October Newsletter
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October Newsletter

"If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour" Victoria Erickson


THE ESSENTIALS...


September brought some good news! The Dallas Morning News reported that the Department of Aviation has paused on a selection for a North Entrance. In addition the Parks and Recreation Board unanimously passed a resolution chastising Love Field for their entrance selection process, which did not include them nor the community. Links included herein, if you haven't seen the article and the resolution.


If you visit Bachman Lake early in the morning, in addition to rowers, you will see anglers vying for some of the catch from the lake. Last month we published the 2019 Fisheries Survey done for Bachman Lake by the Texas Parks and Wildlife for Bachman Lake, make sure to check it out. Also, both rowers and anglers will be pleased to know that Dallas Water Utilities reported that "the water quality of Bachman Lake was compliant with the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards set by TCEQ."


Do you want to help out? Picking up trash or helping with Hallowheels would be greatly appreciated! In case you are wondering why there have not been major cleaning events at the lake, the Park Department has warned us not to have any gatherings of greater than 10 people. We have had several Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups reach out to help, so if you see small pods of them around the lake helping with clean-up, make sure to thank them! Rowers and anglers, we could also use help cleaning water-side, so can you put a trash bag in your boat/skull and help cover a little part of your world? For our runners & walkers, put your plogging skills to work – every bit counts!!

We did get approval for Hallowheels on October 31st and need help!


Drop off candy donations at 4175 Wilada Dr or call (214) 868-3309 and someone will come pick up!


We need host vehicles, please sign-up!


Lots of options to send funds:

Venmo: @Diana-lira

Zelle: (214) 868-3309

Cash App: $dlira11

...or just mail a check to Susanna Brown at 4175 Wilada Dr, Dallas TX 75220


***Please continue to share our newsletter with your neighbors and friends!***

 

NEWS


Mulalala for Bachman Area Mobility Study!!


Good things are coming for pedestrians and cyclists along Northwest Highway and it has taken multiple meetings of many minds to make this happen. Friends of Bachman Lake has been instrumental in unifying various government and community stakeholders under one comprehensive plan for making this important but blighted thoroughfare, a source of civic pride.



The North Texas Council of Governments (NCTCoG or 'CoG') wants to hear from you on BIG pedestrian/mobility ideas that could be part of the scope of the $1M recently approved for the Bachman area. NCTCoG defines itself as a voluntary association of, by and for local governments, established to assist in regional planning. Through CoG, cities and municipalities around North Texas use their collective powers to plan, fund and implement improvements throughout the region. These resources are what we at #FoBL and others are trying to leverage in order to finally see improvements along Northwest Dallas.


In February, FoBL sponsored a session with Dallas County, State Representative Rafael Anchia, Dallas City Council members Medrano, Narvaez and Gates, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and community organizations to advocate for improvements along Northwest Highway. The road lacks sidewalks along many stretches and is a dangerous crossing for those wanting access to Bachman Lake Park and the surrounding businesses. In that meeting, Council Member Omar Narvaez (District 6) committed to engage NCTCoG to work toward a solution.

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed some of the activity but in June, Mr. Narvaez was able to gather FoBL, Representative Anchia and Representative John Turner to meet (virtually) with CoG. The groups reviewed all previous bond requests for the area and summarized the existing situation with Northwest Highway, the high number of pedestrian fatalities, the health effects of the Heat Cone due to lack of green spaces/trees, and the fact that lots of kids and seniors live in the in the area with no safe access to Bachman Lake Park. Northwest Highway was described as a “barrier to community” and NTCOG agreed.


A follow-up meeting was held in July and the request for funding was approved in August. Never have we seen bureaucracies move this fast! Best of all, Michael Morris, NCTCoG Director of Transportation, stressed that re-envisioning the Bachman area in a post-COVID world must be “a bottoms-up” approach that must make pedestrian / cycling needs a higher priority than vehicular traffic. The changes might include the creation of pedestrian and cycling lanes, adding trees, slowing down traffic and adding safe crossings. In addition, he insisted that the Department of Aviation alternate entry analysis must fall under the Bachman area analysis, which is what finally caused Love Field to pause their entrance work.


On October 1st, NCTCoG presented a proposal and requested help in getting input from the area at large for ideas on how best to access parks, trails, residences, shopping, dining and work. The video of their presentation is on YouTube and is super interesting. We have until October 16th to send input. Please make sure to share this information with your neighbors!


For more information on all this - please join NCTCoG, National Parks and Friends of Bachman Lake on Facebook Live this October 12th (see Events below).



Cleaning the green lagoons of Bachman Lake


Dallas Water Utilities just gave us a heads-up about a project in their area regarding the lagoons along Harry Hines. All water treatment facilities remove material and compounds from the water during the purification process. These materials are removed through filtration or sedimentation and are typically transferred to large basins where the material is allowed to settle and accumulate. Bachman Water Treatment Plant has two offsite basins, or lagoons, located about ½ mile away from the plant by Harry Hines and Shorecrest. Its been 8 years since the last time the lagoons were cleaned and they are full!


What to expect:

  • In about two weeks, the contractor, American Process Group, will be ready to start removing material from the site using trucks. This past week, they have been installing the equipment needed to process and remove the residuals.

  • Based on previous projects, we believe it will take 1 year to complete the task. The contractor is optimistic and has an internal goal to complete ahead of schedule.

  • You can expect to see an average of 50 truckloads of material removed from the site daily. If the contractor is able to optimize their operation, the contract duration will be decreased, but the number of truckloads each day will increase.

  • To access the site, trucks will travel I-35 E South and exit Northwest Highway. The trucks will turn onto Harry Hines and travel to the site at Lagoon # 2.

  • To leave the site, trucks will travel down Harry Hines and turn onto Regal Row. From there, they will access I35 E North to travel to the disposal site.

  • Typically, the contractor will be operating during normal business hours.

 

EVENTS


Our monthly plogging event is every 2nd Saturday of the month from 6-7ish (or 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!



Every second Monday of the month (6PM English and 7PM Spanish) we host a multi-neighborhood virtual meeting to review the major projects that affect our area. In October we will have NCTCoG and National Parks as guests.






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. 








The Love Field Good Neighbor Program's quarterly meeting is on October 22nd at 6pm. You must register to attend.


Also, the Love Field Environmental Advisory Committee will meet virtually on October, 15th at 6pm.



 

OUR FAVORITE IMAGES THIS MONTH


Instagram photo credits:

 

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