HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner withdrew a proposal to designate Riverside Terrace in Houston’s Third Ward a historic district.
Turner said it didn’t meet the majority or 67% of the support required to proceed.
It was determined one homeowner passed away and another decided against it, Turner said.
“Whether an ordinance may not be coming on this particular subject matter, it is important for the people in Third Ward to take steps to preserve the character, the personality and the integrity of their area,” said Turner.
A process to officially declare Riverside Terrace a historic neighborhood began last summer.
The neighborhood is bound by State Highway 288, North MacGregor Way, Blodgett Street and the Columbia Tap biking trail.
Some believed the designation would preserve the area, but others said it was another attempt at gentrification and would create a financial burden for some homeowners.
“They can not afford to do what is being proposed. They have worked all their lives,” said one woman who spoke at the public hearing.
