MEMORIAL BEND NEWSLETTER
SECOND QUARTER 2013
Memorial Bend Civic Association President’s Message
June 2013
Dear Fellow Memorial Bend Residents
Now that school is out, the Civic Association board members and I wish you an enjoyable
summer. I encourage you to take it easy in the heat, be prepared for any potential storms,
and to keep your cars and homes locked, and be watchful for your family’s safety and that of
your neighbors.
Remember that our neighborhood patrol officers can be reached at 832-455-5653 or
MemorialBendPatrol@yahoo.com. In case of emergency, call 911 before calling the Memorial
Bend patrol.
Summer also may require additional yard work and watering to keep our properties in good
order, so please make the effort to keep the Bend beautiful.
Architectural Guidelines
An article in the last issue of this newsletter discussed the latest version of the Memorial Bend
Architectural Guidelines, which were adopted by the Board of Directors in December 2012.
The guidelines and their revision had been discussed at the past two general meetings of the
association, and have been mentioned in prior issues of this newsletter. However, some
residents expressed surprise and concern about the new guidelines, an anonymous letter was
distributed throughout the neighborhood, and two dozen homeowners attended the April 15
MCBA board meeting to ask questions and express their concerns.
As is evident to all those who live in the Bend, our neighborhood has seen a significant amount
of redevelopment in the past few years, with numerous teardowns followed by new home
construction. Even before this level of building activity, the board’s architectural committee, in
an effort to preserve the character of the neighborhood (and our lovely trees), began work on
making the architectural guidelines more specific and easier for homeowners and builders to
comply with. The Bend’s by-laws and deed restrictions, as well as Texas law, give the board
and the architectural committee authority to set and enforce guidelines. The new guidelines
are intended to remove arbitrary judgment from the process of evaluating and approving
homeowners’ construction plans.
As the accompanying table shows, Memorial Bend’s architectural guidelines are consistent
with guidelines in adjacent neighborhoods, with similar requirements for building area,
building height, and setbacks. The guidelines permit two story houses with two car garages. As
the attached figure shows, our guidelines provide for a footprint (3,750 sq. ft. with 750 sq. ft.
allocated to a garage) that can easily accommodate two-story homes with more than 5,000 sq.
ft. of living area, even on an average 8400 sq. ft. lot. The neighborhood’s location and the
relative affordability of lots in the Bend continue to make the subdivision attractive to
builders, and the guidelines have not seemed to diminish their interest in constructing new
homes here.
Subsequent to the April 15 board meeting, the Board distributed e-mails and flyers to
residents inviting them to participate in a meeting to review and discuss the architectural
guidelines. Six board members and nine other residents attended the meeting held on June
12. During the meeting some attendees asked about the rationale and process behind the
new guidelines, which I have explained in the third paragraph of this message. Several
questions and requests for clarification also were raised during the meeting:
 Allowable Building Area: The December 2012 guidelines reduced the allowable building
area percentage to 70% from 75% in an effort to improve drainage and reduce the
chance of flooding. Some residents were concerned that this would reduce the
potential floor space by around 500 ft. for a two-story house. Another suggestion was
to calculate allowable buildable area as a percentage of total lot size. For example, Fonn
Villas subdivision limits homes to 40% of the total lot area. (Our current standards,
when calculated by lot size, allow 44.6% coverage of the total lot.)
 Setbacks and Overhangs. Side setbacks in the MBCA guidelines (5 ft. from the property
line) are set by the deed restrictions, which prohibit any part of the building from
extending beyond the setbacks. Our architectural guidelines interpret this to mean that
the furthest extent of the eave or overhang (“the drip line”) cannot cross into the
setback area. This is intended to maintain space between homes and to promote
proper drainage. Some residents disagree with this restriction and suggested that the
area beneath the overhang (from the drip line to the building wall) should not be
included in the building coverage percentage calculation.
 Building height. Building height guidelines required some explanation during the June
12 meeting. The height guidelines are intended to prevent new, two-story homes from
overshadowing their single-story neighbors with an abrupt 32 ft. wall close to the
setback line. The guidelines call for no more than an average height of 20 ft. within 15 ft.
of the side property line, after which a maximum 32 ft. building height is allowed. Brett
Sare, Architectural Review Committee chairman, pointed out that the 20 ft. average was
meant to apply to the “plate” height (ceiling beam height), which at 20 ft. can
accommodate two story construction.
 Tree Preservation. The December 2012 guidelines call for a tree plan to be submitted
before demolition of an existing home. Each lot with a newly constructed must have at
least one tree per 1,000 sq. ft. of lot area. The guidelines call for replacement of
removed trees with deciduous trees. Residents at the June 12 meeting said that pine
trees, which are common in the neighborhood, also should be allowed. It also was
suggested that the guidelines include a list of acceptable tree species, listing both
deciduous and conifers.
 Tract homes. One resident who attended the June 12 meeting wondered why the
guidelines did not explicitly prohibit “tract style” homes. The current guidelines do not
dictate the style of homes to be built, but the value of the lots in the Bend, and the fact
that several builders are active in the neighborhood are likely to promote quality and
diversity of construction styles.
The Architectural Committee will review these issues and other comments they have received
and recommend appropriate adjustments to the guidelines for the Board’s approval. Residents
who could not attend the meeting and would like to make comments or suggestions about the
Architectural Guidelines should send them to my attention at ron.bitto@gmail.com.
The board and I appreciate interest and involvement of residents in the Civic Association and
the community. We encourage everyone who would like a stronger voice in the
neighborhood’s affairs to volunteer to serve on the board or on one of its committees.
Best wishes for a great summer!
Sincerely,
Ron Bitto, President
Memorial Bend Civic Association
60 ft. buildable width
10 ft. rear
20 ft.
5100 sq. ft. total
buildable area
5 ft. side setback
5 ft. side setback
85 ft. buildable depth
32 height
limit line
15
120 ft.
70% of total buildable area
(3750 sq. ft. of impermeable coverage within
buildable area)
15 ft.
Lot sizes vary. This example
is for an 8400 sq. ft. lot.
25 ft. front setback
YARD OF THE MONTH
The Memorial Bend Civic Association has named Loren and Shaw Ottis, 426 Isolde, as June
Yard-of-the Month winners. Shaw, Loren and their young children have been Bend residents
since 2010. Shaw came home from work and was pleasantly surprised to find the MBCA tulip
yard sign planted in his front yard. He said now the pressure was on, and it was just the
motivation he needed, to “keep things watered and looking nice around here for the next few
weeks.” The Ottises win the MBCA sign for the month, and a $25 gift card to Cornelius
Nurseries to help with their next round of planting. Thank you Loren and Shaw for doing your
part and keeping the Bend looking nice!
Previous winners were:
May ~ YoM - Terry and Karl Elkins, 511 Electra
April ~ YoM - Barbara Wilson, 12918 Tosca
Warren Matthews, Sergeant-at-Arms/YoM
.
IN & AROUND THE BEND
A new grocer arrives in our neighborhood soon. The Fresh Market, a North Carolina based grocery
chain, will occupy the former Rice Epicurean location at Lantern Lane Shopping Center on Memorial
Drive. Some of you have already noticed the location is undergoing renovations. It is scheduled to
open late Summer 2013. The company's website (www.thefreshmarket.com) describes their store
concept as "a rustic feel complimented by old-world charm" and offering "high-quality meats, the
freshest seafood, and amazing local, organic produce."
Griffin Vance, District 3 Rep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congratulations Will Maywald, son of Antoinette Maywald. Will graduated from Equine
Journeys in Utah. He is home for the summer. In the fall he will be going off to Curry
College in Milton, Massachusetts .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Betty Harris had a surprise visit from her daughter, Elizabeth/Dolly Harris, for Mother’s
Day. Dolly flew in from Washington State for a week’s visit to catch up with her mother
and daughter, Ashley, who also lives and works in Houston.
Then Betty’s son Frank, flew in from Utah for an extended Memorial Day weekend.
Both her children were born and raised in the Bend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What’s happening on the Southeast Corner of the Bend?
The 5-acre tract of weed and brush-covered land across the Beltway from Terry Hershey Park’s parking lot has
seen significant changes lately. It’s been cleared and mowed and, recently, enclosed by chain link fencing.
Construction equipment seems poised to start a job.
Ascension on the Bayou will be the name of a 6-story residential development planned for the southern four +
acres of the tract. The remaining acre of the tract is a lot in Memorial Bend, belonging to the same owners.
That acre, which was originally part of 202 Faust Lane, will not be part of the development, as it continues to
be bound by our Deed Restrictions limiting lot use to single-family residences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update on Memorial Bend Entrance Marker
As previously reported, the Memorial Bend entrance marker at the corner of Faust Lane and West Sam
Houston Parkway N was demolished in a single-car accident in November, 2012. The good news was that the
offending vehicle was insured. The bad news was that it took a long time to resolve the issue with the
insurance company.
The new good news is that everything’s just been finalized. We’ll be able soon to restore our marker and
plantings to a condition we’ll be proud of again.
Susan Thompson, Secretary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW HOME/PROPERTY OWNERS
AVR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Lost & Found
Brian Lees from 12910 Traviata reports that his family found a black German Shepherd in their front yard. No
collar and no microchip. It's a clean dog so someone in the Bend is probably the owner.
To be reunited with your pet, please contact Brian at brianjlees@gmail.com or 713-857-5331.
Regards,
Ron Bitto, President
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We appreciate that Memorial Bend is one of the nicest and well-kept neighborhoods in Houston. Over the past
year with new construction and remodeling efforts increasing, we would like to address an ongoing littering
problem into the neighborhood sewers. We would like to remind residents that the sewers in Memorial Bend
discharge into Houston bayous and eventually Galveston Bay, so it is vital for us to keep them clear of debris
and trash. There has been increased visibility of cigarette butts, aluminum cans, plastic bags, and general trash
in the street gutters throughout the neighborhood. This not only pollutes the waterways and affects street
flooding and harms sensitive ecosystems but also attracts unwanted insects and rodents! Please discard all trash
in the appropriate city-provided receptacle and the City of Houston will take care of the rest! One of the Civic
Association’s and Memorial Bend resident's responsibilities is to assure to maintain a quality neighborhood of a
high standard as well as be good stewards of the environment.
Sachin Shah, V.P. Government Affairs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Houston Public Library and Houston Permitting
Center to Provide New Services
Houston Public Library New Catalog and
Customer Accounts System
Some Service Interruption July 3-11, 2013
The Houston Public Library (HPL) will unveil a new library
catalog and customer accounts system on Thursday, July 11,
2013, which will result in improved service delivery and more
efficient processes.
To prepare for the transition, library accounts and transactions
in the existing online catalog will be unavailable Wednesday,
July 3, 2013 - Wednesday, July 10, 2013. In addition, HPL will
not fill or take new hold orders during this transition period.
The catalogue will still be searchable. Customers will still be
able to check out materials and create new library accounts.
However, most library transactions will not be available online
during this transition period. Instead visit your neighborhood
library to do these transactions in person.
Timelines and Impact


July 3, 2013 - existing catalog and customer
accounts system go offline
July 11, 2013 - new catalog and customer
accounts system go live
For more information on the new system and its features, visit
http://blogs.houstonlibrary.org/?p=2659. To learn more about
HPL, visit http://www.houstonlibrary.org.
Houston Permitting Center to Pilot New Services
The Houston Permitting Center (HPC) is preparing to pilot two
new services designed to simplify your visits and save you
time. The new services will be unveiled over a four week
period beginning on Monday, July 1, 2013.
Scheduled Appointments - Starting Monday, July 1,
appointments may be scheduled online for the following
services:



Houston Police Department: Auto Dealers Detail
Public Works and Engineering: Floodplain Management
Office
Public Works and Engineering: Open Records
This new service will allow you to schedule an appointment
at a specific date and time to meet with a service provider.
Starting Monday, July 1, the online appointment scheduler
will be available at http://www.houstonpermittingcenter.org.
Appointments may still be scheduled in person at the HPC or
over the phone by calling the service directly at the numbers
below:



Auto Dealers Detail at 832.394.4800
Floodplain Management Office at 832.394.8854
Open Records at 832.394.8800
Text Message Notice - Starting Monday, July 22, at the
HPC check-in kiosk, you will have the option to sign up to
receive a text message that will help gauge your place in line,
giving you the ability to do other things at the HPC while
waiting for your turn.
Important Time Stamp Change: Starting Monday, July
1, ticketed customers will be called in the order by
which their tickets are scanned at the point of service.
Currently, ticketed customers are called in the order by which
their tickets are issued at the check-in kiosk.
A complete set of HPC service details is available
http://www.houstonpermittingcenter.org. For questions
regarding these new services, email
houston.permittingcenter@houstontx.gov or call 32.394.9000.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy, Happy & Safe
Betty Langlinais Harris ~ V. P. Publications