Urban Farmer Richard Hall Speaking at Next WHCA General Meeting

Richard Hall, longtime Woodland Heights homeowner and well-known urban farmer, will be our featured speaker at the Nov. 15 meeting of the Woodland Heights Civic Association. The meeting is open to the public. It will begin at 7 p.m. at Hogg Middle School, 1100 Merrill.

Dr. Hall will explain in detail the operation of his family “farm” in Woodland Heights. ”We’ve got hens, grow herbs and veggies, plus bananas,” he said. The Hall family maintains several compost bins, they recycle rain and condensation from air-conditioning to water their gardens. Dr. Hall is a wonderful speaker and we're very excited to have him.

We hope to see you there.

General Meeting Recap – July 2016

Unfortunately we weren't able to video record this month's meeting but here's a quick recap of what transpired. First, our guest speakers:

• The City of Houston gave a short presentation regarding the pending sewer line work the 900 blocks of Bayland, Highland, Omar, Merrill, and Redan. The old cement sewer lines will be replaced beginning in the August/September timeframe. The entire project is expected to take 2 to 3 months.
• Neighbor Jim Weston of the I-45 Coalition spoke briefly to inform us there have been no new developments in the I-45 project and the next step is the as yet unscheduled last public meeting prior to the project start. That meeting is expected to occur sometime at the end of the year.
• We also heard from the organizers behind the Pierce Skypark, a project seeking to transform the Pierce Elevated portion of I-45 into an expansive green belt similar to the High Line in New York City.
• Finally, we heard from a representative from State Rep. Carol Alvarado's office who told us about a town hall the Representative is hosting about the Zika virus. The event is Wednesday, August 3rd, 6:30pm at the E.B. Cape Center Auditorium, 4501 Leeland St. Come learn about the virus, what you can do to prevent infection, travel warnings, and understand the pregnancy risks.

Next up, WHCA business:

• Treasurer Melissa McKee updated us on the association finances since the last general meeting. If you have specific questions please feel free to contact her directly.
• VP of Security Steve Howard let us know the Constable Patrol program is short subscribers to sustain a second shift. If you haven't renewed your membership yet please do so as soon as possible.
• There were no updates regarding the traffic management plan. As soon as the WHCA receives information we'll share it on Nextdoor and the WHCA news page.
• The historic district guidelines for the Woodland Heights, though in very early stages, are moving forward. If you have questions about these please refer back to our previous article on the matter.
• A point of discussion was raised concerning the board's authority to allocate funds as allowed under the current bylaws.