March Newsletter
Updated: Jul 2, 2020
Our asks of you
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Stay Safe
We didn't anticipate that we'd be at the level of health warnings that we are today, but alas, here we are. Please heed all precautions and look after your older neighbors. Ask if there is anything you can get for them if you're out getting essentials. We're in this together ... and that's how we'll emerge.
News
Airport Alternate Entrance: Write or Call Campaign
We do not know when Love Field Airport will be presenting their downselected entrance options to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. If you are looking for something constructive to do while in self-isolation, consider WRITING and CALLING the Committee members. They are: Lee Kleinman, Adam Medrano, Tennell Atkins, Adam Bazaldua, David Blewett, Adam McGough and Chad West. Please make sure you CC Omar Narvaez, Jennifer Gates and Adam Medrano, who are the City Council Representatives for Bachman Lake Park. The format for City of Dallas emails is: firstname.lastname@dallascityhall.com.
The second article in the newsletter may give you some inspiration on what to write!
#GiveMeGreen @ Northwest Highway
February was a busy month! We hosted State, City and County representatives at the Bachman Lake Library in order to collaborate on how we can address the barriers that Northwest Highway presents to accessibility in North Dallas. Despite the rain, we had an amazing turnout from neighbors and representatives. This is clearly a topic that is top of mind and we were happy to help facilitate the conversation. Friends of Bachman Lake has taken this challenge on because:
After downtown and Fair Park, this area has the highest number of Pedestrian and Cycling accidents in Dallas. Sadly, last month, there was another death.
Our community walks and bikes to stores and to the park.
The number of kids and families will increase as Bachman Lake becomes a destination park with the new regional aquatic and regional skate parks. Picture skaters coming down the trail and making their way to Webb Chapel to pick up a frozen yogurt or a bit at Pollo Campero.
The road is an eyesore, from the homeless encampment under Denton Dr to the ugly median.
The map below was provided as a handout and we reviewed the black squares, as these were focus points along NW Highway or areas where TXDoT has primary responsibility. The main issues related to sidewalks, the need for safe passage and beautification of NW Highway, the crumbling Denton Dr bridge and the flooding that occurs at Denton Dr and the entrance ti I-35 from Harry Hines.
We are excited to let you know that Representative Anchia acknowledges that work is needed and has offered to facilitate the necessary meetings to move the work forward. He recommended the following as next steps:
Meet every two months with stakeholders to keep momentum going. This would include government, NGOs and neighborhoods.
Review all prior studies to summarize what has been previously proposed so that we don't reinvent the wheel.
Apply strategies that would reduce speed.
Have aesthetics as a strategy: "make northwest highway humane.”
Prioritize the asks based on criteria to be defined but which would, at a minimum, include cost and community needs.
Include CoG in the meetings.
Ensure that the sidewalk needs inventory reflects NW Highway, Harry Hines and Shorecrest roads.
Friends of Bachman Lake will be working with Councilman Narvaez's office to identify the appropriate attendees for the working sessions. We also appreciate Representative Anchia's interest in staying engaged and attending future meetings.
The Power of the Pen
On February 3rd, Friends of Bachman Lake wrote a letter to the entire Park's Department Board.As the third largest park in the City of Dallas and one that will be hosting regional amenities, it is incumbent upon all Board representatives to understand that an airport north entrance will bring increased traffic, and possibly a car rental facility and a people-mover tram. It is our understanding that this letter has also caught the attention of the city and that they now realize that multiple multi-million dollar projects are in-flight with no area Master Plan.
No progress has been seen on written and verbal requests for task forces on the Love Field North entrance and the Lemmon Ave Trail. Thus on February 13th, Friends of Bachman Lake wrote a letter to Mark Duebner, Director of Aviation (AVI) and also included the City of Dallas Chief of Staff and Assistant City Manager over Transportation, asking that two community task forces be convened and that any further presentations to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee regarding an alternate entrance be put on pause. As we said in the letter: "The north (also called alternate) entrance project is too great an undertaking to consider sporadic neighborhood updates sufficient community engagement."
A response to the letter was received from Mr Duebner within 3 hours; he was clear that AVI considers the one-way Good Neighbor Program meetings sufficient engagement: "AVI projects have a robust public involvement component and will continue to actively seek input from stakeholders. The establishment of task forces would be contrary to the inclusive process of stakeholder input, and as such, we have no plans to establish any task force for the projects listed above."
Mr Kleinman, who is the Chair of the Infrastructure and Transportation Committee added that:"We will proceed with planning and continue to brief the Transportion Committee. And, as Mark mentions we will utilize the GNP as the feedback loop for the neighborhoods."
Needless to say, we were very disappointed in the outright dismissal of this request and are engaging all the neighborhood presidents to be a signatory to a new letter to Love Field.
More to come on that front....
Events
Our monthly plogging event is every 2nd Saturday of the month whatever time your coffee or daylight hours kick in. 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.
Favorite Shots
Here are some of our favorite Instagram pics taken at Bachman Lake.
Instagram: @cumminglegacy
Instagram: @santoslopez483
Instagram: @aliciadcornell
Instagram:@je_joshuabynum
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