Neighborhood Party this Saturday 8am - 10am

I hope all of you saw the first note about the party for residents of the south end of Shady Brook neighborhood. Now it is this coming weekend, and we will hope for great weather!

It will be a brunch, 8am to 10am on Saturday, May 6, in the Shady Brook Court cul de sac. Our alternate rain date is May 20. Plan to bring a breakfast food to share and your own chairs. We'll provide coffee and orange juice, plus plates, etc. The cul de sac will be blocked off with barricades we have arranged to borrow from the city. The neighbors on the Court have already graciously given permission to have it blocked that day. If you want more information, contact me via the link over in the right hand column or see the phone numbers on the reminder notice we'll be distributing Tuesday morning.

Election includes Bond Propositions

Don't be surprised when you go to vote and discover there are bond issues to vote on. Proposition 1 has to do with authorizing funds to work on Tarrant County roads, highways and bridges. Prop 2 authorizes funds for county jails, and Prop 3 is for county and district court buildings. Proposition 4 is for a County Juvenile Justice Facility and Prop 5 provides funding for the County Medical Examiner and Crime Lab Facilities.

Details on Upcoming Elections - Candidate Forums and Early Voting

The following dates are related to the upcoming Bedford Elections:

Thursday, April 27th
League of Women Voters Candidate Forum
7 pm Bedford Mayorial & City Council candidates
8 pm HEB School Board Candidates
Where: Senior Citizen's Center at the Boy's Ranch

Early Voting Starts Monday, May 1st
Bedford Residents may vote at the Bedford Library as well as other designated Tarrant County locations. Check the following website http://www.tarrantcounty.com/eVote/site/default.asp for other locations. Early Voting times are as follows:

May 1 - 5
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
May 6
Saturday
7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
May 7
Sunday
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
May 8 - 9
Monday and Tuesday
7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Election Day Saturday, May 13th
Pat May Center
7 a. m. to 7 p. m.

Zoning Change Denied

A great showing by Shady Brook residents at the Council meeting last night. Many attended and 4 residents spoke, each bringing up a different reason for leaving the zoning the way it is instead of allowing heavy commercial. Reasons include neighborhood compatibility, chemical danger to the creek, flooding danger both from the creek and because the parking lot serves as a natural drainage area for the church parking lot, parking and traffic concerns.

The company may still move in there, but if so, they would need to operate within the requirements of the existing zoning and their trucks will not be parked there every evening and all weekend. We do not know how this affects the sign he proposes - a billboard-sized 50 foot, 250 sq foot sign.

As one neighbor told the City Council -- just because someone asks you don't have to approve it -- "You CAN say NO!" And thankfully, they did.

Proposed rezoning to allow heavy commercial/pest control

Please attend City Council this coming Tuesday night, April 11.

They will be discussing and hearing two items of immediate interest to the residents of the south end of Shady Brook. During a public hearing citizens are invited to express concerns, so please come and plan to speak!

1. At the 7pm Council meeting the first item on New Business is a Public Hearing and First Reading of a proposed ordinance to turn the old Balfour's Jeweler office into an exterminating company! From a nice clean office to one that might release chemicals into the creek if there is a flood!
What they are requesting is a rezoning to heavy commercial. The company indicates they will have too many vehicles for the lot so they will use the church parking lot for overflow -- what a sight as folks enter our neighborhood!

2. At 6pm at the work session Council will hear a staff report on the Sulpher Branch Watershed Study -- ie, a report on the creek just to our west. You would not be able to speak to this but would get a first hand report.

The meetings will be held in Council Chambers at City Hall, 2000 Forest Ridge Drive.