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August 5, 2008 Irving Again at the Center of the Transit Discussion 11th Annual Transportation Summit draws consumers, industry experts and policy makers Part I: Status of Auto Travel and Highways Tom Donohue, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, introduced the Chamber’s "Let’s Rebuild America" initiative at last year’s 2007 Transportation Summit closing luncheon with the words: "I am here today to talk about the fundamental reality that America needs to rebuild its infrastructure or it will find its economy in recession in a short period of time. We have to press Congress and the private sector to invest heavily in infrastructure to sustain our economy. This conference is absolutely the right thing at the right time to push that objective." A year later, Irving again did the right thing at the right time, as host to the premiere forum for discussing transportation issues. Named "Transportation’s Turning Point—Defining the Solutions," the four-day 2008 Transportation Summit was held at the Omni Mandalay Hotel. Over the course of the week of August 11, the City of Irving’s 11th Annual Transportation Summit, along with the Texas Senate Transportation & Homeland Security Committee Hearing, Joint Committee on Private Participation in Toll Projects Hearing, Texas House Appropriations Interim Sub-Committee on Transportation Issues, as well as the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Regional Rail Town Hall Meeting, brought in over 1,400 attendees from 41 states and 14 countries including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Korea, Panama, Spain, and Taiwan. There were 41 sessions and 140 speakers including U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison; Sean Connaughton, Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration; James Simpson, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration; John Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Alexander Kummant, President and CEO, AMTRAK; and Matt Rose, CEO, BNSF Railway Company. The positive economic impact was approximately $369,000 in revenue to Irving in hotel, food and beverage spending. David Dean, CEO of Dean International, Inc., a public policy consulting company that coordinates the Summit each year credited "Team Irving" with the continuing success of the Summit. Team Irving includes his company, the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, City of Irving and Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau. Dean
has been involved since the beginning. He said that
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson approached him in the
mid-1990s with the idea of a seminar on transportation. That
first year, it was a four-hour event attended by about 100
people and focused primarily on highways. It was policy
oriented rather than a technical oriented meeting, and the
feedback was so positive that a second summit was scheduled
for the next year. The Transportation Summit evolved in
length over the years from that half-day to a day, then two
and one half days, and eventually to its current format of
four days, Tuesday through Friday. It has also evolved in
scope from a regional to a national and international focus.
The summit offers its participants and presenters
opportunities to attend presentations and panel discussions
on a multitude of subjects, as well as hold meetings and do
networking before and after the formal sessions. In
addition to the formal presentations, the summit held four
open hearings on Although each mode of transportation has its own set of issues, there were several themes that ran through many of the presentations. Some of these themes were: the importance of educating the public, the public’s need for choices in mobility, and the message that leaders must lead on the issue of transportation and infrastructure and have to cooperate on regional and national levels. Above all, presenters communicated the message that much of the nation’s aging infrastructure is unable to support the growing population and that addressing these problems must be top priority. Right: Sean T. Connaughton, Administrator in the U.S. Maritime Administration was keynote speaker on Wednesday. Highways As fuel costs have risen to record highs, the importance of finding long term solutions for economically and efficiently moving goods and people becomes even more urgent. And, according to many presenters, those solutions need to be addressed on both national and regional levels. The rising cost of fuel has drastically affected car travel. Consumers are driving less, using mass transit more frequently, and they are purchasing more fuel-efficient vehicles. AMTRAK and DART, for example, have seen double digit increases in their passenger loads and revenue in the last several months. If fuel prices go back down to last year’s levels, it is expected that former habits may return. However, the cost of fuel is only one of the problems that challenges the future of highway travel. According to Matt Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern/Santa Fe, and a member of a national commission that studied these issues, by 2020 the population will grow to 338 million. The Commission estimated that the cost of highway congestion in 1993 was $39B and by 2003 it had grown to $63B. By 2020, it will be at $200B. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, speaking at the Thursday lunch, stated that the population of Texas has grown from 11 million in 1972 to 24 million in 2008. According to Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, a participant in a panel including several local mayors, stated the DFW Metroplex is the fourth largest metropolitan area at more than six million residents, and is adding one million residents every seven years. By the year 2030, the area population will be at 10 million. In the Metroplex, an area under-served by rail alternatives, the need to move this increasing population from home to work puts more and more cars on the road, creating a serious environmental impact. The growing number of cars and the compounding problem of congestion causes cars to spend more and more time on area roadways, adding to the bad air quality, frustration and growing costs due to loss of productivity. Relieving this congestion and finding alternatives has been a regional effort. The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) is an organization comprised of local city council members and transportation experts that work together to plan for the future of regional transportation in northeast Texas. The group is committed to the principle that "A transportation system can best be planned on a large-area basis involving city, county, regional, and state jurisdictional responsibilities as well as a proper mix of various modes of travel." Highway Funding On a national scale, highway travel is facing a very dire funding future. The Federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF), created in 1956, is the primary funding source for the national interstate system. The tax is based on gallons of gas sold, not on the price of the gas, so, as consumption goes down due to both the cost of fuel and the trend to more conservation, there are less funds available to the HTF, therefore, less funding for road maintenance and new roads. According to an article by Richard Simon in the July 21, 2008 issue of the Los Angeles Times, "The federal highway trust fund could be in the red by $3.2 billion or more next year. "The fund, set to finance about $40 billion in transportation projects next year, is increasingly strained. And the problem has taken on greater urgency as lawmakers face a backlog of projects to maintain the nation’s aging interstate highway system and ease traffic congestion." The article continues, "‘The situation has only been exacerbated by rising fuel prices, which are causing motorists to drive less, resulting in less revenue for transportation improvements,’" said David Bauer, senior vice president for government relations at the American Road and Transportation Builders Assn., and a presenter at the Transportation Summit. The resolution of these complex issues will not be short term and will require the continuing efforts and attention of local and national leaders and the support of consumers and constituents. Fortunately, the Transportation Summit presents an opportunity for so many people to convene and work together to share information and build networks that will move the discussions and progress forward. New Teacher’s Luncheon On Friday, August 15, the 53rd Annual New Teachers Luncheon was held at Nimitz High School. The event, sponsored by the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, welcomes new teachers to the Irving Independent School District. This year there were 350 new teachers in attendance. Chamber Board Chairwoman Peggy Masters welcomed the teachers and was followed by remarks from Chamber President/CEO Chris Wallace and IISD Board of Trustees President Jerry Christian. Allstate was the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included Comerica Bank, ExxonMobil, Cousins, TIAA-CREF, Aviall, Credit Union of Texas, DART, DeVry University, Flowserve Corporation, MicroSoft, NEC Corporation of America and Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club.
Joshua Sorrows and Liz Jackson, new teachers at Elliott Elementary School, joined more than 350 of their fellow new teachers at the 53rd Annual New Teacher Luncheon – sponsored by the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce – at Nimitz High School August 15. August 5, 2008 Irving Convention Center Renderings Released Irving City Council gets first peek at new Las Colinas facility; instructs staff to produce letters of intent for entertainment component, convention center hotel
The Irving City Council got its first view of the design of the soon-to-be developed Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. A model, renderings and animated video of the center were presented by the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with a construction schedule and estimated construction cost. Slated to open in fall 2010, the facility is the first phase of a mixed-use entertainment complex on a 40-acre tract in the Las Colinas Urban Center. The development site is bound by Highway 114 on the west, Spur 348/Northwest Highway on the north, Las Colinas Boulevard on the east and Fuller Drive on the south. Anchoring the site and serving as its first phase, the 275,000-gross-square-foot center will feature 50,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space, a 20,000 square-foot ballroom, and 20 break-out rooms, each approximately 1,000 square feet. The facility’s flexible design will allow it to serve high-end exhibitions, conventions, meetings and other events. The building’s unique architecture allows Irving to create a new niche in the marketplace. Estimated construction cost for the Irving Convention Center is $137 million. "Architects are by their very nature artists," says Rick Bidne, president and general manager of the Las Colinas Association. "The freedom given to the architects associated with this project, RMJM Hillier, has led to the creation of a structure that will be seen by most as truly a piece of art, not just a building." "It’s a structure unlike anything in the convention center industry and not seen anywhere else in this part of the country - a facility that encourages people’s interaction with space. Irving’s convention center will be nothing less than spectacular and a welcome addition to our city." Under the direction of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau, the center will be managed by SMG Worldwide, a leader in facility management, marketing and development. Pre-opening, SMG is serving as a project consultant. RMJM Hillier serves as the project’s architect, and is designing the convention center with a goal of achieving LEED certification. Other members of the development team include Austin Commercial, serving as construction manager at risk, with Dallas-based Beck Group serving the city as its owner’s representative. The Irving CVB staff has begun preliminary sales and marketing efforts to fill the facility, primarily focusing on groups of 800 to 1,200 people, although the facility’s capacity could accommodate 4,000 attendees for a general session or sporting event. With the largest function space in Irving at just over 10,000 square feet today, the exhibit hall in the convention center will be five times that size, and allow many more groups to bring their meetings to Irving. "This facility is right-sized for this market, and rightly thought out," said Maura Allen Gast, executive director of the bureau. "We’re letting our customers, meeting planners and local corporations know that beginning in November 2010, their meetings and events will have a beautiful new home for consideration in Irving, Texas." Components of phase two of the project include a 3,500-seat concert venue, 215,000 square feet of restaurants, retail and cinema, and a privately developed hotel, spa and condominiums. The passing of the Brimer election last November authorized the Irving City Council to implement a series of user taxes and fees to fund the concert venue; these include hotel occupancy, as well as ticket and parking taxes for events at the concert venue. The Irving City Council has directed city staff to draft non-bind ing letters of intent with Las Colinas Group LP for the entertainment district and concert venue, and with Watermark Hotel Company for the retail, cinema, hotel, spa and condominium component. "To have the bookends of the project as a high end convention center that any city would jump at the opportunity to have, combined with a concert venue that is first class and state of the art, is already exceptional," said Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez. "When you then factor in the high end boutique hotel, plus the convention center hotel, plus the condos, spa, restaurants and retail - well, then that really is a microcosm of what the future holds for this kind of development. And what our opportunity is for Irving’s future." For more information on the Irving Convention Center or additional renderings, contact Diana Pfaff at (972) 252-7476 or dpfaff@irvingtexas.com. For more information on the entertainment complex, hotel and other components of phase two, contact Laurie Kunke at (972) 721-2321 or lkunke@cityofirving.org. Code Enforcement Director Provides Status Report to Neighborhood Roundtable
On July 29, Irving Code Enforcement Director Teresa Adrian presented the representatives of the Irving Neighborhood Roundtable with an update on the department’s accomplishments since October 1, 2007, the beginning of the city’s current fiscal year. It was also the date when the city organization chart was adjusted so that Code Enforcement reported up through the Irving Police Department. This change facilitated more rapid response to problems that required police intervention. Left, Theresa Adrian. Within the City’s Strategic Plan, Code Enforcement falls under Goal No. 2: Nurture and Promote Vital, Vibrant Neighborhoods, specifically, Goal 2.1, to "strengthen code enforcement initiatives".
Ms. Adrian stated that the desired outcomes of the department are:
Teamwork is the key to accomplishing the goals. Without the concentrated efforts of both Code Enforcement and the IPD, the results wouldn’t be as good as they are, she stated. Code Enforcement is focusing on nine target areas. They are:
As Ms. Adrian noted, ordinances are the teeth of enforcement. They are working toward processes that "make sense" and want "simpler, processes that remove unnecessary layers" of bureaucracy. In fact, at the July 24 City Council meeting, the Council authorized $475,000 for Clarion Associates to rewrite the ordinances that will take Irving into the future. Ms. Adrian then identified the positive results in several of the focus areas: • Corridor Enhancements: On main corridors, over 11,000 code violations were worked. The three main corridors in Irving that are high priority are O’Connor Road, MacArthur Blvd., and Beltline Road. Pocket parks are on the books or completed for many corners. One of the best examples of corridor enhancement is MacArthur and Shady Grove, the corner where the new North Lake South Campus is being built. The adjacent corners are all being enhanced. • Community Service: Individuals with code or other violations and who have opted for community service have provided 667 hours and worked 54 projects. • Great Days of Service: The faith-based annual initiative this year updated and renovated 25 addresses. • Parking Enforcement: Violators of parking restrictions are receiving sanctions: there have been 277 tagged, seven towed and 760 citations have been written. • Trash = Ticket: If a business ignores the trash ordinances and the dumpsters are not emptied, they will be ticketed. No questions asked. • Tire Shop Enforcement: Irving has had many tire businesses that are performing work outside and leaving tires and cars outside. 87 of 97 businesses are now in compliance with the work having been moved inside the building. There are 10 businesses not in compliance and tickets are being issued. • Outdoor Signage: 48 abandoned signs have been removed since February 2008. • Dangerous Buildings: There have been great results in this area. Eight commercial buildings, 26 accessory structures, three fourplexes and one complete apartment complex have been demolished. And there are two more apartment complexes in progress. • Tudor Lane: This consistently problematic area is being actively worked. Ten of 18 fourplexes are vacant and one has been demolished. • Multi Family: Owners are being held accountable for the condition of their properties. In situations where owners are not complying with code, the property’s Certificate of Occupancy is being revoked. For questions or further information about Code Enforcement, contact Teresa Adrian at tadrian@cityofirving.org or (972) 721-4891. July 22, 2008 Third Annual Iron Girl Triathlon a Winner On Sunday, July 20, more than 500 women ranging in age from 13 to almost 70 participated in the 3rd Annual Aflac Iron Girl Triathlon held in and around Irving’s Urban Center. Rather than the traditional starting gun, the event began with Aflac’s trademark duck quack "aaaaaaaflac". The
women swam a 500-meter course around Lake Carolyn, a 20K
bike ride (approximately 12.5 miles) and finished with a 5K
(3.1 miles) run through the Urban Center.
Second place finisher was Christine Shirer of Dallas, with 01:11:53, and third was Tori Irvine of Dallas, with 01:12:06. Yolanda King, event coordinator for Aflac, commented that the area was perfect for an event like this. The lake was a perfect size for the swim portion, and the bike route was able to incorporate the advantages of Campion Trails. King also noted the safety of the roads around the UrbanCenter on Sunday morning. According to publicist Steve Arocho, "Iron Girl is the fastest growing all-women’s event series. [The mission] is to empower women of all ages to living a healthy and active lifestyle." Launched in 2004 with just two events, the Iron Girl brand has grown to now include ten events nationwide, varying in distance from 5K to duathlon and triathlon. To date, nearly 20,000 women have crossed an Iron Girl finish line. Overall winner Amy Marsh after crossing the finish line. The brand recently re-launched an enhanced version of its Web site, www.irongirl.com, filled with training tips, guest columnists and nutrition information. Iron Girl is supported by partners that include Aflac, Polar Heart Rate Monitors, Luna Bar, Celsius, Specialized Bicycles and PODS. Water Street Update
Water Street Masterplan: Yellow: Retail, Blue: Restaurant. The City Council was briefed on the progress of the Water Street development in the heart of the Urban Center at the June 25 Work Session. The 300,000 square-foot project on Lake Carolyn will be located at the corner of Las Colinas Blvd. and O’Connor Blvd. by Urban Partners and Gables Residential. The mixed-use plan will feature retail, entertainment, dining district (including Capital Grill), luxury residences, modern office space, a movie theatre and a boutique hotel in an exterior environment of promenades, tree-lined streets, granite sidewalks and canals. The location will be within one quarter mile of the DART light rail station set to open in December 2011. According to the update, completion of Phase I is scheduled for fall 2010. For more information, visit www.waterstreetlascolinas.com The Journal Grows with Irving On June 24, 2008, the Irving Journal debuted its new format. With this issue, we provide a larger page format, color and multiple sections and plenty of room for growth. In addition to the new physical format, we have also implemented a new home delivery system. Any resident who does not currently receive the publication at their home can be added to the delivery route by sending an e-mail with their home address to publisher@irvingjournal.com. The Irving Journal is also available in racks throughout the city at locations where residents shop and gather—such as the Heritage Senior Center, office buildings and grocery stores. Although we have made these changes, we remain committed to quality and strive for excellence in content, appearance and customer service. We are proud to be a part of the growth of the City. From north to south, Irving continues to grow. Irving is home to more than 8,000 businesses. In the past several decades, four Fortune 500 companies and major national non-profit organizations have relocated their corporate world headquarters to Irving. That relocation trend continues with the announcement late in 2007 of the relocation of Research in Motion (the maker of Blackberry smart phones), bringing an additional 1,000 jobs to this area. In December 2011, DART will open the Orange Line, a light rail that will connect the Las Colinas Urban Center with the existing light rail system, providing area residents easy access to the Tanger Outlet, the Water Street development, and the Convention Center as well as the Dallas Central Business District and other attractions. But, more importantly, the Orange Line will continue to DFW Airport in 2013, providing residents and business travelers alike preferred transportation to and from the Urban Center and airport. As Irving’s growth continues, we will be there to inform, educate—and sometimes entertain. As we look forward, we share the thoughts of poet Mark Strand: "The future is always beginning now." IFD Citizens Fire Academy—A View from the Inside
Citizens Fire Academy Class No. 13. Back row, l-r: James Malone, Roy Weide, Robert Martinez, Justin Landrum, Karen Curry, James Holan, Sheyi Ipaye, Mike Harris. Front, l-r: Marlien Money, Lisa Wilson, Jill Martinez, T. J. Friedel, Gabriela Lepe-Williams, Sharon Hunt, Karen O’Leary, Steve Thompson. By Jill Martinez Part 1 In 2006, the Irving Fire Department responded to 14,989 calls. Of those, 13,280 (more than 85 percent) were EMS calls. How do I know this? Because I had the great fortune to graduate from the Irving Citizens Fire Academy, a 13-week course that not only educates participants about the number of trucks, engines and fire houses in Irving—as well as the many special teams available to residents of Irving and the greater area—it provides participants hands-on opportunities to don bunker gear and get a feeling for some of the challenges firefighters deal with every day. The program was developed by Captain Mike Harris and is run by Captains Harris and James Malone. It typically has around 15 individuals per class, which allows everyone time to climb the ladders, run the pumps, and learn about fire safety. This was the 13th class. I have been aware of the Academy for a few years, printing the photographs of the graduating classes in The Irving Journal, but had never considered attending until I had a half-day introduction last fall as part of the Leadership Irving program. I was so intrigued that I talked my reluctant husband into attending with me. I promised him he could climb the ladder and that clinched the deal. So, on March 4 we headed to the Public Education Station at 1230 Glenwick for our first class, which covered the basics, including terminology such as numbers of alarms, flash-over, SCBA, truck vs. engine, etc. Also on that first night, Chief Mike Evitts presented "Fire in History" which showed how fires have been fought since ancient times. He also described some of the most devastating fires in history including the Chicago Fire of 1871 (the one often credited to Mrs. O’Leary’s cow) that destroyed about four square miles and killed at least 300 as it burned from October 7 to October 10; and the tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory on March 25, 1911 in New York City that killed 146 workers who were trapped in the building or jumped to their deaths. History of the IFD The next week, March 11, we were educated about the history of the Irving Fire Department from Senior Retired Captain James Malone (the father of James Malone mentioned above). Here are some of the highlights:
Each of the subsequent weeks focused on specialized teams, such as Haz-Mat, that provide first response to incidents, accidents and disasters. These will be covered in subsequent issues. But, before we left on our first night, we did what all good firefighters need to do: we were fitted with our bunker gear.
–Historical information available through the Irving Fire Department.
The Cimarron Park Family Aquatic Center is now open and ready for Irving families to jump in. The $3.6 million pool, located at 201 Red River Trail at Valley Ranch Parkway East, was dedicated on Saturday, May 24—just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. After a ceremonial ribbon cutting, and welcome comments by City Manager Tommy Gonzalez, Irving Councilpersons Rick Stopfer and Beth Van Duyne, the game was on. The pool was inaugurated by Councilmen Stopfer and Allan Meagher who climbed to the top of the water slides and raced to the bottom. Meagher, in the enclosed slide, easily bested Stopfer in the first heat. In the rematch, Stopfer chose the enclosed slide and won that heat. (Note: in a race, choose the enclosed slide.) Funded by a bond program in 1999, the Cimarron Park Family Aquatic Center represents the first outdoor seasonal pool built in Irving since 1979 and is the first outdoor public pool north of State Highway 114 . "The opening of the Cimarron Family Aquatic Center features a variety of new amenities and will establish a new standard for city aquatic facilities," said Chris Michalski, parks and recreation director. The new state-of-the-art park features a 9,500-square-foot main pool and 1,000-square-foot children’s pool with spray features. The larger pool includes a water playground unit, spray grounds, teaching area, water volleyball, lap lanes, and two large water slides—one closed tube and one open tube. Both the children’s pool and the main pool are zero-depth entry, which will allow parents to play with their children in any depth of water and provide an additional measure of safety. Other amenities include multiple shade structures, restroom buildings and concessions. Admission for toddlers three and under is free, ages 4 - 17 is $2, adults 18 to 55 is $3, and adults 55 and over are free. Non-residents are $8. Seasonal passes are available for $25 (ages 4-17) and $50 for adults 18 to 55. Family passes are $100. The passes for Cimarron Family Aquatic Center are valid only at this facility. For more information, call (972) 721-2501 –Information for this feature contributed by The City of Irving
Residents, Businesses Participate in Irving Blvd. Enhancement Study The
official kick-off of the Irving Boulevard Enhancement Study
took place at City Hall on Thursday, April 17. More than 150
residents, business owners and interested parties attended
the reception, which was hosted by the Greater Irving-Las The study, Designs on the Boulevard, is focused on identifying opportunities to visually enhance the boulevard and foster new retail and commercial development. A team of consultants is assessing visual characteristics (signage, landscaping, lighting, gateway entries, etc.), along with traffic patterns, drainage systems and retail, commercial and residential developments, as they craft a vision for Irving Boulevard and make recommendations on future land use. "This is a great opportunity to reflect on the Boulevard’s history and purpose, while creating a new vision for the future that will bring to life this important gateway," said Paul Gooch, managing director of community services for the City of Irving. "Through this study, and with the community’s input, we will develop a roadmap to help transform this area into a more vibrant and inviting destination." Greening the Pathways Irving residents and business owners are encouraged to participate in the Designs on the Boulevard study. The City will host two additional public meetings, on Thursday, June 12, and Thursday, September 4, to solicit public input on the overall vision and recommendations as the study progresses. The community can also share its thoughts, concerns and ideas through the City of Irving’s web site.
Creating a Walkable City For more information on the Designs on the Boulevard study, or to provide your input on the project, please visit the City of Irving web site at www.cityofirving.org. |
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SAM Scribes & Designs, L.L.C. dba The Irving Journal Owner and Managing Editor: Jill Martinez The mission of The Irving Journal is to produce a respected, reliable community newspaper that:
The Irving Journal strives for excellence and is committed to meeting all deadlines. (972) 719-2544 l (972) 556-2568 (fax) The Irving Journal l 320 Decker Drive Suite 100 l Irving, TX l 75062 For questions about billing or other business issues, contact: Jolayne Thompson, Business Manager
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transportation-related topics that were open to the general
public.
moderated by Paul
Gooch, 