Parking Lot Victory

Idylwood Civic Club President Wendy Thiessen accompanied by several board members and interested residents, attended a meeting hosted by the Houston Parks Board to discuss the creation of a surface parking lot at the bend where MacGregor and Sylvan Road meet. As soon as Wendy learned about this proposal, she quickly notified everone about it and residents galvanized and started sending emails in protest to several Houston Parks Board contacts and City officials. Resistance to the proposed parking lot was strong (no Idylwood resident that I am aware of chimed in in favor of it). There is apparently victory in numbers and squeaky wheels get greased because the Houston Parks board relented in their plan for a parking lot there. It is to be placed elsewhere. From the email that was sent to the Idylwood residents:

We completed the meeting with your Civic Club president and a selection of community members/board members. I have attached the list above for who attended. These representatives selected to eliminate the entire trailhead (parking lot, lighting, trail connection to the street) for this area. We will be reaching out to the Texas Department of Transportation (the construction manager) to let them know of this decision. Again, thank you for reaching out and the work will now continue to connect the Brays Bayou Greenway through this area.

I [Jen Powis of the Houston Parks Board] also wanted to take the opportunity to let you know we’ll be doing a Brays Bayou walk on [November 2, 2013]. Please check our website for details in October and we hope to meet some of you there. Here’s the link to our ongoing event page: http://houstonparksboard.org/events/.

Thanks go to persistent President Wendy and all the Idylwood residents who took time to send heartfelt emails about how important our green space is and how their plan would have destroyed that. And hats off to the Houston Parks Board for listening.