Read part of the story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Catherine Davidson contends that city workers didn't deposit at least 17 checks from developers, totaling about $500,000, and that they didn't collect about $2.4 million in fees "in order to provide special treatment for certain developers such as Hillwood Development Company," according to the lawsuit, filed Thursday afternoon in Wise County's 271st District Court.
"I was fired by the city of Fort Worth for reporting illegal activity that was costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars and maybe more," Davidson said in a statement. "I was a very good employee for the city and no one deserves to be treated like this for doing the right thing."
But Hillwood is such a great private partner to the City of Fort Worth, not. Ross Perot Jr buys a bunch of unincorporated land, Fort Worth annexes it, Perot donates a very small portion of it to Fort Worth so the city can build an airport with free FAA money and Hillwood can develop the land right up against the runways by being landlord to airport users, the city, in turn, sets up Perot in the FBO business and hands them a 20 or 30 year contract to manage Alliance airport.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime houses continue to get built all around this new airport and the city turns a blind eye to managing zoning and building codes to deal with the noise as air traffic grows. The city pays lip service to the FAA in the 1995 Alliance Airport Noise Compatibility Program by saying they will "Enact noise disclosure regulations to inform prospective buyers of potential noise exposure."
Three new subdivisions grant avigation easements,which diminish property value, to the city and Alliance. One subdivision owner was forced to accept the avigation easement by the city of Fort Worth and is required to disclose its presence to all future buyers. The other two subdivisions voluntarily granted the easements. Who owns the other two subdivisions, you ask? Why, Hillwood, of course. Avigation easements that are not disclosed by the builders in Hillwood's developments and with avigation easement documents are nowhere to be found in county records. The city, as owner of the airport, should have a copy but can't seem to locate them after receiving a public information request.
When 2014 rolls around and greedy Perot Jr tries to turn Alliance into another Love Field, there will be a lot of unhappy homeowners that were duped by their builders and stand to suffer significant loss in value.
Who wins in all of this? Certainly not the city or the citizens. Elected officials will sure try to shut you up by using their only comeback when anyone questions their motives and that is to cry that growth, or lack thereof affects jobs and taxes.
I am a homeowner that recently received a letter from the city of Fort Worth asking for our consideration of a voluntary avigation easement agreement. I'd like your imput on this. Letter dated 7/2013.
DeleteDoeas anyone know how the Davidson case turned out
ReplyDeleteA voluntary easement agreement? We think you answered your own question.
ReplyDelete