All Together Now: "Hands Across the Water, Water ..."

Well, well, well. Isn’t this great? An olive branch from the anti-Trinity River toll road folks to Mayor Tom, who beat them in the recent referendum on building a toll road through downtown. I do believe it’s kiss-and-make-up time. All the mayor has to do, in order to accept this generous peace offering, is agree to keep the promises he made during the campaign. Can’t wait to see how this turns out.

The press release from Save Open Space is after the jump. --Jim Schutze

Dallas Environmental Organization Endorses Promises Made by Mayor Leppert and the NTTA in Controversial Proposition 1 Campaign

Dallas -- December 13, 2007 -- Leaders of a key Dallas-based environmental organization, Save Open Space, met to formulate a statement of support for Mayor Leppert and the NTTA after certain important promises were made during the controversial Proposition 1 campaign.

SOS spokesman, David Gray, said today, “Now that the dust has settled from the Trinity Vote, Save Open Space Board members are calling for unity between both sides of the issue.” With this action, SOS, made up of professional developers, planners, architects, educators, business men and women and other concerned citizens, calls attention to the many serious promises that emerged from the sometimes hotly debated campaign.

Promises made include the following notable points:

• Neither the City of Dallas nor NTTA will seek any waiver from the new safety and construction standards the Army's Corps of Engineers is developing for the Trinity

• Eminent domain [of any home] will not be allowed in constructing the tollway

• No further taxpayer dollars, neither gas nor property, will be sought to fund the tollway

• No trucks will be allowed on the tollway

• The tollway will bring 36,000 permanent jobs to the Southern Sector

• NTTA will spend $1 million per mile on landscaping the tollway

These significant objectives were brought into focus through recent public Proposition 1 Debates. These significant objectives, if adhered to, will enhance the Trinity River Project's overall virtues upon completion. Save Open Space leaders offer their expertise and assistance in the ongoing project, as they look forward to working with Mayor Leppert, and the City of Dallas to see that these goals are carried out as promised.

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Save Open Space: A respected environmental and planning organization comprised of several hundred professionals and other concerned citizens, who value sensitive planning for and the preservation of natural Open Space in the City of Dallas and surrounding areas. SOS has
been a driving environmental force behind the scenes in the Dallas area for more than three decades, helping planners incorporate elements of significant natural open space as the city develops and grows.