SH 161 Battle
GP residents ready to take highway battle to court
07/01/98
By By Julie Elliott / Arlington Morning News
More than 150 Grand Prairie residents said they would rather go to court than compromise with the Texas Department of Transportation on the pending construction of Highway 161. Ken Braswell, president of the residents' group the Association Concerned about Tomorrow, said at a meeting Tuesday that although the group has had several days of mediation with transportation department to consider possible solutions to the issue, he doubts the two will be able to reach a compromise.
"We are positive that the neighborhood can win, because we are working with the best legal team and expert witnesses and the issues haven't changed," Mr. Braswell said. "Our perspective is that we will get at least another 10 or 20 year reprieve."
The residents group has been fighting to stop construction of the 16-lane highway through their Grand Prairie neighborhoods since federal Judge Barefoot Sanders cleared the way for construction to begin by ruling in favor of the transportation department, which wanted to be able to present new materials to have a 1985 injunction removed. Judge Sanders placed an injunction on the state's construction plans in 1985, requiring a new environmental impact study.
The highway would stretch about 10 miles and extend from existing Texas 161 from Highway 183 in Irving through the western edge of Grand Prairie to Interstate Highway 20.
Mr. Braswell said he was confident because the reasons the original injunction was ordered are the same reasons the group will use again when his group goes to trial July 13.
The transportation department has agreed to several concessions to the group, including a reduction in the number of highway lanes and frontage road lanes, but group members said it is still not enough considering the environmental impact on the neighborhood.
Sidney Stahl, mediator appointed by Judge Sanders in the case, said his goal at the meeting was to make the neighborhood group aware of the possible alternative solutions.
"I am very comfortable with the community doing whatever it wants, but people need to be in a position to make an intelligent decision," Mr. Stahl said.
Several group members said Mr. Stahl seemed to imply that the group should concede that the highway is inevitable, but they remain confident that they should still present their case in court.
Residents expressed concerns about decreased property values, noise, a reduction in park lands and division in neighborhoods as reasons to oppose the highway.
Wayne and Joy Alexander said they moved to their neighborhood because of the peace and quiet and the pretty scenery behind their house.
"This highway will be in our back yard," Mrs. Alexander said. "I think there are alternative routes that they aren't taking because I can't think of another freeway in our area that has five lanes with three-lane frontage roads."
Mr. Braswell said residents are confident that they can win either another temporary injunction or a permanent injunction against the transportation department.
Candy Almasri, a board member of the group, said in 1985, transportation department submitted a proposal to put in a six-lane highway going through one park, and now they propose a 16-lane highway going through two parks. Ms. Almasri said the original injunction was mainly based on the fact that the highway would cut through park lands.
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