LHAIA Supports Parks Department

Dear Lake Highlands residents-----we hope that you are all enjoying this holiday season with family and friends and that you are looking forward to a happy and prosperous New Year. You have probably heard that the National Guard Armory property will be vacated and that bids have been accepted from prospective users of the facility. Several bids have been received from organizations proposing to use the property in ways related to assisting the homeless. Bids has also been received from the Dallas Parks Department (the original owner of the land) and from the Sheriff's Department. The LHAIA Board feels that the highest and best use of this facility is the use proposed by the Parks Department. This proposal also includes badly needed community meeting space. We feel that this use also comports best with other land use in the area and with the overwhelming desires of the surrounding community and the entire Lake Highlands area. While we agree that the needs of homeless need to be addressed, neither the City of Dallas nor our understaffed Dallas Police Department have shown themselves capable of dealing with the problems endemic in low income housing. We would also expect that a use related to addressing homeless issues would involve exempting the property from ad valorem taxes. We already have a sizable number of exempt properties in Lake Highlands---and experience has shown that exempt properties often demand as much or more services as property that is taxable. We encourage you to get involved and make your feelings Known to City Councilmen Blaydes and Griffith. The LHAIA is developing other mechanisms to attempt to assure the success of the Parks Department proposal, including a petition drive. We look forward to your help and support.

Regards,

The LHAIA Board and Committee Chairs

Steve Wakefield swakefield@brlaw.com

Samuel Stiles Samuel_F_Stiles@notes.ntrs.com

Ray Hill frayh@lifeben.com

Ken Mooter kenmooter@swbell.com

Robin Moss Norcross robinn@ebby.com

Scott Wynne scott.wynne@clarion.com

Jack White jackwhite@ebby.com

Susan Morgan heysmorgan@aol.com

Larry Jones larry@tjtaxlaw.com

Lesa Bishop lesa.bishop@ge.com