I just spoke at Dallas City Hall where I shared that 400 people (thank YOU) signed our petition.
- The speech was well-received.
In response to our petition, Downtown Dallas, Inc. has committed to work on three things:
- Thinning the tree canopy
- Re-lighting the park
- Deploying the Dallas Marshals to enforce the park rules
The sticking point is the tables. Downtown Dallas, Inc. wants to wait and see if the tables can be preserved.
We don't have time to wait until the above are tried before reducing the tables. Civic Garden is scaring residents, workers, and tourists.
- Just this week, Bloomberg ran an article, "US Office Market is Poised for a Crash"
- Safety is an urgent issue – if Downtown Dallas is to hold onto office tenants, residents, and businesses.
It's sensible to remove 7-8 tables and preserve the 3-4 tables closest to Main St. Doing so will leave plenty of seating.
- The taxpayers (residents, tourists, and workers) only use the 3-4 tables closest to Main St.
- Outside of the table area, there are 13+ big benches in Civic Garden.
The tables are indeed a primary cause of the safety issues in Civic Garden.
- The reason is the tables promote groups forming.
- Groups can be much more dangerous than individuals.
There is no way that the Police, Marshals, Safety Patrol, and Office of Homeless Solutions can patrol the park 24/7.
- Therefore, the tables that are deep into the gravel area will always be a place for groups to form and threaten the safety of taxpayers.
It is not proven that removing 7-8 tables in Civic Garden will displace crime into other areas of Downtown.
- Crime may actually go down by removing an environment that promotes groups forming such as the table area.
Removing the tables is the right thing to do. The taxpayers have everything to gain from more safety in Downtown.
- 7-8 tables shouldn't stand in the way.
Please write to Downtown Dallas, Inc. and:
- Thank them for their efforts
- Ask that they finish the job by removing the 7-8 tables that pose a safety hazard in the park
Here are their emails:
- Jennifer Scripps, President & CEO <scripps@downtowndallas.com>
- Evan Sheets, VP, Planning & Policy <sheets@downtowndallas.com>
- Larry Gordon, Chief of Public Safety & Field Operations <gordon@downtowndallas.com>