Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum - City Issues + News http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/ en Thu, 23 May 2013 23:03:28 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/images/misc/rss.png Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum - City Issues + News http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/ GOOD Dallas http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/103159-GOOD-Dallas?goto=newpost Fri, 03 May 2013 19:52:41 GMT Hey all! So a lot of you probably recall GOOD Ideas for Cities, the problem-solving forum/presentation back in June that launched a lot of projects in Elmwood... Hey all! So a lot of you probably recall GOOD Ideas for Cities, the problem-solving forum/presentation back in June that launched a lot of projects in Elmwood, well... GOOD is back! Along with the wonderful Frances Yllana of AIGA DFW (among others) and Patrick McDonnell of Revolutionary Pants (among others), we will be launching a chapter of GOOD Local here in Dallas (one of 5 pilot cities!). The first meeting will be in June and we'd love to see you out there. We are setting up the webpage, but for now, checkout the facebook page at GOOD Dallas and stay tuned for updates! ]]> City Issues + News Mark Lea http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/103159-GOOD-Dallas Saving Big Spring In The Great Trinity Forest http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/103158-Saving-Big-Spring-In-The-Great-Trinity-Forest?goto=newpost Fri, 03 May 2013 15:57:44 GMT New effort underway to help preserve one of the only natural places left in Dallas. Big Spring, what I have often called "White Rock Spring", "Pemberton Spring", "Bryan's Spring". Big Spring is a pristine perched aquifer natural spring in Dallas that is surrounded by ancient trees and an ancient Caddoan site.

The land was first claimed by the Beeman family when Texas was a Republic. A daughter, Margaret Beeman married John Neely Bryan founder of Dallas and they lived at the Spring site for some time. Upon John Neely Bryan's passing, his widow sold the land to EC Pemberton. A descendant of the Pembertons sold a parcel of the original Pemberton homestead to the city for parkland. Members of the Pemberton family still live down in that area today.

https://www.facebook.com/SavePembertonsBigSpring


The idea of preserving the spring area and the rich history there was always forefront in the minds of everyone. Recently, with plans for the Texas Horse Park and trails, that message seems to have been lost. Plans to build a fuel dump just above the spring, manure and compost heaps were very wrong. Over time and with a lot of effort most of the structures that would threaten the spring have been moved elsewhere.

Surveyors keep coming back though, taking soil samples, driving stakes marked "barn" and "arena" in places that we were promised there would never be a building. Hmmmm. Something is not right here.


It's a worthy cause and is supported by what I would call the very best advocates for such a place. Last weekend, a number of people visited the Spring site. Many have been long time preservationists and conservationists for the Trinity River. Also along were many of the advocates for White Rock Lake. The ones who saved Winfrey Point and revitalized White Rock Lake over the last several decades into a premier urban park. Many of those at that gathering are household names to Dallasites. I'm really impressed that they have taken such interest! So many of us have busy lives away from the rivers and lakes that we visit on weekends. That meeting of the minds has no agenda or affiliation with any group or cause. Just the well being and preservation of one very special place in Dallas.

It's with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Big Spring is threatened by development. What kind of development is still unclear. It would be cool if the city just told the citizens of Dallas what the real plans are. We want to avoid a mishap with a mistaken subcontractor bulldozing the place. The city claims that many of it's survey stakes, placed by official city employed and uniformed surveyors with the Public Works and Transportation Department, were placed in error. Mistakes like that cannot be made here. Not this place.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there. I have taken many people from the forum here to visit the area in the past and thought I would post this in case you were interested. I did not start the Facebook page, I believe Ted Barker did. Good stuff. ]]> City Issues + News CasperITL http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/103158-Saving-Big-Spring-In-The-Great-Trinity-Forest Outlier Urban Beats Inner Core Urban? http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/103152-Outlier-Urban-Beats-Inner-Core-Urban?goto=newpost Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:25:51 GMT So, here's the latest by the DMN:

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/commu...ban-living.ece

The area Northeast of LBJ and the Dallas North Tollway is number 1 in the rankings?

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]]> City Issues + News BigD5349 http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/103152-Outlier-Urban-Beats-Inner-Core-Urban