The Houston City Council has designated a newly planned development under its ‘Walkable Places” ordinance.
The Walkable Places ordinance began as a pilot program in 2020 with the goal of allowing certain areas to have higher-density developments to promote walkability, cycling and transit use. On Tuesday, the council approved the classification of the Park Eight Place development as a Walkable Place.
Plans for Park Eight Place were announced earlier this year by Johnson Development Services. If completed, Park Eight Place would be a 70-acre mixed-use development located near Bellaire Boulevard and Beltway 8 in the Westchase District of West Houston.
According to the council’s agenda item, this development will be the fourth Walkable Places area since the pilot program began. In order to receive the Walkable Places designation, the city requires the development to comply with the following standards:
- Sidewalks and buffer widths
- Street-facing windows and doors
- Maximum fence height
- Rear on-site parking
- Side or rear lot access
- Bike parking
Nearby “Secondary Walkable Places Streets” will also be able to opt into the standards.
Tiffany D. Thomas, the Houston City Council member representing District F, supported the decision to designate the area and said the walkable development would provide connectivity with other surrounding neighborhoods.
“The Park Eight Place project falls within the boundaries of District F, which I proudly represent,” she wrote in a letter of support to the council. ” I believe that designating Park Eight Place as a Walkable Place would mark a significant milestone for the District F area and serve as a catalyst for further efforts to promote walkability and pedestrian-friendly initiatives within our community.”
Welcome Wilson Jr., the chairman of the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) 20 — where Park Eight Place is slated to be built — also voiced his support in a similar letter to the council.
“This project is important to continued redevelopment in Southwest Houston and the designation will contribute to creating a true mixed-use, walkable destination in this part of town,” he said.
In a statement on Johnson Development Services’ website, the company said it hopes to break ground later this year.
