Where is the River?

Last year at this time we were in full swing of our effort to curb the plans of the town as they tried to muscle the road plans at full speed. Our efforts were mainly to get the word out to our residents and to convince them that the real need was to change the face of our town government.

As we all know the focal point of the need for the road was the much heralded addition to our town called "The Riverwalk". The plan was for a hospital, 400 apartment units, retail, mixed use offices, and a "River".

Right now, we know we have a beautiful hospital about to open and by most account’s a true state of the art facility. Something we can all be proud of. The next phase of the project will be an apartment complex with about several hundred units, of which 85 percent have to be larger than 700 square feet. The size and the variance of these units will be a matter of discussion at this week’s town council meeting. Beyond that, there have been some major changes in this project that from this point on I will call "The Riverless Walk".

The original developer of the "RLW", Flower Mound's own Cole McDowell, due to his own financial difficulties has parceled off the land into five separate pieces. None of the potential property owners are obligated or can afford the amenities promised by McDowell, "The River". As you all remember, the amenity, "The River" was the trigger that would have started the clock on the phase two of the road expansion project, in which McDowell would have had to have ponied up an additional 2.2 million dollars towards the road project. The other 5 developers WILL NOT provide that funding, Hence, no "River", no traffic, no road.

It is essential that we change the face of our town government. If the current regime retains its power and majority, Those 5 other parcels of land will fall in the hands of APARTMENT developers and the 400 units will turn in to 1000 plus units, and a hospital. No River, LOTS of traffic, but still no 2.2 million dollars for the road expansion.

If in May, Tom Hayden retains the support of Al Filidoro and adds the support of Steve Lyda and a new Mayor, Melissa Northern, they can be counted on to enforce SmartGrowth, not give free reign to out of town developers to build apartments on this property. They will be looking to support commercial options more favorable to our community than apartments, such as turning that acreage into a productive, profitable, inflation-proof option of a major medical complex to compliment the hospital and attract high paying jobs to our town. Maybe we can re-brand the project, "The River of Life". No River, No Road.

Telemarketing calls

If you haven't already been called, please be aware. Someone portraying themselves as a representative of Flower Mound Cares is sponsoring a telemarketing campaign that to some is very misleading. This is NOT any part of the Flower Mound Cares group or is it any part of the NFL campaign. It is a target marketing ploy by the Mayor and her group to see exactly where their support is and where they need to target their message. This is some of the questions they ask:
1. Do I oppose or support gas drilling
2. Ban on drilling in east flo mo
3. Why do you oppose (choices are dangerous, bad for environment, medical, truck/traffic issues, unsure of the safety (or something like that) and one other choice to choose from)... See More
4. Have I heard of the moratorium and do I support it
5. Plan to vote in upcoming election
6. If so, then Northern or Smith
7. Filidoro or blah blah
8. Lyda or blah blah

The calls show as from a 319 area code and they are very aggressive in repeat calling. I suggest if you answer, mislead them as much as possible.

Realize the drilling of gas in the eastern part of town is a true threat. If you haven't signed the petition for the moratorium yet, you will have an opportunity to do so this weekend at the McDonalds on 2499 at 3040.

Campaign

A lot of talk has been out about the Mayors problems with her son and how we should leave it as a private matter.

As a public figure you have to be ready for the heat. Whether it was the Mayors son or anyones kid, its a shame, but carrying a gun and possession of drugs and stolen property on a school grounds is serious. How the Mayor deals with it is her business, but it sorta goes against the famous Nancy Reagan phrase, Just say no.

While we are talking about mudslinging, I went back to the voters united website and re-read the chronological history for Flower Mound Politics in the last 15 year. It's a good read, sorta like a cheap novel or a TNT made for TV political drama. None of the intrigue of "The Good Wife" or "All the Presidents Men".

Check it out at www.voters-united.com and then go to about us and history. A familiar cast of characters and even the early days of Oil and Gas exploration, Outside developers interest in our little town and how far they go. It really does make the issue of this race the interests of the residents or the interests of big business in Oklahoma and other parts of the country. You decide.

Up coming Town Elections

A Few posts down from here was the recap of last June's Town Council Meeting where the approval of the construction was voted on. It was a very confusing meeting to some and the fact that some yes votes meant no and some no votes meant yes and some abstained votes meant no.

The simple facts are this. The Transportation committee recommended in a 5-1 vote (Steve Lyda voting no) for the entire project to be done at one time and the total rejection of our pleading to break it up into phases.

Before the June town council meeting, we met with Tom Hayden and Al Filidoro and were asked by Al what do we want and what is acceptable to us. We told them we needed to buy time and delay the meat of the project as long as we possible could. Al took those wishes to the meeting and proposed the project be split into 2 phases, the second being the portion between 1171 and 3040 until at least 2014 and based on traffic studies, needs and funding still available.

That is where we stand today. Instead of the bulldozers poised to plow up the entire 6.6 miles at one time in a few short months, we are sitting with a plan that includes intersection improvements, new fencing, two new traffic signals and many more of the safety features we asked for included in the first phase.

This all came to being because Al Filidoro worked with opposing council members and convinced them to accept the compromise of dividing the project into 2 phases. WE GOT THE TIME WE NEEDED! WE WON! Part of the time that we needed gets us past this May's election.

I urge each of you to support Al Filidoro for re-election, The election of Steve Lyda (a long time supporter) and the next Mayor of Flower Mound Melissa Northern.

They will be visiting your neighborhoods soon and I hope you get to know them better because they are what is best for our town and our most important asset, us.

Thanks for listening,
Kim Berg