I thought it would be important to tell
you all that I found an old map of Mesquite from 1961 past weekend. Important because I can
tell you what the original parks and school were.
City Parks sites:
Hillcrest Park
Joe Lawrence
Park
Lakeside Activity
Center
McWhorter Park
Motley Park
Samuell Park
Shands Park
Tosch Park
Vanston Park
Westlake Park--which
used to be Lake TP
with a trail all the way around it, according to one of the many elders I
know and speak to.
Schools:
Agnew Middle
School
Ben F. Tisinger
Ferd McWhorter
Florence Black Elementary
L.M. Range
Elementary School
Lamar Elementary
School
Mesquite High
School
Wilkinson Middle
School
This 1961 map is important; because this map was before the construction
of LBJ. As a result of the construction of 6-35 many residents have been landlocked
for 30 or so years.
Interstate 6-35 forever changed the landscape of Mesquite
and has kept us divided as communities.
I know you all believe I only represent Edgemont
Park, but I can only speak for my
community, because; I have lived here all of my life. Indeed, I care about
the communities that are west of LBJ--because I know there isn't any
connectivity to the east side of Mesquite.
East side of Mesquite is where the
largest concentration of Parks and Recreation facilities are in this city!
The residents who are west of Bruton Road,
Military Road, Gross
Road, and Town East
Blvd do not have connectivity to the rest of Mesquite.
Mr. Miller you keep speaking about rivers, creeks, and such… comparing the
bike trails to rivers. Our RIVER is 6-35! The construction of 6-35 in 1970
forever changed the connectivity and quality of life for Mesquite
residents. For more than 30 years no one, as far as I know, has addressed the
need for connectivity for Mesquite.
I am so proud of you Mr. Miller for having such a visionary idea for our
city! BUT, I am distressed because it seems that those community meetings
were simply protocol for the Parks and Recreation board to present the Master
Plan to our City Council Members. Why weren’t copies made of the proposed
Bike Plans for the city? Why weren’t these plans available online? Not one time has your team even suggested
what your plans are and what will be first on the agenda? That is why I have attached
the following article. (below)
Instead of looking at Portland, Oregon--which
I feel is an absurd comparison
because many of our residents aren't familiar with Oregon.
I know for certain that 99.9 % of all Mesquite
residents are familiar with Austin, TEXAS!
I wish you would present the Hike and Bike Trail to our residents with
comparisons to Austin and, of
course, the famous Lance Armstrong. That is something we can all understand!
I want to make sure you all understand something. When I first attended Eastfield
College in Mesquite
in the year 2000. AS a poor student I could not afford a car. Due to poor
connectivity in Mesquite, I would
ride my bike west on Lake June Road
to Masters. It was there I would put
my bike on the bus and head downtown! It was then I would catch the Eastfield
11 to Eastfield College.
During that time, I would get cussed out everyday by the bus driver because I
put my bike on the bus. (Mind you this wasn’t a very crowded bus).
I have spent every summer in Austin, Texas
from 2000-2004! I would ride the Greyhound to Austin.
Ride a bus to the Youth Hostel on Town
Lake. Rent a bike and spend a
week riding a bike all around Austin.
I always came back to Mesquite
depressed because of the lack of connectivity. Finally, you have given me an
opportunity to voice my opinion. I have offered my help. I did everything in
my power to inform the residents of Edgemont
Park. I don’t understand why the Parks and
Recreation Department didn’t do more to get community support! If I were you
I would use every available resource to get the community involved in this
program. The very fact that the meetings were not planned months in advance
makes me believe there wasn’t a lot of organization. If you think you are
going to start on this project without the help and financial support of the
residents—your project will have many problems.
I can’t believe the company Halff went
to your Board of Directors and said,” Yes, all 45 members of our community
supported Hike and Bike Trails for Mesquite”.
What 45? Too bad they didn’t ask how you advertised these meetings.
Mr. Miller, I came by your office, in October 06, when we spoke about the
Hike and Bike Trail plans. It was then I told you I would help in anyway. You
gave me about two weeks notice of the first meeting.
Why didn’t you use every available resource to get the community involved?
Did you post these announcements at Eastfield
College?
Did you notify all of the schools in MISD?
Did you notify the churches?
Why didn’t you ask for community
volunteers to help notify residents?
How did you notify all of the residents?
Did you notify business owners?
Who did you notify?
Why did you have us sign in at the first meeting and then fail to notify
people of the second meeting who were at the first?
Why didn’t you use the Parks and Recreation Open Plan document regarding
how residents learn of Parks and Recreation opportunities?
How much money did the 2000-10 survey costs the residents of Mesquite
and why didn’t you use the information you acquired?
Did you work with the Community Neighborhood Office? They could have made
announcements you in the water bills.
Right now, I am not in support of Hike and Bike Trails in Mesquite
after much research and involvement with the opportunities given to me. The
reason why I am in not in support because you (or whoever responsible) failed
to inform the residents of the so-called community meetings. There needs to
be opportunities for Mesquite
residents to have enough time to be informed of the plans so that they can
address connectivity problems in their area. Your proposed Master Plan was
made by the City of Mesquite not
the residents of Mesquite.
Maybe you could send residents to www.citybikemap.com and have them make
their own map!
You must have community support for an endeavor like this! How does the
city plan on paying for these projects? One of the reasons I started, “Friends
of Edgemont Park”, was to show you what could happen if you have community
support. I have no doubt that citizens would donate to your project. I was disturbed that the man at the Board
Meeting only mentioned connectivity to work and shopping to the board members?!
What? What about stats regarding people using the trails to connect to
schools, parks, community centers and pools? How Halff and Associates
presented their plans to the community and to the Board Meetings seemed quite
contrary.
It seems to me that you are putting the cart before the horse. How can we
even begin to think about connecting to other cities when I can’t even get
across the street? Many of our residents can’t get across the highway?
http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/storie
s/health/12/11/11bikeaustin.html
Please read this important article regarding Bike Trails in Austin.
)
Thursday article, Mesquite News for Hike and Bike Trail Meeting
http://www.mesquitenews.com/articles/2007/02/02/mesquit
e_news/news/news_10.txt
It is unfortunate that the City of Mesquite and Halff and Associates didn't mention the Hike and Bike Trail meeting in our monthly MAINSTREAM newsletter (December and January), no mention in a water bill, and no mention in the MISD newsletter. I am disappointed that the meeting was simply protocol to set in motion the Hike and Bike Trail plans to receive additional funding and approval through the City Council.
In my eyes, the City of Mesquite acted as if they wanted community imput (from the Dec. 12th meeting) , but yet, I was turned down when I wanted to show my 3 minutes 36 second proposal about my community, Edgemont Park. They did, however, answer our many questions and concerns about a possible Hike and Bike trail in Edgemont Park. (Since Edgemont Park was the majority at the meeting)
The February 1st meeting was mostly attended by Edgemont Park residents. Reason being is that I went door to door telling my neighbors about it. I contacted all the state reps and local reps, contacted McWhorter Elementary, made a website, made signs and posted them everywhere, and created an online petition; you can now search Mesquite Hike and Bike Trail in google; because of the work I did to support the Hike and Bike Trail.
The City of Mesquite did make mention of the meeting on their website (about 4 days prior to the event)...but what about the folks who don't have access to computers? What about all of the old-timers who read their waterbills and newsletters????? What exactly did we pay Halff to do? Make some poster boards, call some people, and make a power point with inspiring quotes and asked us to look at the Portland Trail system? I understand the legitimacy of a having a proposed trail map, but to undermine the residents to believe that their input would be needed was unnecessary!
The city will do what it wants to do.
Too bad more of you Mesquite residents weren't notified of a TOWN meeting that affects everyone from communities, schools, and business owners. There should have been 100 people there, AT LEAST!
Important to note, that in the Parks and Recreation Open Space Master Plan, 2000, pg 39, Sources Utilized to Gather Recreation Information by Sub sector--WATERBILL INSERTS was more likely to be utilized in District 3 and District 4. Too bad the Parks and Recreation didn't use their own data to notify all of the residents of Mesquite to let them know they could have shared their VISIONS AND IDEAS at the Public Meeting. What a shame.
www.edgemontpark5.com
Please watch my proposal that I worked very hard on.
Are there any more Mesquite folks on here. Gimme a holla!
laurabeth
