RICHWOOD PLACE CIVIC ASSOCIATION
July 12, 2011, 7pm-8pm
General Meeting Minutes
Zoe’s Kitchen, 3701 S. Shepherd
Meeting Start time: 7:00 p.m.
Number of Attendees: 28 neighbors, including all six board members
David Robinson (7:04 p.m.)
Following a brief introduction of David shared his personal history with involvement in protecting and enhancing our Houston neighborhoods, from in his local civic group all the way up to his current position of President of the Houston Superneighborhood Alliance. He congratulated Richwood Place for the approval of the Minimum Lot Size (MLS) application for the 1900-2000 Block of Norfolk. Now running for the office of Houston City Council At-Large Position #2 he looks forward to working with local neighborhoods in protecting our unique charm and heritage.
David fielded a number of questions from the civic association ranging from road conditions to red light cameras.
Old Business (7:18 p.m)
a) 1857/1901 Richmond – in our efforts to improve security and safety at the corner of Hazard and Richmond we worked with local business leaders to install a wrought iron fence behind the property to hopefully cut down on any illegal activity. Local neighbors have volunteered their time to improve the lighting and general upkeep of the area. Residents are reminded that if they observe any suspicious activity in the area to call the Houston Police Department non-emergency number at 713-884-3131 (what a great time to put this number in your mobile phone directory!).
b) Security Update – Safety training was held on July 19th at 7:00 pm at Home of Larry Wood – 1823 Portsmouth.
c) Sign Toppers – A new design capturing the essence of the signature bridges over 59 on the south side of our Neighborhood were shared. They look great and we are working with a fabricator for cost estimates and timing. Local realtors in the area have graciously agreed to pay for the signs. When you bump in to them, say thanks and keep an eye out for the new signs.
d) Ervan Chew Park improvements – we continue to work with the city to improve the appearance of the park. It looks like drainage improvements around the soccer field will begin sometime in August!
e) By-laws update – Rebekah shared some highlights of the new by-laws that were approved at the last meeting. The updates include strengthening the language around deed restrictions enforcement and clarifying some of the roles and responsibilities of the board members. The most recent copy of the by-laws can be found on www.richwoodplace.org.
New Business (7:28 p.m.)
a) Minimum Lot Size for 1900-2000 Block of Norfolk – APPROVED by the planning commission and we can expect word from the City Council in the next couple of weeks. Congrats to all the neighbors who helped out with the application and a special thanks to those who came out to the Planning Commission’s hearing. Our presence made a difference!
There are three more blocks that are without a Minimum Lot Size or a Minimum Building Line Setback. They include: 1700 block of Lexington, the 1900-2000 block of Portsmouth, and the north side of the 1800 block of Portsmouth. If there are any neighbors on those blocks that want to look into these applications please contact any one of the board members.
b) Socials – Over the past few years the 1800 Block has hosted the National Night Out events. In previous meetings other neighbors have expressed interest in having the party on their block. If you are interested, you have a lot of neighbors that are willing to help, please contact any one of the board members. If not, we will see this October for National Night Out on the 1800 block of Norfolk!
c) Membership – neighbors are reminded to join their civic association and pay their dues. Information as to dues and how to pay them online can be found at www.richwoodplace.org.
Block captains – are responsible for communication information between the RPCA and residents on a given street. The block captains meet with residents on their block, distribute flyers, raise neighborhood awareness, and more. Below is the current list of block captains but if you are interested in becoming one for your block or even just letting your current block captain know you can be there to help either contact them directly or contact one of the board members.
Block Name
1800 Portsmouth Chris Anger
1900 Portsmouth Gaelyn Lesher
1700 Norfolk Jeffrey Kolb & Mary Jane Black
1800 Norfolk Cliff Helmcamp
1900 Norfolk Brian Kilpatrick
1700 Lexington Claudio and Lee Pineda
1800 Lexington John Geiss
1900 Lexington Liuda and Gustavo Flores
Treasurer Report (7:38 p.m.)
Year to date we have received $975 dollars in dues. To date, we have spent $1181 on security ($675, gate behind businesses on Richmond), neighborhood parties ($346, Spring Party), and dues to the Neartown Association ($100) leaving a balance of $2382.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
Richwood Place - Houston Texas 