May 2025 Update:
Norhill Neighborhood Association Guidelines Adoption
Due to continued delay by the City to adopt Guidelines, the Norhill Neighborhood Association (NNA) Board adopted the Norhill Design Guidelines at our monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 6:30 pm at Proctor Plaza.
The Design Guidelines are designed to strike a thoughtful balance – preserving Norhill’s historic character while also accommodating the needs of growing families.
Below you will find a link to a copy of the Design Guidelines, along with a comparison to the current City proposal and the results of last year’s neighborhood poll. The NNA board believes these Guidelines reflect the comprehensive work initiated in 2016, which included multiple community workshops, focus groups, three City-sponsored neighborhood meetings and a poll sent to every Norhill resident.
Key Highlights of the Proposed NNA Guidelines:
- Increase Flexibility for Smaller Lots: The NNA Guidelines will permit residents greater square footage than the City’s current draft proposal for smaller lots.
- Expanded Window Options: Wood or aluminum clad wood windows will now be allowed thanks to the NNA Guidelines.
- Fence Clarity and Options: The Guidelines will give clarity and options to residents wishing to install fences.
- Community-Driven Approach: The Guidelines directly reflect resident preferences as indicated in the poll results.
- Consistency and Transparency: The Guidelines provide measurable standards and clarity to the approval process ensure consistency, even as the composition of the board evolves over time.
The NNA Board voted to adopt the Design Guidelines during the public meeting as is required by state regulation.
Documents:
- Link to Guidelines: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KjJyaFNep_Fxs0Ce-ODU7lxgfKVWWzMu/view?usp=sharing
- City of Houston vs. Norhill presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZyIvZPlOAj_Vp0XXh-CqleLHMOG_P_XS/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=102069902024601013786&rtpof=true&sd=true