Residents say street opening poses dangers

Neighborhood fights plan to open street to cut-through traffic

Two neighborhoods have become embroiled in a two and a half year battle with the City of Houston to keep a street closed to cut-through traffic. West Timbergrove Manor and Holly Park are divided by a four block street that previously dead ended at a 60-foot grassy easement over a drainage pipe. Salford Drive, along with two other similar streets in the neighborhood, has been closed since the homes were built in the 1960s.

If opened, Salford would connect to Minimax Street, where an area of warehouses and businesses begins. In 2005 a developer purchased some commercial property along Minimax, with the intention of tearing down the warehouses and reselling the land for high-density development.

In September of 2005 residents learned that the city was going to extend Salford to Minimax, opening the street to through traffic. In a hastily called meeting with Council Member Toni Lawrence, city planning officials and the developer, residents protested the opening of the street. They were told that the plat, which included the street opening, had already been approved and there was no reversing it.

The residents complained that they were never informed of the opening and were told by officials that the city was not required to inform them. The developer listened to the residents, but said he needed the street opened for future development.

Bulldozers appeared within a week and an intersection was constructed. Traffic and large trucks began using Salford and cutting through other neighborhood streets. Residents continued their protest of the street opening to the mayor and city officials, and succeeded in getting the street closed again until, as a letter from the Public Works Director to a neighborhood resident said, new development was completed and a traffic study is done to determine whether it is necessary to open the street.

Now about 24 acres of the land on Minimax has been sold to residential developers, who plan to build single family and multi-family residences. In recent neighborhood meetings with city officials, residents have been told that the re-opening of Salford is imminent. In response, residents claim that the city is reneging on its promise to keep the street closed at least until after development and a traffic study.

In a meeting on April 16th with Council Member Toni Lawrence and Andy Icken, Deputy Director of Public Works, residents expressed their frustration and anger that the City is not considering the negative impact on the neighborhood that the street opening will cause. One resident asked "why is our neighborhood being asked to sacrifice?" Another said, "Those trucks will come down our streets if Salford is open." "I have two kids here," one father stood up to say, "and there are kids up and down the streets. I don't let my kids out there on the streets because of the speeding trucks that cut through ... to avoid the light on Seamist. If Salford is open we are going to have drivers getting off the feeder road and cutting through to avoid the light on 18th Street." A longtime resident added, "We have people walking their dogs, walking their babies, kids on their skateboards, kids on their scooters. If all that traffic is allowed down Salford, we are just asking for problems. People who live here, have rights too." Several residents pointed out that there are several other streets that lead in and out of the development and ask why Salford is needed.

Mr. Icken told the residents that he wanted to explain "the balancing acts that Public Works goes through." He said that in regard to the Ashby high rise situation as well as the Salford issue, the city is attempting to balance property rights, a predictable climate for development, and listening to citizens. He added "There is no perfect equation."

Mr Icken suggested use of a "traffic calming device" such as a roundabout that would discourage cut through traffic. The new residents of the development will want to use Salford, Icken said, and "residents have rights to use city streets." A neighborhood resident shouted, "Those residents don't exist yet. But we do. How do you know what the nonexistent residents want?"

On April 29 a number of Timbergrove and Holly Park residents presented their case against the street opening to the mayor and city council. Kellee Duer of Timbergrove asked why the city needed a narrow four block street through an established neighborhood. She contends there is ample room in the development itself to construct an access street to the feeder road. She pointed out that using current access streets to Minimax will require only an extra 2/10 of a mile of driving time for new residents of the planned development. She ask why residents should sacrifice the safety of their children "so that a developer can get every dollar he can."

Dawn Harrell of Holly Park also spoke, pointing out that Fleming Foods was located on Minimax for decades and never requested that Salford be opened, despite its large number of employees and trucks.

The mayor responded that he could assure the residents that the issue is "not about the profit of a particular developer." The issue, he said, is one of predictability. When people submit a plat and the city approves it, along with a street opening, the city has to follow the plan. "We do want to encourage people to build housing close to employment centers." He said he also wants them to have some idea of the street designs when plats are approved.

He addressed the residents' complaints about the opening of Salford and said they have a legitimate concern. "We are taking your concerns seriously," he said. An access road to the feeder may be considered, but is subject to TxDOT approval.

Council Member Toni Lawrence, whose district includes Salford, added that transportation has to have a plan. "It has nothing to do with zoning. We have issued some permits and there's not a plan out there on how traffic is going to move." She continued, "We have to make sure that that developer comes in and knows those situations before he is out those expenses, like the high rise, infrastructure permits, and what is going to happen with TxDOT. And all that has to be established if we are to be fair to everybody."

Residents of West Timbergrove Manor and Holly Park are continuing their fight to keep Salford closed. They feel that if the street is opened, the quality of life in their neighborhoods will decline with the intrusion of more noise and traffic. They believe their property values will also suffer as a result. With the planned reconstruction of the 290 / 610 loop by TxDOT, and concerns about the potential for even more cut-through traffic in the future, residents feel it is more important than ever to keep Salford closed.

There is a website about the issue at http://timberholly.proboards62.com