Sue me!
A group of residents who live near the site of the high-rise planned for 1717 Bissonnet filed suit against the developer in state district court Wednesday, another attempt to stop construction of the 21-story building.
The seven plaintiffs say if the property is built it will cause harm to them and their homes. They are concerned about physical damage to surrounding structures and safety issues associated with construction.
They say the building would stand 260 feet above grade, “casting an enormous shadow over dozens of surrounding homes and blocking sun and rain from reaching the yards of neighboring properties.” The building would “make it impossible for certain of the plaintiffs to maintain their gardens,” as well as affect the privacy of the homeowners.
The petition also says the developer is planning to remove old oak trees, which would “further erode the character of the neighborhood and diminish surrounding property values.” The property is near Rice University and the Museum District.
Officials with developer Buckhead Investment Partners said the suit has no merit.
I gotta say, I’m no fan of the Ashby project, but I’m inclined to agree with Buckhead on this. As we well know, the project violates no laws, and is now properly permitted. How are you going to prove any of these allegations? Anything is possible, and Lord knows there’s no shortage of talented and creative litigators in this town, but my money’s on the defense. The case number is 201326155, and it’s in Civil District Court 80, in case you’re curious. I’d love to hear what the lawyers out there think of this one.
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