HomeMy WebLinkAboutFeb 28 Venessa GarzaAug.27,2012
Venessa,
In your (8-9) response to my e-mail (8-1) regarding sidewalks in Oakwood Addition
Neighborhood, I'm enclosing a copy of the Petition to Oppose Sidewalks in 1992. I'm
surprised I still had this in the file. But as you can see, we gathered 55 signatures
who were against adding sidewalks in this old neighborhood. I believe if another
survey were taken, the feeling would still be the same.
ares P.
802 Park Place
College Station, TX 77840
marshatomlin@verizon.net
TO: Oakwood Addition Residents
FM: Park Place Homeowners
SU: Petition to Oppose Sidewalks on Park Place
We have recently learned that the City of College Station has instituted a Sidewalk Master
Plan which calls for a six (6) foot wide sidewalk to be constructed along the south side of Park
Place between Dexter and Timber. This sidewalk will connect on the west end with another
new sidewalk to be built along Dexter from George Bush Drive to Southwest Pkwy. On the
east end it will not connect with anything--it merely dead ends at Timber. The primary
motivation for this project seems to be the availability of $751,000 in Community Development
funds from HUD.
After visiting with the City Engineer's office and looking at the plans as they exist today, an
impromptu meeting of Park Place homeowners was held Sunday (7-12) afternoon to discuss
our concerns. Several other long-time residents of Oakwood attended. The concern of this
group was unanimous in opposition to this plan for the following reasons:
• Sidewalks will violate the historical integrity of the Oakwood addition.
• Several large, historical Oaks will be endangered by the project.
• Park Place between Dexter and Lee is already wider (37 feet) than any other street in
Oakwood.
• At least two of the lots on Park Place (800, Stacell and 900, Pruitt) will require retaining
walls in addition to the sidewalks. The aesthetic impact of this approach is apparent in
a similar structure at Holleman and Carolina ( 400 block).
• The sidewalks will be constructed directly on top of Lone Star Gas' service main. This will
necessitate Lone Star crews having to break up the sidewalk every time a main service
repair is required. Several homes in Oakwood have already had these repairs made due to
the age of the original pipe. One home on Park Place has had this repair performed just
this month. After talking with Lone Star repair crews, we estimate that approximately
90% of this new sidewalk will be broken out and replaced within 5-8 years by Lone Star
Gas. (NOTE: Apparently Lone Star was not contacted by the city about the new sidewalk
"plan".)
• This is not the highest and best use of "government money".
In response to the above meeting, the homeowners residing on Park Place have developed a
petition opposing the sidewalks to be presented to the city. The other residents in attendance
at the meeting who did not reside on Park Place indicated their desire to participate and
suggested the problem be presented to all the residents of Oakwood Addition for consideration.
The purpose of this memo is to offer an explanation of the petition before it is circulated for
signatures.
5 August 1992
Mr. Kennady:
This memo is in response to your request for a written summary of meetings and
conversations to date regarding the Park Place sidewalk plan.
'Thursday (7/9/92), Alan & Gwen Sta.cell and Marsha Tomlin met with Debbie
Keating, Sidewalk Project Mgr, and Stewart Kling a consulting engineer to the City of
College Station to discuss details of the sidewalk layout for Park Place. Ms. Keating
explained that sidewalk committee met in 1988 and decided on streets to get
sidewalks by virtue of park and school locations. They ranked the streets in order of
priority. Park Place was ranked third priority out of three priori.ti.es. Further
discussion revealed that no traffic count was done on Park Place and the city
planning office was not aware that the three blocks of Park Place from Dexter to Lee
are wider (37 feet) than any other street in all of Oakwood Addition. Further, only
the houses on the south side of Park Place face the street. (All of the houses on the
north side of Park Place face side streets--Suffolk, Pershing, Lee & Timber).
Consequently, there a.re very few cars parked on Park Place even though it is plenty
wide enough to do so. ·
'Th.e current sidewalk plans were produced which show the sidewalk installed across
the middle of the Stacell1s yard (800 Park Place) approximately 6.5 feet from the
curb--pla.cing it approximately 20 feet from their front door ! This will require the
removal of a large Live Oak tree from the middle of this yard. Mr. Kling explained
that the Nternat:i.ve would require a retaininWefween the sidewalk and Sta.cell's
yard du€Athe slope of the property. The same is true at 900 Park Place (Buzz Pruitt).
SUMMARY: The plan calls for a four block sidewalk to be installed from Dexter to
Timber along the south side of Park Place. For three blocks of the four (Dexter to
Lee), Park Place is 37 feet wide. The fourth block is only 24 feet wide. Further, Park
Place west of Dexter and east of Timber is only 24 feet wide.
QUESTION: If a 24 foot street is sufficient east of Timber and west of Dexter and no
sidewalks are needed; and if 24 foot streets are adequate for the rest of Oakwood
Addition--Why is it necessary to put sidewalks along the only 37 foot section of city
street in the entire subdivision??
QUESTION: Why does this sidewalk not connect with anything on either end??
QUESTION: Why is the city not concerned about the environmental impact of the
damage that will be done to several historic Oak Trees by this plan?? (Apparently,
no one bothered to get an opinion from an expert on this aspect of the plan!)
QUESTION: Why did the city not choose to ask the residents of Oakwood if they
wanted sidewalks ?? (The overwhelming majority of residents are opposed!)
College Station, Texas
August 1992
PETITION TO OPPOSE
SIDEWALKS IN HISTORIC OAKWOOD ADDITION
The following residents of Oakwood Addition are opposed to the current plan to add six (6) foot
wide sidewalks along Park Place between Dexter and Timber. Should the Sidewalk Master Plan
be expanded beyond Park Place to include any other streets in the Oakwood Addition, we want to
go on record in opposition of this expansion. Not only will this new construction destroy the
historical integrity of this, perhaps the oldest residential neighborhood in College Station, but in
the opinion of experts from Texas A&M, it will also endanger several large Oak trees, some of
which are over 50 years old.
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