The next O&G Board of Appeals Meeting is Wednesday, June 18th at 6:30pm

The gas drilling variance requests for the proposed Riverwalk development are going before the O&G Board of Appeals (again) in Wednesday night's meeting. (As a reminder, they were denied in the April 2008 meeting.)

As before, the developers are asking for a number of variances for their proposed gas wells, including: floodplain, environmentally sensitive areas, public parks, public buildings, property line, right-of-way, tank batteries, and storage tank setbacks.

Additionally, they are asking for a variance for any new construction at the Riverwalk development from the current 500 foot requirement. With approval from the O&G Board of Appeals, this can be reduced to 300 feet. (Would you want to live or shop or dine 300 feet from a gas well?)

Remember, this proposed drill site is right in the center of Flower Mound. If approved, hundreds and hundreds of trucks will be driving east on 407 and south on 2499 to the site. More importantly, an approval may well set the precedent that it's "OK" to bring the gas drilling scourge right into the heart of our Town.

And while this proposed location may not be in your backyard--the next one may be. Also, what about the piplelines that will be required to move the gas?? Drillers in Ft. Worth are exercising "eminent domain" to literally run pipelines though homeowners' front yards. So, while you may escape the gas well right outside your front door, you could well be faced with a 24", high-pressure, gas pipeline running through your property.

Please attend Wednesday's meeting and let the O&G Board know that all of the setbacks, as detailed in the Town O&G ordinance, should be upheld. They were put there for a reason. Keep them!!!

One more comment....at the request of concerned citizens, the O&G Board of Appeals now meets separately from the Board of Adjustments. (Many thanks to Chairperson Tina Murphy for this consideration!) What this means is that the O&G Board of Appeals meeting will now begin promptly at 6:30pm. Please be there early so that you can make sure you have a seat and have submitted your name as a speaker (if you wish to speak).

Your attendance is critical. The developers are banking on those of us that have shown concern in the past to run out of steam and to eventually give in. This reminds me of a great quote I ran across recently by Thomas Sowell: "One of the painful aspects of studying great catastrophes of the past is discovering how many times people were preoccupied with trivialities when they were teetering on the edge of doom."

See you at 6:30 on Wednesday, June 18th
Flower Mound Town Hall
2121 Cross Timbers