City council approves sale of Rice Village street to developer

(8/15/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- It's not what some people wanted, but it looks like a high rise condo complex will be going up right in the middle of Rice Village.

<!--html1--> City council approved the sale of a block of Bolsover Street, between Kelvin and Morningside. The developer plans to build high rise condos, retail, and office spaces. It's a plan not everyone is happy about.

Do you like your neighborhood just the way it is, or do you think it can change for the better? That's the debate brewing in the heart of Rice Village where a high end condo complex is set to break ground. It's got the blessing of city council, but not everyone who lives in the area.

Along an uneven block of Bolsover Street banners promise a re-invigorated Rice Village with a development called Sonoma. Inside the sales office is a miniature model of a high-end, high-density lifestyle. That includes turning Bolsover to a private drive --something resident Julie Dokell doesn't like.

<p She said, "I think it's very short -sighted for Houston. The more traffic we put on the roads, the harder it is to live as a resident around here."

This is the latest project by developer Randall Davis, who has spent months trying to convince elected leaders that selling the street is the right move for Rice Village. Today city council agreed, voting in favor of selling the street for $1.5 million.

"There is a preference right now for many people to live in high rise structures," explained Mayor Bill White. "That's not all bad. That can be good for the city."

Getting the city to sell this block of Bolsover was the last major hurdle for Randall Davis, but even people who are considering buying into the Sonoma dream aren't sure the city should have given in.

Potential homeowner Burt Branstetter said, "I don't know. It could create some problems in the village, but it's going to happen. So the question for us, it's a nice place do we want to live there or not?"

The Branstetters are the target market for the developer, who's hoping to attract well-healed empty nesters to this block. He's promised better maintenance, and additional public parking for the sale of the street. But Julie Dokell remains skeptical.

"We can't turn everything over to developers," she said.

The sales office for Sonoma says the majority of the units have already been reserved. Sonoma is scheduled to break ground this fall.
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