speaker: greg ajemian (hnp chair) tonight’s topicsmyhnp.com/docs/hnp presentation 12-1-05.pdf ·...

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership (HNP)

Tonight’s Agenda (December 1st)

Speaker: Greg Ajemian (HNP Chair)

Tonight’s topics:

Neighborhood Status, Crimewatch, Issues

Discussion of Public Improvement District (PID)

Neighborhood Financing?

Other Business?

Adjourn by 9:00 p.m.


September 29th Meeting

1. About 25 in attendance (poor turnout)

2. Discussion of Public Improvement District (PID)

3. Audience overwhelmingly wanted to know moreabout the PID idea ---- hence tonight’s meeting

4. Also discussed City projects such as hospitaldistrict, South Pointe, Big League Dreams,Walnut Creek Linear Park, and SH-360 extension


Tonight’s topics:




Other Business?



STATUS

The HNP was founded three years ago as avolunteer association with no fees.

The HNP is comprised of 19 Block Captains,one of which acts as Chair.

Goal: Three or four meetings for the BlockCaptains are held each year, while one neighborhood-wide meeting is held each year.


PURPOSE

Crime watch

Identify and address neighborhoodneeds

Keep neighbors informed: MISD, city projects, etc


Crime Watch signage posted at entrances about two years ago

Signage at entrances was put in place by Police as the result of three well attended (~ 100 each) neighborhood meetings during 2002 and 2003, which established our crime watch association. HNP maintains contact with the Mansfield

Community Police Officer and other neighborhood associations to receive and distribute crime information.We continue to have low crime rate at this timeThe two major crimes that we experience are:

a. open garage doors leading to theftb. smash & grab crime on parked vehicles


CRIME WATCH


COORDINATION

Block Captains are the backbone of the HNP

Block Captains maintain their own streetregistries; e-mail, phone number

Happenings and information are circulated to Block Captains for distribution to residents

HNP maintains contact with the MansfieldCommunity Police Officer and other neighborhood associations.


DOES NOT . . .

No legal standing --- just volunteers

No donations or fees collected

No covenants or deed restrictionsenforced

No political stances are taken


LOCATION

HNP covers 17 streetsHNP includes about 500 homesInformation is being shared with:

Heritage EstatesWalnut Hills

HNP Boundary

HNP

HNP: Vicinity Map

HNP

HeritageEstates

EnchantedAcres

HeatherEstates

HOA

WalnutHillsHOA

Screening wall along Country Club

Entrances along Country Club

Lack of Logan Drive sidewalks

Lack of Man Avenue sidewalks

Lack of Parks in vicinity of neighborhood


ISSUES

HNP: Screening Wall

HNP

ScreeningWall

Wall along Country Club is owned by 13 adjacent property owners (plus one more at each end), each with their piece of the wall that is defined by their property linesThere is no “collective” approach or oversight for

maintenance of the screening wallA wall maintenance issue that is ignored by one property

owner may easily spread to impact othersMaintenance repairs will not be consistent along the wall,

which will eventually result in an aesthetically poor wall Wall graffiti may linger on the wall and attract further

defacingCity has no jurisdiction with the wall, unless there is a

public safety concern


SCREENING WALL ISSUES

Looking West Along Country Club(At first glance, the walls look fine)

Hills ofHeritagescreening

wall

HeritageEstates

screeningwall

NorthSide

SouthSide

Hills of Heritage Screening Wall(Park Dept mows grass between wall and street)

Hills of Heritage Screening Wall (Park Department applies weed control next to wall)

Screening Wall: Weep Holes / Erosion(Note erosion that is exposing the footing)

Erosionthat has

exposed thefooting forthe wall

Weep holesthat allowwater to drain thruthe wall

Screening Wall: Weep Holes / Erosion (2” pipe is discharging something from other side)

Screening Wall: Column (#1) Problems (Brick missing from wall column)

Brickmissing

on column

Screening Wall: Column (#2) Problems (Loose grout at joint between wall and column)

Columnbeginningto separate

from wall

Screening Wall: Column (#3) Problems (Stone bricks are coming loose from column)

Brickscoming

loose oncolumn

Screening Wall: Column (#3) Problems (Stone bricks are separating from column)

Columnseparatingfrom the

wall

Eastern Half of Screening Wall (Strong lean towards street)

Bad Columnthat is breaking apart

Columns also showingseparation from wall

After showing these pictures to a general contractor that works in the area, he stated that the wall is probably leaning and movement of the wall joints located behind the columns are pushing the columns away from the wall

Using a long piece of lumber and a level, the eastern half of the screening wall was found to have a strong lean toward the street

The yards are placing 2 feet to 2 ½ feet of burden on the eastern half of the wall that is most probably contributing to the wall lean, while strong drought has further weakened the soil along the base of the wall

The masonry stones used for the screening wall produce a wall thickness of 5 inches, which probably does not provide enough weight to offset the push of the yards on the wall

A major fix is now needed for this screening wall, before major damage to the wall occurs

The western half of the wall (towards the church) is not leaning and has much less burden on the walls due to adjacent yards

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership (HNP)SCREENING WALL LEANING!

The brick wall for Heritage Estates (south side of Country Club) has some problems developing with columns, but was observed to have no lean

The columns provide all the support for the wall, which is less than three inches thick --- the width of one brick

Several columns are showing significant cracking that need repair to stabilize, before any movement damages the brick wall between columns

The yards are level with the grounds that are on the street side of the wall, which means that no burden is placed on the walls

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership (HNP)HERITAGE ESTATES SCREENING WALL

Heritage Estates Screening Wall (no lean was observed)

Walls are less than threeinches thick; 1 brick thickness

Columns provide fullsupport for the wall

Heritage Estates Screening Wall (Column problems)

Support columnshows cracking

Heritage Estates Screening Wall (Column problems)

Supportcolumnshows

extensivecracking

Heritage Estates Screening Wall (Wall damage)

Wall hashole

punchedthrough







ISSUES

HNP: Country Club Entrances

HNP

HillaryEntrance

ChenilleWay

Entrance

LoganEntrance

The corner of each entrance is owned by the adjacent property owner, thus each entrance has two owners Each entrance has a sprinkler system that is

driven by one panel box and one electric meterThe electric meter is classified as a commercial

meter that carries a $150 per year cost to stay activated. The cost of electricity is minimal.The electric meter at Hillary entrance is not

activated, while the electric meter at Chenille Way is still in the name of David Weekley for now The water is paid by the City


ENTRANCE ISSUES ALONG COUNTRY CLUB

Hillary Trail Entrance: East Corner(Each corner belongs to adjacent property owner)

Hillary Trail Entrance: West Corner (both corners at Hillary Trail appear in good shape)

Chenille Way Entrance: East Corner (Electric meter is still in name of David Weekley,

so irrigation system still runs for now)

Sprinklerhead

Entrance Sprinkler System at Hillary (This electric meter and sprinkler panel is located

on NE corner, but controls both corners)

Commercialelectricmeter

Powerswitch

Sprinklercontrolpanel

Chenille Way Entrance: West Corner (the “Hills of Heritage” wall sign for this corner is missing)

Logan Entrance (The Church maintains the median vegetation)

(Could a median be a future initiative at the other end of Logan as an entrance for aesthetics / traffic control?)

Logan Entrance: East Corner (The Church does a great job of maintaining their

corner and the median)

Hillary Trail (Highlands) Entrance: East Corner (This is an example of what can happen if the

property owner decides not to maintain their corner)

Heather Estates Entrance: East Corner (Example of what flowers can do for an entrance way)

Heather Estates Entrance: West Corner (This is a manditory HOA that has funds for higher

level of maintenance)







ISSUES

Logan Drive: No Sidewalks (Sidewalks are included as part of the Walnut Hills

Addition for Logan Drive and Windcastle, and our HNP for side streets, but not for our portion of Logan Drive)

LauraElizabeth

Trail

RichmondCircle

LauraElizabeth

Court

Windcastle

LoganDrive

LoganDrive

Logan Drive: No Sidewalks (Pedestrians have to work around parked and moving vehicles)

Logan Drive carries a high volume of vehicular traffic through the middle of the neighborhood and has no sidewalksTwo years ago, the HNP produced a petition for Logan

Drive residents in addition to a letter to City Council requesting a City project for sidewalks, but to no avail Sidewalks along Logan Drive would connect with sidewalk

systems on nine connecting streets, plus sidewalks in Walnut Hills and along Country Club LaneThe Walnut Ridge Baptist Church has many activities that

produce a high volume of pedestrian traffic along Logan DriveLogan Drive sidewalks would make for a safer and more

cohesive neighborhood, while such an asset would make the neighborhood more attractive and add property value


LACK OF LOGAN DRIVE SIDEWALKS







ISSUES

HNP: Man Avenue Entrance

HNP

ManAvenue

Entrance

Man Avenue at Matlock(Looking north along Matlock sidewalk from Man Avenue)

Man Avenue from Matlock (it is not safe for pedestrian traffic to approach this Matlock intersection to access Matlock sidewalks)

Man Avenue from Matlock (HNP neighborhood is located on other side of bridge)

Bridge atRaglandBranch

Man Avenue provides the neighborhood with its only direct access to Matlock, but has no sidewalksMatlock has sidewalks that could connect through

Man Avenue to the neighborhood (Nugent Drive)Man Avenue sidewalks would provide safe

pedestrian traffic to access businesses along Man Avenue and MatlockJoggers, walkers, and strollers would have safe

and long loop routes available through a connection with Matlock


LACK OF MAN AVENUE SIDEWALKS







ISSUES

Our kids have no open space or parks located within walking distance of our neighborhoodOnly two undeveloped spaces current remain

along the perimeter of the neighborhoodThere is a 14-acre tract located next to the CVS

drugstore that is zoned commercial, which could accommodate a partial purchase for a parkA 3-acre tract located near the intersection of Laura Elizabeth and Edgefield is owned by the City of Arlington for a future water tower, which could be pursued for a lease arrangement for a pocket park

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership (HNP)LACK OF PARKS IN OUR NEAR VICINITY

14-acre Commercial Tract (Could part of this be an opportunity for a park?)

(We need to monitor the development of this property!)

14-acrevacant

commercialtract

WalnutRidge

BaptistChurch

Matlock

CountryClub

3-acre Site for Arlington Water Tower (Could this be an opportunity for a pocket park?)

Future Arlington

water tower

EdgefieldTrail

DebbieLane

LauraElizabeth

Trail


Tonight’s topics:




Other Business?


PID(Public Improvement District)

What is it?

The PID Assessment Act passed by State in the 1980’s; augmented by mid-1990’s

Funds from special tax assessment used to provide landscaping, signage, irrigation, lighting, additional sidewalks, entry features, security, newsletters, website, perimeter fences, etc

A neighborhood tool to upgrade public areas


How many are there?

Grand Prairie is the metroplex leader with12 residential PID’s.

Desoto has two, Cedar Hill has two, andDallas has one.

Arlington & Mansfield do not have one yet.


How is it established?

An application package must be submitted to City that identifies proposed boundaries, the Board, budget, and petition.

The proposed budget establishes the amount of tax assessment. The budget includes the upcoming year plus an overall 5-year plan.


How is it established?

Within the boundaries, the petition must represent more than 50 % of the appraised value and: more than 50 % of the property owners or more than 50 % of the area.

Residents are notified of proposed assessment and invited to public hearing. City Council approval of PID follows.


How does it operate?Resident board of directors appointed annually. Flexible as to number of board directors and structure.

Board determines improvements.

Taxes collected just like property taxes and held with City.

City pays PID for maintenance it would have provided. PID reimburses City for the cost of collections / funds mgmt.

PID versus HOAPID HOA

Property Maintained Public Private

Enforces Deed Restrictions No Yes

Cost is Tax Deductible Yes No

Collect thru Mortgage Payment Yes No

Governed by Resident Board Yes Yes

Cash Held in Separate City Fund Yes No


Tonight’s topics:




Other Business?



Tonight’s Decision Making Process1. Do you want a PID that would cost about $50 per year?

This would give us a budget of $25,000 per year to handle initiatives such as the screening wall, sidewalks, entrances, communication needs, etc.

2. If no to alternative #1, do you want a PID that would cost about $20 per year? This would result in a budget of $10,000 that would cover communication needs; website, newsletter, neighborhood functions, etc.

3. If no to alternative #2, then the PID option is no longer. Do you want to take a voluntary funding approach to fund the communication needs? An annual notice would be sent out to request $20 for voluntary contribution.

4. If no to alternative #3, then we are choosing to stay with the current system that is totally voluntary with no working funds.


Fallout from September 29th Meeting

1. Yellow flier widely distributed by resident

a. Reached several residents not on BlockCaptains’ street registries, that had not beeninformed of September meeting

b. Denounced PID idea and indicated a decision had been made for a PID

2. In response to yellow flier, Greg Ajemianreceived e-mails from 20 residents not in favorof PID idea, while 4 e-mails were in support


Fallout from September 29th Meeting

Those e-mails that were against the PID idea conveyed the following:

1. Mansfield taxes too high, don’t want more2. PID tax can rise over time, hurt resale of homes3. Homeowners bought in this neighborhood

because no HOA or such exists 4. PID would help small few (wall, sidewalks),

while taxing high majority with no benefits5. Those along wall and entrances are responsible

for their own upkeep, not rest of neighborhood


Flip-side: Reasons to Support PID1. $50 a year per home is a small price to pay for

protecting and improving neighborhood value2. Maintaining and adding to our neighborhood

assets (walls, sidewalks, etc) will collectively increase our property values

3. We want to attract home buyers who care how the neighborhood looks, which likely will transcend into how they take care of their properties

4. Enhancing our ability to communicate (website, newsletter, neighborhood events, etc) will bring our neighborhood closer together


Tonight’s Decision Making Process1. Do you want a PID that would cost about $50 per year?

This would give us a budget of $25,000 per year to handle initiatives such as the screening wall, sidewalks, entrances, communication needs, etc.

2. If no to alternative #1, do you want a PID that would cost about $20 per year? This would result in a budget of $10,000 that would cover communication needs; website, newsletter, neighborhood functions, etc.

3. If no to alternative #2, then the PID option is no longer. Do you want to take a voluntary funding approach to fund the communication needs? An annual notice would be sent out to request $20 for voluntary contribution.

4. If no to alternative #3, then we are choosing to stay with the current system that is totally voluntary with no working funds.


Tonight’s topics:




Other Business?



Tonight’s topics:




Other Business?

Adjourn by 9:00 p.m. ---- Thank you for coming!

Anyone wanting a copy of this presentation, to send feedback, to get on e-mail list, or to ask questions; please send your request to [email protected].

speaker: greg ajemian (hnp chair) tonight’s topicsmyhnp.com/docs/hnp presentation 12-1-05.pdf ·...

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