Monday, March 13, 2006

Lola's Letter



Written to Mr. Steve Blow, Dallas Morning News, Feb. 26, 2006

Mr. Blow,
I am writing to you as a concerned citizen of the East Dallas community. This is in regards to recent actions ptaken by the City of Dallas toward a mobile home park (ASH CREEK) that is situated on Highland Road near Ferguson Road. Several homeowner associations have done a lot of homework to rid our neighborhood of this mobile home park. Some of the issues are accurate:

* The owner of the land has neglected to upgrade and the result has been a decline of the mobile home park.

* There are many maintenance items needed to be corrected, some serious and minor issues.
* The residents at the mobile home park are mainly Hispanic and low income residents.

The mobile home park is not the most pleasing to the eye. However, some of the charges brought against the mobile home park are unfounded:
* It is not crime ridden. The mobile home residents do call 911 on many issues to deter crime. We have researched the calls and know this as fact.
* It is not a haven for criminals. These folks work and are not on welfare. They can afford to live here and love to live here.
* There are wild packs of dogs roaming the neighborhood. If there are any wild animals it is the result of the enormous growth of gated community homes destroying this natural green belt and the animals have no place to go.
* They do not dump trash. Other folks not living at the mobile home park dump the trash.
* The owner has handled all city code issues when notified by the city. We have researched these violations and know this as fact.

I am disappointed in myself for not seeking the truth and knowledge before now and took the word of others that I thought were working for good. I also feel I have failed this group of my neighbors for not working with them sooner to save their paradise even though others do not see it as “their” paradise.

I am disappointed in the under handed ways others have used in getting rid of these people instead of speaking their truths which is they don’t find it pretty in their eyes and they want this land to better the economy and status. I am a member of a group of concerned neighbors that are willing to work with the owner and the residents of this mobile home park to bring this property in line with what would work for all parties. We call ourselves C-NOAH Concerned Neighbors Of AshCreek Mobile Homes. I could waste a lot of your time and mine presenting all the facts but I would like to invite you to visit with us and the opposition as well as the mobile home park residents and owners to see if you could find it a place in one of your columns. I just would like the facts presented in your open forum for both sides and let the wide community hear. Your column reaches a lot of good people. You have always stood for diversity and acceptance at all levels.

I am not opposed to progress but I am opposed to progress in the name of something that is not. We have requested meetings with Leo Chaney and several other folks to hear our position. Our opposition is strong and includes several large homeowners associations including Forest Hills Homeowner Association and the Enclave at White Rock. We are also not backed by our Forest Meade Homeowners Association for which I am member. The FRI (Ferguson Road Initiative) is also opposed to keeping this mobile home park as well as the adjacent Tennyson Golf Course. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Lola A. Bosher
Concerned Neighbor Of Ashcreek mobile Homes
C-NOAH@sbcglobal.net

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