Scenic Shores Neighborhood Association: March 2011

Shoreline Alert - Immediate Action Required!

Time Critical - Please Email and/or Call These City Officials Now:

Summary: Against community consensus, the current Lake Worth Vision Proposal is moving forward. It will go before the Planning Commission today (3/23/2011) at 1:30PM.

You need to:

1) Email each official. You can use the Easy Link to prepare your email. Just click and it will open you Outlook Express. Otherwise, just copy and paste the email addresses and message. Two example message are below.

2) Call both officials and tell them:
"The consensus at the meeting was to not go forward with the proposal."
"You are very unhappy that they are ignoring the community."

TO USE EASY LINK, CLICK HERE - Your email will be prepared for you - complete with your message. Just alter the message to your liking and click "send."

Here is the contact information:

Commission Chair: Namon Hollis, Jr.
Phone: 817-454-5652 (Leave message on voice mail.)
Email: teresa.burk@fortworthgov.org

District 7 Commissioner: Jim Whiteholter
Email: whitej@sbcglobal.net
Phone: 817-732-2039

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Example Email 1 (You may copy and paste this text into your emails):

I am horrified to learned that the current Lake Worth Vision is moving forward. It was represented at the March 10th meeting that the approval process would only move forward with the consensus. It was very clear that the consensus was to pause the approval process until a genuine community committee was formed. We are shocked to learn that the process is going forward anyway.

Please postpone the vote until you can meet with the community and hear our concerns.

Sincerely,

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Example Email 2 (You may copy and paste this text into your emails):

I find it absolutely wrong that the current Lake Worth Vision is moving forward over widespread community objections. Dana Burghdoff represented at the March 10th meeting that the approval process would only move forward with the consensus of those at the meeting. The consensus was to pause the approval process until a community committee was formed. This is wrong.

Please postpone the vote until you can meet with the community and hear our concerns.

Sincerely,

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You can CC to Michael Dallas at:
MichaelDallas@Gmail.com

Shoreline Alert - Immediate Action Required!

Time Critical - Send Your Email to City Officials Now:

Time Critical - Send Your Email to Our Elected Officials Now:

TO USE EASY LINK, CLICK HERE - Your email will be prepared for you - complete with your message. Just alter the message to your liking and click "send."

To contact each official separately, here is their contact information:

Councilman Carter Burdette
Email: Carter.Burdette@FortWorthGov.org
Phone: 817-392-8807
Address: 1000 Throckmorton, Fort Worth TX 76102

Mayor Mike Moncrief
Email: Mike.Moncrief@FortWorthGov.org
Phone: 817-392-6118
Address: 1000 Throckmorton, Fort Worth TX 76102

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Example Email 1 (You may copy and paste this text into your emails):

I am writing because I am deeply frightened by the way city staff has been treating the shoreline citizens residing on Lake Worth, myself included. We desperately need your help.

Two years ago, city staff led a community collaboration for creating a zoning ordinance on Lake Worth known as the “Dock Steering Committee.” This committee was led by city staff and was composed of real estate professionals and lake leaders. In December of 2008 (after six months of work), that committee issued recommendations for a zoning ordinance that met the needs of the residents and served the interests of the City of Fort Worth.

Shortly thereafter, city staff abandoned the community’s collaboration and engaged on a stubborn mission to damage property values and disenfranchise shoreline residents from the enjoyment of their homes. I believe that my home is in peril.

I am asking you to please restore order and to convince city staff to halt the attack on our homes.

Sincerely,

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Example Email 2 (You may copy and paste this text into your emails):

I am deeply concerned about the attacks that city staff are making against all of us shoreline residents on Lake Worth.

Two years ago, Fort Worth city staff worked with our local leaders to create a dock ordinance that would meet the needs of residents and the City of Fort Worth. In December 2008, the committee resolved all of the issues and city staff issued recommendations.

Since that time, city staff has usurped the process and engaged on a mission to damage our properties. I am deeply frightened for my home.

Please help.

Sincerely,

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You can CC to Michael Dallas at:
MichaelDallas@Gmail.com

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Lake Worth - What You Can Do To Preserve Its Green Space

If you can't see the video above, click or copy the following link into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/v/_f-gdD9J_jE

Lake Worth - What You Can Do to Preserve Its Green Space.

Summary: Most of the beautiful "park" greenspace around Lake Worth is not "park" at all - but "city owned" land. This beautiful green space is in danger of being sold and developed. Shoreline residents are urged to vote in the upcoming election so that the neighborhood associations will have the ability to protect this property. Video Transcript:

Do you enjoy the beauty that surrounds your home? How would you like all of those gorgeous green fields and beautiful woods around the lake turned into apartment complexes in the next few years? Let me show you something. This is a map of the lake from the current “Lake Worth Vision” plan. Here is the 820 bridge. Here the Jacksboro Highway bridge. Here’s the Fort Worth Nature Center. I’m going to cover it up. Around the main part of the lake, you will notice two colors, orange and green. The green are dedicated parks. In all probability, those green spots will stay parks. On the other hand, you will notice that two-thirds of the woods and fields around the lake are orange. That means that the city could sell this property off and development like apartment complexes could be built. Notice that the orange zones are everywhere. That means that the vast majority of the residents on the lake could be living in the middle of an apartment complex in the not-too-distant future. Here’s what you need to understand. There are four neighborhood associations around Lake Worth - the north shore, south shore, east shore, and scenic shores. I lead the Scenic Shores Association. All four neighborhood association are led by very concerned people who have been fighting tooth-and-nail to keep this from happening. It has been a fierce battle and we have yet not won the war. As a matter of fact, we have reached a point where we desperately need your help. We need every single person on the shoreline to help. Let me show you something else. This is a computer disk that lists every voter in Tarrant County. Your name is on this disk. It tells what elections you voted in and what elections you didn’t vote in. The mayor and councilman has this disk. Every candidate for mayor and council have this disk. And they all use this disk like a bible. Now let me show you something else. Here is a list of all the property owners on Lake Worth. You will notice that I have highlighted some names. The people that I highlighted are the ones who voted in the 2009 city election. You will notice that hardly anyone on the shoreline voted. I will admit that I did not vote in that election. The next election will be the first week of May (this year 2011). Once that election is over, whoever is elected will have an updated version of this list. They will know if you voted and they will know if I voted. If the new list looks like this list, then the leaders of the four neighborhood associations will have very ability to keep the apartments out. On the other hand, if after this election, this list is completely green - in other words, everyone on the shoreline votes - then the four neighborhood associations will have tremendous ability to protect this property. It really is that simple. If you vote, we can get the property preserved and protected. If you don’t vote, then as our kids say, we got no game. We’ve got no power and no ability to protect the lake. I cannot overemphasize that if you want to preserve the environment around your home, if you want to preserve the environment of the lake, you must vote in this election. And I mean you specifically. I’m talking about your one vote. Your one vote could easily mean the difference between your living around parks (like you do now) or your living around apartments and other high density development. So what’s the plan? First, if you are not registered to vote, you need to get registered. Just call me and I will send you a form. It’s super easy. Second, you need to save two dates. The first is the shoreline rally on April 9th. On Saturday, April 9th all city council candidates and all mayoral candidates will meet with shoreline residents at a free shoreline barbecue rally at Grace Baptist Church on Las Vegas Trail. Whether you ask them a question or not, the candidates need to see you there. Next, you need to plan on voting in the early voting between April 2nd and April 10th. I will send you an email letting you know where you need to go to vote. You just need to resolve right now that you will be voting in the early election. Before the election, I will also send you a voter sheet so that you can see where all the candidates stand on our issues. All you will need to do is to pick a couple of candidates and vote. It’s going to be easy. If you vote, no matter who it is you vote for, we will have the ability to protect the green space around our homes and we will will have the ability to protect the lake. This all comes down to your one vote. I cannot overemphasize how important this election is to your home and to this lake. We’re all in this together. I’m Michael Dallas.