August 2024

Livable Places Earns American Planning Association Texas Chapter Gold Award for Best Practices

APA 2024 alward

The American Planning Association (APA) Texas Chapter recognized the Planning and Development Department's Livable Places among state’s best planning projects for 2024. Livable Places earned the APA Texas Gold Award for Best Practices and the APA Houston Chapter Silver Award for Best Practices. The Texas Planning Awards Program awards represent the state’s highest planning honors. The recipients and their projects demonstrate some of the best practices of community planning and will serve as examples for other communities across the state and nation. Congratulations to the Department staff who worked on this project for three years.


Read the full press release. Learn more about the development incentives that arose from the Livable Places project.

City Council Approves Five New Historic Landmarks

City Council approved the designation of five historic properties including three Protected Landmarks and two landmarks on August 28. The properties span three Council Districts across the city.

 

Protected Landmarks (PLM) and Landmarks (LM) are historic properties that have been officially recognized by the City of Houston for their outstanding historical, cultural, or architectural significance. These designations are initiated by the property owner through an application process.

 

A landmark designation protects resources in the following ways: any building design, alterations, additions, and maintenance to the building, structure, or site must follow the City of Houston Historic Preservation Ordinance. The designation does not provide significant protection from demolition or an inappropriate alteration.



A Protected Landmark designation provides significant protection against demolition in perpetuity and are eligible to be nominated as Significant Buildings.


1.The Frank A. Watts House, 2529 Stanmore Drive (LM), District G, 1934


2.The Alexander Z. and Julia C. Hester House, 1703 West Street (PLM) District B, 1903


3.Concord Missionary Baptist Church, 7506 North Main Street (PLM) District H, 1951


4.Menil House, 3363 San Felipe Street (LM), District G, 1949-1951


5.Knapp Chevrolet Building, 1230 Houston Avenue (PLM), District H, 1940



Register for the Oct. 9 PSEFI Platting Workshop

The Professional Surveyors Education Foundation, Inc (PSEFI) will present the 2024 City of Houston Platting Workshop from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the United Way of Greater Houston Community Resource Center, 50 Waugh Dr.


Course instructors will feature staff from the Planning & Development Department Development Services Division. Topics will include: platting basics, research tools, sidewalk regulations, detention drainage plans, and development incentives based on Chapter 42 & 26 updates.

 

The Workshop is open to all interested land planning and development professionals. Proceeds benefit educational programs at the University of Houston. The event is sponsored by Ray Nunez, Vice President of Abstract Land Services of Houston, and Paul Kwan, president of Land Tech. See more details and register by downloading this

PDF mail-in form. 

Staff to Present Final Recommendations to

Planning Commission on Sept. 19

Transportation Planning staff presented an update on the 2024 Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan (MTFP) to the Planning Commission on August 22. The MTFP is a long-range right-of-way (ROW) requirement plan to preserve adequate ROW for the orderly and efficient expansion of the transportation network. The purpose of the MTFP is to preserve mobility and ensure safe and efficient development of the roadway system.


Final recommendations will be presented to Planning Commission at 1 p.m. on Sept.19

 

Watch a recording of the August 22 presentation.

Learn more at https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/transportation/MTFP.html

Out and About: GIS Team Demonstrates Map Viewer

GIS Services staff Sona Sunny, Milady Quintanilla, and DaVonte Caldwell volunteered at the recent District G Resource Fair to distribute information and demonstrate how to use the Houston Map Viewer. 

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