VOTE ON NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 MEMBERSHIP MEETING
6:30 p.m.
3855 Tulsa Way @ Crestline Rd.
SEPTEMBER YARD OF THE MONTH
September’s winner is 4317 Birchman Avenue. The classic landscape is tweaked every year with accents of colorful seasonal annuals.
Ben Rhett and Sarah Copeland moved into their home on Birchman Avenue in 2015. They saw potential in the landscaping and wanted to keep it in character with their vintage 1938 home. Because they enjoy working in their yard, they wasted no time before digging in. One of the old growth trees in the front yard had already been removed before they bought the house and the remaining tree was severely diseased. The Copelands made the hard decision to remove it, replacing it with Florida maple tree that became the new centerpiece of their front yard. “We try to showcase it as much as possible when we design plants and landscaping accents for each growing season,” says Ben Rhett. Ben Rhett shares this yard tip: “Know the places of your yard that get direct and indirect sunlight during each season and plant accordingly.”
Congratulations to the Copelands who, like all AHNA Yard of the Month winners, received a complimentary annual AHNA membership and a $25 gift certificate to Archie’s Gardenland. To nominate a yard, even your own, please send your address to president@arlingtonheightsna.com.
BOWIE HOUSE UPDATE
Here is the latest about the construction of the upcoming Bowie House hotel on Camp Bowie.
No groundbreaking date has been announced. The current on site work is being done by various utility companies, not Bowie House contractors.
Councilman Firestone has become involved in the issue of Bowie House’s request to amend the original agreed upon construction days and hours. Originally, the Bowie House developer agreed to no construction on weekends and a weekday work schedule that was limited to 8:00am until 7:00pm.
AHNA member June Naylor had questions about the status of this and sent them to Sami Roop, the City Council District Director for our district. Below is their recent exchange. Thanks to June for sharing this with everyone.
JUNE NAYLOR: Please advise as to the agreed-upon construction hours for Bowie House, once those are locked in.
SAMI ROOP: The agreed upon hours are: 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Work may happen on two Sundays when they move in the crane, and again when it is moved out. After the building is topped out (including roof) the developer may proceed working the construction hours allowed by the City Noise Ordinance.
JUNE NAYLOR: If and when construction crews start work earlier than the approved hours, or go later than the approved hours, what exactly should neighbors/residents do to report these situations?
SAMI ROOP: Contact the NPO/or call 911 depending on hour of construction. The Police Department monitors the Noise Ordinance.
JUNE NAYLOR: If trucks cut through the residential streets to get to the construction site, how do we report that?
SAMI ROOP: Contact Charles McLure, Charles.mclure@fortworthtexas.gov.
JUNE NAYLOR: If and when traffic on nearby streets (we know Watonga, Tulsa Way and Crestline will be the most affected) gets heavy and/or dangerous as drivers avoid the shutdown lane on Camp Bowie, what is our recourse? What are solutions that the city can help with?
SAMI ROOP: The West Division PD has been contacted and made aware of this construction. Trucks will be diverted as to not cause issues on neighborhood streets. As soon as a construction traffic route map is finalized it will be forwarded to the AHNA.
JUNE NAYLOR: If and when the excavation and other heavy construction causes foundations to settle, how do homeowners in the immediate area who are affected resolve the situation and expense? Is there a statute of limitations for compensation and resolution?
SAMI ROOP: Contact Development Services Director, DJ Harrell, Dalton.harrell@fortworthtexas.gov. We would need to check with Legal at the time, if there is ever an issue with foundations to see what they would recommend.
BIRDING EVENTS AT BOTANIC GARDEN/BRIT
Want to know more about the birds in our neighborhood? Some excellent outdoor opportunities are coming up at Fort Worth Botanic Garden/BRIT.
On Saturday September 25 from 8:30am to 10:00am join the Fort Worth Audubon Society for a walk through the Fort Worth Botanic Garden led by AHNA member Thomas Haase. It’s $12 a person or $10 for members. You must register by Wednesday September 22. For more information about this event and any of the following birding events, go to brit.org or call 817-332-4441, ext. 270.
Jennifer Bristol, author of Parking Lot Birding, will lead a walk to observe birds in fall migration on Saturday October 2 from 9:00am to 10:30am. She will also sign copies of her book at the end of the walk. $45 a person or $40 for FWGC/BRIT members. Register by September 29.
On Saturday October 23 at 8:00am until 10:00am plant ecologist Suzanne Tuttle will lead a walk through the Botanic Garden to identify birds and plants on the garden grounds. Tuttle retired as manager of the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge after a 23-year career at the park. It’s $25 a person, or $20 for members of FWBG/BRIT. You must register by Wednesday October 20. Tuttle will lead a second birding walk on Wednesday November 3 from 8:00am until 10:00am.
AHHS HOMECOMING PARADE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24
The Arlington Heights High School Homecoming Parade is scheduled to starts at 1:45pm on Friday September 24. The route starts on Clover Lane in front of Stripling Middle School and will head south over to Alamo and Donnelly Avenues and then northbound on Hulen St. next to Arlington Heights High School for a homecoming pep rally. Look for the floats to start lining up in our neighborhood at 11:00am on Hillcrest St. and Tremont, Bryce, Lafayette Avenues.
NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME STATS
Neighborhood Patrol Officer Andy Morquecho encourages us to start using the search engine Crime Mapping at https://www.crimemapping.com to stay informed on neighborhood crime activity. It’s updated on a daily basis.