EMLK Hike and Bike Trail letter to Mayor and Council Members

Dear Council Members,

I am the chairman of the EMLK Contact team. By now probably most of you know about the EMLk Hike and Bike trail. It is the largest project in district 1 for improving our equity. It addresses many issues and you can see the detailed presentation here.

Our petition in change.org (link) now has 712 support votes mostly from MLK (Dr. Martin Luther King) and PSS (Pecan Spring and Springdale) NA for district 1 and Hogpen NA from district 3. 

One of our big challenges of our project has been the Morris Williams Golf course which sits in the middle of entire southern neighborhoods and Mueller developments where all our amenities are located.

East MLK has one of the highest residential densities due to cottage lots and urban lots. We have no groceries, no hospitals, no pharmacies but 2 golf courses. We do not think hungry young people love playing golf. We have requested a path through the golf course which almost entirely exists today as easement of Austin Energy and watershed. The north side of the golf course is beautiful and manicured while the southside has a 8 ft fence with the gates locked. (attached picture)

We had a huge meeting in the golf course (Kevin Gomillion and PARD employees have been gracious) where several concerns were brought up  by the golfers. 

One of the concerns is about thing getting stolen and golf course getting vandalized if the south side gate is opened. I can promise the council members that the people in south side have come a long way (that includes me) and we are not thieves or robbers. We just have to go to do our grocery in Mueller and cycling in MLK is as good as jumping from Golden gate bridge.

Another concern was brought regarding the safety of the women golfer - I can also assure the council that we, from the southside, do not see ourselves as rapist (even by the presidential standards).

The concern over golf balls hitting people has been resolved all over the world. You can see the attached best practice document.

I am attaching the comments from the change.org petition and also the actual petition with signatures. We have a right to enjoy the golf course or at least walk through as much as the people living in Mueller. Most of the people serving in Mueller area live in southside. We have not provided them a safe route to Mueller.

In 21st century we should question the feasibility of a 200 acre golf course in the middle of the city. Its is used by 500 people (may be) but we have 35000 people who can use the trail. So I will request everybody to do the right thing and allow the trail through the golf course to happen.