COUNCIL ACTION, CULTURAL DISTRICT PARKING
I think we’ve all heard by now that a paid parking initiative will take place within the cultural district in the coming months (closer to March/April).
On January 12, the City Council approved the following:
1. The execution of a Contract beginning February 1, 2010, with Standard Parking Corporation for the management and operation of the Will Rogers Memorial Center Parking Facilities for a management fee of $66,500.00 per year for an initial term of three years, with three one year renewal options upon the same terms and conditions; and
2. Adopted a supplemental appropriation ordinance increasing appropriations in the Municipal Parking Fund by $772,685.00 and decreasing the unaudited, unreserved, undesignated fund balance by the same amount.
Read the full M&C information: http://www.fortworthgov.org/council_packet/mc_review.asp?ID=12898&councildate=1/12/2010
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING, FEB 15
Monday, February 15 at 6:30pm
Arlington Heights United Methodist Church
4200 Camp Bowie Blvd. (enter on Hillcrest)
Join us in February as we welcome Stroke Clinical Education Specialist Allene Brown, RN BSN MBA with Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth who will discuss stroke and stroke prevention measures. Following will be our regular business meeting including crime report.
JANUARY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES
Click on the following link to view the January 2010 General Membership Meeting Minutes: AHNA General Meeting Minutes_January2010
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING SIGNS
AHNA needs your help! We need several volunteers to put the monthly general membership meeting signs in their yards prior to the meeting (held on the 3rd Monday of each month, except December). If you live on a major or highly traveled street and wouldn’t mind helping us out, please email Makenzie Carpenter at president@arlingtonheightsna.com
THANK YOU!
SEISMIC TESTING UPDATE
Several residents have called regarding seismic testing. I spoke to Gateway Permit Services yesterday and they confirmed that they’ve been putting information on doors letting residents know that seismic testing will be taking place in our neighborhood very soon.
I also confirmed that residents who did NOT sign a seismic testing waiver will NOT see any equipment on their lawn, and seismic information will not be taken anywhere on the property line.
If you have any questions / concerns you are welcome to call Kerri with Gateway Permit Services at 817-781-1114.
MESSAGE FROM THE LEAGUE OF NEIGHBORHOODS
The following is an important letter from businesswoman Deborah Rogers to members of the Fort Worth City Council regarding the latest information on gas drilling emissions testing by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. We have been asked to share it with our residents and other neighborhood leaders.
Dear Mr. Mayor and Members of Council,
The Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) released its final report last week regarding air testing in the Barnett Shale region. After careful review of both the toxicology and the final report, it becomes clear that gas drilling activity is indeed having a detrimental effect on our air quality in North Texas. Unfortunately, the citizens and the Council have been given information which at times is inconsistent and puzzling.
The report indicates that high levels of benzene are at approximately 1 of every 2 facilities. A total of 43 facilities were tested and 21 were found to have benzene levels “higher than TCEQ would like to see.” This is important to note because as citizens we live next to facilities and will be affected by any point source at that facility which is emitting toxins. They went on to state that “gas production facilities can, and in some cases do, emit contaminants in amounts that could be deemed unsafe.”
According to TCEQ’s Toxicology Report, “twenty one facilities (52 samples) in 12 geographic locations registered benzene above long term health based screening levels”, or roughly half of all facilities tested.
In addition to the findings of benzene, elevated levels of carbon disulfide, ethane, 1,2 dibromethane and isopentane were detected above short term health based comparisons at some sites. In total, “35 chemicals were detected above appropriate short term comparisons”. The addition of these chemicals simply adds to the toxic mixture in our air. Further, NOx was detected in multiple samples and as we all know NOx is a primary constituent of ozone. Odorous compounds which could cause odor related illness were also found at high concentrations.
Further, on January 12, we were told that 126 sites had been tested in Ft. Worth. But of these 126 sites only eight canister samples were actually taken. Most of the sites had merely been screened with infra red cameras and vapor analyzers, neither of which is designed to test ambient air.
Further these electronic devices can be compromised in cold weather. Eight samples do not indicate a comprehensive review. Dr. Honeycutt, Chief Toxicologist of TCEQ, made a statement recently to the Star Telegram that the first round of tests in Ft. Worth was “more of a screening. We’re not done in Ft. Worth by any stretch of the imagination.”
So where does this leave us as citizens? What picture are we meant to draw from this rather dense and at times confusing information?
It is this. While TCEQ does plan to implement changes that are designed to mitigate some of the detrimental effects of drilling, the fact remains that they only have 17 inspectors for the entire Barnett Shale region. That is 1 inspector for approximately every 1000 wells and this does not include compressor stations and all the other peripheral equipment needed which also require inspection. In the case of compressor stations, these can indeed be of greatest concern. In short, TCEQ cannot possibly police this effectively or adequately. The drilling activity has simply grown too large. We are asking them to do the impossible.
The only way to adequately protect our families, homes and businesses is to implement changes to the gas drilling ordinance which would impose more stringent requirements and thereby lessen the burden of policing. Further on-going monitoring must be conducted for the life of the wells and this cost should be borne by the operators as part of the permit process and considered a normal cost of doing business in such a densely populated area. Contractual obligations with local universities who have in-house testing capabilities could be entered into on behalf of the City which would be highly cost effective and thereby keep testing independent of both the City and the operators.
Technologies exist which are inexpensive and can reduce emissions by 99%. In fact, in a recent memorandum by EPA it was stated that if the operators implement pollution technology and capture the methane which can then be sold, such technologies pay for themselves typically in about 2 months. These technologies must be imposed by the ordinance. There is no excuse for not utilizing them when they are this inexpensive.
We now have our answer as to the effects on an immediate neighborhood by one of these facilities. The State has confirmed our fears. The air in North Texas is indeed being adversely affected by drilling activity. There are myriad other questions which remain to be answered such as the extent of carbon disulfide and other toxic contamination in addition to the benzene. Carbon disulfide and reduced sulfur compounds are being detected at pad sites in Ft. Worth and Denton County in private testing. This will only exacerbate the problem. We must act responsibly to ensure that our health and safety are protected. We must face this head-on and through responsible action make Ft. Worth the beacon she deserves to be in North Texas.
Sincerely, Deborah Rogers
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. www.arlingtonheightsna.com makes no representations as to accuracy, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The views and opinions expressed in the Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association Blog are not necessarily those of AHNA or its members.
REGISTER TO VOTE
Tarrant County Elections: http://tcweb.tarrantcounty.com/evote/cwp/view.asp?a=771&q=468205
TX Secretary of State Elections Division: http://tcweb.tarrantcounty.com/evote/cwp/view.asp?a=771&q=468205
Important 2010 Elections: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2010dates.shtml
DUMPSTER NOISE
AHNA has been asked to put out the following information.
Under the grants and privileges contract with the city, trash haulers are not allowed to collect trash between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The haulers ignore this provision and the city has not enforced the issue. A resident of our neighborhood has created an e-mail account, fwdumpsters@gmail.com, to track all the violations that are happening not only in Arlington Heights but all over the city. You are encouraged to e-mail the location, time and hauler name (if known) if trash is being collected between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. This information will hopefully show city officials that we have a city wide problem. We all have a civil right to enjoy our homes in peace and quiet. Please help make sure your neighborhood and the city remains a comfortable place to live.
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. www.arlingtonheightsna.com makes no representations as to accuracy, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. The views and opinions expressed in the Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association Blog are not necessarily those of AHNA or its members.
MONTICELLO NA GENERAL MEETING, JAN 25
We would like to invite all of our Arlington Heights’ neighbors to the next Monticello Neighborhood Association general meeting on January 25 at 7:00 p.m. at North Hi Mount Elementary, 3801 W. 7th Street.
Featured Speaker: The Honorable Quentin McGown
Topic: The Historical Development of Monticello and West Fort Worth
A fourth generation Fort Worthian, Judge McGown has a lifelong interest in history. He is past chair of the Tarrant County Historical Commission and the author of two books on Fort Worth.
Hope to see you there!
Sunny Webster
President, Monticello Neighborhood Association
sunnylwebster@aol.com
UPDATE: REZONING ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
Important information from the ARLINGTON HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need your emails and your phone calls and your presence at the next City Council meeting. Please, help us help you.
On January 12 at 7pm, the City Council will vote on re-zoning approximately 1,000 properties in Arlington Heights per the recommendation of the City’s Zoning Commission.
Please send an email TODAY to our Councilman Carter Burdette at District7@fortworthgov.org and/or by calling him at 817-392-8807 and let him know you support ZC-09-116 (emails or letters are required as the “official” document). Sample emails/letters are included at the end of this email.
Most property owners in our neighborhood are not aware that many of the single family homes in Arlington Heights are zoned to allow for duplex construction which makes our neighborhood a target for teardowns by speculative builders. Additionally, misaligned zoning adversely compromises the integrity of our valuable community and hinders your property rights and your neighbor’s rights.
The goal for us all is simple: protect the integrity of Arlington Heights by aligning on-ground zoning with current uses. We are striving to protect our neighborhood and ensure that the investments our property owners have made in their homes are protected. Specifically, AHNA is working with the City to ensure the following:
• Blocks that are primarily used as single family should be zoned A5/Single Family
• Blocks that are primarily used for duplexes should be zoned B/Duplex.
• Areas where we have apartment complexes should be properly zoned C/Multifamily.
The impact this rezoning has on your property, on OUR neighborhood, is a positive impact. You are not losing your rights to your property, but simply GAINING the rights that many of you thought you had already. Living in a neighborhood of single family homes, not a neighborhood that will be encroached on by developers looking to maximize every inch of space on a lot or subdividing those lots further to build even more housing units on them.
We have heard it time and time again, residents asking why the single family house next door to them was allowed to be redeveloped as a multi-family dwelling. Sometimes the impact is minimal, but other times residents wonder where their morning sun has gone. We have been asked if zoning impacts property values – according to the City’s Zoning Department, zoning does not impact property values. In fact, neighborhoods north of Camp Bowie (and other areas throughout Fort Worth) that have undergone Council-initiated rezoning have seen a dramatic increase in property values and many of them credit proper zoning for this increase stating that it helped to limit incongruent speculative development, protected the aging infrastructure, and encouraged homeownership. All of this naturally promotes more desirable, livable communities.
Thanks to countless residents and nearly 10 years of experience in block-by-block rezoning Arlington Heights has successfully rezoned more than half of our nonconforming properties. We learned in our 2009 Roundtable and Online Poll that preserving our current single-family housing stock was high on the list of neighborhood concerns.
The AHNA Executive Committee as well as the AHNA Zoning Committee believes that this rezoning is a proactive approach to rectify land use issues our neighborhood has confronted for years. This initiative will allow our residents, with the help of the City’s Zoning Department, to correct the remainder of misaligned zoning within our boundaries.
If you have any questions about this petition, or to see if your home is impacted, please call the City’s Zoning department at 817-392-8028 and reference ZC-09-116. You can also reference the notice in the December 29 Fort Worth Star Telegram which identifies all addresses impacted by this Council-initiated rezoning effort. You are also welcome to contact Dave Marshall, AHNA zoning chair, at zoning@arlingtonheightsna.com to discuss the rezoning effort as it impacts the Arlington Heights neighborhood.
Again, AHNA is asking YOU to please immediately contact Councilman Carter Burdette at District7@fortworthgov.org and/or by calling 817-392-8807 and express your SUPPORT for our dynamic, single family neighborhood.
Thank you.
SAMPLE LETTERS OF SUPPORT:
SAMPLE 1:
(Subject line should say “Support letter for ZC-09-116))
TO: Councilman Carter Burdette (district7@fortworthgov.org)
I own and live at LIST ADDRESS in Arlington Heights which is currently being used as a (SINGLE FAMILY/DUPLEX). I would like to express my support of ZC-09-116 to re-zone my HOME/BLOCK to its current use.
Thank you,
NAME
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
SAMPLE 2:
DATE
Fort Worth City Council
Attn: Carter Burdette, District 7
Municipal Building
1000 Throckmorton St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Re: ZC-09-116, Council-Initiated Rezoning for Arlington Heights Neighborhood
Councilman Burdette,
I/we have lived in the Arlington Heights neighborhood for X years at ADDRESS.
I/we have been informed about this rezoning effort and am/are in agreement with it. This is a good thing for my/our block on STREET NAME and a good thing for the entire neighborhood too.
(Anything else that you might like to add here?….example: what you enjoy about of your block like it is mostly single families and you want to keep it that way OR I don’t want any new duplexes built on my block.)
Again, I/we support zoning case ZC-09-116.
Sincerely,
NAME
ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
