Written by Katherine
Topics: Moblog
This makes me so sad every time I drive by. Apparently “for fun, for life, for you” actually means “we hate Houston, Houstonians, and important architectural history.”
In case you don’t recognize the rubble, it used to be part of the River Oaks Shopping Center.
Posted on 16 September 2007
Grab the RSS feed for Free Updates!
(What's this? — Learn more about RSS)
OR Get blog updates sent directly to your inbox by entering your email address below:
Twitter Updates
Will skate 4food"@WineFoodBeer: Northside Fury @ #hautewheels.If not for the food, come to visit haute girls in skates http://t.co/rKQ6fZoC"
TweetsCopyright © 2012 Katherine Druckman. Thrilling Theme from FreelanceWP
Proudly powered by WordPress 
Katherine, what a shame it was demolished, but the news gets much worse! Perhaps I can post some interesting information here – it’s not too late to help.
Weingarten Realty Investors, who own the River Oaks Shopping Center and demolished the southern half of the center last year in order to replace it with a larger new center, have secretly altered the plans shown to the city and to the neighbors in order to build an even larger and taller structure that will tower over River Oaks and Shepherd Drive. They have started construction and are trying to finish as quickly as possible, although the construction has been halted due to a violation of city setback ordinances because of unauthorized changes made to the plans. Weingarten is violating the promises it made to the community to honor the original design!
In 2007, after loud and protracted public protests, Weingarten specifically promised that the new center “would honor the original curved design, but be two stories tall instead of one.” That was the specific promise given to the neighbors, The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, and The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission. In early October 2008, however, Weingarten began erecting steel beams to a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DESIGN. Without the knowledge of any of the parties they had talked to for their support, Weingarten simply changed the design, submitted it to the City for approval, and started construction. No one outside the City Planning Department had any idea of the changes until the steel beams started going up.
Compare the photos for yourself!
Here is what the shopping center looked like before it was demolished:
Here is the photo of the center Weingarten promised to build:
And HERE is what they are actually building:
Take a look at the height of this building, and compare it to what used to be there, and what they promised to build! The building used to be about 17 feet tall. What they promised was about 30 feet tall. What they are building is 50 feet tall! That’s FIFTY FEET TALL! And at the top is a bright rim of light going all the way around the top, just to make sure you can’t miss it towering above you at night. Oh, and there’s a huge backlit letters of the restaurant name on two sides of the building too. What visual pollution!
But that’s not all! Take a look at the second floor of the building – do you see that outdoor porch hanging out over the sidewalk, towards Shepherd Drive? According to published articles, this balcony will be rented out for private parties, causing noise to spread throughout the adjoining neighborhoods. Not only was the balcony not in the plans, but it violates City setback ordinances! It’s illegal! When the setback violation was reported to the City, they agreed it was illegal and ordered construction to stop, which it has – temporarily. HOWEVER, Weingarten has merely filed for a variance, and set the hearing date for just a few days away, in order to make it difficult for opponents to get the word out or even to find out more about the project.
Citizens, we need your help! The Planning Commission needs to know that Houstonians care about historic preservation, visual pollution, and corporate honesty. Visit our website and click to sign our petition so they will know that you agree that the City should not grant variances to let developers violate the law.
And please pass on this link so that others can find out – quickly!! The variance hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2008. We will try to have it delayed until January 8, 2009, but the best way to get a delay is to have lots of names on the petition, so please help!
Visit StopShepherdNoise.org to learn more about this travesty and to sign a petition to stop it. We have very little time and we appreciate your help.
Just an update, as of January 5 2009:
Weingarten today spoke with several neighbors indicating that they are “not willing” to fully enclose a second floor wine bar that is being built in violation of Houston setback laws. We therefore are sorry to say that, despite a three week reprieve given by the planning commission to allow Weingarten time to work with its neighbors to reach an acceptable compromise, we are in for a long and possibly contentious hearing this Thursday. We invite any concerned citizen to come.
Because the entire face of this building, including its structural columns and the balcony and port-cochere all violate Houston setback laws, hundreds of neighbors and community members have banded together to demand that the building either be brought into complete compliance, or substantial compliance along with full addressing of neighborhood concerns to deal with the sound, signage, and light issues this illegal structure creates. Those changes would include, at a minimum, dimming or removing the lights at the top of the illegal structure, removing the large lit sign from the western face, and the full enclosure of the wine bar.
Community members who live near the project have posted large signs on their property asking Weingarten and Tony’s not to violate setback laws, and to be a good neighbor. Tony Vallone will presumably be expecting these same neighbors to frequent his restaurant and wine bar.
The variance hearing, originally scheduled for December 18, was deferred until January 8 so that Weingarten could “work with neighbors to find an acceptable solution.” However, finding a solution is elusive when neither Weingarten nor Tony’s apparently think they should have to comply with Houston’s laws, but instead should be able to get a variance based on smaller incremental changes to the project, like partially enclosing the space, or lowering the lighted sign by 1-2 feet rather than removing it.
Hundreds of neighbors and concerned community members, as well as elected and appointed officials, have spoken clearly: we do not believe Houston should grant a variance to allow a developer to violate the law, and to sell our public setbacks to their own tenant, with no consideration given to the public. Setbacks belong to all of us – in an unzoned city, they are all we have.
It looks like the Wine bar is history: http://houstonist.com/2009/01/27/vallone_nixes_wine_bar_at_river_oak.php