Northcliffe

Dear Residents

Aug 05, 2004

At the community meeting on July 13, special guests Greg Malatek, Area Engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Mark Marquez, Schertz City Manager addressed the group. There has been some controversy about the TxDOT turning the frontage road of IH 35 at the Country Club entrance to Northcliffe one way. The Transportation Committee of TxDOT has determined that for safety reasons, all frontage roads in urban and suburban communities throughout the State will be one way.

Many of us talked about issue of safety Vs convenience of turning the frontage road one way. We argued that many residents of the estates section of Northcliffe, Scenic Hills and the new Fairways of Scenic Hills subdivision will be using the Chelsea St. as a way to exit our neighborhood and this increase in traffic through the community section will also be a safety issue. All of these arguments fell on deaf ears, the decision has been made, and it will literally take an act of the legislature to overturn it. Our best option is to have the State build another over/under pass between FM 1103 and Schwab Rd. Look for a petition to be circulated in our community to ask the State Department of Transportation, State Senator Jeff Wentworth and State Representative Edmund Kuempel to consider building over/under pass along IH 35.

City Manager Mark Marquez brought us up to date on the status of the new fire substation. As some you may know from a May 2004 article in The Herald, the initial bids on the new substation came in way over budget and all bid were rejected. The good news is that the City has a double wide trailer that they acquired through a land acquisition and they plan to move it to the site of the new fire station, and use it as a temporary firehouse. This should happen within the next thirty days and it should be operational by October.

Mr. Marquez also updated us on several issues that effect our community. Vandalism is a major problem at the Northcliffe Park/Pool, and it is higher here compared to other communities in Schertz. That is probably because Northcliffe is the northern most neighborhood and out side of Schertz proper and that it usually takes between three and five years after a community has been annexed for all the problems and issues to "shake out." You Board will once again ask the City about posting a reward sign to catch these vandals. If you witness any vandalism, please call the Schertz Police immediately. Your HOA Board has already written the City to request that they do a study to see if speed humps are warranted on Mayfair, Cherry Tree and Chelsea to curtail speeding on those streets and that the hours be of the pool be posted along with several other issues.

If you would like to discuss any of these issues or other issues that you feel that your HOA Board needs to address, please give me or any Board member a call. Our phone numbers are listed in this newsletter. Or if you prefer you may contact me or the HOA by E-mail at DMcCune615@aol.com or ncliffe2000@yahoo.com.

Duane McCune
President, Northcliffe Homeowner's Association