 explaining the City Council’s actions at the November 2, 2020, meeting for approval HISD’s application for construction of two baseball fields on the old Gordon Elementary property.  A modified design … Continue reading →