Little action took place on neighborhood projects at the meeting, but board members heard feedback from several dozen community members on a key Montrose Boulevard reconstruction project that has been under review by Whitmire's administration and stalled for months.
Meanwhile, a series of walk audits are taking place along Montrose Boulevard that organizers said showcase the dire need for improvements, including inadequate sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and bus stops.
Catch up quick
TIRZs are governmental entities in Houston that collect incremental tax revenue within their boundaries and use that funding on improvements, such as street and sidewalk projects.
The Montrose TIRZ has been working on plans for the two-part Montrose Boulevard improvement project, releasing plans in late 2022 for $55 million in improvements. Design work has been completed on the first phase of the project, a $14.7 million section from Allen Parkway to West Clay Street. The project was supposed to begin in early 2024, but has been tied up in Whitmire's review after the new mayor took office in January.
The review is part of a broader effort by Whitmire to take a closer look at all TIRZ projects across Houston that involve the removal or narrowing of vehicle lanes.
The Montrose Boulevard project has gotten strong support from those who say it will improve drainage by replacing 80-year-old infrastructure and make the neighborhood's main corridor far more pedestrian-friendly. Those who have criticized plans have largely agreed Montrose Boulevard needs improvement, but have taken issue with the plan's impact on mature trees, 57 of which would be removed as part of Phase 1.
The current situation
The four new TIRZ members were approved for their positions by Whitmire and Houston City Council on July 2. They include:
- New board chair Matthew Brollier, a senior analyst with the real estate evaluation and consulting firm Deal Sikes, who previously served as chief of staff to former Houston City Council member Jack Christie
- Murad Ajani, president of the Aga Khan Council for Southwestern United States, which is involved in building a new Ismaili Center on Montrose Boulevard
- Robert Guthart, an urban planner who serves as assistant vice president with the professional services firm WSP
- Helen Zunka, a Hyde Park resident who has served with the Hyde Park Civic Association
- Joe Webb, former board chair
- Lisa Hunt
- Amanda Flores
- Raymond Valdez
"Every new mayoral administration has key initiatives that they want to focus on. It is common to replace members of boards and commissions and others with individuals that align with the administration’s initiatives/views," Grafrick said in an email. "Concerns raised by residents on the Montrose Boulevard project highlighted some issues, it was not the sole factor in determining on the appointment of new board members."
District C Council Member Abbie Kamin, who represents the area where the Montrose TIRZ operates, said she was grateful to the former TIRZ board members for their years of service and emphasized the urgency of key projects.
"These are volunteer roles, yeoman’s work done so often at the expense of family and jobs, because they love Montrose," Kamin said in an emailed statement. "Projects throughout the city that will mitigate flooding, improve safety for families, and increase drainage capacity in neighborhoods need shovels in the ground."
The latest
In opening comments at the start of the July 20 meeting, Brollier said he is passionate about Montrose and prepared for his new role by reviewing "every study, every analysis that I could get my hands on that had been done for Montrose going back 20 years."
"I want to make [myself] available to everyone and do right by this part of the city," he said.
Several dozen community members spoke at the meeting, with the majority of commenters urging the board to continue the Montrose Boulevard project as originally planned. Speaker Jack Valinski said he was worried that if the TIRZ broke off from the original plans, the city would lose out on a chance to enact a vision that would bring new people to Houston.
"I'm hoping that you listen to us all, ... that this isn't just a rubber stamping for the mayor, this isn't a piggy bank for his projects," he told board members.
Hurricane Beryl weighed on discussions as well, particularly when it came to tree loss. TIRZ officials have previously justified the planned removal of trees by emphasizing that the 57 trees being targeted "are either seriously compromised by overhead utility lines or are in unhealthy, constrained planting areas."
Those in favor of the project said the unhealthy trees being removed are more at-risk to be damaged or knocked over by strong winds. Those advocating to preserve the trees argued that mature trees were actually better equipped to withstand hurricanes, while the newer trees that would be planted were more likely to get knocked over in the next storm. Existing TIRZ plans call for planting 137 new 3.5-inch caliper live oak and cypress trees on Montrose Boulevard to replace those that have to be removed in Phase 1.
"We are opposed to any design that takes down mature trees," said Jonna Hitchcock, co-founder of the advocacy group Save Montrose Live Oaks, adding that she did not believe the newly planted trees would adequately replace the mature trees when it comes to shade canopy.
Those seeking to change the project took aim at a proposed 10-foot-wide shared use path on the east side of Montrose that would run from Allen Parkway to Westheimer Road, as well as plans to narrow medians, both of which they said could further impact trees. To project supporters, the shared-use path is a critical component allowing for safer travel to Buffalo Bayou.
No action was taken on the Montrose Boulevard project at the July 22 meeting, and board members did not provide opinions on whether they think the original plans should be altered. As of press time July 24, the Montrose Boulevard project remains paused with no known timeline for when and how it might resume.
A closer look
The walk audits—the first of which took place July 13—are being hosted by Friends of the Boulevard in partnership with the Citizens Transportation Coalition of Houston and the Houston branch of the AARP.
During an audit that took place July 20, groups of volunteers walked block by block along the portion of Montrose between West Gray Street and Allen Parkway, recording notes on the condition of the sidewalks and bus shelters, shade canopy, crosswalk access, the functionality of traffic lights, and obstructions—such as poles, trees and hydrants—that could make using sidewalks more difficult.
Alex Spike, an organizer with Friends of the Boulevard, said he wants the audits to serve as a way to refocus the discussion over Montrose Boulevard to one that is more productive.
"So much is focused on what is being lost and not on the state of the roadway and what we have to gain," Spike said.
During the July 20 walk, crews encountered a range of issues, including narrow sidewalks, obstructions, curb ramps that were too steep for wheelchairs, bus stops that were not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, fading and missing crosswalks, and a nonfunctional crosswalk button at the Dallas Street intersection, said Dexter Handy, chair of the Citizens Transportation Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for quality-of-life transportation improvements in Houston.
"If you're able-bodied and don't have disabilities, you have a half-way decent chance to move around Montrose, but if you have any limitations, you might be challenged," said Steven Deterling, president of the Avondale Civic Association, who attended the July 20 audit.
Although some intersections had horizontal line crosswalks, Handy emphasized the importance of meeting a new standard that involves crosswalks with high-visibility ladder lines.
What's next
Data collected so far has been uploaded to a Google map maintained by Friends of the Boulevard. Following the audit, organizers said they plan to release a written report and analysis by the end of August.
Walk audits on Montrose Boulevard have been completed and covered the street from Allen Parkway to I-69. Future walk audits are being planned on Richmond Avenue for the following dates:
- July 27: Richmond Avenue from Shepherd Drive to Dunlavy Street
- July 28: Richmond Avenue from Dunlavy Street to Montrose Boulevard
- Aug. 3: Richmond Avenue from Montrose Boulevard to Main Street
