1/29/2009 - Over the last few months, I have been discussing Love Circle Park (LCP) with city officials and the Parks Board members. Work has now begun to clean the garbage, buildings, light poles and batting cages from the park. Openings will be cabled off to prevent access to motorized vehicles. The park clean up has priority at the highest levels of the parks department and will be completed by March.
Over the next few months, the SSNA will be working with neighbors to create a plan for turning the park into a wonderful asset for the neighborhood and the City of Fort Worth. From my conversations, I have found that there is agreement with the desires of the Parks Department and Love Circle residents. Both want the park to focus on the preservation of wildlife and to be compatable with the the Nature Center.
Michael Dallas
President
Scenic Shores Neighborhood Association
Below is an email I received from Gale Cupp - Chair of the Neighborhood Association on South Lake Worth and Parks Board member. It should provide encouragement to the neighbors that we can make a positive difference when we work together.
**************************************************************
Michael,
I wanted to talk to Harold Pitchford (Assistant Director of the Parks Department) before I responded to your email. Yesterday, Jan 28 at the PACSD Board meeting, I had that opportunity.
I was able to talk to both Richard Zavala (Director of the Parks Department) and Harold. I want you to know that your concern over the state of Love Circle Park, and your messages of support for City parks overall have duly impressed them both. In fact, Richard has designated both Harold and Melody Mitchell as the primary contacts for addressing the Love Circle situation (and the PACSD crews that have been routed to work at clean up). Richard wants LCP clean up completed by mid March 2009. Further, he recently drove with the new assistant City Manager to tour that area of the Lake in an effort to show show some of the challenges we face in our City parks.
You have already sown the seed of neighborhood support for this particular park and I fully encourage that 'adoption'. Nothing impresses the City more than a group of concerned citizens taking on the task of improving a park property--keen example of course is Fort Woof. For a neighborhood park like Love Circle, the opportunities are far reaching. Later this year, the PACS GRANTs program will likely be available again, and as information becomes available, I will forward it to you for consideration. It is a prgm. in which citizen applicants can recieve up to 25K for improvements to a park area (ex: walking trails, landscaping, irrigation) and is generally matched by 'labor' from neighborhood volunteers. This is particularly important in neighborhood parks without a specific master plan.
You've done a real service for Love Circle which lends itself so well to naturalized meadows, serene vistas etc. I think in the coming months, marked improvements will be apparent~congratulations, as you've steered this in the right direction!
-Gale
**************************************************************************
Click here to view my original article on the problems at Love Circle Park. (October 2008)
No comments:
Post a Comment