Overgrown ‘jungle’ lot in Fifth Ward has neighbors angry, afraid

HOUSTON – It looks like a patch of wilderness dropped into the middle of a proud Houston neighborhood — years of unchecked growth have turned into what neighbors call a “jungle” just a few doors down from their homes.

“It’s something I absolutely dread every time I step out my front door,” says Paul Holly, who lives a short walk from the overgrown lot on Salina Street, near Wippreght Street and Collingsworth Street in the city’s Fifth Ward.

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“You can see how weeds and grass become weeds, weeds become bushes, and bushes become trees. Yeah, I mean, this is a jungle. That’s 10 years’ worth of growth. And it’s right next to our house.”

What began as tall grass has mushroomed into