ARLINGTON HEIGHTS REZONING UPDATE
On February 17 Councilman Carter Burdette formally announced at a public meeting that he would be withdrawing the Council-Initiated Arlington Heights Rezoning case (ZC-09-116) that began early last year. In accordance with city guidelines, the city’s Zoning Commission will hear the case on March 10 2010, where the application will be denied without prejudice*. The case will then go to City Council in April where the ruling will be upheld. Approximately 45 people attended the meeting.
According to Councilman Burdette, he believed at the onset of this zoning case that the initiative would serve to strengthen the Arlington Heights community of 2,500 homes. Other districts within Fort Worth have successfully used council-initiated zoning to align zoning with current land uses. Unfortunately, after many months Burdette believes this rezoning exercise has taken a different direction and elected to withdraw the application.
Burdette, known for his stance on property owner rights, said he is against restrictions and supports property owners’ rights to build as they desire under the guidelines set forth by the City of Fort Worth. He said government restrictions on property rights are not always desirable and warrant a more considerable review.
Burdette stated that Arlington Heights is not a homogenous area and that there is a need for redevelopment in various areas throughout the neighborhood. Many gentrified homes in our neighborhood would probably be torn down in the future, he added.
Property owners interested in continuing to rezone the neighborhood to single family will be encouraged to take action using the block-by-block petition process. There is no charge for the petition-based approach. Property owners can also file individually to the city for a zoning change and pay the requisite fee. As we have over the past seven years, the Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association and its Zoning Committee will continue to assist and support residents who wish to rezone on a block-by-block basis.
The Arlington Heights Neighborhood Association sincerely thanks those who helped initiate and support this Council-Initiated rezoning effort; we recognize and appreciate the many months of dedication this effort required of our residents. The Association received countless letters of support, and we expect that our community will continue to step forward in initiating rezoning on a block-by-block basis as we work to preserve the unique character of our Arlington Heights community.
*When a proposal is denied by the City Council or when the applicant has withdrawn a proposal after the giving of public notice, no new applications of like nature shall be accepted by the City or scheduled for a hearing by the Zoning Commission within a period of 12 months of the date of denial or withdrawal unless the proposal is denied without prejudice; provided, however, on receipt of written request by the original applicant describing substantially changed conditions in the community since the prior consideration of the proposal so as to justify an earlier review of this matter, the City Council may waive the mandatory delay period and authorize the acceptance of the new application.
POTHOLE BLITZ LAUNCHED TO REPAIR CITY STREETS
When record snowfall from the recent storm melted, streets reappeared with many more potholes than before. Today the Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Department (TPW) is launching a citywide pothole blitz to repair as many roadways as possible before they worsen. The blitz will continue for at least two weeks, possibly longer if needed.
TPW’s Street Services Division has determined that 40 percent more potholes are on Fort Worth streets now compared to before the storm. Conditions are expected to worsen over the next month.
But street repair crews are concentrating on potholes, suspending all other work except other emergency repairs. With 26 crews working citywide, capable of repairing 150 to 200 potholes each per day, some 4,000-5,000 potholes will be repaired daily.
Arterial streets that carry more traffic are assigned a high priority for repairs. Other streets will be repaired as resources allow.
To report potholes, call 817-392-8100.
FORT WORTH DELAYS START OF PARKING FEE AT WILL ROGERS COMPLEX
From the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Saturday February 20.
It won’t cost a thing to park at Will Rogers Memorial Center, at least for another couple of months. A parking fee the city had planned to start charging next month will now take effect around May 1, city spokesman Jason Lamars said. The charge will be $5 or $6 a day. The money will be used to pay for a $32 million, 1,100-space Western Heritage parking garage.
Of course, paying to park is nothing new around North Texas. Venues such as American Airlines Center in Dallas and Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie charge $10 to $30 for parking. – Jan Jarvis
CRIMEVIEW COMMUNITY ONLINE
The City is pleased to announce the release of the new web-based community policing application that enables community members to access crime data within the past 90 days in their neighborhoods quickly and easily. With “CrimeView® Community”, users can:
- View crimes near an address, park or landmark as well as within a specific boundary.
- Select from a template of crime types.
- Enhance our community oriented policing efforts by keeping our citizens and business owners well informed.
This exciting new tool also includes “CyberWatch™”, which allows residents and business owners to receive email alerts regarding recent incident activity in their desired area. The e-mail alerts contain a report outlining what type of incidents occurred, as well as when and where they occurred. The e-mail alert will also contain a link directly to the on-line mapping application that depicts the results of the requested query.
http://www.fortworthpd.com/CrimeView
AHNA SEISMIC TESTING CORRECTION
Dawson Geophysical equipment will occupy the utility RIGHT OF WAY (ROW) only with their equipment for approximately 2-3 weeks. They have a city use permit form to utilize the utility ROW in city streets. CORRECTION: Just because equipment is in front of your house doesn’t mean they’ll be imaging your house. Seismic images will only be utilized from areas where property owners signed the waiver.
BUTTERFLIES IN THE GARDEN
“Butterflies in the Garden,” an exhibit of thousands of live butterflies, opens Feb. 27 and runs through April 4 in the conservatory of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
Proceeds from the event support established public education and environmental projects of the Fort Worth Botanical Society and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, which host the event with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Fort Worth Garden Club.
The exhibit will be open daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tickets are sold for timed entrance every 30 minutes with the last tickets being sold at 4 p.m. Tickets for timed entrance may be purchased in person at the Garden on exhibit days. For more information, visit http://www.fwbg.org/butterfly.htm
RESIDENTS ASKED TO COMPLETE THEIR CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE
Every 10 years, the U.S. conducts a census to count every person living in the nation. This information influences how federal funds will be distributed for community services such as schools, roads and elderly services. It also determines the representation of each state in the U.S. House of Representatives.
More than $400 billion in federal funds are awarded to states and communities annually based on census data.
April 1, 2010, has been declared Census Day nationwide. Residents will begin receiving their questionnaires in March.
By completing their questionnaires, Fort Worth residents will help ensure a more accurate count so the city can receive its fair share of necessary services and resources.
NEW FEES GO INTO EFFECT AT CITY COMMUNITY CENTERS
A new fee structure goes into effect Feb. 1 at Fort Worth community centers and the Haws Athletic Center. View the new fees on the Parks and Community Services website.
FREE FEDERAL TAX RETURN HELP IS AVAILABLE
AARP is providing volunteers to help taxpayers with advice and tax preparation. The free service is open to all, with priority given to seniors. Appointments are required and can be made by calling your nearest library location.
Tax help is available at these eight library locations — Central, East Berry, Diamond Hill/Jarvis, East Regional, Summerglen, Northside, Shamblee and Southwest Regional.
NEW LOOK OF CITY WATER BILLS MAKES READING, UNDERSTANDING EASIER
City utility customers soon will notice their bill has a new look. The new format is more visually appealing and includes a summary of the account’s payment and charges activity for the month.
The first bills displaying the new format are scheduled to mail on Friday. With the initial bill under this new format, each customer will receive a special insert that describes the new features and the location of important information on the bill statement.
The new bill format has the following benefits:
- Easy-to-find contact information and payment options;
- Payment locations and hours of service;
- Customer meter activity for the service period including meter number, meter readings and consumption by meter;
- A graph detailing one year of water usage history;
- A highly readable breakdown of all of the utility services including itemized current charges;
- Balance forward detail of last bill amount, payments, credits or adjustments; and
- Important messages regarding city activities or programs.
Customers who pay by mail should note the coupon moves to the bottom of the statement. The payment coupon is the stub included with payments in order for an account to receive proper credit.
Also, the return coupon portion specifies the amount due depending on whether payment is made before or after the due date. The coupon has a new line that reads “If Paid After (due date inserted), pay:” If the account balance payment is received after the date indicated, the amount due will include the 5 percent late fee charge. Paying the total due by the specified date will avoid this charge.
It will take about one month for all customers to receive a bill that uses the new design. Approximately 230,000 city utility bills are mailed monthly. This bill may include charges and fees for water, wastewater, sanitation, storm water and environmental protection.
