I urge you to contact district c councilwoman Cohen- it is an election year and might be persuade to take action against this. Also contact COH dept of neighborhood- 311 reports are important but this type of violation warrants addition actions be citizens-

This fence is not on the right of way, but a lot of fences on Willard are more than foot on the right of way. The reason this property was singled out is because a local developer lives there. The anonymous coward who reported this should be ashamed.

It seems a fair request to "stand behind " those things one reports for the betterment of the neighborhood- that is what makes 311 important- all the reports are made for the betterment of the neighborhood.
One shouldn't be ashamed or afraid to make 311 reports.

It is a felony to make false reports and this is false report. Go find the property pins and see for yourself. Stop harassing those who make our community a better, denser, more livable place to live.

My intention is not to harass.

It's very cheeky of them to build out onto the sidewalk. I know the city has made property owners responsible for repairs, etc to their adjacent sidewalks. The city didn't intend for them though to be considered part of said owner's property. We don't have enough sidewalks as it is in Houston without them being stolen - so to speak!

Unless my memory serves me wrong, and it occasionally is wrong, there was a former commercial building at this location that appeared to be converted to office or residential. It was torn down. And if memory serves right there were sidewalks on both sides of the building. So no mal intent intended but memory serves me to believe the sidewalk was removed. This is undoubtedly a beautiful property but if the sidewalk was removed that should have violated some city code. This report, wrong or not, made in good faith, is hardly a felony and involves no element of intent. And the removal of older properties is not necessarily good for the neighborhood but that is another issue.

How is this even legal? Where is the sidewalk?

I suppose I will put my head in the noose and send this thread to councilwoman Cohen well as the at large Council people plus the Department of Neighborhoods. If things are amiss (intentional or no) these persons will know best how to handle it.

Very sensible idea to forward this complaint to the powers that be....

Unusual that the property line is so close to the street. If they build the fence into the public ROW, the city will have them remove the encroachment, but only if enough people persistantly complain. Don't give up!

I did send emails to councilwoman Cohen, Councilman Costello and Andrea Jackson of COH dept of Neighborhoods.. yes, everyone understands that Public Access Sidewalks are important in Houston.. Yes- this is being investigated!

Dachman, do you know if the fence is unlawfully in public ROW? Seems to me that's the issue here...

According to HCAD maps, all the street ROW appears to be 50-ft. Because the streets are almost always in the center of the ROW, it should be straightforward to determine the ROW line and if the owner built the fence into it.

I alerted Councilwoman Cohen's asst Irma- She said she would look into. We need to keep up with these and check back in a week.

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