Toni Lawrence Responds to the Board's Support for the Community on Bunker Hill Road Widening: Prepare to be Annoyed

At our Board Meeting on August 28, we adopted a Resolution (.doc) opposing the widening of Bunker Hill Road north of I-10.  The Resolution supports our Board's concern for the safety of our students, particularly those at Woodview Elementary who will be directly affected by the proposed project.  In addition, many members of the community, including those who came and spoke at our meeting, have made it clear that they don't want the project to go through.  Our unanimous adoption of the Resolution supports the community's efforts. 

It was therefore with some surprise (and annoyance) that I read Council Member Lawrence's letter (.pdf) to our Board in which she takes issue with the Board's adoption of the Resolution.  She says (among other things)

As an elected member of the Houston City Council, I spend 100% of my time and energy focusing on city related issues and am astounded, given the numerous tasks that your organization has before it, that this board finds enough time to weigh in on City of Houston matters.

Clearly the Council Member doesn't appreciate that widening a road in front of a school makes it more dangerous for children crossing the street.  And frighteningly, she doesn't seem to understand why that might be of some concern to the Board. 

I urge those of you who are concerned about this issue to read the letter (.pdf) and attend the Council Member's public meeting (.doc) on Bunker Hill Road on September 14.

Hearing set on Long Point improvement plans By NORM ROWLAND   District A City Council Member Toni Lawrence and the Spring Branch West Super Neighborhood are sponsoring a public meeting at Spring Woods High School at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 to discuss proposed improvements to Long Point and Bunker Hill roads.   Representatives from the city of Houston Public Works and Engineering Department, Memorial City Redevel-opment Authority, the management arm of the Memorial City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) and Turner Collie and Braden, an engineering firm, will also be on hand to address questions and take public comments, Lawrence’s office said.   In an e-mail to constituents, Lawrence said it is important “as these projects enter the design phase for your views to be known and for these important improvements to have the support of the entire community.   “It is my sincerest goal to see Long Point and Bunker Hill reconstructed in a manner that reflects the values of the good neighborhoods and businesses along it. However, I intend to advocate a design which does so in the most cost effective manner on behalf of District A taxpayers. I cannot and will not promote any plan which needlessly drives up the cost and soaks the taxpayers of our district.”   Lawrence conducted a public meeting on Bunker Hill Road issues several weeks ago and promised to recommend that Bunker Hill not be widened to more than three lanes in residential areas, a move that was generally applauded by residents.   She also met, on July 28, with a group of residents who own property on the north side of Long Point, primarily in Rollingwood Subdivision.   The residents, who have organized as the North Side Property Owners, question the wisdom of taking so much of the land needed for a Long Point right-of-way from north of the road, which is characterized by groves of trees and thick shrubs, while taking virtually none from the south side.   Diann F. Chemam, who wrote to Lawrence on behalf of the organization, said if 20 feet were taken from her property for right-of-way, it would result in the loss of three trees over three feet in diameter, 20 more than 18 inches in diameter, 45 smaller trees, 10 crepe myrtles 30 to 50 years old and countless shrubs and plants.   It would also claim a masonry wall along the southern border of her property.   “Neither the cost of replacing the wall nor the trees and green space were included in your cost analysis,” she wrote.   The unanswered question, said Chemam, is “what is the rationale for taking 20 feet of ROW to widen Long Point to 80 feet between Crestdale and Witte while maintaining 70 feet between Blalock and Crestdale and widening it only to 70 feet between Witte and Gessner?   “Why do we need 10 more feet of roadway at the intersection of Bunker Hill and Long Point than at the intersection of Gessner and Long Point, where city buses cannot currently turn left onto Gessner from Long Point without stopping traffic?   “The North Side Property Owners have been asking this question for three years and we still have no answer,” Cheman wrote.

Comments

[Ed Browne]

Thank you, Mike. Many of my neighbors have felt that City Council's office has behaved outrageously throughout our attempts to prevent more "scraping of Spring Branch". Council's office has used many more serious tactics to discourage dissention from her constituents, including public slander, calling resident's employers, or personally telling constituents not to get involved. This is very disappointing behavior from an elected official.

Here's another take on Councilmember Lawrence's behavior:
http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/007927.html

Also, let me be clear that those fighting making Bunker Hill a 5 lane road through the residential area are NOT against improving local mobility. We have brought suggestions before the Planning Commission that would have substantially improved traffic in the area. That this is true was substantiated by a presentation by LAN engineers at the last TIRZ meeting. Unfortunately, recommendations by the City and Council's office were in opposition. Since Council's office heads up the City's Planning Committee and also oversees all of the TIRZ's, it is very difficult to counter her recommendations, no matter how flawed.

[Jim K. Shroff]

The District A Council Member, Toni Lawrence should be THANKFUL to the SBISD Board of Trustees for sharing their concerns... which she stated during the meeting with SBCA members on AUG 17, 2006 at Woodview Elementary School, Bunker Hill - were also the concerns of the residents of this cherished neighborhood.

Knowing the high level of work load of this board, her GRATITUDE should have been REDOUBLED, considering the extra mile traveled by the SBISD Board of Trustees.

[Janet Wilkerson]

Thanks very much for posting this, Mike. The community needs to see our Councilmember's darker side. I was very taken aback by her attitude and choice of words.