Long Point Road, which runs for just over five miles from Conrad Sauer Drive in the west to Hempstead Road in the east, has historically been Spring Branch’s main commercial artery; a place where residents came to eat, shop, and play. In recent decades, however, Long Point has fallen into decline. Local businesses closed or moved away. Pedestrian traffic all but disappeared. Motorists driving down the street today are visually assaulted by a bewildering blur of billboards, store signs, and utility poles. Because there isn’t a designated turn lane, drivers turning left must stop in a moving lane of traffic. Bicyclists risk their lives daily on the street.
Fortunately, change may be coming to Long Point. A key element of the Spring Branch Management District’s Comprehensive Plan is a strategy to restore the street to its rightful place in the neighborhood; to make it a destination. “Historically, Long Point was thought of as Spring Branch’s main street,” said Patricia Maddox, chairperson of the District’s board of directors. “Long Point used to be a really high-quality retail street, and now it’s kind of unattractive. So we want to upgrade it.”
The renowned local landscape architecture firm SWA, which recently designed the new Buffalo Bayou Park, has been assisting the District with the Comprehensive Plan and ideas to reimagine Long Point. “Right now, the street really reflects an auto-centric culture, where people are driving from Point A to Point B, pulling into the parking lot, then getting back into their car and driving home,” said SWA principal James Vick. “There’s no obvious gathering place on Long Point that attracts people and instills a sense of civic pride.”
To encourage more walkability, SWA proposes to transform sections of Long Point using so-called “Complete Streets” principles, which could include bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks as well as dedicated turn lanes for vehicular traffic. In 2013, Houston passed an ordinance formally endorsing the Complete Streets approach. “The idea of Complete Streets is that streets should be multi-modal,” Vick said. “They should address the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.”
To provide some visual order to the street’s chaos, another SWA proposal is to create a set of aesthetic guidelines for Long Point’s store signage. The district could encourage voluntary compliance with the guidelines, or offer incentives for businesses to replace their signage. Utility poles and lines could be also relocated away from the street edge. “Right now there’s just a mishmash of signage, utility poles, parking lots,” Maddox said. “So our plan is to come up with some consistent guidelines as far as setbacks and utility relocation, so that it’s more visually appealing to businesses and customers.”
As Spring Branch’s demographics change, so will residents’ desires for local retail and dining, Vick said. “Because of the close-in location of Spring Branch, it continues to become a more desirable place to live, and will draw a younger population who want places that are more walkable. And I think businesses will respond to that demand.”
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This is so awesome and I can’t wait to start see seeing the development of this. This is exactly what Spring Branch needs. With a road like this, businesses would be racing to move in. The demographics have already changed drastically. Just on my street alone in Campbell Woods, 3-4 ORIGINAL residents who have been there since 1959 sold and now young couples moved in after they were renovated. Including my house who we bought from an original owner and rehabbed that makes 5 out of maybe 30 homes. It’s lookin good for Spring Branch!
I would
Love this!!!! This street has so much potential and love all the changes.
First of all, you need to get rid of all the trashy apartments in the area where there is lots of crime and prostitution, and drunks everywhere, mainly at night, it is very dangerous and it has gotten worse
This kind of redevelopment is already “at the cusp” with so many new town homes and new homes less than a block away from Long Point (and starting on the other side of Long Point already). David Weekly has acquired lots en mass throughout the area west of Blalock and is still building. The literal moment energy prices return (and we’re there already), the prior boom will take off again (if it ever slows again). All these families already here in the area are in dire need of someplace to shop without having to drive south of I-10.
If we’ll simply invest the minimum time like this and set out these protective building guidelines, we’ll see the changes start since investors will have protective guidelines for their investments. We just need to provide some assurance that this is already starting like these guidelines and the possible renaming of Long Point to Spring Branch Boulevard which would show them things have started!
What section of Long Point is being considered? Are you going to put out of business all the used car lots that are along most of the business areas of Long Point? What about all the older apartment complexes? It will be interesting to see how this is done.
I can picture this between Bingle and Hollister, maybe down past where hospital was..Spring Branch Dr. First they would have to get all the Hispanic businesses out. .amazing. My family has lived in our home since 1957. First my parents and now my husband and myself.
Absolutely in favor. I own a few apartment complexes in Spring Branch. As a owner, you cannot get higher paying, better quality tenants without redevelopment. With David Weekley, other developers building, and soon to be drones of millennials having kids and buying in a good school district (Spring Branch), the time is now.
Heights, Montrose, River Oaks, Galleria, Memorial City, City Center has thousands upon thousands of shops, restaurants, parks, etc. Yet, the center of Houston (Spring Branch) has nothing except car repair shops and haircut studios.
Redevelopment of Long Point between Hempstead and Bingle would be the ideal start of the redevelopment, since many home builders are putting a lot of money in between those areas.
This is great! I moved here from NYC and never understood why the neighborhood of Spring Branch was so unattractive for being such a great location. When friends come to visit, we stay out of Spring Branch and hangout in Heights, Galleria, or even Garden Oaks. It’s a shame no-one has done anything to Spring Branch for so long. I’m happy to see someone finally taking action. Even if it’s just a section of Spring Branch; at least it’s in progression.
Spring Branch has strong roots and is desirable because of the strong people that have stayed around. There are many other neighborhoods that have suffered much worse, think Sharpstown, Greenspoint, Gulfton, and Alief.
The blight, unruly apartments, etc.. are a direct result of the money (developers) that left the area in the 80’s. The money that stayed around probably felt defeated and either sold off or let their business decline. What filled the void was pawn shops, auto sale lots, chemical companies, and numerous taco trucks.
This is common in Houston – Heights, Garden Oaks, Galleria all have went through this. Midtown was a no-mans land until the light rail was brought to Houston. These areas have since been revived because of their strong community spirit – something Spring Branch also has!
My opinion, the sky’s the limit. The greater Spring Branch area has a lot of money – money the City of Houston can’t afford to lose. Report crime, graffiti, and all other egregious activities.
Agreed. Spring Branch is the center of Houston now as everything is growing west towards Austin and San Antonio very quickly. The reason it’s not growing East is because of Chemical Plants and the port. No-one wants to live by that.
Spring Branch, Harris County, and COH are missing out on a lot of tax dollars and new businesses that are desperate to open in a close knit community like Spring Branch. The only way this occurs if developers re-develop the community. As homes are being built in Spring Branch quicker than anywhere else, the redevelopment of Long Point needs to happen sooner rather than later.
My friends told me about this!! My parents helped me buy a little older house close to Silber after moving from Dallas….they said I shouldn’t waste money on rent, and I like it…..the only downside is that I’m close to long point. But still close to Galleria and RO District shopping. I’m not too far from my friends. I’m really happy this is happening soon!!
I have recently moved into Spring Branch. I agree, demographics changed. Lot of professionals are moving. We need better & cleaner place to live in. Lot of downgrading apartments, car shops needs to be upgraded. Need more coffee shops, decent eateries place in this area. Long point needs better street lights, sidewalks & more trees.
Thank goodness there’s hope and others see the probability of recreating our childhood Long Point to the area of importance it once held but even better! I lived out of state for 30 years and moved back to spend time with my parents who still in the house we built when I was 6 and, throughout the years it’s been heartbreaking & scary to see Long Point fall into such an ugly and sketchy area. Please, keep up the movement…..I know this will happen if given time and WORK because we’re located so centrally!
[…] There are two opportunities this month to learn about our plan for reimagining Long Point Road. […]
If Long Point itself can be redeveloped to look better and to accommodate bikes and pedestrians and cars equally, it will attract great businesses and will raise property values. This means more property tax revenue. So the project will really pay for itself.
Whatever you do, don’t turn Long Point into another Westheimer. Make it something that is usable by people on foot or on bikes, and all kinds of local transportation. Through car and truck traffic should be motivated to go down to I-10 rather than bombing along Long Point.
I know Long Point can be great again. There are so many people who live close by, and are eager to shop and dine closer to home. Thanks for listening!