Report on TMCC Efforts to Oppose Variance Requests

MARCH 2014 TIMBERGROVE MANOR CIVIC CLUB ○ PO BOX 70977 ○ HOUSTON, TX 77270-0977 WWW.TIMBERGROVE.ORG

General MeetingTuesday, March 11, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.

Sinclair Elementary School

Good dog! Learn the top dog related tips for Jaycee Park - or any park - inside this issue

Save the DateThe annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by Elizabeth McCormick of Heritage Texas Properties, is right around the corner.

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE

Our speaker will be Jason Iken, P.E.

Senior Assistant Director for Wastewater Operations, City of Houston

Update on Wastewater Treatment FacilityJoin us for an update on the current status of addressing smells from the chemical feed station at 11th Street and Bryce.  Additionally, we are working to obtain a speaker from Public Works to answer questions concerning the lack of water pressure in the area.

The Timbergram

submit your questions for Jason. Iken to secretary@timbergrovemanor.org before we meet.

Come early!

Pizza at 6:30

by  Bill  Morfey,  President,  TMCC

Recently developer Frank Liu’s company InTownHomes, Ltd. applied for two bui lding variances near the Timbergrove Manor neighborhood. The first variance (requesting that the normal 25’ building line be reduced to 15’) was for a planned townhome community named Grovewood Manor at the Southwest corner of Ella Boulevard and Grovewood, where 26 townhomes are to be constructed. The second variance (requesting that intersection spacing requirements be eliminated) was for a planned community named Timbergrove Heights on 12th Street b e t w e e n S e a m i s t a n d E l l a o f approximately 131 lots. Area residents found both of the townhome projects objectionable for multiple reasons.

At the January 14, 2014 general meeting, the TMCC membership voted to become involved in objecting to the Grovewood Manor variance request. Shortly after that general meeting, the

existence of the Timbergrove Heights project became known to the TMCC board, along with opposition to that p r o j e c t b y o t h e r n e i g h b o r i n g communities. In an effort to mount a coordinated objection to both building developments, TMCC board members participated in informal meetings a t t e n d e d by r e p r e s e n t a t i ve s o f neighboring communities as well as interested residents. The meetings occurred in late January/early February of this year.

Although many concerns with the building developments were expressed, chief among them were inadequate emergency vehicle access, additional negative impact on the already low area water pressure, traffic congestion, conflicts with pedestrians (especially near Sinclair Elementary), and conflicts with bike routes (especially on 12th Street). Many of the meeting participants expressed concern with the density of the planned communities, however it was determined that the developer was

actually within current City of Houston guidelines in that respect.

Additionally, the variance request for Grovewood Manor did not appear to meet most of the requirements that would vest the Houston Planning Commission with the authority to grant a variance in the first place. In essence, a variance applicant must show that there is some type of non-financial “hardship” that will result if a variance is not granted. This issue was the subject of a four-page objection letter from the TMCC board to the City of Houston Director of Planning and Development.

As part of the greater community effort to fully understand why the developer was seeking a variance for Grovewood Manor, I reached out to the developer’s agent, Windrose Land Services, Inc., to discuss the deficiencies that I felt were apparent with the variance application. Given that the development of townhouses would

continued on page 11

Hop on Over to the Annual Easter Egg HuntMark your calendar for April

12, 2014.  The annual Easter Egg Hunt is right around the corner!   It will be held at Sinclair Elementary from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.   There will be more than 2,000 Easter eggs to be found and toy prizes to be given away.  

The prized annual treasure hunt for our neighborhood kids is sponsored again this year by Elizabeth M c C o r m i c k , R e a l t o r w i t h H e r i t a ge Te x a s P ro p e rt i e s . Activities will include pictures with the

Easter Bunny and face painting for the kids.

Friends of West 11th Street Park will be on hand with park information and will be accepting d o n a t i o n s t o s u p p o r t t h e

butterfly garden and wireless wilderness.   ph

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Timbergrove residents hunt for Easter eggs and pose with the Easter Bunny at last year’s event.

Recently Tim Louque, a long time Timbergrove resident, joined Citizens Patrol (CP) - a neighborhood organization that works in conjunction with the Houston Police Department to help keep Timbergrove safe. After attending an orientation meeting and riding along with CP volunteer chairwoman Lillian Jolliffe, Tim began driving morning and evening shifts for the group. His observations as a new patrol member offer valuable insights to both new and longterm residents.

by Tim Louque, Citizens Patrol Volunteer

Most residents do not have a Timbergrove Resident sticker on the rear windshield of their car.  As a neighborhood resident, when you faithfully have one of our stickers on your car, we will begin to pay more attention to those cars with no sticker instead of thinking they might or might live here.

There are houses with newspapers in the front yard.  Along with newspapers, there were  also houses with more than one or two flyers or brochures attached to the front door. When you don't regularly use your front door, you might not check the front door and when a week's worth of newspapers accumulate in front of your house, burglars will think that no one lives there or that no one is at home.

Whether at home or away, garage doors have been left open.  I saw many open garages with lots of "good stuff" that was very easy to steal.  It was clearly visible from the street.

I saw more than one house with bicycles out, right there in front of the house, on the street. It would be just as effective to put your bikes on the  curb with a sign that says, "FREE BIKE!"

 There were actually cars parked in the street with the windows down.  Whether you have things in your car that people can steal or not, it is an invitation for thieves to let themselves in.

The front door or the entire front of some of the the houses were covered in shrubs, bushes and hedges.  No matter how diligent we are  as we drive our  routes, if we cannot even SEE the front of your house,  our Citizens on Patrol program does no good.

T here were ch i ld ren ' s t oy s , expensive  strollers, wagons and even a motorized child's ATV left out in the front yard, !  It makes it so easy for someone to pull up to the front of your house, snatch whatever you leave in your yard then then jump back in their car and make a smooth get away.

I s a w s e v e r a l h o u s e s w i t h construction crews on the premises who leave every door, window and the garage open as they work.  These workers will never pay the attention to what is happening on your property and inside your house like you do.  Have a talk with the boss about safety.

There were houses with electronics boxes, appliance boxes and all sorts of  expensive home furnishings boxes on the curb.  This is not only true at Christmas time, DO NOT leave boxes on the curb that  will give thieves a virtual shopping list of your home's contents.   It was stunning that first day to see so many empty boxes not broken down on the street ready for recycling pick up.  As a matter of fact, recycling regulations state that all boxes need to be broken down and bundled for recycling.

  Trash that was not well secured inside the dumpsters had blown away and into neighbor's yards.  If you don't like the thought of following up behind your neighbors and picking up their trash, you can BET that they don't want to clean up after you.

I saw some houses with lots of heavy trash on the curb for pick up on the wrong pick up days.  Take a little bit of time to familiarize yourself with Houston Solid Waste Pick Up Schedules.  It is always in the latest issue of your Timbergram and on-line. 

Observations of a First Time Citizen Patrol Volunteer

Crime in TMCCby Lillian Jolliffe, Chair, Citizens PatrolActivity was really up in District 2 during December, only one reported in TM. It’s hard to believe these stats are wonderful for Timbergrove. Is it because we have more CP members patrolling our streets?

Don’t get too confident, continue to keep your guard up for illegal activity in our neighborhood.

TYPE OF CRIMEDEC 2013DEC 2013 JAN 2014JAN 2014

TYPE OF CRIMEDIST. 2 TMCC DIST. 2 TMCC

Aggravated Assault 5 0 1 0

Auto theft 10 0 2 0

Burglary of Motor Vehicle 31 0 35 0

Burglary 24 1# 12 0

Theft 28 0 15 1*

Robbery 0 0 6 0

TOTALS 98 1 71 1

#1300 Foxwood *6700 Grovewood(note: blocks, not specific addresses)

Ready to volunteer with Citizens Patrol?

Send an email to citizenspatrol@timbergrove

manor.org

To win Yard of the Month you must be a current dues-paying TMCC member and cannot have won a YOTM award within the past year.  Congratulations to the following neighbors for their attractive, well-groomed yards!

  January

6318 Woodbrook - Faye & Patrick Rollins2515 Droxford - Joan Galfione

February

1330 Foxwood - Erna Lee & Rayford Barrett2231 Tannehill - Carol & Robert Benter6414 Wister - Charlene & Richard Floyd6203 Abington Way - David Berryhill

Timbergrove Manor Civic Club LeadershipOFFICERS AND DIRECTORSOFFICERS AND DIRECTORSOFFICERS AND DIRECTORSOFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

President Bill Morfey 832-651-0112 tmcpres@timbergrovemanor.org

VP Leslie Hillendahl 281-236-6345 tmccvp@timbergrovemanor.org

Secretary Peter Davies 713-861-1550 secretary@timbergrovemanor.org

Treasurer Chris Favre treasurer@timbergrovemanor.org

Director Michael Thompson mthompson@timbergrovemanor.org

Director Darlene Wayt 713-385-4465 dwayt@comcast.net

Director Lorraine Cherry 713-869-4445 environmentalaffairs@timbergrovemanor.org

Director Allen White allenwhite1@gmail.com

Director Patrick Valentz pvalentz@xiterealty.com

Past Pres Angie McKinney 713-894-2317 pastpastpres@timbergrovemanor.org

Yard of the Month

CHAIRPERSONS - TMCC COMMITTEESCHAIRPERSONS - TMCC COMMITTEESCHAIRPERSONS - TMCC COMMITTEESCHAIRPERSONS - TMCC COMMITTEES

Activities Michelle Ray 832-715-5819 activities@timbergrovemanor.org

Beautification Leslie Hillendahl 281-236-6345 beautification@timbergrovemanor.org

Block Captains Carolyn Bryant 281-723-9810 blockcaptains@timbergrovemanor.org

Citizens Patrol Lillian Jolliffee 713-869-1079 citizenspatrol@timbergrovemanor.org

Deed Restrictions Enforcement

deedrestrictions@timbergrovemanor.org

Design Review Dana Whitney drc@timbergrovemanor.org

Environmental Affairs

Lorraine Cherry 713-869-4445 environmentalaffairs@timbergrovemanor.org

Membership Tim LouqueGary NordstromTim LouqueGary Nordstrom

membership@timbergrovemanor.org

Timbergram Jennifer Vickers timbergram@timbergrovemanor.org

Timbergreeters Carolyn Bryant 281-723-9810 timbergreeters@timbergrovemanor.org

Web Site webmaster@timbergrovemanor.org

Yard of the Month

Leslie Hillendahl 281-236-6345 yardofmonth@timbergrovemanor.org

Tree Waste:

Wednesday, March 19Wednesday, May 21

Junk Waste/Heavy Trash:

Wednesday, April 16Wednesday, June 18

Recycling - every other week:

Thursday, March 13Thursday, March 27Thursday, April 10Thursday, April 24Thursday, May 8Thursday, May 22

Solid Waste Collection Schedule

Sounds Like FunBring your family to experience the beauty and excitement of the world’s best orchestral music, performed live right here in Timbergrove! The Houston Heights Orchestra focuses on music that is gratifying to play and exciting to hear. Their next concert will feature the passionate music of the great Russian composers: Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Rimsky-Korsakov.

When: 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 13

Where: Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, T.C. Jester at West 11th Street.

Cost: $10/ticket

A Note of ThanksThank you to the dog owners!

Timbergrove Manor is one of Houston’s safer neighborhoods, thanks to the dog owners. Our neighborhood dogs bark at other dogs walking by, squirrels, opossums, the mailman, UPS and FedEx. No one can walk up to the door of a residence without a dog barking. In addition to alerting homeowners of all that is happening, our dog owners patrol the neighborhood morning, noon and night.

Many thanks,A Neighbor

For many of today’s seniors staying in their homes is preferred over relocating to a retirement community or assisted care facility. Many factors can have an impact or whether or not one will actually be able to stay in their current home. Some home renovations may be required and below are a few that are inexpensive but will prove to improve the living environment.

Safety Improvements may include but are not limited to:

Address the flooring in the home - it is recommended that area rugs be removed as they can be a tripping hazard. The preferred flooring would be carpeting as it can cushion falls.

Footware - this sounds simple enough but is many times overlooked. Non-slip soles on shoes are preferred. Try to stay away from shoes with higher heels, or shoes that do not have backs like slippers or even socks.

Shower and Bathtub - consider installing grab bars that are anchored to the wall or a safety rail clamped onto the side of the bath tub. Install non-skid strips or a removable non-skid mat to the bottom of the bathtub. Consider adding a hand-held shower head on a flexible hose.

Toilet Seats - if purchasing a new toilet is not in your budget consider a raised toilet seat. Many are standard sizes and could fit your existing toilet.

Limited Lighting - keep it light and keep it bright. Better lighting can reduce eye strain and encourage reading or hobbies. Consider motion-activated lighting for hallways, bedrooms and bathrooms. This could help prevent falls during the night.

Convenience items that will aid in quality of live may include:

Mail Catcher - it may be easier to have a mail slot added to your door or

have the mail box moved closer to your front door. When using a mail slot a small basket could be added on the interior of your home that will catch the mail so you don’t have to pick it up off of the floor.

Door Knobs - replacing the round door knobs with lever style will make it easier when opening doors. Also, pulls rather than knobs may make it easier when opening drawers and cabinet doors.

Cooking Utensils - you may consider investing in lightweight or ergonomically-designed utensils. Many offered now have non-slip handles and bright colors.

Downsize - eliminate excess items. Having fewer items to move around, sort

through and juggle will make your environment more enjoyable.

Whether you are considering selling or purchasing a home you should always use the services of a full-time, professional REALTOR©.

As your Timbergrove neighbor and as your neighborhood real estate professional I am able to answer your questions about the home selling and buying process. I would love to be your REALTOR©, give me a cal l at 713-822-8555 or email anytime at Pamela@SellingHomesInHouston.com.

Low-Cost Options for Aging in PlaceSpecial Feature for Timbergram readers by Pamela Efferson Properties

Jaycee Park, Doggies and Do You Know?

A lot of control techniques can be seen in this photo and voice was used too but, bottom line, this responsible dog walker uses leashes.

News from Sinclair Elementary submitted by Lee Mashburn, Magnet Coordinator, Sinclair Elementary

Sinclair Elementary had a busy holiday season; Trees for Houston planted trees in January, a neighborhood resident and Sinclair Alumni helped revive some aging garden plots as part of an Eagle Scout project, Tri-turkey-lon encouraged healthy eating and exercise no matter what the weather may bring and Mrs. Proko put on her final Drama Performance with Sinclair’s  3rd, 4th and 5th  grade students.  She will retire at the end of this year, and the school and community will miss her.  

Get Ready for Pre-K & Kinder

Sinclair Elementary will be hosting a Pre-K and Kinder Roundup April 8th at 9:00 am and again at 5:30 pm.    Sinclair is encouraging neighborhood residents with children who will be 4 and 5 years old in the upcoming school year to tour the school on this day and pre-register for the 2014-2015 school year.  Teachers and administrators will be on hand to answer any questions you may have and assist with the registration and enrollment process.  Students must be 4 on or before September 1, 2014 to be eligible for Pre-K or 5 on or before September 1, 2014 to be eligible for Kindergarten. 

We invite you to help support your neighborhood school and encourage friends and neighbors with elementary aged children to take a tour of Sinclair any Wednesday between the hours of 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.  Additionally, we are always eager for our neighbors to volunteer, even if it is just to read a book with a small group of kids for 10 - 15 minutes.    It will brighten your day and help to promote literacy.  Individuals interested in school tours or how to become a volunteer should contact Lee Mashburn at 713 867 5160 or lmashbur@houstonisd.org.

by Darlene Wayt, committee member, TMCC Environmental Affairs

The park has a water fountain for doggies.

If you are thirsty and hot, your dog is thirstier and hotter.

Our park is not a dog park but there is one at TC Jester Park, 4201 W. TC Jester!

H ow l o n g does it take an unleashed dog to run from the park into cars, vans and trucks on Grovewood or into 18-wheelers, metro buses, commercial trucks and vans on Seamist? Use a leash so you never find out.

A dog owner must have direct physical control over a dog at all times via a leash, a fence or other enclosure that prevents escape. Jedi and Vulcan mind-melds don’t work……….on the dog, that is. If you have recurring, semi-hypnotic thoughts running through your brain like “my dog won’t run after a squirrel, it’s good exercise to let my dog off the leash,

my dog won’t jump on a

s m a l l child or

an elderly p e r s o n ”

…..hmmm…..wonder who that’s coming

from.

“Running at large” may result in impoundment or fines. Unfortunately, this refers to dogs not politicians.

by  Lorraine  Cherry,  Friends  of  West  11th  Street  Park

By the time you read this issue of the Timbergram, it will be March and all the trees that looked so dismal in February will be coming to life again. With the brilliant emerald green of the new leaves, early spring is one of the most beautiful times to visit West 11th Street Park. The spring bird migration is starting, with birds returning from Mexico and Central America stopping to rest on their way north to spend the summer. Because the understory trees and bushes are growing faster than ever, we expect to see a lot of birds this year seeking shelter before continuing their journey. The spring migrants include the brilliantly colored warblers, orioles, tanagers, and buntings, so it’s a great time to come out with some binoculars and see our visitors.

If you’re coming to the park, bring your cell phone along and take

t h e a w a r d - w i n n i n g Wi r e l e s s Wilderness cell phone tour. Tour stops, each marked by a small sign, are spread along the half-mile loop trail that runs just inside the perimeter of the wooded area of the park. You can pick up maps and instructions for the tour at the kiosk on the Shelterwood side of the park or from the map dispenser on the Shirkmere side. When you call the local phone number shown on the sign, you will be asked to punch in the stop number, which leads you to an explanation of the site.

We worked with area teachers, master naturalists, and scientists to put together a set of tour stops that is interesting, fun, and educational. You will learn about:

✤ Why the Hackberry tree is called the hardest working tree in the forest.

✤ The importance of wetlands in the Texas landscape.

✤ Why dead trees are important in the life cycle of the forest.

✤ How tree rings provide a window into the past.

✤ And much, m u c h more…

W h e n yo u finish, drop by the southeast corner and see how many bu t t e rfl i e s and native bees you can spot in the w i l d fl o w e r gardens. Bring the kids and learn about the fascinating natural history of this beautiful urban wilderness park in the heart of our neighborhood.

Update from West 11th Street Park

Recipe from Renee Love Cosco submitted by Patricia Chersky

Looking for an easy and elegant appetizer, party favor, hostess gift or even holiday treat? Look no further than these delicious seasoned nuts.

Spicy Rosemary Cashews

Naturally Good: Fast Food from Your Kitchen

✤ 1 pound whole unsalted roasted cashews

✤ 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

✤ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

✤ 1 teaspoon Kosher (coarse) salt

✤ 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

✤ 1 tablespoon melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cashews on rimmed baking sheet and heat in oven for 5 minutes.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl to form a paste. Add warm cashews to mix and gently toss until evenly coated.

3. Let cashews come to room temperature then add to serving dish...ENJOY!

Submit your fast, tasty, healthy recipes for the next edition of “Naturally Good”. Email your favorites to

timbergram@timbergrovemanor.org.

by Darlene Wayt, committee member, TMCC Environmental Affairs

Lisa Johnson, Parks Program Manager, will be the guest speaker at the Timbergrove Manor Civic Club's May general meeting.  Ms. Johnson will bring us up to date regarding the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) for Jaycee Park and will hear community input and answer questions.

So, for now, save the date:

Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.Lisa Johnson, Parks Program Manager

Sinclair Elementary's Cafeteria6410 Grovewood, 77008

Topic:  Jaycee Park CIP #F-000758TMCC regular meeting agenda and committee reports will

follow this guest speaker.

Jaycee Park Capital Improvement Project Q&A

Since 1984 the City of Houston has held annual public meetings in each council district. The goal is to encourage citizens to participate in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) planning process, providing input and ideas about services and improvements needed in neighborhoods. At the public CIP meetings, both Council members and City staff will be in attendance to discuss the CIP process, major projects in the works, and hear suggestions from residents.

The CIP Meeting for District C (CM Ellen Cohen) will be Wednesday, March 5th, 6:30 pm at the West Gray Multi-Service Center located at 1475 West Gray.  

Capital Improvement Project Meeting

Advertise with The Timbergram.

Check out past issues, advertising rates and more:

bit.ly/TMCCNews

By Lorraine Cherry

Hand-Made Tortillas Like You’ve Never Had Before!

Teotihuacan ('the place where the gods were created') was one of the largest urban centers in Mesoamerica. It had vast monuments, including the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. It fell into decline about 1400 years ago.

But you probably don’t care about that Teotihuacan. I wanted to tell you about the Teotihuacan located on Airline Drive, just north of North Main Street, and home of the world’s best hand-made tortillas and some mighty fine grilled meats. At Teotihuacan, the grilled meats include beef or chicken fajitas, sirloin steak, shrimp, beef short ribs, and quail. They are served on a sizzling platter or on a parrillada (a small, tabletop grill) and come with grilled onions, charro beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and tortillas. (The onions have been an inspiration to me on how to get my husband to eat more vegetables: just baste them in butter and throw them on the grill!)

Oh yes, back to those hand-made tortillas. A lot of places in town serve freshly-made flour tortillas, and you’re certainly welcome to try those if you like. But the real treat here is the

hand-made corn tortillas—fat and fluffy and warm and a little chewy. If you think the packaged corn tortillas you buy in the supermarket are the real deal, guess again. One of these freshly-made beauties slathered with guacamole and filled with jumbo shrimp that have been grilled after marinating in butter, garlic, and cilantro; well, it doesn’t get a lot better than this. My husband usually looks around on the huge menu for something else to try, then invariably comes back to those grilled shrimp. I branch out a little with the short ribs (butterflied off the bone before grilling, they come out a little on the tough side but with outstanding flavor) or the grilled quail (I’m always a sucker for grilled quail!).

The menu is extensive, so if you want to hone in on what they call “Los Tipicos” (enchiladas, tacos, tostados), you will find something to your taste. But do give some consideration to the specialties of the house. You won’t be sorry. Check them out at: http://www.teomexicancafe.com/index.html

Teotihuacan is located at 1511 Airline, about a block north of N. Main Street on the west side of the street. Free parking is located in front of and behind the restaurant, with no valet in sight. There has been a lot of road construction on Airline for awhile, so while that’s still going on, you may need to go around the back way on Conoly St.

E2 = Excellent Eats

occur, Windrose assured me that the planned development (with the variance) was the best possible situation for the neighborhood, but that the developer was unable to illuminate that fact through the variance application itself, because the app l i cat ion l imi ted the type o f information that was divulged to the public.

After I pointed out the fact that the variance application failed to identify a non-economic hardship, I was informed (via responsive e-mail) that the variance was “more of a logical, practical request than the reflection of a physical hardship . . . the imposition of the full 25’ building line would . . . create a disjointed development plan, smaller units and a lower price point. Both [sic] of which w o u l d c r e a t e a l o w e r q u a l i t y development. However, because the hardship is largely financial it is not a valid argument with the City which is why some of the points have not been illuminated in the detail that may have p r e c l u d e d s o m e o f t h e opposition.” (emphasis added).

To me, this was a shocking admission. In essence, Windrose was agreeing that the true reason for the variance request was not valid. Although TMCC had already sent its objection letter to the Planning Commission when this written statement was made, the L a z y b r o o k / T i m b e r g r ov e S u p e r Neighborhood Council (“LTSNC”) also submitted a written objection that attached the written statement from Windrose.

Besides the letters from TMCC and LTSNC, concerned residents went door to door to obtain signatures from neighbors that were also interested in objecting. Around 75 signatures were obtained concerning Timbergrove Heights, while more than 100 were obtained concerning Grovewood Manor.

Armed with the signatures, letters of protest, admissions by Windrose, and any other materials that could be obtained in

support of the c o m m u n i t y ’ s position, about six neighbors, including myself, a t t e n d e d t h e P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n m e e t i n g o n F e b r u a r y 6 , 2 0 1 4 a n d presented the case against the

variances and developments. I am sorry to report that the efforts were not rewarded. Both variances were approved and the Planning Commission did not impose any restrictions or modifications to the development plans that would address the other community concerns.

The same community group that assembled to object to the project developments intends to monitor some aspects of the continued permitting/construction of the projects in an effort to make sure the adhere to necessary building restrictions. Additionally, the possibility that the Planning Commission violated a State law requiring a super-majority to approve the variance at Grovewood Manor is being researched (if that law applies, the Commission would have fallen one vote short of the required super-majority). Please attend the next general meeting on March 11, 2014 to get any updates on this matter.

Register Now for Annual Fundraising Bike Ride

Opposition to Variance Request (continued)

Registration is now open for the 2014 Tour de Houston Presented by Apache Corporation. Ride with Mayor Annise Parker and Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis on Sunday, March 16, 2014 at City Hall, 901 Bagby, Houston 77002. Funds benefit the RE-Plant Houston Program managed by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD).

With three distance options, the Tour de Houston Presented by Apache Corporation is the perfect outdoor event for all cyclist levels, from the leisure rider to cycling competitors and is a recommended BP MS150 training ride. The distance options include a 60-mile route starting at 7:30 a.m., a 40-mile route at 8 a.m. and a 20-mile route at 8:30 a.m.

Through March 12 at 5 p.m. online registration is $35. Children 12 and under are $20 for the duration.  

Deadl ine to regi s ter onl ine i s Wednesday, March 12, 2014, at 5 p.m.

On-site registration on the day of the event is $40 and will begin at 6 a.m.  Only cash will be accepted on-site. 

F o r y o u r c o n v e n i e n c e ,  we  recommend you  pick up your packet early and go directly to your lineup position on the day of the event. 

Registrants for the bike ride will automatically be entered for a chance to win a Sun and Ski bicycle and two Southwest Airlines tickets. If you are already registered, pick up your packet early and go directly to your lineup position on the day of the event.

For more details on the bike ride, including registration and packet pick-u p l o c a t i o n s , v i s i t h t t p : / /www.tourdehouston.org/.   For more information about HPARD, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/. 

by  Michelle  L.  Ray,  Event  Chair

As we all know, in lieu of garage sales (which are prohibited by deed restrictions) we have the annual rummage sale.   If you have treasures for another fellow neighbor, make your plans to reserve a space to sell all your gems on March 8, 2014 at from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Resurrection

Metropolitan Community Church at 2025 W. 11th Street.  Flyers coming soon to a door knob near you.  If you do not receive your flyer or would like additional information, please e-mail   your local TMCC Activities Chair at activities@timbergrovemanor.org for more information. 

Rummage Sale a Source for Treasure

Membership campaign chairmen Gary Nordstrom and Tim Louque report that 38% of TMCC households have paid their 2014 dues. That means that, in the first six weeks of the year, we are already more than half way to our goal. Many thanks to the dedicated members who took time to pay by check or online at www.timbergrove.org. If you haven’t paid your $30 annual dues, don’t delay. Not only do you get a discount on booths for the rummage sale (see above) but you support the important work of maintaining TMCC as a top Houston neighborhood.

Strong Start to 2014 Membership Campaign

Help us ensure Timbergrove Manor West continues as a safe, vital and highly desirable neighborhood by joining the TMCC. Mail your check, payable to TMCC, to

Timbergrove Manor Civic Club PO Box 70977 Houston, TX 77270-0977

Resident 1:

Resident 2:

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Payment BreakdownDues (Member 1) $ 30.00

Dues (Member 2)* $ 30.00

Additional Contribution

TOTAL

* optional for second mem

ber vote