The development lobby in Houston.....

....sure makes for some strange bedfellows.....


(Council concerns delay vote on Houston's preservation ordinance, Bradley Olson, ChronBlog)

"It is too broad, it is overreaching, and in my view, it is a backdoor attempt at zoning," said City Councilman C.O. Bradford. "Houston is great in my view because we don't have zoning."

Mayor Pro Tem Anne Clutterbuck also opposed the changes to the ordinance...

(snip)

Clutterbuck was one of seven council members who offered amendments to key points of the revised ordinance. Council members Wanda Adams, Jolanda Jones, Al Hoang, Oliver Pennington, Ed Gonzalez and Sue Lovell also offered amendments that would make technical changes in various aspects of the ordinance.

Mark this down, this might be the only time these seven Council Members EVER stand together in opposition to Mayor Parker.


Ah that money from Houston's development lobby, the REAL power behind Houston.

And you thought it was the elected officials that you voted into office.....


Even more amazing is that Mayor Parker's crew managed to craft a preservation bill that's angered both the development lobby AND the historical preservation folks in town. Typically one side or the other is more upset, but it seems like this time there's something in there to anger pretty much everyone. From the "no tear down" provision to the re-certification of historic areas, this mess (like most other preservation messes in Houston) started out with the best of intentions but, in the end, became too passive-aggressive to really make anyone very happy.


The best thing to do is bring zoning before the voters, and then craft a plan based on the results. Quit trying to implement it piecemeal without public consent.