What do we want in a City?

I have written about Las Vegas before. This time, I wanted to write about something I read in Planning Magazine - a professional periodical for city planners. In November's issue, there's an article called "A Surprisingly Urban Place" highlighting some of the history of Las Vegas and where it is at currently. Much of the article is about how the architecture of the Strip has evolved over time and it's affect on cities all over the world. What I found particularly interesting appears in the last two paragraphs:

Las Vegas shows us a great deal about what people want from cities and what will induce them to visit. They want grandeur and excitement and novelty and stimulation.

They want to come to a city for what they cannot get on the Internet. They want visual splendor and they want surprise. And they want to see other people and mill about with them and even get a sense of community. That's not a bad set of things to want. As we try to figure out how to build cities that have the sustaining and nurturing qualities that many of our cities undeniably lack, we must admit that we can still, even today, learn from Las Vegas.

I could not agree more. It's important for each of us to find ways to make our community more interesting. These places are cool because there are people there. People are attracted there because they look cool. And they stay there and come back there because there are things that they like to do available. We need to encourage the businesses in our community to consider these things as they develop, helping establish areas that people like to come and be.

Get Out the Vote

I don't care who you vote for. But get out and vote! Be a part of history! This is a great time for America and Americans! Please, please go out and vote!

Big Oil Business...

I recently read an article about Nigerian oil fields. I was interested in the story for a couple of reasons. First, I know a person who works here but frequently has to travel there for business in the oil industry. He reports that Nigeria is a very challenged place. There is no good public infrastructure and he must travel with armed security wherever he goes.

Secondly, there is the aspect of the humanity in the story. Nigeria is rife with corruption and tribal factions who don't see eye to eye. Extracting oil may be an underground operation, but the problems it has caused for the people there and the environment in which they live are very plain to see. People who are frustrated or dissatisfied with the corruption are often powerless to resist. Those who gain power or privilege are usually loath to relinquish that power. And those who are repressed must seek avenues to get their needs met.

Finally, there are some interesting parallels with what's going on in Nigeria to what is going on here in Mont Belvieu. We have none of the corruption problems, and we have had an EPA in place for decades now. But the tax dollars that infuse our community flow from the oil industry. It's very nice, actually, to have these resources. After all, they pay my salary in part :-) But on the other hand, our entire region is dependent on one industry for it's tax revenues which is not healthy. It makes us less resilient when periodic economic upheavals strike. As far as the City goes, we'll be OK - the value of property in our City is not going down. But what of the people who work there? And all the supporting industries? In Nigeria, everything depends on oil, leading to several of the people quoted in the article to say that they wish they had never found oil there...

Makes me wonder...

The Park

We are in the finishing-up stages of the design of the new City park. I think that you'll really like it. The City has invested a lot of time and thought into the design of the Park, and it will be something we can all be proud of. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the various aspects of the park's design, I will give you a quick run-down:

• 80 acres total property area
• 70 acres of park space
• 10 acres of commercial land in the front of the park (along Eagle Drive)
• Street light at Eagle Drive (entrance to the Park - probably won't be installed until Eagle Drive improvements are completed or finalized)
• 10 play areas with playground equipment (slides, swings, etc) including 2 play areas in the ball fields section of the park
• A water play area (splash pad type area with water features and interactive fountains)
• A skate park
• An outdoor amphitheater
• A lake with adjacent boardwalk and overlook, islands, and wildlife habitats
• A full sized (350' outfield fence) baseball field
• 5 Little-League sized baseball fields
• 3 softball fields
• 3 multi-use (soccer or football) fields
• Miles of trails (concrete, gravel, and natural trail surfaces)
• Concessions area with associated restroom facilities
• Large public pavillion for public and private gatherings with associated restroom facilities and storage/concessions area
• Ample parking for all events
• And the big one - fireworks discharge area! Bring your lawn chairs for the displays that will start from the park!
  

The designers have worked with City staff and officials to ensure that this park will be a jewel for our City. It will meet the needs of our citizens for years to come and will be a source of pride for our whole area. If you have any questions about the plans or would like to inspect them yourself, please stop by my office and I would be happy to go over them with you and explain anything you would like!

Insert Clever Title Here...

When writing these blog entries, I sometimes think of the kind of person who would read my blog. Are you like these folks: studying with rapt attention the innermost thoughts and intents of my brain? Or are you simply casually perusing the net looking for something you probably won't find on this blog anyway? And how long does it take for you to decide this? Again, according to my cool little visit counter, most of ya'll spend about a nano-second here before moving on. I think that the counter may be faulty, but I wonder what it is about some blogs that pull people in to read them... The intent of this blog is not to be an exhaustive resource for people who want information about the community, it's tax rates, borders, etc. Come on into my office, email me, or call me and I can get you that information. The intent of thie blog is to help foster and inform a discussion about issues facing our community. I admit that recently I have been fairly reactionary - Ike has occupied a lot of my time. But as we settle back in, I would like to see more of the appropriate discussion that people may have.

I know also that the internet is not necessarily the best way to contact people to solicit input - you have to have a computer and internet access (which I don't even have at home!) in order to even begin to find your way here. But I know that many of you do have computers out there. I also know that you have ideas about what's going on in our community. I would like to hear them. I have received many great ideas and suggestions. Please keep them coming! Come on by, comment here, or however you would like to communicate - please do! I welcome your ideas!