Hello All,

The East 1488 Community Association is growing along with the area. We’ve just welcomed two new members to the Executive Board, making a total of six with an ultimate goal of seven. The new members are Kathy Sanders from Sendera Lakes and Tom Lunsford from Montgomery Trace.  They each bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Board.

        Law Enforcement & FM1488 Construction on March 4

Law enforcement seems to be a topic on everyone’s mind these days. To help residents understand the intricacy of Texas policing, at the next quarterly meeting the East 1488 Community Association is bringing together Constables and representatives from the Sheriff’s department to provide information and answer questions on March 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bear Branch Elementary School (on FM 1488 near the Lake Windcrest entrance).

March 4 is also the day TxDOT (Texas Department of Transport) will unveil their latest plans/drawings for the widening of FM 1488. Their walk-in display will be from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bear Branch Elementary School.  So, come early, see their plans and then join in the East 1488 Association’s law enforcement meeting. Talk about convenience!

                                          County Improvement

Plan to join area residents February 20 at 7 p.m. at the Magnolia High School Commons/Library to find out how your opinions and advice can help the proposed Southwest Montgomery County Community Improvement project. Originated by the Magnolia Area Chamber of Commerce, project planners now also include representatives from the County, Magnolia ISD, Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce, the East 1488 Community Association, and other area business and community organizations. 

                                          Sign Legislation

Newly elected House Representative Rob Eissler (District 15) is already doing his bit to make Texas beautiful. On Tuesday, February 4, he filed HB (House Bill) 678, “relating to erecting an off-premise sign adjacent to and visible from certain roads…” The bill states: “…a person may not erect an off-premise sign that is adjacent to and visible from…” A list of highways then follows which includes “…State Highway 1488 between the eastern city limits of Hempstead and Interstate Highway 45…” along with sixteen other roads throughout the area.

If you’d like to back Rob and his efforts to keep signs off the roadways, or just want to contact him, his address by regular mail is: Rob Eissler, Texas House of Representatives, Room EXT E1.318, PO Box 2910, Austin, Texas  78768; or by email is:  Rob.Eissler@house.state.tx.us . ( Incidentally, if you haven’t explored the wonders of technology now being offered by the State of Texas through the internet, try logging on to www.house.state.tx.us to find out about what’s happening in the 78th Legislative session.) Rob Eissler will be getting a letter of support from the East 1488 Community Association.

                                            Scenic Texas

Scenic Texas, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of our state’s visual environment,  plan to introduce three bills during this session. They include a bill to limit billboards state wide and one that asks TxDot to do more landscaping. Check out their web site www.scenictexas.org  for more information.  Or, feel free to link to them from our web site: http://groups.msn.com/east1488 . Last session, Scenic Texas legislation (SB 1128) provided protection against new billboards for 13 designated highways throughout the State.

Scenic Texas also supports legislation to get Texas (one of only two states not included in this federally funded program) into the National Scenic Byways Program. The program  would provide for additional federal funding for roads that are either aesthetically, culturally, archeologically, historically, or recreationally significant.  New billboard construction along scenic byways is prohibited.  The E1488CA plans to have a speaker from Scenic Texas during the coming year. The tentative meeting date is May 8.

                                         Committee Update

The East 1488 Community Association sub-committee on Fish Creek Thoroughfare, chaired by Renee Jones, has met several times to discuss safety and environmental issues concerning the construction of the road which is slated to cut through the subdivisions of Sendera Ranch and Montgomery Trace. The Committee is working to communicate these issues on behalf of the affected residents to the appropriate county, state and engineering representatives. If you have any questions or would like to join the committee, please contact Renee at JonesCPQ@aol.com.

                                           Water Quality

For those interested in Water Quality issues, don’t forget about the Texas Watch Conference scheduled for March 7^th and 8^th at the University of North Texas in Denton.  The TX Watch website is http://www.texaswatch.geo.swt.edu/MOM/MOMFrames.htm.    Also, feel free to email Glenn Buckley at bugs@argolink.net if interested in helping to monitor the water quality of local streams and lakes.

Glenn has also allowed us to post on our web site his “thoughts on Fish Creek Thoroughfare” after he attended the recent Open meeting held at Bear Branch Jr. High School. Have a read and add your thoughts and comments. 

                                              Your Input

Please feel free to visit the Association’s website http://groups.msn.com/east1488.  Post messages, ask questions, provide feedback, etc. Add us to your favorites list and check back regularly.  Send the address to neighbors.  The more people involved, the better the community.

And, most importantly, remember to come to the E. 1488 Community Association meeting on March 4 at Bear Branch Elementary School to learn about and express your comments on law enforcement in the area (with a bonus informational side trip to TxDot for the latest on the widening of FM 1488).

 Regards,

Ann K. Anderson, Secretary