Keller jumps to action to clean up NRH Park

by Doug Miller of Keller City Limits

I live right across the street from a future NRH park. The area consists of about 40 acres of trees and grass that is actually a very pretty piece of property.

Over the last 3 years, the local kids on motorcycles and four wheelers have taken over the property. The fences and gates are all in disrepair and it allows anybody into the property.

There is nothing more annoying than coming home from work and having to listen to unmuffled motorcycles riding at high RPM’s just feet from your house. In the past, I have called the NRH Police dispatch, but usually by the time they respond, the kids have scattered.

Last summer and fall, there were in excess of 5 grass/brush fires in this field, and during one of them that looked like it might threaten my house, I talked to a Assistant Fire Cheif who wasn’t a very happy camper with the kids with motorcycles setting the fires. I figured we would finally get some action; i.e. more police patrols, better fencing, etc.

Well, the spring weather broke and the kids returned (I say kids, but usually about half of the people riding out there are adults). One day there were about 10 motorcylces out there on a Saturday and I called dispatch once again. Once again, nothing was done.

I fired off a terse email to the Police Chief, Mayor, Council and City Manager, explaining the situation and that I was not very happy. That was two weeks ago.

Today, a Day Sergeant and a Police Officer came by the house to inform me of the steps that NRH will undertake this spring. They will refence the area, put up new barricades, add no tresspassing signs, patrol the area with both motorcycle police and bicycle police plus they are going to step up their regular patrols through the neighborhoods during the weekends.

They say that one of the culprits in letting access into the property is a City of Keller trail that dead ends into the property without proper barricades or signage. They have contacted the City of Keller to notify them of the problem, but are still waiting on a response from the Parks and Rec department.

Now here I am, not even a resident of the city, and I send out one email explaining the situation, and two weeks later I am presented a multi point plan from NRH on how they are going to resolve the problem. They have involved their Police, Fire, Public Works and their Parks and Rec Departments in a multi departmental effort to stem the problem.

That’s what I call city government at work! Now we will have to see how the City of Keller responds on their end. Hopefully with as much vigor as NRH.