January 2003 news letter

Happy New Year!

Though it’s been hectic for everyone over the holidays, the Association has been monitoring various developments in the area. For your information, a short summary follows:

Commissioner Craig Doyal says the widening of FM1488 is still the number one priority for the County. However, actual work will probably not begin for another three years. He and TxDot’s Public Information Officer Janella Gbar have both promised to send the East 1488 Community Association memos on how things are progressing. We’ll  post them on our web site as soon as we receive them.

The Fish Creek Thoroughfare Committee, chaired by Renee Jones, has met several times to discuss issues concerning the construction of the road which is slated to cut through Sendera Ranch and Montgomery Trace. The Committee intends to continue monitoring the situation. If you have any questions or would like to join the committee, please contact Renee at JonesCPQ@aol.com.

MCCA-Montgomery County Communities Association: The Woodlands has been instrumental in trying to start a Communities Association that encompasses all of Montgomery County.  The organization is still at the planning stages. A Steering committee has been formed and is developing the organization’s structure and direction.

A recent press release said: MCCA’s mission is to pursue common interests, provide an exchange of communication, improve the quality of life in its member communities and to contribute to the general welfare of Montgomery County. Organizations interested in more information, or in joining or participating, should contact Bola Akande, telephone 281.210.3808, e-mail abakande@catw-tx.org, or Joel Deretchin, telephone 281.719.6107. As more information comes available, we’ll add the information to our website.

If you participated in the survey on our website or the Magnolia ISD’s website, you already know there are many people interested in supporting the growth of  Magnolia and the FM1488 corridor and doing it in a way that will benefit us all. A public meeting is planned for February 20 in the Commons /Library at Magnolia High School to acquaint the public with the survey results and to elicit more public input as to what’s needed to make/keep this area a wonderful place to live. Watch our website for more information.

From Glenn Buckley comes information about the Texas Watch Conference scheduled for March 7-8, 2003 at the University of North Texas in Denton. He says the conference is a good way to get some information on what’s going on around the state and nation related to Water Quality and planning issues. One field trip he thinks looks particularly applicable to us: a tour of the Denton watershed and discussion of the practices they have put in place relative to greenbelts/construction practices to protect the local water supply. The Texas Watch website is: http://www.texaswatch.geo.swt.edu/MOM/MOMFrames.htm    Please contact Glenn if you’re interested in participating in any water quality monitoring (of local streams, lakes, etc.) His e-mail is: bugs@argolink.net

Please check out the Scenic Texas website (www.scenictexas.org ) and the information we have about them on our website. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of our state’s visual environment. They will be putting forth legislation FOR landscaping along highways and AGAINST billboards during this next legislative session.

Last session, Scenic Texas legislation (SB 1128) provided protection against new billboards for 13 designated highways throughout the State. Many more highways are included in this year’s planned legislation. Our FM 1488 is on their list for future protection. We need to remain vigilant and keep up with developments to be sure it’s included in this year’s legislation.

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 will 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.

Please feel free to post messages on the web site, ask questions, etc.  We’ll do our best to find out the answers for you. Access our website at http://groups.msn.com/east1488 . Then add us to your favorites list and check back regularly. And please send our contact info on to neighbors and friends in the East 1488 corridor.

Plans are afoot for an early March meeting. You will be notified of  time and place.

Regards,

Ann K. Anderson, Secretary