Rice Village area residents protest planned 20-story skyscraper

Residents of the Rice Village area in Houston are raising their voices in protest against the planned construction of a 20-story skyscraper, to be built on Bissonnet Street. The skyscraper, known as The Langley, is a 20-story luxury apartment project that has already been granted permits by the City of Houston.

One of the main concerns raised by the residents is the lack of space along the two-way street, which could cause severe traffic problems. “It’s just going to be miserable,” said one protestor.

Penelope Loughhead, a resident of the area, has been living in her house for 26 years. She is worried about the proposed skyscraper, which would be just five feet away from her house. Loughhead’s concerns include the impact on her property, traffic congestion, and emergency services being unable to reach her home. “It’s very scary to think about, not to mention the lack of privacy we’re going to have,” she said.

A recent city council ordinance states new high-rise buildings should be at least 30 feet away from homes in residential areas. However, The Langley project will not be impacted by that ordinance because of an agreement between the city and Streetlights Residential.

“All of the new neighborhood protections, which we as City Council and Mayor Turner had passed over the years, by and large don’t apply,” said Abbie Kamin, Houston City Council member from District C. She also highlighted the fact that little or no zoning requirements exist in Houston, which makes the situation even more difficult for the residents.

Kamin expressed concern that the proposed skyscraper will pose more trouble for the South Hampton neighborhood than necessary. “Just how you’re going to build it is an issue, how we’re going to protect the trees, how we’re going to protect the infrastructure,” she said.

Residents are now considering filing additional lawsuits to block the construction of the skyscraper. Gerald Harris, a journalist from KHOU 11, reached out to the developers but received no response.

Overall, residents of Rice Village fear the construction of The Langley will lead to further traffic problems and impact their quality of life. While the City of Houston has already granted permits for the project, protests from residents show that the issue is far from resolved.

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