City wants to install 50 giant LED Billboards!
Click the image above to read more about the City’s plans to undermine its own Sign Code and install 50 giant led billboards around town. Scenic Houston is mounting an email campaign opposing this plan, which will bring in very little money for the city at the expense of clutter-free public spaces and light pollution. You can help by downloading the draft email letters here and sending them to mayor@houstontx.gov and Districtc@houstontx.gov.
Your Civic Association’s Latest Big Project
SPARK Park Set to Open to Public
Saturday May 22, 2021!
The Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Saturday May 15th brought more than 100 donors, parents, AIMS students, and dignitaries to celebrate the completion of Houston’s newest SPARK Park. Mayor Turner praised CAFMC’s work to bring a green space where once there was a cement parking lot.
AIMS students were kept looking anxiously at their new playground most of its first week by heavy rains and storms, but Thursday morning the neighborhood was filled with the sounds of elementary school students at play for the first time in more than 40 years!
Dedication and Ribbon Cutting of the new SPARK Park at AIMS in FMC. Saturday, May 15, 2021
Photos courtesy of Paul Davis Photography, © 2021, All Rights Reserved
NOTE – Annual Dues are PAYABLE NOW – Dues 60 days or more past due will result in automatic suspension of your voting privileges. Email Invoices have been sent to everyone who have not yet paid for 2021 (unless we don’t have your current email address of course!). This means that if you only receive the Newsletter and Meeting Announcement email – you have already paid for 2021 – and THANK YOU!
Members Approve New Dues for 2021
For the first time since the founding of our Civic Association Members have approved an increase in Annual Residential Dues.
The Membership amended the Bylaws in August 2020 to require the Board to set Annual Residential Dues each September for the following year, and to require the approval of the Membership at the November General Meeting and election. Accordingly, the Membership approved an increase in Annual Residential Dues from $10 to $20 to compensate for inflation since 1994. This increase is effective January 1, 2021.
Click the image below to take advantage of this opportunity to support your Civic Association! Please note that our dues are PER PERSON annually, not per household. So if you have two adults in your household you should check 2 memberships on the membership page. Thanks for supporting YOUR Civic Association!
It’s NOT TOO LATE – DONATE TODAY
SPARK Park Construction Has Started!
We Need YOUR Financial Support for Your Neighborhood Park NOW
July 25, 2020 – During its first ever public online meeting the TIRZ 27 Montrose Redevelopment Board voted unanimously to provide $150K in matching funds to those already provided by Spark itself. This was a tremendous boost for our efforts to re-establish a park on the site of the Arabic Immersion Magnet School, (formerly HSPVA and before that Montrose Elementary). Our Community must now raise the remaining $150K to bring this dream to fruition. Even with funding from Spark, TIRZ 27, The AIMS PTO, CM Kamin, our Civic Association, and generous FMC Donors, we are still nearly $70,000 shy of our target.
Please do your part to fund the park!
Write a Check today to: SPARK and write in the Memo field: Spark Park at AIMS/FMC. All contributions made in this manner are 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE, as Spark is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.
Checks should be mailed to CAFMC SPARK PARK
603 W Main St., Houston, TX 77006-5618
Note that we will hold checks until we can safely deliver them to the Spark office. Please also note in the envelope whether you wish to remain anonymous in your donation.
Help us Bring a Park back to First Montrose Commons for the first time in 40 years – Please send your check TODAY.
For more information about the Spark Park at AIMS
CLICK HERE
Emergency Resolution and Action Plan Approved by CAFMC Board
CAFMC Meetings to Resume
Tuesday July 21, 2020
at 7:00pm via ZOOM(R)
The Officers and Directors (Board) of The Civic Association of The First Montrose Commons, Inc. met using ZOOM Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 7:00pm to discuss matters affecting the Association as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and to enact an action plan to allow continued operations of the Association through this public health emergency.
The Board unanimously approved A RESOLUTION BY THE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION OF THE FIRST MONTROSE COMMONS DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING CERTAIN MEASURES IN RESPONSE. This resolution took effect immediately upon passage, and will automatically expire December 31, 2020 unless extended by vote of the Members. (you can download a copy of the Resolution by clicking the link above).
Residents and Members will receive an email containing the link to the online meeting with instructions how to join the meeting. Members may join the meeting prior to 7:00 pm, but will be held in the “waiting room” until the meeting host admits you to the meeting. Please join the meeting with your microphone MUTED to avoid feedback. The host will either unmute your microphone or ask you to unmute it when necessary. You may also join the meeting by clicking the FMC ZOOM MEETING menu option, which will take you to the most currently meeting page, where you can then join the meeting.
It is critically important that we follow our usual meeting rule that one person at a time may speak when using this technology.
Meeting attendees acknowledge and agree that the meeting MAY BE RECORDED for use by the Secretary in completing the minutes of the meeting.
UPDATE- Members voted unanimously at the Nov. 17, 2020 to extend the emergency resolution through December 31, 2021 or until the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is lifted.
Novel Coronavirus/ COVID-19/ City of Houston Information and Updates
Click the image or link above to go directly to the City of Houston Emergency Management Page for the latest AUTHORITATIVE updates on the STAY HOME WORK SAFE order and COVID-19 resources.
GET THE FACTS
Wearing a Mask that completely covers your nose and mouth saves lives, prevents spread of coronavirus, and helps us all get through this public health crisis.
The Civic Association of The First Montrose Commons Meets Every THIRD Tuesday of the Month at The Montrose Center, 401 Branard Street at Bute Street, Room 106 from 7:00-8:00pm using the ZOOM e-Meeting platform.
You can access the ZOOM meeting link by clicking the FMC ZOOM MEETING menu item to the left. Members and subscribers to our email list will also receive a direct email before each monthly meeting containing the link.
Everyone who lives or owns property or a business within the area shown should attend these important meetings to keep abreast of ongoing construction, security, and events affecting our neighborhood.
Renters and families with children are encouraged to attend – we don’t mind the kids or pets entertaining us during the ZOOM Meetings – It’s much more important that we connect with all our residents. Don’t want to broadcast your video – Not a problem – you can control whether or not your camera is active.
NEW Requirements for Submitting Certificate of Appropriateness Applications
As of July 2, 2018, all Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) Applications must be submitted through the Historic Preservation Tracker online.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL in street parking to OBSERVE PARKING REGULATIONS AND SIGNS – Parking Management patrols FMC daily writing tickets for violations.
Neighborhood Security
If we want more Houston Police Department Patrols in FMC, then we must provide documentation of the need for them – we must REPORT EVERY SUSPICIOUS PERSON AND EVERY CRIMINAL ACT by using HPD’s established methods for doing so:
NONEMERGENCY CALLS (illegally parked cars, abandoned cars, suspicious persons, etc.) 713-884-3131
NO DOPE HOTLINE (report activity suspected to involve the solicitation of, sales of, consumption of, or purchase of illegal substances) 713-466-3673
Please be especially careful when parking your vehicles on the street during construction. Cars left more than 24 hours are subject to ticketing and towing (STATE LAW), and provide a powerful magnet for car burglars looking to find a quick bit to steal and sell. Remember, the criminals ARE PATROLLING OUR STREETS.
Remember, HPD is severely understaffed, so allocation of Police Patrols is Data Driven!
This means that if you want more HPD patrol coverage you MUST REPORT EVERY CRIME, every incident of suspicious persons or drug offense EVERY TIME. Lt. Davis reports that officers are now regularly pulled from one patrol or beat to another which has more data supporting the need for patrols. If you don’t report, HPD thinks you don’t need patrols. Click Here to download our new HPD Quick Contacts & Resources Card which you can use to help you report suspicious or criminal activities.
You should also be aware that parking illegally, especially including leaving a vehicle parked longer than 24 hours on street, gets the attention of both criminals and patrolling officers. Is it really worth the hassle?