City Council made it clear during Monday night’s meeting that the plans for West U Town Center are not “phony.”
Councilmember Steven Segal requested that recent news articles be placed on last night’s agenda so council could have a discussion about articles that referenced West University Place.
The Village News recently reported this headline on the front page of the Oct. 19 edition: “Phony Plan Draws Residents’ Fire As Town Center Report Nears.”
Segal said “phony” is not the word to describe the plan and that the dictionary defines “phony” as ‘intended to mislead, dishonest, false.’
“That plan is none of those,” Segal said. “It’s inappropriate in describing that plan.”
InstantNewsWestU first reported the committee’s plans of a three-story structure, lining Edloe Street and University Boulevard, on Oct. 5.
The story was based on an email that was sent to West U Town Center Committee members, City Planner Debbie Scarcella and Assistant City Manager Chris Peifer on Sept. 15. The email was also forwarded to city council by City Manager Michael Ross.
Councilmember George Boehme held up a copy of the proposed plan during the meeting and said, “This is just the facts. On Sept. 15 city council received an email from the city manager about the plan.”
Boehme said when council created the ad-hoc committee they did not think they would come back to council with plans.
“I think there’s an obligation for news outlets to get their facts right,” he said about the Village News report. “It most certainly is not phony.”
Mayor Bob Kelly said he was concerned when he read the story on InstantNewsWestU, which generated 41 comments from the public, because it was not the charge from council to create Town Center plans.
“It was never my intent for them to develop plans,” Kelly said.
West U Town Center Committee Chair Bruce Frankel was asked to come forward during the council meeting. Kelly asked Frankel out of the three news outlets who reported the story, InstantNewsWestU, The Examiner and Village News, who wrote the most accurate story.
Frankel said the Village News was the most accurate.
Frankel was quoted in the Village News saying that the ad-hoc panel was charged with “creating an envelope for a town center retail district zoning classification that would allow relief from commercial zoning requirement.”
The Village News also reported that Frankel said “it was not the committee’s mission to suggest redevelopment ideas or plans.”
Frankel said the Editorial Director of InstantNewsWestU John Pape intercepted the email that was used to write the story. To view the entire email, click here.
“No one from my committee sent it to anybody,” said Frankel, who said that InstantNewsWestU and The Examiner took the plan out of context.
“I don’t know how they got the email,” he said.
Boehme held up the drawing once again and asked Frankel, “Is this phony?”
“It is not a phony plan,” Frankel said. “It’s a plan that will probably never happen.”
In an interview Tuesday morning, Pape said InstantNewsWestU stands behind its initial story and accused Frankel of trying to mislead both the public and the city council.
“I’m not surprised he would claim the other news outlet was right. He did his dead-level best to get our story killed and keep his committee’s work under wraps,” Pape said. “He first called our reporter and demanded the story be removed. He was referred to me and made the same demand.”
Pape went on to say he spent more than 30 minutes on the phone with Frankel trying to determine what part of the story was inaccurate and why it should be pulled from publication.
“He kept going back to the claim that there were no plans to present the proposal to city council. When I read him his own email saying the plan would, in fact, be presented to the council, he claimed he ‘was a busy man’ and didn’t recall writing the email,” Pape said. “He also told me the work of the committee was not supposed to be released to the public and the city council told him to keep it under wraps. When I asked him who on city council said that, he wouldn’t answer.”
Pape also said his news organization did not “intercept” the email as Frankel claimed.
“For him to say he doesn’t know where we got that email is an outright lie. He asked me and I told him – it’s a public document and subject to the Texas Public Information Act,” Pape said. “His own email shows he sent it to several city officials, which made it subject to the open records act.”
Pape also said InstantNewsWestU would continue to report on the work of the committee.
“We’re not going to be intimidated into silence. In fact, this entire episode has raised some serious questions as to why Mr. Frankel wants to keep the work of his committee confidential,” Pape said. “He told me several times during our phone conversation it was his position that committee meetings were not to be open to the public despite the fact they were appointed by city council and working on a potential public project. That does not sound like the kind of experience we have seen from the West U city government in the past.”
The West U Town Center Committee is currently scheduled to present its plans to council on Nov. 15.
InstantNewsWestU filed a public information request with City Secretary Thelma Lenz on Oct. 6, requesting to view “any and all emails, memos, documents or correspondence to, from or between the city manager, mayor, city council members and West U Town Center committee members and any and all documents generated by the West U Town Center committee regarding West U Town Center from December 14, 2009 to October 6, 2010.”
The city council is ineffective. Mike Ross runs things as he wants. Period end of story!
Michael Ross, this is starting to smell. Be careful, you folks are not a cabal and the way all this redevelopment is happening (and taxes are increasing)so quietly and behind the scenes is getting bothersome. The frankel group would never have any conflict of interest now would they?
Thank you Instant News for being on this one.
WU Resident says
“That does not sound like the kind of experience we have seen from the West U city government in the past.””
Au contraire … it sounds, and smells, exactly like what we have seen from West U city “management” in the past when it comes to grandiose schemes funded by tax payer dollars.
WU Builder/Resident says
It’s hard to imagine a citizens committee with the budgetary clout necessary for the advance planning needed to prepare drawings of this scope?
City Council owes it to the tax payers to follow the money and publicly give the citizens an accounting of their funds with regard to this so called “phony plan”.
Something is rotten, and it’s a lot closer than Denmark.
The Town Center Ad Hoc Committee is made up of 9 residents (including myself) who volunteered for this task. The Committee meets after business hours and has volunteered hundreds of hours over an eight month period studying this matter. Other members of our City have donated time and professional services to the Committee. Their generosity and expertise have been a wonderful contribution to the Committee’s efforts.
WU Builder/Resident says
Good … then, in lieu of a litany of pleasing platitudes, there should be no problem with a complete budgetary accounting of this committee to the tax payers.
We are looking forward to it.
Who decided we needed to redevelop “town center” anyway. West U does not need anymore retail businesses. I didn’t choose to live in West U for the shopping. We don’t need a “mini Rice Village” in the middle of our neighborhood. We do not need to be the beacon of available amenities, the rec center and pool are enough.
There has been a great deal of partial information and some misinformation circulating in the local media outlets about the purpose and the focus of the Town Center Ad Hoc Committee. Unfortunately it has caused some anger and confusion among the residents of West U. I would, however, respectfully request that the residents and media outlets of West University wait for the Committee’s Comprehensive Report to be presented to Council. I would also ask that all interested parties take the time to review the Comprehensive Report before making up their minds as to its value to our community. I firmly believe that after you read this committee’s report in its entirety, all of the current speculation that currently surrounds our pending recommendations will immediately dissipate and you will find that we have proposed what we believe to be something of worthy of at least public consideration, and hopefully, public policy.
The Town Center Ad Hoc Committee was put together as an initiative of the Mayor and City Council, not private interests. Furthermore, none of the Committee members (myself included) own land along Edloe Street. The Committee was created to examine the current commercial zoning ordinance of our city and create a “Town Center Retail District” zoning classification that would allow relief from the current commercial zoning requirements for the Retail District along Edloe, which were adopted years after the structures were built. Establishment of this new zoning classification will help ensure the Retail District’s useful life and economic longevity, which complies with the City’s Comprehensive Plan - (Article VIII Section 8.02). Adopting a revised set of ordinances specific to the Retail District needs to be considered in order to protect the Retail District’s ability to service the needs of our citizens and continue to be one of the attributes of our City that residents currently enjoy. This will be illustrated in the Committee’s Comprehensive Report which will be presented to the West U City Council and ZPC within the next few months.
WU Builder/Resident says
Last time I heard this rationale the committee proved to be no more than a guided vehicle to foist a “solution”, ultimately concerning imposing architectural tastes, upon an unwary citizenry. As a result I doubt seriously that most citizens realize just how limited their architectural options are due to this very same method of “donation of time and professional services” on ad hoc committees.
I’m convinced the cart comes well before the horse in many of these schemes …
Not a "leasing god" says
That’s all well and good Bruce, but what does designing a redevelopment plan to the degree shown in the drawings have to do with your groups mission?
If nothing else, it looks bad, especially from real estate developer.
With the history of expensive “redevelopment” in West U a group that’s apparently gone this far off topic from their assignment while being led by a real estate developer looks bad. Whether it is or not, it just appears to smack of self interest especially with thoughts of getting the city to help fund a parking garage.
Patrick Henry says
Council creates a secret group to look at redeveloping Town Center and then puts a developer, Bruce Frankel, to run the group. Frankel holds secret meetings, never publishes any details of what his group is doing and then trys to squash any press reports about his group.
We should demand the immediate resignation of the Mayor for this mess. You can bet there is a money trail somewhere. Who paid for the development of these plans?
Once again it is our City Council running over the citizens of West U. Notice that Councilman Seagal is not outraged by these ridiculous plans, but is outraged over the press reporting on the plans before Council can ram them down our throats.
Thank you InstantWestU news for the great reporting that you do.
Anonymous says
Bruce, do you get paid for the drawings, will you in any way profit if it gets developed? Hey I am all for profit and capitalism, but you are at the tail end of the building of a new pool, rec center, and police station coupled with a small tax increase to pay for all this, even though we floated our bonds at a better rate than expected/budgeted. Alot of folks dont want to see edloe redeveloped and this is all happening under Michael Ross’s and Bob kelly’s watch. I think residents are starting to ask questions, especially in this crap national economy. Sorry to attack you, but based on the email you wrote your staff, clearly there is something in this for you and your comapny. As that woman running for senate in Arizona said to Harry Reid: “man up!”
Lucille Gallman says
It is hard to believe it has been three years since I sold my 1935 house and moved out of West U. Today, I was driving around the area west of Weslayan and was amazed at the renewed building which is definitely a good economic sign. However, I saw construction that only a few years ago would have been unacceptable. I think it would be sad for West U to become the new “Montrose Area”. We older folks remember how that old neighborhood changed and became a haven for anything different. Houses were painted any color, the wilder the better, and the prevailing attitude was anything goes. Eventually, families looked elsewhere to raise their kids. West U needs to resist being smothered in multi-family housing and business ventures. Preserve what you have.
Ms. Pat Malone says
George … please make it your mission to expose these crooks. I have a hunch they’ve been trying to “pull the rug out” from under your feet.
Pat
All for free speech, but... says
Since I can’t start my own thread, I am piggy backing on this active one.
Ok, it’s the political season and I am glad I have enthusiastic neighbors letting me know who they support with their political signs. We do it ourselves at our house.
But…I am beginning to feel I live out in the burbs with all those builder for sale signs lining the streets of new neighborhoods.
Some things to think about:
1. KEEP YOUR SIGNS WITHIN YOUR PROPERTY LINE. You can put up as many signs as you want on your property but you can’t put any within the right of way that is generally between you sidewalk and the street. Despite the fact that your yardman cuts this grass, you don’t own it and are breaking the law by putting signs there. Speaking of which, why doesn’t city remove them?
2. DO YOU REALLY NEED EIGHT IDENTICAL SARAH DAVIS OR ELLEN COHEN SIGNS ON YOUR PROPERTY?…Think about it, this is just obnoxious. You had me after just two signs.
3. JUST BECAUSE THEY MAKE 4 ft by X 8 ft SIGNS, IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO PUT ONE IN YOUR FRONT YARD…even if I was inclined to support your candidate, this could change my mind. Putting it on your fence that faces Bissonnet is OK, but the 3900 block of Rice and elsewhere in the heart of West U, come on! I thank my lucky stars that I am not your neighbor.
4. For those of you who like giant 4×8 signs in your front yard, imagine what it would be like if a neighbor had ones for their state rep choice, county judge choice, clerk choice, and 10 judges, and the pro or con red light camera factions. There is nothing to prevent that in future elections other than good judgement. I guess since it is considered free speech, there is nothing to prevent people from putting up opinion signs year round. WATCH OUT FOR THE SLIPPERY SLOPE IN WHAT PASSES AS ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR.
5. Lastly, the muni code seems to limit the total square feet of signage to 32 sqft (i.e., one 4×8 and zero standard size signs) on residential lots, but there may be exceptions for political signs.
Differing opinions on this are welcome.
I have lived in West U for 18 years. I love the small town feel and old-time retail spaces along Edloe. The proposed redevelopment will bring in a lot more tax revenue to the city and yield a high return for the developers and the landlord than current retail buildings. I appreciate the Redevelopment Committee members volunteering their time after working hours. This redevelopment is going to be right next to an elementary school. Has any of the Redevelopment Committee member driven down Edloe and University during the morning drop-off and the afternoon pick-up time? The traffic is bad enough without the added retail spaces. The proposed parking garage is an additional traffic nightmare rather than solution. What about our school and neighbors next to the redevelopment? Is sacrificing our children’s safety worth addition tax revenue to the city? We already have a town center where neighbors are friendly and considerate. Please think about the school playground, the pre-school co-op, the ball field, and Scout House along Edloe before any zoning reclassification or relief.
Don’t worry man, or woman. This is NOT going to happen in West U. These guys are high on their own stuff.
Patrick Henry says
Who says the government should control what you want to do with your property? Zoning is just a facade. Why should we let a couple of government bureaucrats tell us when trees we are allowed to plant or cut down, the size of our fences, that we can’t have bushes in our front yards, what type of house we can build, etc.
Zoning advocates will tell you its to protect property values but it is all about big brother control. Why would anyone do something to their own property to hurt its own value.
Eliminate zoning, eliminate the zoning board and let property owners decide what is best for their own property.
Last I checked no Patrick Henry lived in West U. If you live in the City of Houston, good for you, you should be happy with your zoning then.
Patrick might consider moving to the city of Houston?
Look, stop this non-sense. No resident in West U wants or will allow this silly idea. If we want big shopping we go to the village or Galleria or somewhere else. No West U resident in their right mind would want a three story building filled with tacky retail shops smack in the middle of our neighborhood and next to the elementary school. Come on guys, get real! And I hope the city management did not spend one single cent on this silly idea. How can we get confirmation that our tax dollars are not being spent pursuing this? Anyone knows?
Sunset Resident says
Bruce Frankel?!?!? Owner of Frankel Development Group is in charge of this committee?!?!
This stinks to high heaven. Frankel is looking to feather his own nest.
THANK YOU INSTANEWSWESTU. for exposing this boondoggle.
We need more people like Sara who can bring the light of day to sordid backroom deals like this.
THANK YOU!!
Michelle Babin Moore says
Any committee meetings concerning West U’s town center should be open to the public since committee members are appointed by city council and working on a potential public project. I encourage any West U resident opposed to this plan to show up and speak your mind at the Council meeting on November 15.