SIENNA APARTMENT PLANS NOW ON FILE WITH THE CITY!
Thought you all might like an update on the controversial PD-8 apartments that were approved for Johnson Development Co. coming to Sienna Plantation soon. The plans for the first grouping of apartments have been sent to the city and will be reviewed for compliance by the Planning & Zoning Dept. at the first December meeting at city hall (Weds., Dec. 14th starts at 7:00p.).
The project coordinator for Houston's Martin Fine Co., which will be the the property owner soon, is Jason Slanger. We finally got through to Tim Wooten, executive vice president of the Fine Co. He said that they didn't feel the need to meet with community organizations over this matter, but would take e-mails at twooten@mfine.com. We discussed the possibility of having the building use of the apartments changed to condos since building and selling condos would have a more positive taxing impact on our school system and other taxing authorities than apartments. Mr. Wooten refused to meet or discuss this as an option. So far, according to city officials, no waivers on the buildings have been requested. Apparently some discussion has taken place over the height requirements and how that aspect of the construction will be addressed.
Stay tuned for more as we will update this and the Arcola Airport run-way expansion and any development/land use activity that may adversely impact our home and property values.
Stay informed and keep in touch!
*********
Committee for Responsible Development-Sienna Plantation Group
http://missouricitychatter.blogspot.com
responsible_dvlpmnt@yahoo.com
Missouri City, TX
posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Tuesday, November 29, 2005
15 Comments:
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Thanks for keeping us posted on this.
Here are some legal jokes not aimed at lawyers (for a change of pace):
1) A judge, bored and frustrated by a lawyer's tedious arguments, had made numerous rulings to speed the trial along. The attorney had bristled at the judge's orders, and their tempers grew hot. Finally, frustrated with another repetition of arguments he had heard many times before, the judge pointed to his ear and said, "Counselor, you should be aware that at this point, what you are saying is just going in one ear and out the other."
"Your honor," replied the lawyer, "That goes without saying. What is there to prevent it?"
2) What do you call a judge gone bad?
Senator.
Hello All,
Just wanted to pass along a potential rumor we are looking into with reference to a possible industrial park coming to the area of South Sienna. Once we are able to confirm this rumor with a viable source we will update this blog. For now we would like to repeat that this is an unconfirmed rumor.-CRD
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Cut/pasted this from another Sienna blog site (thanks Matt & ACLU for your efforts!):
My side
When we decided to move to Texas so my wife can take an opportunity in the Medical Center we choose Sienna Plantation for various reasons. These include the highly rated schools, open spaces with trees everywhere with limited commercial development in the community and no apartments. Where we lived before there were apartments everywhere and more being added. The schools became overcrowded and poorly rated. We had to pay for our children’s school work books and they got photo copies of chapters from a text book because of the lack of funding and resources. First and Third grade classes has as many as 35 students per class. It was a poor situation getting worse.
No.. I admit that I did not go to City Hall and investigate every plan on file. That is not realistic and like many people I trusted the builders to provide and disclose information to me freely. I took the maps, brochures and the word of the receptionist that no apartments are planned for this community.
After living here for around 6 months I decided to start a website as a community service to get to know people and learn more about the area. I thought that new people moving in the community would benefit from having a community bulletin board. I wanted a place where people could freely discuss topics like shopping or car washes and community issues.
When I found out that a few people had multiple identities I was devastated. I thought more people were visiting. However that does not mean that no one visited. There were 272 registered visitors; maybe 30 of them were aliases from two or three people. There were many 100’s more visitors per month that were not registered. Interestingly enough one of the individuals that had 12 or more identities was not brought into court and forced into a deposition. If SJD simply asked me about the identities of those specific users I would have told them. They wanted to know the identities of ALL the users and to me that was unacceptable. This is why I fought so hard and why the ACLU decided to help me.
I have this to say the following before I agree to not speak out about this issue any more:
I believe it is irresponsible to add apartments to this community with no plans on expanding the schools. Both elementary schools here are over capacity or will be by the beginning of the next school year. The district should step in and work with the developers to make sure the schools can handle the load.
I believe that poor ethics are involved when public officials take political contributions from builders and then vote in favor in everything the builder wants. Council members should abstain from any vote that there may be a conflict of interest.
I believe that everyone has a right to free and anonymous speech, even if that speech hurts someone’s feelings. You don’t have to like or agree with what I say but you do have to allow me to say it. That is the American way.
I believe that it is our civic duty as tax paying citizens to question not only our government but the actions of corporations that involve the community. Yes, you have to answer to me. The balance between corporate greed and responsibility lies with the public conscience.
I believe that Missouri City is abusing the EJD and that the laws do not protect the large number of citizens living in these zones. The constitutionality of the EJDs should be challenged. Based on projections more than 60,000 people will be living in Sienna before Missouri City will annex the lands. How many non-voting citizens can live in an area?
I believe it is evil to use the courts to silence the community when they are obviously speaking out against an issue facing the community. The Civil Code needs to be changed or laws need to be introduced to stop this insanity.
Thats that about that. I will speak no more about this case.
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Comments
Communications Paradigms-
By : CRD @ Time : 29 Nov 2005 07:46:16 pm :
Matt,
When CRD came to SiennaTalk.com about 8-9 months ago it was because the JDC/SJD crowd had closed all internal avenues of communications to our group. We were very glad to have some place to go to discuss so many important community issues that do not get to see the light of day here in Sienna (still a much needed service that is not provided by our development or development controlled, resident funded, management company).
Posting under multiple-logins became the norm for some regulars to avoid developer tracking of how information was getting out. Often in social systems, as is consistent in the research literature, when coercive communications paradigms (Argyris & Schon, '78) exist in a type 1 organizations (closed system) you find alternative means being used to get the word out and fight the marginalization of those being oppressed (communicatively).
As the unelected, nonresident developer board runs our community without voting input and passes "non-dissemination" bylaws without the approval of the membership we see a continuation of this type of mismanagement (and poor PR outcomes--an interesting case study really but unfortunately not uncommon in Texas). Will those that continue this praxis suddenly "see the light" and change their mgmt. style? Normally this does not occur without external forces acting upon the dysfunctional organization, such as courts, legislation or continued resistance.
Hopefully you and others will continue to provide the alternative sources of communications and at least resistance to this type of managerial oppression.
Thanks for your efforts and everything you have done Matthew and thanks for fighting so hard for what is right!
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Did you all read that dissemination rules piece in the last newsletter? I was noticing that all their articles are printed anonymously. Isn't that deceitful?
Ck this one out JK:
An old man was on his death bed. He wanted badly to take some of his money with him. He called his priest, his doctor and his lawyer to his bedside. "Here's $30,000 cash to be held by each of you. I trust you to put this in my coffin when I die so I can take all my money with me."
At the funeral, each man put an envelope in the coffin. Riding away in a limousine, the priest suddenly broke into tears and confessed, "I had only put $20,000 into the envelope because I needed $10,000 for a new baptistery."
"Well, since we're confiding in each other," said the doctor, "I only put $10,000 in the envelope because we needed a new machine at the hospital which cost $20,000."
The lawyer was aghast. "I'm ashamed of both of you," he exclaimed. "I want it known that when I put my envelope in that coffin, it held my personal check for the full $30,000."
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Some contact info you all may want from THA (Texas Homeowner Association):
Information about Jon Lindsay- Texas State Senator
Jon Lindsay- Texas State Senator
P.O. Box 12068, Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711
Phone: (512) 463-0107 Fax: (512) 463-8810
http://www.senate.state.tx.us
Rank: No ranking.
Summary: Title: Senator
Office: Intergovernmental Government Relations Committee- Subcommittee on Property Owners' Associations
Chair: Subcommittee on Property Owners' Associations
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Here's a useful quote:
Josey Wales: "Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is."
In fact Hoodia wont actually make you lose weight at all; it doesnt do what other diet pills do; which is quickening your metabolism so you burn calories. To make sure that they contain nothing else but dried flesh of Hoodia Gordonii, you should buy your Hoodia supply only from stores, where they can produce a certificate, which shows that the capsules are only produced with pure Hoodia Gordonii, without any additives and without preservatives. hoodia, which is used to control a person's appetite, is very scarce since it only grows in certain regions of the Kalahari Dessert.
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