Meeting Notes: General Membership – February 24, 2025

March 29, 2025 Meeting Minutes, News

Attendees: See sign in sheet

Minutes:

Call to order: 7:00 PM

Andrew Epps welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order.

Officer Updates:

  • Neighborhood Police Officer (NPO):
    • Not in attendance
    • Officer Clint Moore is on light duty currently – still accessible but only on paperwork-type duty.
    • There is another officer covering for the time being.
  • Code Compliance:
    • Officer Oor in attendance.
    • Violations: property maintenance storage (30), junk vehicles, illegal 7 dumping
    • 4th Monday of the month for trash pickup.
    • Cowtown Cleanup on March 29.
      • This is in addition to the Trash Bash.
      • We could participate with an FNA group if wanted. Fairmount Trash Pirates? Will post to the neighborhood Facebook page to gauge interest.
    • Trash missed? Procedure: Call the 1234 number and notify that pickup was missed, within 24 hrs, and they will come get it. Make sure that your trash can is not overflowing and was put out in time.
      • My FW App has all the information.
      • FW Garbage and Recycling in the app.
      • Solid Waste is not with Code anymore – they are with Environmental Waste.
  • Deputy Constable:
    • Not in attendance
  • Fort Worth City Council District 9 Representative:
    • Anthony Rojas is in attendance.

Hemphill Restriping Zoning Perspective: Richard Riccetti (Hemphill Corridor)

  • Not in attendance
  • Richard lives in Fairmount and is also on the Hemphill Corridor group and was going to discuss the proposed restriping of Hemphill.
  • Andrew can share the email content from Richard.
  • A few years ago, based on conversations with Hemphill Corridor, surrounding communities, and the new skate park, the city restriped Hemphill to reduce driving lanes to add bike lanes and street parking in an effort to make the street safer and slow traffic
  • Now, the city wants to go back on this and re-stripe again to add back the driving lanes that were removed due to traffic data indicating congestion.
  • Hemphill Corridor is pushing back on this restriping proposal from the city and is seeking support from FNA. No official decisions have been made yet.
  • Email president@historicfairmount.com if you have any concerns. We will see if we need to have a neighborhood vote on an official position for/ against/ abstain as FNA.
  • City wants to go back to 4 lanes due to traffic analysis. Hemphill Corridor wants to keep it as is because it was done like this on purpose. Maybe there is a middle ground solution as a compromise. Maybe the parking is not necessary or causes confusion, but the bike lanes are used.
  • Will send out Hemphill Corridor meeting information if anyone wants to attend. Andrew attends as he is able.

Cowtown Marathon: Martin Dahl and Brenda Powell

  • This happened this past weekend at Fairmount Park.
  • Jason and Kelly provided food and there were lots of kids and fun had cheering on runners.

De Zavala School Preservation: Gabe Moreno (PTA Member)

  • Gabe is a Fairmount neighbor and De Zavala PTA board member.
  • FWISD has been discussing what, if any schools, may be shut down due to budget concerns and De Zavala remains high on the list for getting closed down, despite being a high performing school with an A rating.
  • Potentially the entire Pascal pyramid is being discussed as shut-down.
  • The primary metric for FWISD closing the school is low attendance. The school has a high capacity, but it is not being filled. Many in the area are choosing to send their kids to Lily B Clayton or other schools instead.
  • FWISD is holding an event on Wednesday as a community session inviting community to come and ask questions like what would this mean for kids and homeowners?
  • The building may not be protected by historic status. There have been potential discussions on turning this building into housing etc.
    • Could potentially be further protected based on historic value if restorations occur to make it a contributing structure.
    • Lilly B Clayton and Arlington Heights had been previously restored by FWISD and brought back to make them contributing structures.
    • Would have to make an argument potentially for further historic protections.
  • Encourage neighbors to get involved and show up on Wednesday.
  • Meeting format will be notecard format, the PTA is collecting questions and taking to bring to the meeting. Also using stories for social media campaigns, so write those down.
  • The PTA is also selling yard signs and sweatshirts before and after school.
  • Kids, who are doing well now at De Zavala, would be moved to other schools.
  • What would happen if this was demod? Could not be good or the historic context of Fairmount
  • We have an interest in keeping this a viable school in the neighborhood
  • Nancy: low class sizes help the kids thrive and do well. Also bilingual. What can we do as a neighborhood? Maybe can’t keep both elementaries that we have in the neighborhood and we have to choose one to focus on an create a strong neighborhood school instead of splitting focus between the two schools here.
  • Facebook – De Zavala PTA

FNA Monthly Socials: Barbara Crotty (FNA Director of Membership)

  • February social was at Fairmount Community Library with Ostara coffee. Despite low attendance, it was fun.
  • March –
    • St Patrick’s Day porch crawl
    • Saturday, March 15 at 6 – 8 PM
    • People will sign up to serve drinks/ snacks on their porches
    • FNA will have a designated porch as well
    • Passing a sign-up sheet around and will post on Facebook as well for sign ups
  • Renew membership – always renew in January of a new year at historicfairmount.com/join  
  • Send future social ideas to Barbara
  • April could potentially be a social to support Fairmont Bites.

Home Tour Updates: Jen Kindchi (FNA Director of Promotions) and Michael McDermott (FNA Co-Director of Historic Preservation)

  • Volunteers for the planning committee – Email promotions if you want to get involved
  • Will be on Mother’s Day weekend (Saturday and Sunday)
  • 4 homes for sure already
  • Any home volunteers reach out to Michael – preservation@historicfairmount.com or text (ask any board member for his number)
  • Good way to meet neighbors and explore the neighborhood to be on the home tour board or volunteer on the week
  • Suggestion to potentially have De Zavala on the Fairmount Home Tour this year.
    • Michael will work on this with Gabe and getting in contact with FWISD to make this happen.
    • This would be great timing to show community support for the school.
    • The school has been on Home Tour in the past.
    • We do not have a non-residence lined up yet for this year’s home tour, so this would work well.
    • Dagget was on the Ryan Place Home Tour in December.

Public Safety Updates: Kim Worly (FNA Director of Public Safety) & Ray Feyen

  • Looking for Citizens on Patrol people to sign up
  • Training: March 10
  • Citizens Police Academy – for anyone to learn how the police department works. 8PM at the police academy. 8–12-week course.
  • FW police chief is retiring – looking for the next chief currently.
  • Community emergency response team (CERT) training is March 7-9

Communications

  • Preferred communication platforms – where do you get your Fairmount neighborhood information?
    • Social media – Facebook (both official and non-official) and Instagram
    • Email newsletter
    • Website – A calendar of events on the website would be nice

Additional items to note:

  • City Council Elections
    • May 3, 2025 – with early voting before that
    • District 9 City Council Forum will be held at the March FNA General Membership Meeting on March 24
    • FNA will send out a Google form for everyone to submit questions and your optional name.
    • This will be done as a moderated forum by the FNA board and will not be a debate format. Each candidate will have an opportunity to answer the question.
    • The questions will be curated from what is submitted via the Google form ahead of time to reduce duplicate questions and keep things civil and professional.
    • If anyone still has questions they want to ask the candidates, you are free to contact them directly with their provided contact information.
    • The District 9 Council Person is the FNA’s main contact and first line of communication for Fairmount needing to discuss items with the city of Fort Worth or Tarrant County.
  • Updates on zoning items that were discussed last month:
    • 1600 Washington – stalled. No formal re-zoning applied for.
    • Alston – FNA pushed back via email. Pushed down from 8 to 6 units. Developer wanted a CUP instead which is temporary. Backyard concrete pad proposed but creates drainage issue. Occupancy density issues in the middle of a block.
    • No new zoning cases we have heard of.

April Garage Sale

  • FNA will decide on a date and create a map of participating houses that sign up.
  • According to metrics, this is the FNA’s most popular event, after Home Tour.
  • The FNA board will discuss at our next board meeting to decide on a date to publicize.

Adjourn: 8:00 PM

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