City's Public Information Meeting Comments Summarized

June 28, 2002

The City of Fort Worth's Project Management Team has collated and summarized the comments received as part of the City's Public Information Meeting process. The City held two Meetings, the first on May 29th at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens and the second on May 30th at the Trinity Valley School Auditorium, to present updated project status information and solicit public comment as part of the City's process in developing a locally-preferred alternative for the roadway.

Several questions and issues raised required coordination with the City of Fort Worth staff and members of NTTA's technical team. These questions and issues are becoming the basis for a new feature of the SH-121T website - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which will be online within the next couple of weeks. As the SH-121T project moves forward, new questions and issues submitted by the public that similarly require further investigation and response will now be posted on the website's FAQ page. Check back regularly for current issues and responses.

At the May Public Information Meetings (which were attended by 281 people), 18 members of the public provided oral comments and a total of 87 comment cards have been received to date. Of the comments received, 51 respondents indicated support of the project, 17 were opposed, and 1 respondent was not sure. One respondent supported Alternative A, 11 supported Alternative C, 3 supported both Alternatives A and C, and 2 opposed Alternative B. Four respondents urged the City to start the project as quickly as possible or accelerate its development. The City was also urged to continue to keep the public process open throughout development and construction, and to expend as much funding on the southern portion of SH-121T as on the northern and middle portions.

The City is already responding to one comment received regarding the date of the aerial photography used for project exhibits. Efforts are currently underway to incorporate newly acquired year 2001 photography into the project layout exhibits, and the City anticipates those revised exhibits to be available in time for the City's Public Hearing on the locally preferred alternative.

Other areas of concern addressed landscaping, noise, grades for Dutch Branch Road and SH-121T, possible impacts to the Park Palisades neighborhood, and access at Bellaire Drive, among other topics. The following summarizes these major areas of concern and the number of comments received.

Include Landscaping/Noise Mitigation/Parkway Elements---11

Follow PDT Recommendations--- 7

Access/interchange at Bellaire Drive
Include--- 3
Do not include--- 8

Depress SH-121T/Do Not Elevate SH-121T--- 14

Depress Dutch Branch Road--- 5

Move roadway to the west in area of--- 5
Dirks Road/Dutch Branch Road/Oakmont Trail

Property Value Impact Concerns--- 4

Impacts to Park Palisades Community--- 3

Revise drainage in the Dutch Branch Road area--- 2

Economic hardship on commercial property owners--- 2

As the City moves forward with identifying a locally-preferred alternative, the public is encouraged to continue to provide comments, either through the website Contact Us comment form or the SH-121T Information Line at (817) 371-3958.