Controversial replatting of Newport possible

Doris Theisen expresses her concerns about the replatting of Section 8 in Newport. She later stated that Newport properties need to be big enough to have yards in which children can play.

Ramparts wants 239 lots in place of current 163 in Section 8


CROSBY — Newport residents received a letter from the City of Houston after July 6 indicating that the partial replatting of Newport Section 8 subdivision was going to be considered.

A public hearing has been set for Thursday, July 22 at 2:30 p.m. at the City Hall Annex Building at 900 Bagby Street in the Houston City Council Chamber. Crosby lies within the City of Houston’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction.

Doris Theisen pled for the Crosby / Huffman Chamber of Commerce to help stop the replat at the Luncheon on July 15. Ms. Theisen asked the Chamber for intercession because the replat of 163 property lots into 239 “ would effect far more than that section of Newport.”

The New Newport Property Association held a meeting that Thursday night at 5:00 p.m. and Board President Dan Kasperzk announced that it was decided to enlist the aid of an attorney to express their opinion in a letter, that the replat constitutes a major change, and that it violates the deed restrictions of Newport.

According to Mike Godsey, “It’s really up to the opinion of Nathan Dietrich, the attorney for The Houston Planning and Development Department. He will issue an opinion and the Department will vote on that opinion. He is going to determine if the replat violates the deed restrictions. The deed restrictions say that the corporation has a right to make minor changes for the more efficient institution of improvements. These changes have nothing to do with making more efficient changes in utilities. The roads are the same as they were; the utilities are the same as they had been planned. The corporation can make minor changes to the efficient installation of improvements. In my opinion a 39% increase in land usage isn’t minor.”

On Monday night, at about 7:00 p.m. a meeting was called by Rampart Capital Corporation officials to explain to residents why the replatting would be beneficial.

According to Velma Ellison, “It’s really more complicated than it seems at first, I can see that the replat could be good or bad for property values depending on how the property was used and what was done on those properties.”

Newport Section 8 subdivision is on the Southern end, to the East and West of Via Dora Drive. Part of the proposal is to reduce building lines to 20 feet, and reduce utility easement width to 14 feet.

The application for replatting was done by Truman, Edminster, on behalf of Edminster, Hinshaw, Russ & Associates.