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<snip> Just how many vehicle trips do you people think a 300 unit apartment complex generates a day? <snip>....

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Is 300 the number that the developer used for the project? Is that beds or apartment units? It can be confusing to folks like me to picture a size of a project without knowing the parameters. I believe CoCS uses 'beds' when they are looking at complexes (i.e. a multistory private dorm near campus might be referred to as a 400 bed complex). Those are quite tall, and I believe the plans for the area in question are to be scaled smaller due to the single family homes nearby. Did they have the plans available for viewing at the meeting, or was this strictly for the proposed zoning change?

Edit-clarity

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Also "wetlands" are hard to find in bcs

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true, but they don't care. The area behind CJ BBQ on Welborn is a floodplain and they just built more stuff right up along the creek. It's gotta be a pretty big issue, plant, animal to stop construction. Esp in this town. They want more concrete, so pour away.

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Also "wetlands" are hard to find in bcs

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true, but they don't care. The area behind CJ BBQ on Welborn is a floodplain and they just built more stuff right up along the creek. It's gotta be a pretty big issue, plant, animal to stop construction. Esp in this town. They want more concrete, so pour away.

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Protected Wetlands is not the same as floodplain and a private developer is free to building in the floodplain if they are willing to take the risk.

Again something that isn't true. That tract behind C&J was a 6+ acre tract. Only a shade over 4 acres were actually built on there and no structure was built in the floodplain. Simple paving is allowed in floodplain in pretty much every municipality that exists.

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Again something that isn't true. That tract behind C&J was a 6+ acre tract. Only a shade over 4 acres were actually built on there and no structure was built in the floodplain. Simple paving is allowed in floodplain in pretty much every municipality that exists.

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Good deal, I'm sure when it floods the water will know to stay only in the floodplain.

Again I don't care, to me it just shows that pretty much anything goes when it comes to development.

you wanna see how a wetland is protected, look behind the gas station on Boonville and Briarcrest.

Again, back to this thread, that plant or sensitive area isn't enough to block that development. That's was kinda my point.

This actually seems like a fairly good spot for multi-family development. Close to grocery and major roads.

I was thinking the same thing with regard to being close to major roads. Also right next to a biking route.

And before any of you class warfare internet soldiers jump in with any of your "second class citizens" garbage, that has nothing to do with people, it is an economic and developmental fact. Property values in an area are driven by new construction and the value of property in the area will go in the direction of the newest construction.

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You are making several assumptions about people that are both condescending and ignorant. I have lived in large cities and comparing the rental rates of what would be high rent apartments in a big city and high end apartments here is comparing apples to oranges. I am not against multi family housing in areas that are primarily single family structures, but they need to, at minimum, meet the economic level of the surrounding area. Preferably, they should be slightly higher given the effect they tend to have on the immediate surrounding area.

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I am not sure what I said that was condescending. If you read all my posts you will see that I have been trying to help. You also seem to overlook my last statement which was:

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Now, there is nothing so far that will ensure these are developed as high end apartments but that is not what is being debated currently by P&Z. Instead, this would be handled during the approval process for the site plan and if I lived in the area I might voice my concerns to ensure the proper restrictions are put into place to ensure this is a higher end apartment.

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See, I am trying to help. You are right in that you need to ensure these are built as high end apartments. My post was trying to make sure people know to get involved during the site planning process because that is where you might be able to make a difference. Fighting the rezoning is a waste of time in my opinion.

One restriction I would ask the city to place on the apartments is to not allow "individual leases". This is the common type of leases for students nowadays where they are more or less renting a bedroom and get matched up with other students if they don't have roommates themselves. I would also ask the city to impose the restriction that disallows any more than two unrelated individuals living in the same apartment. This is a similar restriction placed on single family homes. If these two restrictions get put on the property I think you would highly cut down on the number of students and help ensure it is mostly families and young professionals living there.

Lastly, I never said the rent you would get on these apartments would be the same as those in big cities. I am saying if the apartments are build to the right standards then the rent will be higher than most in town and I also stand by the comment that the rent would be higher than the average mortgage in Shenandoah.

I was referring to this:

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When it comes to property values, I believe a lot of people are just ignorant to what high end apartments look like. They haven't lived in other cities and seen them. The average rent in a high end apartment will be higher than the average mortgage in Shenandoah.

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Given the fact that this area is driven by a massive research university that recruits world wide for employees, I find it interesting that you make the assumptions that

• Not a lot of them have lived in a large city
• They don't know what a "high end" apartment really is
• That they are ignorant as to the cost of "real" high end apartments
• That they are ignorant to the comparative cost of high end metropolitan apartments and middle class apartments in B/CS

You may not have meant to come across as condescending with that portion of your post, but you did.

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I was referring to this:

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When it comes to property values, I believe a lot of people are just ignorant to what high end apartments look like. They haven't lived in other cities and seen them. The average rent in a high end apartment will be higher than the average mortgage in Shenandoah.

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Given the fact that this area is driven by a massive research university that recruits world wide for employees, I find it interesting that you make the assumptions that

• Not a lot of them have lived in a large city
• They don't know what a "high end" apartment really is
• That they are ignorant as to the cost of "real" high end apartments
• That they are ignorant to the comparative cost of high end metropolitan apartments and middle class apartments in B/CS

You may not have meant to come across as condescending with that portion of your post, but you did.

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Basing my comments on personal experience. I fit that description until I lived in Houston for awhile then decided to get the hell out. A lot of my friends and family still fit that description. These are people that moved to the "big city" when they moved to College Station. Hard working, blue collar kind of people that will never live in a big city like Houston. There are a lot more of them than you think. Not everybody is a "world wide recruit" that works at A&M. I am not insulting anybody, I am making observations about the people I know.

Can we stop this? Not sure why you are trying to pick a fight. Read all my posts and you will see I am trying to give helpful suggestions.

Besides those researchers comin to town are the ones filling those nicer apartments. Those are the people who are having difficulty finding a place to live where they too are not surrounded by college students.

Just a bump.. So far, everyone I have talked to in the neighborhood is opposed to this. So, if you are, please email the city council and tell them you do not agree!

Just remember that it is an election year for some of the city council members.

Anyone opposed to this - please come to the meeting on 2-25. It starts at 7pm, but I've been told you need to be there before 6:45pm. People who wish to speak must sign up beforehand.

Let's have a huge showing like Castlerock did tonight on the rezoning vote that just occurred for them!!

The Castle Rock people likely lost more than they won on Thursday night. In watching that one, the developer can still build a MF product. In keeping the existing ordinance, the developer still has zero requirement to block off Castle Rock Parkway for any period of time to cut through traffic. If I had to guess, the smaller MF development still with a density of ~150 units, will not be nearly as nice as the product on more acreage that likely would have included a set of more upgraded amenities. As for decatur and arrington: The property is in extremely close proximity to Highway 6 and is the text book picture of residential use within a larger mixed use urban development. Entirely different set of circumstances here than with Castle Rock, a Single Family development with only one way in and one way out connected to an urban island all by its lonesome on Highway 40.

The complete absorption and build out of the Tower Point development will drive exponentially more traffic through the area than any MF complex that is built next to it. That's a fact. And it is also a fact that the overwhelming majority of you people crying about traffic right now will NOT be crying when there is a golds gym and petsmart(both in the works right now), and a multitude of new restaurants driving literally thousands of new vehicle trips per day to this area. Go look at someone with a straight face and tell them you would rather have a stripes and fast food or potentially 2 more sit down restaurants at the corner of decatur and arrington. Again, I live in this area. I have 2 small children. I understand what use is going to be the most benign, and it is not high intense commercial retail/office development at this corner as allowed by current zoning.

I'm not going to waste my time arguing with the same people here - I am opposed to this rezoning, as is many, many others. The ones that do oppose it, please come to the city council meeting on 2-25 - be there around 6:40pm-6:45pm if you want to sign up to speak when it starts at 7pm

Certainly MisterShipwreck, that is your choice. However, from my perspective, as long as a discussion remains polite, it is not necessarily 'time-wasted'. Especially if it helps you form your thoughts into a well-framed, cohesive rebuttal.
It may even help one to consider points-of-view and other perspectives. Unless, one prefers the 'shout-em-down' method currently in vogue in today's political arena. That one works best if one has the loudest voice or the biggest stick.
Best of luck to you in your endeavor.

Why bother bringing logic into this? Some folks will complain no matter what, I say just sit back and laugh when the situation you described happens.

Well, I already know what I plan to say. And, I've talked to many, many people about the matter - including many people who have watched this thread and made comments to me personally about the few people on this thread who are commenting in favor of the rezoning.

I've decided that it is a waste of my time to just drone on and on and get dragged into a never ending argument about the matter - Everyone who actually lives in this neighborhood is against it. We do not want apartments here.

And, I've talked to a few hundred people about the matter. We are the ones that will be affected. And, I'll be at the council meeting to give my point of view.

I also seem to remember the residents of this area being quite vocal about the color of the houses built behind Alexandria a few years back. Something about a purple house that wasn't really purple.

FYI, the property owner and applicant today asked that this particular zoning request be moved from the city council's Feb. 25 agenda to its March 10 agenda.

-jgs

Thanks for the information

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FYI, the property owner and applicant today asked that this particular zoning request be moved from the city council's Feb. 25 agenda to its March 10 agenda.

-jgs

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I bet they did. After the last meeting, they are probably hoping people will forget with a little time.

I just spoke to the city - it HAS been rescheduled to the next meeting date in March. Apparently March 10.

Amazing that they requested the reschedule on the same day someone walks around our neighborhood and tears down the signs informing everyone to be there on 2-25. A neighbor even emailed me the photo of the guy doing it.

"A neighbor even emailed me the photo of the guy doing it."

Post it up.

At the least, bring copies to the meeting to give to the council.

This was posted here:




Another neighbor also told me they confronted him, and the guy wouldn't say who he was and was not very nice.

Maybe he is a retired postman and was removing items from government property, since the notices were on the mailboxes.......

It is amazing that someone keeps removing the signs. Permission was obtained to put them on people's fences - yet someone keeps taking the m down. Someone also stole a sign from someone's yard - and the police were called in that case.

Someone sure doesn't want people notified that the issue has been moved from 2-25 to 3-10-16...