| WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DRAFT TYLER 21 PLAN? Here's what others are saying.... Anonymous: I am a college student here in Tyler and I have lived here for awhile. I would really like for there to be more events and things going on in Tyler that doesn't have to do with alcohol or stuff like that. I am of age to drink but I really don't want to be around it all the time. Bowling is fun and so is going to the movies but it gets old after awhile. I feel as though Tyler needs to make downtown better so that more people will go down there and enjoy it. I also feel as though the Oil Palace is a big waste of space because nothing ever goes on there. Okay I will correct myself, there are things that go on there but they just aren't very interesting. I loved the Pat Green concert because it didn't allow alcohol to be there and it was a very fun event. I feel as though Tyler needs more events like this. I also feel as though that the medians are a waste of money and time. They don't make things better when it comes to traffic. Ambulances and firetrucks have a hard time getting over them and even then they are going to tear up the vehicles, which means more tax dollars to fix them. And why are we spending money on medians and other stupid things like repairing roads that don't need it when downtown is falling apart? Why not fix what Tyler is now instead of expanding it? Don't you need to fix things before you expand? I feel as though that would be the logical thing to do. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO PROTECT IN TYLER? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE? Here's what others are saying.... K.N: I recently moved back to Tyler, therefore have little knowledge of the overall plan. I encourage your efforts to make this a stronger community through Tyler 21!!! Keep up the hard work. I would especially like to see park beautification, (new bathrooms, clean-ups, etc.) sidewalks in neighborhoods, etc. This is not an outdoor friendly city. Lastly, I would like to comment on the green space at the corner of Shiloh and Copeland Rd. It's too bad that more citizens didn't advocate for turning that into a park! What a beautiful spot and prime location. We don't need yet another business park!!! S.E: Ditto on Roe B. I just couldn't say it any better. Roe B: "Good job on the plan, we needed to do it 25 years ago. However, as for Lake Tyler, I object to a % assessment on the value of lake property when a lease is transferred. The planned improvements described in the plan are not large so why not use some of the royalty proceeds from the oil and gas wells to pay for them versus an assessment. Moreover I do not care if taxes are paid to Whitehouse or Tyler,so why not annex the property and use part of the property tax to improve the lake. But changing the terms of existing leases to include a % assessment given to the city is not right. It will inevitably diminish the value of the private use lake property and ultimatley the attractiveness of the lake. Exactly the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish." Shawn: I live in South Tyler off of Shiloh Rd. The one thing I would like the city to focus on is developing closer to Sam's club. There is great potential for Tyler to grow into a booming community of more than 500,000 people, if only our leaders would direct the city in that direction. Come up with new ways to attract developers in more than one area, and the areas "in between" will naturally develope! Wayne L: Two things that would put Tyler " on the map. " Number one, a minor league ice hockey team and a facility to play in such as the Century Tel arena in Shreveport. Go to Shreveport sometime and watch a game; it is very family oriented, very affordable and as exciting as any sport imaginable. Number two, a food store such as Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or Central Market that carries unusual and hard to find specialty items and bulk foods. These two things alone would make Tyler a much more enjoyable place to live and visit. Debbie C: I just moved to Tyler this past summer to settle and have come from several large from out of state cities. I have never lived in a city that didn't have an arts council. As an artist, it is most sad to see that there are no galleries (other than TMA, which has minimal opportunities for local artists) or gallery-type venues for the fine arts. The downtown square district would be perfect for an arts district (as well as more eateries and cultural/entertainment activities). Maybe area businesspersons and landowners would be interested in donating long-empty or abandoned rental space for the city to promote this avenue of revitalization of the downtown area. If smaller communities (like Edom, etc.) can gain a reputation for the arts, why can't we do something toward that in Tyler? I know there are some very talented artists in this area. -- I also agree with the remarks about landscaped walkways in the business districts (many could be refaced for a cleaner/safer appearance) and neighborhood sidewalks. East Texas weather is wonderful for getting out in the open and walking, however, I find that I have to take to walking in the street and compete with automobiles in order to do this. -- In addition, I am saddened by the limited recyling resources in the city. I was at first shocked that I had to pay additional monthly costs in order to be part of a recycle pick-up, but I didn't mind this fee. However the recycled materials accepted are minimal. Icannot add food boxes or glass bottles to the collection - merely flat paper and some allowable plastics. We should be encouraging recycling, not discouraging. My realtor laughed when I asked about recycling and announced she wasn't about to pay extra for the added trouble. Cindy G: I had 3 major concerns dealing with Lake Tyler. The fact that it might be annexed to the city was the least of my concern, if we would be provided city ammenities. However, raising lease fees significantly and placing a tax on the sales price to go directly to the city would kill any values on the lake. There is a lot of land around the lake that the city owns and especially parks that are closed. Why can these areas not be sold to generate money and have a tax producing basis? Lake Tyler is one of our best natural resources in the area and should be advertised as such for tournaments, boat parades for Christmas, July 4th fireworks and improved camping and fishing facilities for tourists. We have deer, fox, eagles, pelicans and many other assorted wild life in this beautiful area to protect also. Chuck G: I live on Old lake Tyler, however my business is in Tyler. I support most of the Tyler 21 Plan. I think 4i of Chapter 7 needs to be deleted. This amounts to a tax on the property. Anytime you put a tax on the sale of property, it adversely affects the value of the property. The media tells us the Real Estate business to is a slump. While this may be true for a part of the nation, it is not true for Tyler and Northeast Texas. We do not need anything to adversely affect property values. Pat P: The City of Tyler decided almost 50 years ago to sell the lots at lake tyler and allow lease agreements with the owners. It is ridiculous for the City of Tyler to now ask for a fee or tax or upon their sale or transfer of the lot based on the new appraisal or profits. The residents of Lake Tyler have paid for the property, paid to improved the property, paid taxes on the improved property value throughout the years. The City of Tyler should honor the lease agreements they have entered into. These lease agreements are legal documents that were used when many of us acquired financing on our property and homes. The areas surrounding Lake Tyler are what they are today because of the investments that the homeowner made, not because of what the City has put into our property. 11 years ago most lots were used by weekenders and were unsightly, so grown up that you could not even tell if there was a house on the lot, boathouses in disrepair, falling in the lake. The majority of these lots are now landsca |