July Newsletter: Stormy weather
Updated: Jul 11, 2019
Call to Action
Our Asks of You: Save the Trees!
As you know, at least 40 oak trees are in danger from the Aquatic Center construction. Please write an email to the City of Dallas indicating your opposition to any tree being cut down and to ask that they look for other alternatives like placing the facility along the length of the recreation center facing the lake.
Come to the Love Field Environmental Committee meeting (see Events)
There is always much reported in the Good Neighbor Program about noise contamination however little is said about the 12 outflows from the airport property into Bachman Lake. This is an opportunity for the community to engage, become informed and ask questions.
Attend the August budget hearing at multiple districts
Ask for increased funding for parks versus the planned $4M cut
Request additional trails and protected cycling lanes: connection to Campion Trail (and DART station), pedestrian / cycling around the airport, connection to Northaven Trail via Denton Dr
Speak up on your opposition to a north entrance to Love Field over the lake!
News
We have a website!
Of course, being on this page means that you already know. It takes a team effort of ideas and wish lists to get a “friends” group up and running. It also takes money and volunteers to engage the community and city leaders to protect Bachman Lake and park. Now, you can keep up with our efforts to inform, educate, inspire and motivate the community by visiting our new website.
We’ll be making regular improvements and listening for ways to bring us closer together in working for our common goals. Be sure and stay updated on the goings-on at the lake and park as well as City Hall. We’ll introduce upcoming events, add opinion and perspective about matters affecting our quality of life, and introduce ways for you to become an even greater friend of Bachman Lake.
Aquatic Center vs The Trees
Does this have to be a battle? Can we not have both (or most)?
While talking to folks about the park and the trail, we hear them invariably talk about safety. The perception is that one of the least safe areas of the park is by the recreation center. The recreation center is beautifully positioned towards the lake, yet as you walk into the facility you cannot see the back patios or the lake itself. It is this privacy that makes the patio a prime area for many homeless to use as bathroom and to sleep. In fact, the children from the after school programs do not go out to use the patio or the playground due to these safety and hygiene concerns. The City is investing millions in the recreation center for a facelift and an Aquatic Center, yet these basic concerns from the community are not being addressed.
The plans proposed by the Parks Department ensure that all components of regional aquatic center are included, from a meandering river, to swim lanes. Unfortunately, the placement of the aquatic center is away from the lake and in the tree grove. To better leverage the lake as an asset, save the trees and address safety/security, we believe that the a design solution for consideration should be to place the aquatic center along the length of the recreation center facing the lake. The challenge we posed to the Parks Department is to figure out how to fit most of the amenities in this space and bring back to the community a plan that addresses safety, provides great amenities with a lakeside view, and saves the trees.
Lemmon Avenue Pedestrian / Cycling Path is Finally Progressing!
Friends of Bachman Lake has confirmed that Love Field Airport has released a Request for Quote to design and engineer the cycling / pedestrian trail along Lemmon Avenue to Bachman Lake Park. This is fantastic news!
Remember, Love Field Airport owns both sides of Lemmon Ave in this area and their budget is separate from the city's. Also, note that Love Field has received neighborhood feedback on the need for sidewalks and trails since 2014. Based on this, it is our opinion that the airport should not only fund the design and engineering in 2020 but also complete the construction of this trail. We understand that there's a plan to remove the light bollards on the sidewalks along the entrance to the airport. Yes, they are ugly, however it seems that without an alternate entrance in place, this construction will snarl traffic on Herb Kelleher Way, which is the only in-out access to the terminals. If traffic is already an issue entering and exiting the airport, we hope that exacerbating the problem, even temporarily, won't make the case for a worse-case-scenario: a plan for a north entrance that will likely take traffic right over Bachman Lake. We will need to stay alert as the Airport-funded traffic study is scheduled to be completed this month.
Keep Bachman Lake Beautiful!
On Sunday, June 30th, we joined with Keep Dallas Beautiful, UT Southwestern and Groundwork Dallas to pick up branches that had fallen from the trees during our crazy storms. In addition to about 30 piles of branches, we picked up at least 24 bags of trash.
A huge thanks to the Groundwork Dallas team for chopping up the large trees and to all the folks that joined in on the effort and were not afraid of a 1PM start! The best part of the event is that as we walked the lake, other neighbors joined in on picking up trash. Someone called it an awesome cultural event. Who knew?
Events
Meet Up With Us Monthly
Our first monthly plogging event is this Saturday from 6ish (or whatever time your coffee kicks in) to 11ish (or earlier, if it gets too hot). Bring one of those plastic bags we all have around the house and put it to good use. Walk the path or meander off of it and pick up trash. It’s great for the hamstrings! Give a shout-out to anyone you see walking around the lake with a plastic bag - they are clearly FoBLers!
Also, don't forget to join us at our monthly ‘meeting of the minds’ at Bluffview Growler. It's on the 4th Wednesday of every month from 4-6PM. No RSVP needed.
Save the Dates:
The next Love Field Good Neighbor meeting will take place Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at Arlington Park Recreation Center at 6 p.m.
The Love Field Environmental Advisory Committee (LFEAC) is held on the third Thursday of the month on a quarterly basis from 6pm - 8pm. The next one is July 18, 2019 at 7555 Lemmon Ave, RM 103
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