Mill Creek Crossing Neighborhood Association

City's "Highland Creek" Plan Will Not Include MCCNA Homes

Mar 22, 2002

On 10 Jan 2001, John Kansier, Laura Perkins Cox, and Daphne Boyd attended an information meeting put on by the Garland Neighborhood Development Dept. We discovered that two (out of nine) parcels of Mill Creek Crossing were to be combined with pieces of other neighborhoods in E Garland (including parts of the lower-income areas surrounding us) into a ?“new neighborhood?” called Highland Creek. Highland Creek homeowners would get special consideration by the city on code enforcement issues, affordable housing assistance (including projects by Habitat for Humanity), other home renovation/rebuilding programs, new sidewalks, and etc. Highland Creek would have ?“sign toppers?”: special signs affixed to the tops of existing street signs with the Highland Creek name on them.

MCCNA remains committed to neighborhood vitality. We recognize that what is good for our neighboring areas ultimately benefits us, because our home values go up when those neighborhoods improve. We applaud the city?’s efforts in these long-forgotten areas that have fallen into neglect and disrepair. BUT ?– we strenuously opposed the city?’s plan because Highland Creek would encompass only part of our neighborhood: parcels known as Mill Creek Crossing 4 and 6. As a result, many of our homeowners on Bard and Mill Branch would be in Highland Creek, but some would not. Homeowners on Mill Crossing would not be in Highland Creek, but their neighbors one street over on Mill Wood would be. Signs identifying our neighborhood as Highland Creek would posted within Mill Creek Crossing, creating confusion. One small part of our neighborhood would get special city attention and the majority would not, creating inequities among neighbors.

MCCNA cannot and will not support any initiative, no matter how well-intentioned, that has the practical effect of treating parts of our neighborhood differently, that destroys our cohesiveness as a neighborhood, and that confuses people about what neighborhood they live in.

After airing our concerns at the meeting, MCCNA President Laura Perkins Cox had several additional discussions with the city about Highland Creek. On 15 January 2002, the city agreed to remove Mill Creek Crossing homes from the proposed Highland Creek area. The eastern boundary of Highland Creek has now been redrawn to border our neighborhood along Curtis Drive to the west. Mill Creek Crossing will continue to receive the same level of consideration and services that the city provides. We will simply not be included in the revitalization efforts going on in our bordering neighborhoods.