ST - An Opportunity for the Steppes

[Dr Tiomoid M. of Angle]

>From the Dallas Morning News:

North Lake Abandoned by City

There's a beautiful park and lake within Dallas city limits that's
off-limits, even in the middle of summer. 11 News Call for Action
wanted to know why. Investigator Crayton Webb got the lowdown on the
park nobody can use. Between Dallas and Fort Worth there's no shortage
of urban sprawl. That's why green space is such a luxury. North Lake
Park used to be just such a place. The 800-acre lake surrounded by 600
acres of land is nestled between Irving, Coppell and Dallas. The sad
truth is, no one's out enjoying North Lake Park this summer because the
park's closed. John Brinkerhoff and the Metroplex Water Ski Club used
North Lake for 12 years. "We had a club membership of 300 people at one
point. We're down to about 129 people now," John Brinkerhoff, water
skier, said. "There isn't another park of its magnitude in the
Metroplex," Tom Coe, radio control plane pilot, said. The Irving
Radio-Controlled Flyers Association held four national tournaments
every year at North Lake Park. "It was regarded in the R.C. Community,
the remote controlled flyers community, as being one of the top five
R.C. fields in the United States," Coe explained. North Lake played
host to countless others but now the lake sits quiet and the park is
empty. "It's a beautiful facility and we'd like nothing more than to
see some city take over the operation of that park," John Owens, Texas
Utilities, said. TXU owns the land. The lake is a cooling source for an
electric plant. The city of Dallas leased the land in 1957 basically
for free. The city of Irving took it over in the late 80s. But last
October Irving bowed out. "We simply could make better use of our
resources elsewhere in the city," Paul Gooch, Irving parks director,
said. The city of Irving spent $250,000 a year to maintain the park.
City leaders felt that was too much to spend on land they could be
forced to give-up with short notice. The city of Dallas also said no,
as did the city of Coppell even after TXU offered $50,000 to help with
maintenance. So why doesn't TXU open the park itself? "Well, TXU is not
in the park operations business. We're not in the recreation business,"
Owens explained. But North Lake users say it's the cities that have no
business turning their backs on a park like this. Since Call for Action
began inquiring, Dallas, Irving and Coppell city leaders say they'd be
open to funding the park jointly. 11 News will keep you posted.



===
Tiomoid M. of Angle  JD MBA
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