Preserve at Woodridge

“Spacious” 763-SF Homes Available March 16

The Preserve at Woodridge website indicates that the developer, Guefen, will begin leasing spacious, 763 SF, 1-bedroom, 1-bath, luxury homes beginning March 16, 2023 … for only $1365 per month. Even more spacious, 1388-SF homes will begin leasing later at just $2145 per month.

The marketing theme: “There’s room for you at Preserve at Woodridge.”

According to the website, luxury units in the Preserve offer “unparalleled amenities,” such as backyards, toilets, tubs, sinks and on-street parking – with a $0 deposit. A few lucky renters will even have the option of reserved, covered parking spots for an undisclosed fee.

But the biggest plus? Some units have enough grass for a lawn chair.

65% Impervious Cover?

Engineers claim the detention pond will hold a 100-year rain that falls in 24-hours. But they also based their calculations on 65% impervious cover. The photos below show that may have been understated.

The higher the percentage of impervious cover, the more runoff you have and the larger the stormwater detention basin you need.

It will be interesting to see how these homes fare when FEMA releases new flood maps later this year.

Oh well. Too late now!

Photos Taken March 3, 2023

The pictures show how close the homes are to completion…and each other.

Overview of Preserve at Woodridge, looking east over Woodridge Parkway.
The grand entry near Woodridge Parkway built around a community pool. Those elongated structures are shared garage spaces, but most of the parking will be on-street.
You’ll have to share those spacious back yards with an air conditioning unit, but you’ll have a concrete patio in case grass doesn’t grow in the shade.
Twelve lucky homes will have a view of the stormwater detention basin which will hold water permanently.

With luck, the waterfront residents might even be able to shag some foul balls from the Kingwood Park High School baseball fields across the ditch.

Will Proximity of Homes be a Pro or Con?

Psychological research has documented strong positive associations between interpersonal closeness and social decisions such as cooperative behavior and trust. From that perspective, perhaps housing like this is the wave of the future.

On the other hand, overcrowding can lead to psychological distress. That, in turn, has an effect on behavior and the ability to cope with conditions. Researchers have linked lack of privacy to depression and other negative psychological consequences. But hey. It can’t be more crowded than New York.

This is a new model for development – a whole community of homes separated by only 4-5 feet. Only time will tell whether the pros outweigh the cons.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/7/2023

2016 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.