gc

Design Your Own Dallas: Real-life SimCity comes to Big D
07:01 PM CST on Sunday, October 31, 2004
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...eets.4e49b.html

Perhaps there's a block in your neighborhood that you think would be the perfect place for a shopping area. Or maybe you're concerned that a stretch of deteriorating multifamily units is hurting – not helping – the neighborhood and single-family housing would be a better choice. Well, it's time to play SimCity – Dallas style. As part of devising a comprehensive citywide master plan, Dallas will hold eight community workshops across the city to solicit ideas about its future.

Those are cheers you're hearing from us, since we've repeatedly chided Dallas officials for failing to put together a master plan for the city's future, an oversight so troublingly illustrated in this newspaper's Dallas at the Tipping Point: a Road Map for Renewal report published earlier this year. The good news is that these workshops aren't designed as dull forums for urban planners. Rather, they're being billed as hands-on opportunities for residents to suggest ideas for shaping Dallas's future. That's good. It's about time that Dallas included real people in its planning process.

At each of these meetings, residents will engage in a mapping exercise that's akin to putting Monopoly pieces on a map of Dallas. If you think a certain area is conducive to light industrial development, mark it that way. Do the same for commercial and residential development, and whatever else comes to mind. The goal is for residents to share ideas for patterns of development over the next several decades. This is the first stage of a process that depends on grassroots involvement. When these workshops end in January, other meetings to refine a citywide vision will follow. The end result is to create a shared, flexible and coherent roadmap for Dallas. The future is now. Be there.

For more information about the city's master plan process, use the "Comprehensive Plan" link on the city's homepage: www.dallascityhall.com

__________________
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”

larchlion

gc

^ Larchlion, I had already posted this...so I merged the two.

__________________
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”

St-T

This is something we should all go to and voice our opinions. There are so many great ideas in this forum that need to be voiced to the leadership in Dallas!

LakeHighlands

This caused a lot of problems in September.

The LHAIA and The District 10 Land Use Plan Advisory Committee (LUPAC) found out about this in June.

Guess what, we have been doing this Since November 2003! We called it Land Use Plan Advisory Committee (LUPAC), which just for Lake Highlands. That is why all the changes in Lake Highlands/District 10. The new train station, the other developments planned at 2 other train stations in LH, redevelopment of Skillman, Whitehurst, Kingsley/Audelia, Royal/Greenville, etc.

Well the city of Dallas came to LUPAC in September of 2003, and said we will suspend you guys for five months and maybe altogether because we are going to do the Dallas Comprehensive Plan. Well that did not go over well!! I think the exact words were somewhere along the lines of "like hell you will.”

After outrage from the planners of Lake Highlands the city backed off, and left LUPAC alone. LUPAC and LHAIA will work with Dallas on the city Comprehensive plan, but there will not be any community work shop in District 10 (Lake Highlands), because we already have a plan for our area. In addition to LUPAC plans, the LHAIA will be represented on the 75-80 stakeholders for the Dallas Comprehensive Plan.

I think this will be great for the City of Dallas. If all of Dallas can get done what we are doing in LH, then the city will definitely be fixing the problems brought up “Dallas at the Tipping Point”.

__________________
"One of Dallas' strongest communities, Lake Highlands boasts a true sense of neighborhood spirit. Local stores reflect passionate support for Lake Highlands schools with school posters and signs. True to its name, the area features handsome traditional homes up and down rolling hills and charming, winding roads." --Lake Highlands People

gc

^ That is interesting LakeHighlands. It would be wonderful if many of you experienced LakeHighlanders could help and show the way. It is obvious that many of you have fought the battles already....and I'll go out on a limb and say that what is good for west and south Dallas is ALSO good for the residents of Lake Highlands. Do you concur?

__________________
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”

LakeHighlands

I agree 100% with you. Everyone in the city of Dallas benefits when areas of the city are fixed up. All parts of Dallas have some of the same basic concerns, crime, schools, general living conditions, and improving the city of Dallas.

“It’s been said …as goes downtown (Dallas), so goes Lake Highlands.” LH residents care a lot about what is going on in Dallas. We are part of Dallas and want to see Dallas be the best it can be.

We are happy to see what going on in Vickery Meadows. There is some MAJOR construction going on over there.

There will be some of the people on LUPAC and the LHAIA who have lots of experience in zoning and urban development helping out with the Dallas Comprehensive Plan.

This takes a lot of work and I hope the residents of the other 13 districts go to the work shops and help guide the future of the city.

On a side note there will be a big meeting with C.C, Young, and I hope some kind of compromise can be made.

__________________
"One of Dallas' strongest communities, Lake Highlands boasts a true sense of neighborhood spirit. Local stores reflect passionate support for Lake Highlands schools with school posters and signs. True to its name, the area features handsome traditional homes up and down rolling hills and charming, winding roads." --Lake Highlands People

noelamador

Dallas ready for a master plan
First step toward redefining Dallas is yearlong land-use study
09:12 PM CST on Wednesday, November 3, 2004
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...ning.4d388.html

It doesn't take an urban development expert to spot Dallas' planning mistakes. Swiss Avenue mansions flanked by fast-food restaurants, used-car dealerships and Quick Mart gas stations. Rusty warehouses and truck depots with scenic views of the Trinity River. And depressed, vacant lots where South Dallas ought to have bustling businesses. Many of these oversights could have been prevented or repaired, city officials say, if Dallas had a blueprint for its future. While most major cities routinely turn to a comprehensive plan to guide decision-making, Dallas still charts its course on a case-by-case basis, turning to individual council members and dozens of neighborhood studies for direction.

Theresa O'Donnell, the city's director of development, said Dallas is the only large city she knows of without such a planning tool. But that's about to change. Elected officials have hired renowned urban planner John Fregonese to spearhead Dallas' comprehensive land-use study ? a report they're counting on to lead the city from adolescence into adulthood. "If we didn't do this, sure, we might get lucky," Ms. O'Donnell said. "But we might not. Why leave the future of the city to chance?" Dallas' 1929 zoning maps are neat and symmetrical, a series of rectangles and squares sketched carefully in primary colors.

But as time passed, and the number of zoning categories grew from 14 to hundreds, the maps evolved. Today, the city's maps are amended with strange shapes and colored pencil marks. And communities such as East Dallas and Uptown are overwritten with variances to the point they are almost unrecognizable. What's not apparent on paper is obvious on a drive through downtown Dallas. The same Deep Ellum blocks house pawnshops, churches and nightclubs. In Old East Dallas, quaint homes border look-alike apartments and coin laundries. And West Dallas, home to rolling hills dotted with trees, is overgrown with scrap yards and tin-roofed shacks.

Today's Dallas is a result of zoning decisions made in the 1960s, said Michael Jung, a member of the city's zoning ordinance advisory committee and former plan commissioner. In those days, the coalition of white businessmen who ran City Hall decided South Dallas should be the city's industrial center, and East Dallas should be a bedroom community for the city's labor force. "It was the way centralized decisions were made back then ? without consulting the people who lived there," Mr. Jung said. "They assumed the neighborhoods would die out. They didn't, and we've been trying to clean up the mess ever since." This mess included "cumulative zoning" ? an archaic policy that used to allow shopping malls and office towers to crop up in some residential communities. And ill-defined zoning strategies have forced elected officials to take a heavy-handed approach to building moratoriums, issuing 17 bans since 1996.

If Dallas had written its comprehensive plan 10 years ago, Ms. O'Donnell said, the Trinity River Project might have advanced sooner, and transportation alternatives would've been furthered. "Big city urban obligations" such as sexually oriented businesses and the homeless could have been addressed earlier, she said. The city is expected to grow by about 86,000 households by 2030, Ms. O'Donnell said, and current forecasts project the housing demand to be strongest in North Dallas. But almost all of the city's undeveloped land is in the southern half of the city. "There is a big disconnect between our future needs and today's capacity," she said. Some city officials say past councils made a mistake in not annexing land around the city limits ? a move that could have padded Dallas' tax base and added development opportunities in the long run. And others say better planning might have slowed overwhelming growth and prevented congestion in North Dallas.

Leif Sandberg, manager of Dallas' Department of Planning and Development, said the city's biggest planning problems occurred in communities on the perimeter of downtown. Deep Ellum, southeast Oak Cliff, West Dallas and the Cedars fell through the cracks, he said. "There are parts of this city that haven't yet realized their potential," he said. In April, a Dallas Morning News special report concluded that Dallas was unique among similar-size cities in lacking a comprehensive plan ? a discrepancy that contributed to decision-making problems. City officials initially resisted the criticism, deferring to stacks of individual neighborhoods plans.

Early this summer, council members approved spending $350,000 to proceed with a comprehensive plan. And they authorized $1 million in the 2004-05 budget to hire Mr. Fregonese, who conducted similar studies for Chicago and Denver. Our boundaries are defined, and we've basically grown to our limits," Ms. O'Donnell said. "If we don't look at land use, we may find ourselves with an eroding tax base."

WHAT'S NEXT

-City consultants will have eight neighborhood workshops during the next two months to design the comprehensive plan.

-A citywide summit will be held in February.

-Results will be presented to the City Council next spring.

-The final plan should be complete by December 2005.

NEIGHBORHOOD WORKSHOPS

1. Area/development issue - UNT campus area: Greenfield development around new employment center

Location: Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, 1808 W. Camp Wisdom
When: 6 p.m. Nov. 11

2. Area/development issue - Westmoreland Station: DART/transit-oriented development

Location: L.V. Stockard Middle School, 2300 S. Ravinia Drive
When: 6 p.m. Nov. 15

3. Area/development issue - District 11 neighborhood: Residential tear-downs and neighborhood stabilization

Location: Jewish Community Center, 6900 Northhaven Road
When: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16

4. Area/development issue - S.E. Dallas/Buckner Boulevard: Neighborhood strip commercial development

Location: Samuell High School, 8928 Palisade Drive
When: 6 p.m. Nov. 22

5. Area/development issue - Jefferson Boulevard: Neighborhood main street development

Location: W.H. Adamson High School, 201 E. Ninth St.
When: 6 p.m. Nov. 30

6. Area/development issue - Parkland/Stemmons Corridor: Employment center development

Location: InfoMart, 1950 N. Stemmons Freeway
When: 6 p.m. Dec. 6

7. Area/development issue: Vickery Meadows: Declining multi-family and neighborhood stabilization

Location: Merriman Park Elementary School, 7101 Winedale Drive
When: 6 p.m. Dec. 7

8. Area/development issue: Farmers Market/Downtown: Central area mixed-use development

Location: Black Academy of Arts and Letters, 650 S. Griffin St.
When: 6 p.m. Jan. 11

freewaytincan

I'm very glad to see organizations moving to get people directly involved in the planning process. A similar move has been made in Richardson with the areas surrounding the light rail stations.

larchlion

will anybody be going to these, or was at the first one tonight? i just got into the office from the first one. a number of important people around the city showed up...even keyshawn johnson.

gc

^ Keyshawn Johnson? What area was being discussed this evening? That is interesting that he was there. I read in ESPN the magazine a few weeks back that he is a relatively respected investor in urban revitalization, especially run down (ghetto) areas. Very cool.

__________________
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”

Columbus Civil

Hasn't he started a couple of restaurants?

__________________
Dallas uber alles

larchlion

he's developing a project in LA called Marlton Square. i haven't seen any pictures or drawings so i can't attest to the quality. i wish i had known he was in the development game last night, i would've given him my card to make sure he builds quality that will revitalize and not drain.

jsoto3

So I just got back from the Stemmon's Corridor workshop. First thing I'd like to say is that these workshops were supposed to be topical, discussing issues in a general sense by looking at an area in which such issues exist, not simply doing relatively detailed land use planning (eh em', 'visioning') for a specific area. Tonight's topic was supposed to be 'employment centers'. There was no mention of this except in the literature handed out. There was a brief slide show of different types of development, highlighting mixed use of course. But never were we told to 'vision' the area relative to the issues that employments centers present to a city. Now, I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, because as far as I am concerned, we should be visioning very specificly for particular areas. So we had a big map and some paper game pieces representing the various types of development and infrastructure. There were several tables, each with a professional facilitator. People sat themselves randomly, no particular logic to assembling teams. It appeared that most people were development/civic related professionals, not simply interested 'lay'-citizens, though I am sure there were some. Anyway we looked at the area roughly between Inwood to the North, Trinity River Corridor on the West, Market Center on the South, and Maple on the East. Almost all of the plans presented by the various tables looked the same. There was a general consensus that the territory should be augmentd by:
-street improvements
-mixed-uses
-greater density
-trails & open spaces
-'connectivity'

Particular attention was paid to the industrial district along the river, its conversion to a highly amenable urban neighborhood. I recommended that Industrial Boulevard be upgraded into a true landscaped boulevard, perhaps renamed as 'Trinity Boulevard' (a more agreeable address), and that it someday have a trolley, or if density prevails to the extent that I hope it does, even a DART rail line. I likened it to McKinney Avenue on steroids with a streetscape/fabric reminiscent of the Back Bay in Boston (in form solely, not necessarily in style). I maintain that the industrial legacy of the district should be, to a respectable extent, honored in the style of the architecture, but not that it be dictated by code.

Anyway, in the end it was a casual experience that went as well as I suppose it could have gone for a public workshop. I feel that the consultants are already a step ahead of the public, but that they will certainly take to heart what the public has to say and that the ideas presented tonight will be in the Plan. If the current landowner/stakeholders and the development community feel the same way, and the City plays ball, then the Stemmons Corridor has a bright future.

gc

^ Thanks for sharing the information jorge.

Who are the consultants running the show again?

Approximately howmany people attended this particular session?

Do we know if these plans will be accepted and put into action when the sessions are complete or will this become shelfware? If the plans are put into action...is the city going to take control and guide the development according to plan or are they going to rely on the private sector completely?

I am glad you went and put in your two cents.

__________________
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”

slfunk

This is the way it should be, if your perception is correct. That is allowing the public speak and respond after a plan has been devised. Otherwise, I've witnessed too many times in organizations that if you allow everyone to have a say before a direction is taking, it takes too long and too many feelings get hurt. Usually this causes a delay in the process. The better approach is to have nucleus group of people that are experts in the field in the driving seat. More work gets done this way.

alittleceltic

Tonite - Tues 12/7/04

Comprehensive Plan event
6:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Merriman Park Elementary School
7101 Winedale Drive -near Royal & Abrams

www.forwarddallas.com

Upcoming Events:
December 14, 2004
Council Committee Meeting
Advisory Committee Meeting

January 10, 2005
Residential Teardowns Follow Up Meeting

January 11, 2005
Farmers Market/Lower Downtown

INTX dave

I want to thank jsoto for his review of this workshop (DallasForward at the Infomart for Stemmons/Parkland), which I also attended as a "curious citizen" (although I think membership in this site itself indicates a certain bias).

Jsoto clearly and concisely described the feelings I had after the event, but I was not quite able to clearly communicate. However, I did find the event interesting and fun.

I really don't know what impact all of this public input will have on the city's plan, or for that matter, what impact the city's plan will have on actual development. But, I am glad that the city is becoming more and more aware of the issues that are coming up in these sessions and at least considering the public input.

tamtagon

Jsoto3 always has the best vision for the city, and I agree that running a DART rail would along Industrial (Trinity) Boulevard should make the drawing board ASAP. This may be the first opportunity in Dallas for rail expansion to lead the redevelopment of an area rather than follow. Turtle Creek Boulevard and McKinney Avenue have the best shot to represent a unique to Dallas entry into the world of big city urban landscapes, and for this atmosphere to be continued onto the Trinity River from The West Village presents a best case scenerio for Dallas and the entire metroplex. That so much of the land south of I-35 is owned by so few civic-minded operations (Crow) puts the redevelopment of the warehouses on the fast track. I'm starting to think that just as soon as Victory and Trinity River Park are "open," the Trinity Meander will be underway with thousands more residential opportunities, class A+ office space supplying the workstations for the booming fashion and medical research industies, and rail from City Hall/Convention Center - Meander - Medical Center - Love Field - Inwood Road - Galleria - Frisco - McKinney.

freewaytincan

I like that concept. We already have what amount to two northeast lines, a southwest, and a southeast. There is no actual north-south route.

Cole

Has anyone seen this?

www.forwarddallas.org

tamtagon

cool

freewaytincan

That's a new one to me. Who's running it?

js

Looks like the City of Dallas is running it.

drumguy8800

This is what all these meetings have been about to "plan Dallas' future.." There is already a thread about it as well, with the website posted, here.

__________________
[ xvisionx.com 13 - my photo gallery + journal ] - be sure to check out my new interactive downtown dallas picture map.

tamtagon

forum.dallasmetropolis.com should be a member of the Forward Dallas planning committee!!

drumguy8800

I'm sure we are. You think City Hall doesn't know anything about this place?

__________________
[ xvisionx.com 13 - my photo gallery + journal ] - be sure to check out my new interactive downtown dallas picture map.

texman

UGGGGG, give me more details! People seem to taboo that subject.

__________________
"And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed."-"Farewell to Penn Station," New York Times Editorial, October 30, 1963

freewaytincan

Well, there's no evidence, but look at the number of guests at any given time. We have a great deal of traffic.

Cole

Thanks Drum, I searched for it. But I didnt come up with anything, before i posted it.

texman

Yeah its pretty sad we get more traffic than the Chicago architecture forum.

__________________
"And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed."-"Farewell to Penn Station," New York Times Editorial, October 30, 1963

freewaytincan

Sad? What are you talking about? That's incredible!

jsoto3

What is their URL?

rantanamo

http://www.skyscraperpage.com
http://www.skyscrapercity.com

that's the address for Houston, and Toronto as well.

texman

__________________
"And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed."-"Farewell to Penn Station," New York Times Editorial, October 30, 1963

jsoto3

texman

Cool! Notice in the Farmer's Market plan theirs mention of a downtown Subway.

__________________
"And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed."-"Farewell to Penn Station," New York Times Editorial, October 30, 1963

jsoto3

Keep in mind, those bullet points on the graphics are just highlights of comments/suggestions made by workshop participants. These should in no way be construed as official recommendations by Calthorpe/Fregonese or RTKL or official policy of the City of Dallas or DART or specific announced plans by private developers. These graphics are just visual representations of the wishes of the workshop participants as interpreted by RTKL planners/graphics producers. These will be used as 'exhibits' when the professional planners make their official recommendations.

drumguy8800

I want to work for RTKL.

These are very interesting.. what exactly will this aid the city in? Zoning?

__________________
[ xvisionx.com 13 - my photo gallery + journal ] - be sure to check out my new interactive downtown dallas picture map.

jsoto3

Yes, zoning, that's about all the City can officially do out of all this effort. They will use the results of this process to help guide land use zoning (including parks), coordinate public works with the various repsonsible agencies, try to coordinate the actions of the private development community (primarily through incentives), and probably also create Tax Increment Finance Districts.

CTroyMathis

Letters from Kathleen Matsumura. (I have several months worth sitting in the inbox, but, might as well just start with recent days.)


03 MARCH 05
Jane, it was good to meet you today at the Coalition for Open Govt event....Below, I've included my email to my group .....if you'd like to be included in my listserve, please let me know...I try to share info about a variety of issues and publicize local events.....I encourage an exchange of opinions. As Genie and I said, recipients can glean what they want, delete the rest....Kathleen Matsumura 972-484-1391


Listserve email:
TWO SECTIONS below....ONE... BLACKWOOD Charter Referendum... I report on the Coalition for Open Government kickoff held Wednesday & info is given on a March 8 forum .... TWO... TEARDOWNS Neighborhood Stability....Linda Pelon offers her viewpoint after reading about the Forest Lake Greenbelt Association defeat & Nancy Moore encourages folks to remain vigilant in their neighborhoods & Beth Bentley gives links to Forward Dallas info on Teardowns, including a reminder of April 4 meeting.....Kathleen Matsumura


___________________________


BLACKWOOD Charter Referendum
___________________________
(1) Kathleen's Notes - Replies Welcome


Wednesday, I saw quite a few people I know as citizens joined elected officials at Dallas City Hall to officially begin Coalition for Open Government campaign vs. the Blackwood charter change. The media was on hand in great numbers. Food was served. Each person who came in the Flag Room was given a tag dominated with patches of yellow and black demanding "Vote NO on Proposition 1 Blackwood Charter." Very eye catching. The excitement in the air was palpable as one speaker after another got up to say a few words. Applause was frequent. At one point, the city council gathered on the raised platform and took turns to offer their viewpoints....all unified vs. Proposition 1. It was refreshing to see.


BUT....I have a memory. I remember that the council hasn't always been as unified as they wanted to appear today. They don't always listen to their constituents. They often are the constituents' worst enemies. And I don't know if they would be so excited about working to get a revision to the charter on the ballot later this year if they hadn't been forced to do so.


That said, I do believe that the Blackwood petition has presented all who want what's good for Dallas a great opportunity. All in this camp can truly work together, cross ethnic lines, erase district boundaries and formulate an alternative that would result in a more efficiently run city with adequate checks and balances...BUT can this be done by April when early voting begins? Will there really be an election in November when this alternative can be voted on? Without an alternative, there are those who will vote for Prop 1 just because they want change, any change.


I hope that the meetings held at city hall on Tuesday evenings that began last week will continue and will lead to the alternative being formulated, as promised. I understand that the various chambers of commerce and other business groups will be meeting today to talk about their approach to the campaign. Watch the news to see what is decided.


We in the crowd today were asked to get yard signs. (That's great, but I kept asking where the bumper stickers were...to me, they are a most cost effective way to get the word out.) We were also asked to give money. Write letters to the editor. Participate in radio talk show interchanges. Talk to friends. Go to http://keepitopen.org to find out more.


The most important exhortation uttered today in my estimation is that Dallas citizens should not just say NO, they must Vote NO. I asked after the event why there were no voter registration forms handy to ensure that all applauding today were actually able to cast a vote in May. Does anyone else think this is a good idea? I got no enthusiastic responses when I suggested it today.


NOTE: April 7 is last day to register to vote for May 7 elections, according to Secretary of State site
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/election...ry2005-01.shtml


(2) From the latest news of North Dallas Neighborhoods Alliance:


Mayor Miller, former council member Walne
to discuss charter election at Dallas NE Chamber forum
The Dallas Northeast Chamber of Commerce will host Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and former District 10 City Council member Alan Walne discussing the pros and cons of the so-called strong mayor election proposal at noon, Tuesday, March 8, at the Lakewood Country Club.


Mayor Miller is a strong advocate of the proposal on the May municipal elections ballot that would eliminate the position of City Manager and give most of the responsibilities of that office to the mayor. Mr. Walne has voiced opposition to the proposal. Mayor Miller and Mr. Walne present their arguments and will then take questions from the audience. Dallas Northeast Chamber of Commerce Chairman Michael Miles will moderate.The forum includes a seated lunch. Tickets are $20 and may be reserved by calling 214-828-1400. The Lakewood Country Club is located at 6430 Gaston Ave., at the intersection of Gaston and Abrams Road.


____________________________


TEARDOWNS Neighborhood Stability
____________________________


(1) Linda Pelon reacts to the news of the fight with city officials that Forest Lake Greenbelt Association recently lost:


And as Don Henley accurately observes in his song, Inside Job:

"...and they'll keep doing it. and doing it! and doing it!!! Until we all wake-up. wake-up! wake-up!!!

I am so sorry this is happening to this group, too. I suspect too many are still sleeping to turn this around anytime soon. I hope I am wrong. Each issue provides many opportunities to awaken citizens to the unnecessarily self-destructive and greed-driven nature of our city.

Good luck. I hope there is a way to stop this. It is heartbreaking to experience to destruction of a cherished natural area and the trauma caused all good neighbors--including the wildlife. When Frank Geis destroyed the Old Scyene Trail site his contractors were feeding trees into the shredders immediately as they were dozed---no chance for our frightened raccoon, owl, and other wildlife friends to escape first!! Hawks were screeching and circling overhead and my phone was constantly ringing with neighbors who were as distraught.



(2) Nancy Moore writes to encourage neighborhood action in areas where old homes are being razed, new homes being built....Please join her at Neuhaus Cafe at Preston Royal Thursdays at 7 p.m.....
Just a quick note to remind everybody that when you report a builder infraction to the city or when you have any interaction with a builder, write it down. Take pictures of the properties. Keep a journal of all events. This is the only way to put numbers and statistics together for a city-wide residential report on what it's like to live in a neighborhood affected by residential reconstruction. It is my goal to collect, from everybody I can, copies of this sort of documentation, and put together a big book of builder no-nos.


Just because the city is taking a more active role in addressing these issues - with the Forward Dallas initiatives and Single Family Housing Standards committee - it doesn't mean that individual homeowners should cease to focus on the problem. There just aren't enough Code Compliance or Building Inspection officers to do proactive enforcement, they barely have time to respond reactively to the calls they get. That's where you and me come in. No, it shouldn't be our responsibility but if we don't adopt it as ours, it will not get done, and intrusive building practices will continue unmonitored.


I must say that today, for the first time in 10 years, I reported two properties on Tulip Lane and the Building Code officer went to investigate these sites first thing the next morning. This is a HUGE improvement over what used to be the common response, which was for someone to call and say, "Now, what addresses were those again...? And what was it they were doing...? Oh, well, you gotta' talk to Code Enforcement about that," two weeks later. The inspector who called me this time (the very next day) had already been to the sites and had noted the exact same issues (and then some). He was very articulate with me and very helpful and confident that the appropriate offices would follow up on these sites.


Don't let your guard down. Be proactive. Take five minutes out of your day to document and report residential construction concerns. If we all do a little, it will add up to a lot.


Now, for another experience that we can all learn from: Don't sign anything until you know what you're signing! It seems like a sophomoric thing to say. But you wouldn't believe how many neighborhoods get suckered into things by a slick-talking developer. In addition to the Forest Lane situation, recently, I learned about another similar story from a friend of mine in East Dallas. If a builder comes to you and asks for a signed letter of support for something that's being proposed on a property adjacent to yours, for the love of the neighborhood, don't sign anything until you have seen blueprints, considered the ecological implications of the property, and until you have gone beyond what is "only required by law" to pass their proposal. Go beyond the 200 feet adjacency that the city requires, ask your neighbors across the road what they think. They may have insight on it that you hadn't thought of.
Everybody stay busy!


(3) From Beth Bentley re Forward Dallas:

http://www.forwarddallas.org/files/...Results1-10.pdf

http://www.forwarddallas.org/files/...nLetter2-20.pdf

Teardown Strategy Meeting
Monday, April 04
6:30 - 9:30 pm
Student Center, Lake Highlands High School
9449 Church Road








--

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Kathleen Matsumura
972-484-1391
214-437-4907


I am committed to accuracy in my reporting and in my dissemination of the reporting of others. If irrefutable evidence can be provided showing errors in any email I forward, I will not only distribute a correction, I will admit that I was wrong.


PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO THOSE YOU FEEL MAY BE INTERESTED. If you no longer wish to receive periodic emails, place REMOVE in Subject line of your reply email.


FYI...
Amelia Core Jenkins invites all to visit her new location in cyberspace that describes her new B&B location in The Cedars.......http:www.ameliasplace.com...please spread the word!


Nancy Moore has agreed to dedicate one page of her web site to Teardowns. Go to http://www.nancymoore.net and look at the bottom of the home page. Click on the link that says Teardowns.


For info on guided canoe trips on Trinity River, contact Charles Allen, Trinity River Expeditions. Go to http://www.canoedallas.com and click on Schedules button on left nav bar or phone 214-941-1757.


Interested in recycling? Call Dry Gulch today at 214-353-9986 and listen to a recorded message that will tell you about location, hours, items recycled. Founder Joanne Hill tells me that this coming April, Dry Gulch will have been in business 18 years!


Dallas City Council Email Addresses:
lamille@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, egarcia@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, jloza@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, edoakle@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, mtreese@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, dwhill@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, ssalaza@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, lchaney@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, jfantro@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, bblayde@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, gargrif@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, lfinkel@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, sgreyson@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, mrasans@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, vlill@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us

CTroyMathis

05 MARCH 05
FOUR SECTIONS....ONE For the Love of the Lake, as always, offers a fine example of how to motivate volunteer support and to draw the wider population to their jewel, White Rock Lake....TWO the Dallas Institute invites you to an interactive discussion on Monday.....THREE the Dallas chapter of the Sierra Club offers education on energy conservation, the oil crisis and recycliing...there will be more about Marvin Nichols and the fight vs. air pollution in another email.....FOUR the city of Farmers Branch invites stargazers to its Historical Park located near the junction of I35 and I635....Kathleen Matsumura


_________________________________


FOR THE LOVE OF THE LAKE News Items
_________________________________
Go to http://www.whiterocklake.org for more....


Opening reception for Niki Gulley exhibit and First Sunday Jazz: THIS Sunday, March 6, at the Bath House: Come for the art, stay for the music! Reception 2-4 p.m.
The Bath House Cultural Center and the White Rock Lake Museum present "Inspirations of White Rock Lake," an art exhibition featuring recent pastel paintings inspired by White Rock Lake and the surround area by Niki Gulley. The exhibit runs through April 30, 2005 at the Museum, located inside the Bath House Cultural Center. Niki Gulley is a supporter of FTLOTL (we have one of her paintings hanging in the office).

An opening reception for the exhibit will be from 2 to 4 pm this Sunday, March 6, at the Bath House Cultural Center. Niki will be there to talk about her paintings and answer any questions, along with the artists exhibiting in the other galleries.

Niki Gulley's website is http://www.nikigulley.com

While you're attending the reception, you'll also be able to take in the latest edition of the Bath House Cultural Center and White Rock Rhythms' First Sunday Jazz series. The Jazz Trio Jazz of Dave Zoller, Jeffry Eckels and Woody Bemer will be performing at the Bath House, also from 2 to 4 pm this Sunday.


The Bath House Cultural Center is located on the eastern shore of White Rock Lake at the end of Northcliff Drive, off of Buckner Boulevard at 521 E. Lawther, Dallas, TX 75218. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. (until 10 p.m. on nights with theatre performances). The White Rock Lake Museum's hours are the same as the Bath House Cultural Center's. For more information about the exhibition or Bath House programming, please call (214) 670-8749 or visit the Bath House on-line at http://www.bathhousecultural.com/.

Second Saturday Shoreline Spruce-Up: Saturday, March 12, 8 a.m.
Don't forget - our monthly Second Saturday Shoreline Spruce-Up is just around the corner -Saturday, March 12! Come celebrate that warm place you have in your heart for the lake. Show your love for the lake by helping beautify her shoreline.

We'll have all the usual goodies available for our hearty Volunteers. Registration and supplies (trash bags courtesy of Keep Texas Beautiful, recycling bags courtesy of Trinity Waste Services, and gloves courtesy of Medicine Associates) are available between 8 and 9 am at the FTLOTL office in Casa Linda Plaza. Before you trek out to the lake, treat yourself to complimentary Starbucks coffee, baked goodies from Great Harvest Bread Co., fresh fruit from Crosby Café & Catering, yummy jams from Marsue's Kitchen, delicious orange juice & chocolate milk from Schepps Dairy, refreshing RainFresh bottled water, and natural energy bars from Clif Bars.


Please join us at the FTLOTL Office on Saturday, March 12, from 8 to 9 am. The office is located in Casa Linda Plaza, on Buckner Boulevard, near Garland Road, facing Doctors Hospital.Have a kayak or canoe? Join us on the water! Stash Trash! Talk to your neighbors! Have fun! Get exercise! Enjoy the lake! Find treasures! Learn about recycling! Save the ducks!For more info on Second Saturday Shoreline Spruce-Up, visit http://www.whiterocklake.org or call 972-622-SAVE.


___________________________________________


THE DALLAS INSTITUTE Monday Interactive Discussion
____________________________________________


Is Dallas Good for Smart People? Come share your thoughts.


You are invited to the first-ever discussion event presented by the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and the new Dallas Morning News Sunday opinion section, Points. This will be an interactive discussion around whether or not Dallas is a place where intellect flourishes. What's your opinion?


The discussion will include Dallas Morning News book critic Jerome Weeks and UTD professor Frederick Turner. Frederick says Dallas is good for smart people, while Jerome says it is not. What do you think? Their opposing views on this topic will appear in the debut edition of Points this Sunday, March 6. Rod Dreher, the editor of Points, will moderate.


When: Monday, March 7, 6-8 p.m.

Where: The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
2719 Routh St., Dallas, TX 75201

Registration is required by Sunday, March 6, at 1-888-352-7609.

Points, the new commentary and opinion section appearing Sundays in The Dallas Morning News, premieres on March 6. Pick up your copy of The Dallas Morning News at a retailer near you.




Having trouble viewing Dallas Sierra Club News or clicking through on the links? View an online version of this email in your web browser at http://www.sierraclub.org/email/cha...las/archive.asp


UPCOMING MEETINGS - WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENERGY


GENERAL MEETING WEDNESDAY, MARCH. 9, 7 p.m.
PANEL DISCUSSION ON ENERGY CONSERVATION
Join us at the March meeting to find out how we use energy and what we can do to better protect the earth's resources. We are having an energy forum with three speakers who will discuss ways that we can reduce our energy consumption to help lessen our ecological footprint on the planet, yet at the same time continue to heat our homes and offices, take care of our transportation needs, and power our gadgets. Our guest speakers are Tom "Smitty" Smith, the Director of the Texas office of Public Citizen since 1985; Jeffrey Brown, a Petroleum Geologist and Geophysicist; and Patrick Kelly from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6. MEETING LOCATIONThe Sierra Club meets at Greenhill School, located at the NW corner of Midway & Spring Valley in Addison (MAPSCO 14F). Spring Valley is about 1 mile north of LBJ Freeway; Midway is about 1 mile west of the Tollway. Enter the campus by turning west from Midway onto Hornet road, the first light north of Spring Valley. Drive past the soccer fields and construction fence, park and enter the grassy quad on the left (look for the clock tower). We meet in the Upper School, on the east side of the quad (on the left as you walk into the quad from the parking lot). Directions to the school are on its website.


The meeting starts at 7:00. From 6:30 to 7:00 you can wander among various issue booths to pick up information and talk with Sierra Club members.


"END OF SUBURBIA" DOCUMENTARY THURSDAY MARCH 17, 7-9 p.m.
With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, "The End of Suburbia" explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era when global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary. The film will be shown at our regular meeting location from 7-9 p.m. Directions to our meeting location are at the end of this email.


RECYCLING OUTREACH TEAM TRAINING THURS. MAR. 10, 6:30 p.m.
We're training volunteers to speak to community groups in Dallas about the current recycling program and changes that may be implemented citywide. The next training session is on Thursday evening, March 10 at the La Madeleine restaurant at Preston Forest Shopping Center at 6:30 p.m. If you are interested in participating, email Ann Drumm or call 214-350-6108. WANTED: suggestions of organizations we should contact for speaking opportunities; provide contact name, phone and email if possible.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_________________________


FARMERS BRANCH Stargazing
_________________________


From BRANCH MAIL: City News
A Free E-Mail News Service of the City of Farmers Branch
fbinfo@farmersbranch.info


Cloud cover is forcing a postponement of the "Star Party," originally set for Thursday, March 3 at the Historical Park, 2540 Farmers Branch Lane The event has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 10. Everyone is invited to attend, beginning at dusk until about 9 p.m.


Sponsored by the Dallas Astronomical Society, the party will feature telescopes set up in the park for gazing at celestial objects both near and far. Admission is free. Contact Derrick Birdsall at the Historical Park at 972-406-0184.
--

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Kathleen Matsumura
972-484-1391
214-437-4907


I am committed to accuracy in my reporting and in my dissemination of the reporting of others. If irrefutable evidence can be provided showing errors in any email I forward, I will not only distribute a correction, I will admit that I was wrong.


PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO THOSE YOU FEEL MAY BE INTERESTED. If you no longer wish to receive periodic emails, place REMOVE in Subject line of your reply email.


FYI...
ServiceWorks!, the City of Dallas Volunteer Program, offers the citizens of Dallas with an opportunity to become an integral part of Dallas - the City That Works! For more information, please visit http://www.dallascityhall.com or send an email to Celeste Sauls at mailto:csauls@volunteernorthexas.org


Amelia Core Jenkins invites all to visit her new location in cyberspace that describes her new B&B location in The Cedars.......http:www.ameliasplace.com...please spread the word!


Nancy Moore has agreed to dedicate one page of her web site to Teardowns. Go to http://www.nancymoore.net and look at the bottom of the home page. Click on the link that says Teardowns.


For info on guided canoe trips on Trinity River, contact Charles Allen, Trinity River Expeditions. Go to http://www.canoedallas.com and click on Schedules button on left nav bar or phone 214-941-1757.


Interested in recycling? Call Dry Gulch today at 214-353-9986 and listen to a recorded message that will tell you about location, hours, items recycled. Founder Joanne Hill tells me that this coming April, Dry Gulch will have been in business 18 years!


Dallas City Council Email Addresses:
lamille@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, egarcia@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, jloza@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, edoakle@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, mtreese@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, dwhill@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, ssalaza@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, lchaney@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, jfantro@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, bblayde@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, gargrif@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, lfinkel@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, sgreyson@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, mrasans@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us, vlill@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us

CTroyMathis

07 MARCH 05

Kathleen,
That would be great. Also, you all are more than invited to discuss items
at the forum as well if you wish. I think many, including myself, have
mixed opinions but are highly interested in the bridges nevertheless. There
are also plenty who could care less for them. The Trinity as a whole
garners several topics and quite a bit of discussion at the forum.

As for blog linking, you are more than welcome to link up to any related
discussions.

Thanks for all the emails!
Troy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kathleen Matsumura" <kmatsumu@swbell.net>
To: "Troy Mathis" <ctroymathis@dallasmetropolis.com>
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 10:50 AM
Subject: Save the Trinity site


> Troy...
>
> (1) A newly revised Save the Trinity site is being developed....we wanted
to
> incorporate a blog....what would you think about our linking to your
> site....the Dallas-Fort Worth Urban Forum? It seems you welcome a an
> exchange of all sides of issues...We who are working on the revised STT
site
> are trying to offer alternatives to the various aspects of the Trinity
River
> Corridor project. I know you are excited at the Calatrava Bridge designs.
> We are not looking forward to these bridges in our city....but there's the
> difference of opinion you seem to invite....
>
> If the link would be possible, what would be necessary to make it happen?
>
> I will pass on your input to the group for the members to make the final
> decision.
>
> (2) On another subject, Neighborhood Stability/Teardowns issue is a
popular
> issue often featured in my listserve messages....will this issue be
> discussed on your site? I noticed that there is a place for Neighborhood
> input.
>
> Thank you for all you are doing..... I look forward to hearing from
you....

gc

holy canoli!

__________________
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”

CTroyMathis

NEW INFO Vision North Texas
________________________
FYI....an excerpt from a web site about upcoming regional visioning workshop
What Will Vision North Texas Do and When?
The first phase of Vision North Texas began in the summer of 2004 and will continue through the end of 2005. The second phase will begin in 2006. The primary activity during the first phase of Vision North Texas will be a major regional visioning workshop to be held on April 25, 2005, at the University of Texas at Arlington.


KATHLEEN'S NOTE: Go to http://www.visionnorthtexas.org/main.html for more. The event is invitation-only for the morning session....guests are welcome for lunch and the afternoon.


_________________________________________________


FOLLOW UP Trinity*Dallas Homeless*Trees*Reservoir*Housing
_________________________________________________


(1) This Week's Dallas City Council Briefing:
According to the city of Dallas web site, council briefing meetings are held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at Dallas City Hall (1500 Marilla). Meetings begin at 9 a.m. and are open to the public. The following briefings are tentatively scheduled for Wednesday April 6:


*2005-06 Budget Preview (37 KB)
*Workers Compensation (117 KB)
*Trinity Parkway Draft Environmental Impact Statement & Hearing Update (2.0 MB)
*Achieving Critical Mass in the Central Business District (3.10 MB)
*Bath House Ordinance - Not Available
KATHLEEN'S NOTE: Go to http://www.dallascityhall.com/dalla...ings/index.html for more. Downloads of associated materials are available for those items in bold blue font above.


(2) Mary Lou Montes Zijderfeld in the NW Hwy/Bachman Lake area wrote more about development on Harry Hines & homeless:
Below are two emails I have received regarding the project on Harry Hines that needs to be voted on April 6 by the City Council. The urgency of this project is that this site is one of the places some people have talked about as a temporary (should it happen they would be there for good) place for the Homeless Shelter after the lease downtown expires in January 2006.

Since last Sunday I have become more aware of how many homeless people we already have in our neighborhood. As you all may remember last Sunday I got to see first hand two homeless men sleeping in back of the shopping center on Walnut Hill & Marsh Lane. And that entire alley looked like people live in back of those stores. This area is about two blocks from my house. Check it out for yourself. Also see how many people wonder our streets that do not live here. We can not allow more to come into our area of the city. As records show we already have 1,100 in the NW area.

NW Dallas is a great place to live and work in. But for years it has been neglected because of poor code enforcement. Homeowners in Wilma Avalos (president of the neighborhood association that is less then a mile away) are excited about it. So are District 2 City Council Candidate Se Gwen Tyler's neighbors (neighborhood that is next to Saint Paul Hospital). I am sold on it because about two months ago I was present at City Council when a speaker spoke about that location as a site for part of a Homeless Shelter.

Comments sent to Mary Lou are as follows:
ONE COMMENT There is a project under consideration near our neighborhood (Where there is an existing old hotel just north-west of the Harry Hines - Mockingbird intersection) to convert and add to the existing structure to turn the property into a mixed elderly/family units. Elderly tenants will be in two buildings, while the others will be mixed family. The rental fees are planned to be very affordable. From my perspective this plan sounds good because; 1. It improves our neighborhood, and 2. therefore our property values, 3. It does something with a property that is currently a vacant eyesore, 4. It allows a family with children to live closely with their elderly family members allowing younger people to interact with the older ones, and 5. allows for assistance or special care for the elderly as needed.

It sounds like a no-brainer, a simple win-win situation. However it is meeting some serious opposition by groups and state senators who are not connected with our neighborhood in any way. Please take a moment to read the email below and send a letter (or two, or three) to the folks trying to stop this project. Please feel free to share this with anyone you wish.
************************************************** ************************************************
SECOND COMMENT It is obvious that a wealthy client/constituent of Royce West wants him to kill the plan and he like other special interests can get Loza to jump through what ever hoops they put in front of him. These two are disgraceful.
KATHLEEN'S NOTE: Monday, April 4, 5 p.m. The School of Architecture invites you to a special lecture on sustainable design and LEED certification at UTA featuring Murray Legge, AIA//LZT Architects//Austin, Texas presenting innovative sustainable design strategies in the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless at Auditorium Rm 204 School of Architecture The University of Texas at Arlington. Contact Autumn Musso at AMMusso@shwgroup.com with the USGBC North Texas Chapter for more.


(3) Linda Pelon wrote on Mid March Board of Adjustments hearing re Dallas Tree Ordinance:
I do not have good news to report. Frank Geis was granted his "exception" to our tree preservation ordinance and will have an additional 15 (rather than 18) months to use the cheapest possible option to mitigate for the trees he destroyed in developing the Victorian Forest(less) Estates. I was the only person present to speak against his request and waited from 1pm until almost 5 pm to speak about this issue. Most of this BOA panel did NOT want to grant this developer an extension. After a lot of consultation with the asst. attorney assigned to this board they stated that they must grant him his request. One commissioner even told told Geis that he thought he "used" the system and was not inclined to grant his request--and did reduce the time frame to 15, rather than 18 months, and told him he could just work a little faster. PROBLEM: the city attorney advising this committee convinced this panel that they had a legal obligation to grant this request!...if that is the case, then why even have a hearing???? We need to make an appointment with this attorney and get him to explain this to us. Otherwise, why waste hours of advocacy efforts on these issues?? I really do not understand this at all. This developer had other options!

There was, however, some significant information revealed during this hearing. I was very surprised to hear Gloria Hogue (Maxine T. Reese's appointee to the Park Board; she was there to speak in favor of the developer's request) state that SHE was responsible for Frank Geis' acquisition of this property--- Which means that while she was a Park Board appointee she proactively encouraged a developer to buy property that was in the condemnation process to become parkland (after over 10 years of volunteer efforts by the community she is supposed to be representing to secure this environmental treasure for parkland--and a park board decision to do so!). The only reason she gave was that she lives adjacent to this property and felt safer if was developed, rather than wooded parkland. It is my understanding that, according to our ethics laws, city representatives (appointed or elected) are supposed to recuse themselves when properties are adjacent to properties they own.This whole issue continues to be very troubling!


(4) Dallas Reservoir Update and Request for Help from Sierra Club:
A briefing by city staff on funding a feasibility study of Fastrill was held Monday (March 28) along with a briefing on the Sulphur River Basinwide Study that includes Marvin Nichols. The vote by Council on whether to fund both studies is expected to be April 13.

NEW FASTRILL RESERVOIR THREATENS PENDING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Proponents of the proposed Fastrill Reservoir are pushing hard to get
Fastrill in the state water plan and to get Dallas to put up money to fund
feasibility studies of the reservoir. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is
well-along in the process of establishing the Neches River National Wildlife
Refuge on the same site and clearly the water hustlers hope to block final
approval of the refuge.


WE NEED TO PROVIDE INPUT QUICKLY TO THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL
Some of you have already contacted the Dallas City Council, prior to their
March 9 vote to NOT put Marvin Nichols or Fastrill in Dallas’ Long-Range
Water Supply Plan. Now Dallas city staff is asking the Council to funding studies
of not only Marvin Nichols, but also the recently discussed a feasibility
study of Fastrill Reservoir.We have ANOTHER opportunity to deter the fast-track that the Marvin Nichols
and Fastrill proponents are trying to make happen.

Call Councilmembers Blaydes, Lill, Salazar, Fantroy, Greyson, Loza, Rasansky,
Hill, and Chaney. Ask them to not fund the Marvin Nichols study.

Tell them it's not too late to do the right thing by stopping studies which
will paralyze these ranchers, farmers, and other fellow Texans from making
decisions about their livelihoods and futures for years while these studies are
conducted. While condemnation looms over these landowners heads, these studies
may have a direct impact on the lowering of property values even while
awaiting the studies' final outcome.

SPECFIC to Lill/Blaydes on Fastrill (per comments at last Council vote)

CALL Councilmembers Bill Blaydes and Veletta Forsythe Lill and urge them to
oppose funding for Fastrill studies. (Contact info for Dallas Council below)

Message to Councilman Blaydes: It is not true that the landowners on the
Fastrill site are willing sellers. It is also not true that building a reservoir
and establishing a national wildlife refuge are compatible actions. Ask him
to read carefully the information sent to him by TCONR, Sierra Club, and
other groups and oppose funding for Fastrill feasibility studies.

Message to Councilwoman Lill: You expressed concern in the past about
inundating an area that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is in the process of
establishing as the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge. Please oppose funding
for Fastrill studies,

(5) Follow up re my email of 3/22 that mentioned the Texas Residential Construction Commission and previous email exchanges re preserving neighborhoods is the link to below. This is a story from the 2/24/05 edition of Houston Press (sister magazine to Dallas Observer) re Bob Perry, owner of Perry Homes, and founder of the TRCC, entitled "The Dead Zone." The TRCC connection mentioned on page 4....the excerpt below the link describes a scene many here in Dallas can relate to.


http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/.../feature_1.html


Excerpt:
On the wraparound porch of a lime-green turn-of-the-century cottage in the West End, Lynn Edmundson listens to nail-gun blasts echo like shots from charging marauders. Nine multistory town houses are rising nearby in the place of three small bungalows. As the director of Historic Houston, a preservation group, Edmundson is the neighborhood's unofficial triage nurse. She examines the cottage's ornate moldings and pristine siding. "There is nothing wrong with this house," she proclaims, turning to glare at the construction across the street. "Except now it's on a property that will be redeveloped like that."

The bulldozers will arrive in a few days, leaving Edmundson little time. Her workers will cut the house in half with a massive buzz saw, load it onto a flatbed trailer and set off on a slow, three-day journey to a farm near Chapel Hill. But without a permit to carry the giant load across a country bridge, the deal could fall through.

Edmundson is used to the stress. Since 1999, she has relocated more than 20 historic homes. And she still can't fathom why Inner Loop residents are eager to see them go. "I think there's a huge value, an unrecognized value, in an older home," she says.

Fifty years ago, this neighborhood just east of Memorial Park supported a thriving street life. People ate dinner, drank cocktails and chatted with their neighbors on porches fronting green lawns. Yet the residents here gradually became poorer. In 1968, during the height of white flight from the inner city, Perry Homes was founded. It offered the fleeing urbanites affordable, spacious suburban houses filled with modern amenities such as dishwashers and central air-conditioning.

And thanks to cheap land and permissive building standards, the suburban dream of an acre, a dog and an oversize living room soon was open to almost everybody. Many black and Hispanic buyers began moving in the 1980s into formerly outlying neighborhoods such as north Spring Branch, while whites migrated even farther out. The neglected West End and other inner-city neighborhoods became full-blown ghettos.

Yet suburbia also began showing cracks and tatters. Perry and other developers built hundreds of houses in the early 1980s next to the former location of Brio Refining, a petrochemical-laced Superfund site near Ellington Field. The residents sued over health concerns and won more than $200 million from an insurance consortium. Hurricane Chantall hit the Texas coast in 1989 and wreaked havoc on poorly installed storm windows in 400 Ryland Homes (see "Closing Costs," by Brad Tyer, October 29, 1998). And leaky synthetic stucco used in the late 1990s by Life Forms Homes in The Woodlands caused pervasive mold problems in numerous houses.

Eventually some suburbanites began eyeing the neglected Victorians, which were in miraculously good shape.

Edmundson opens the cottage's heavy front door, walks past a glass window carved into the form of a dragon and steps inside. The ceilings tower over 11 feet and the wood floors exude a deep reddish glow. The frame has been built with oversize hardwood studs. She walks back outside and points to the cypress siding. Dense, termite-resistant and nearly impervious to rot, swamp cypress was once standard-issue for home exteriors in Houston; now most of the trees are gone. "This house is built with such far better materials than you can get today," she says.

Kathleen Matsumura
972-484-1391
214-437-4907


I am committed to accuracy in my reporting and in my dissemination of the reporting of others. If irrefutable evidence can be provided showing errors in any email I forward, I will not only distribute a correction, I will admit that I was wrong.


PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO THOSE YOU FEEL MAY BE INTERESTED. If you no longer wish to receive periodic emails, place REMOVE in Subject line of your reply email.


FYI...
Visit http://www.savethetrinity.org, the Save the Trinity web site offering an Alternative to the official position on the Trinity River Corridor. You're invited to send your emails to info@savethetrinity.org.


Register and read and write on the Dallas-Fort Worth Urban Forum blog. Go to http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/ The Trinity Whitewater Course thread is just one example of what you'll find.


Get out of your vehicle & save gas money. Support public transportation: Hop a bus or train. To find out about DART services, go to http://www.dart.org/services.asp

ServiceWorks!, the City of Dallas Volunteer Program, offers you an opportunity to become an integral part of Dallas - the City That Works! For more information, please visit http://www.dallascityhall.com or send an email to Celeste Sauls at mailto:csauls@volunteernorthexas.org


Amelia Core Jenkins invites all to visit her new location in cyberspace that describes her new B&B location in The Cedars.......http:www.ameliasplace.com...please spread the word!


Nancy Moore has agreed to dedicate one page of her web site to Teardowns. Go to http://www.nancymoore.net and look at the bottom of the home page. Click on the link that says Teardowns.


For info on guided canoe trips on Trinity River, contact Charles Allen, Trinity River Expeditions. Go to http://www.canoedallas.com and click on Schedules button on left nav bar or phone 214-941-1757.


How about recycling? Call Dry Gulch today at 214-353-9986 and listen to a recorded message that will tell you about location, hours, items recycled. Founder Joanne Hill says Dry Gulch has been in operation for 18 years!

txRNGr

haha, CTroyMathis your avatar distracts me from reading anything on this board...thats hilarious

CTroyMathis

Oops.

Tnekster

I got an email today about the comprehensive plan and a series of meetings coming up next week. They are encouraging citizen participation. Go to the link here http://www.forwarddallas.org/about/enews/index.html and then click on public events to find out where they are.

Lakewooder

There was a Forward Dallas insert in today's Dallas News, I haven't had a chance to peruse it yet..