Pleasantville was annexed by Houston in the 1940s. Between 1990 and 2000 the black population in Pleasantville declined by 422 as majority African-American neighborhoods in Houston had declines in their black populations. On the morning of June 24, 1995, a seven alarm fire broke out in a chemical storage warehouse in the Pleasantville neighborhood. The fire burned uncontrolled for a day, and firefighters had to evacuate due to lack of knowledge of the chemicals that the warehouse contained. The neighborhood was evacuated. In response to the fire and community advocacy, Mayor Bob Lanier promised to create a better system for disclosing chemical locations in residential areas. The Hazardous Materials Ordinance was passed in 1996 to better regulate where hazardous materials can be stored. Pleasantville has a demonstrated history of community advocacy. Achieving Community Tasks Successfully, a community-based advocacy group, started working for flood mitigation after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In 2019, ACTS launched a community-owned air monitoring network to address environmental justice concerns. Due to Pleasantville’s location next to the ship channel, the interstate, and industrial sites like a large brewery, as well as events like the warehouse fire, Pleasantville residents became concerned by air quality issues. With funding and support from groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas Southern University, Pleasantville is establishing at least one community-owned and monitored air monitor. The community of Pleasantville is highly engaged in the project and will use the information from the monitors to inform future plans.
Cityscape
Pleasantville is in proximity to the 610 Loop and the portion of Interstate 10 labeled the "East Freeway". The area surrounding the community includes rail lines and industrial businesses.
Government and infrastructure
The Houston Police Department Northeast Patrol Division serves the neighborhood . Houston City CouncilDistrict B serves Pleasantville. The Pleasantville and Groveland Terrace subdivisions are a part of the Super Neighborhood Council No. 57 Pleasantville Area, which officially formed in July 2001. In the 1991 Mayor of Houston election most Pleasantville voters voted for Sylvester Turner; Pleasantville's voter turnout was almost 50 percent. Debbie Allen founded the Pleasantville Strategic Revitalization Planning Committee, which became sponsored by the city government. The Texas Southern University School of Public Affairs and several community-based organizations are a part of the committee. Allen became the committee's president.
Crime and environment
In 2005 there was a door-to-door survey conducted by the Strategic Planning Committee and TSU. Residents stated in the survey that their major concerns were gang activity, drug trafficking, a lack of presence of police, drive-by shootings, and prostitution. In addition residents mentioned issues with noise pollution originating from railroad tracks, abandoned and vacant buildings, and the overall quality of the environment. On Saturday June 10, 2005, residents attended a meeting at the Judson Robinson Sr. Community Center to discuss the survey. By 2008 Allen had, as part of the METRO Adopt-a-Stop/Shelter program, adopted 28 bus stops in Pleasantville, and she stated that she did this in order to stop criminal activity from occurring at the bus stops.
The is located in Pleasantville. It was named after Judson W. Robinson Sr., a precinct chairperson in Pleasantville, the founder of real estate company Judson W. Robinson & Sons, Inc., a director of the Riverside General Hospital, and a member of the board of commissioners of the Housing Authority of the city of Houston. He was born in Crockett, Texas and he died on Sunday May 11, 1986. The Houston Chronicle stated that he was "a notable leader in the city's black community". His son, Judson W. Robinson Jr., served as a member of Houston City Council.
