OPINION: From a Woodlands Resident

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- As a resident of The Woodlands I ask you... if not us, who? If not now, when?

By leveling the playing field now we the residents can work through our elected officials of The City of the Woodlands to decide where we want roads and trees and where we don’t. Where we want apartment complexes and where we don’t. Where traffic is congested and were it isn’t. Where a criminal detective office should be located and where it shouldn’t (Conroe). We can encourage and present both sides of an argument or situation in our newspapers and let residents decide.

It is naïve to think that building upward in a dense fashion is a good deal for you and I. More people in a smaller space means more concentrated crime, more traffic and more smog. Combined with the fact that we will still have the same number of lakes to share with these new people, the same amount of water will be shared with these new people, tall buildings will be occupied by these new people and what is left of our tree lined spaces will become surrounded by hazy blue skies.

It is now, that we are given the opportunity to make the decisions that stop this extreme from becoming our reality. Now, while we are still able to see the Eagles in a clear blue sky, hear the birds in our trees that are reflected on our waters, canoe on the lake surrounded by nature not buildings and run on soccer fields and walk on pathways as we breathe clean air.

We do this now with peace in our soul of being able to hear ourselves think. We do this now to limit our exposure to the continuous sound of cars thumping by on multiple lanes of segmented concrete. We do this now to stop outsiders from using our city as a passageway to their city and leaving behind their smog. We do this now so we can decide how much more concrete should be poured in our city. We do this now so we can say no to replats that don’t make sense for our residential areas in our community. We do this now so we can work together to reduce flooding from a resident and regional perspective not a corporate one. We do this now because it makes sense.

There are so many good reasons for us to be in control of our future and so many examples of past events that have left the residents of the Woodlands on the short end of the stick. We pay the bills, we should have full transparency on all aspects of our leadership. Vote for transparency, the type you get when you are in control of your future. Vote for transparency the type you get, when you are making the decisions, and when the decisions being made are in your best interest, not that of a corporation.

Your leaders have asked for your help in making this happen. Now is the time for you to get out and vote for what you believe in. Let us keep The Woodlands a beautiful harmony of 'people and planet”. Let us keep The Woodlands a superb oasis of nature and people. Let us keep The Woodlands, a small, unique, independent, sophisticated tree lined suburb of The City of Houston, home of the Astros.

Finally, let us make the woodlands, The City of the Woodlands.

Tami Houston
Resident of The Woodlands