Northern Lake Highlands area: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Northern Lake Highlands area: Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Dear anyone who has recently complained about our neighborhood’s lack of quality restaurants and retail, high crime rates, deteriorating properties, proliferation of predatory and trashy businesses, languishing development at our town center, and variations thereof: Here lies a possible opportunity to do something proactive.

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The president of the Lake Highlands Area Improvement Association Murray Morgan—building on the momentum of the recent District 10 Dallas City Council runoff election—has announced plans to create the North Lake Highlands Alliance, and he is looking for a few good men and women to join him as a founding member.

Murray says that issues vital to all of Lake Highlands—think Lake Highlands Town Center—rely heavily on the continued improvement of troubled, high-density (and, as a result of that density and other factors*, high crime) northern sector of Lake Highlands.

When we at the Advocate talk or write about upper sections of Lake Highlands, areas north of I-635 like Forest-Audelia or Forest-Greenville, people comment that those crime-ridden, poverty plagued hot spots are “not in Lake Highlands.”

We can’t entirely dispute that, because Lake Highlands doesn’t have defined borders (see Where is Lake Highlands, Texas?), but the thing is, it does not matter what you call it, these problem areas play into the statistics and demographics considered by business owners, developers and investors considering any or all of the Lake Highlands vicinity as a potential place to set up shop.

And that is why, maintains Morgan, “nothing will happen at town center until North Lake Highlands gets straightened out.”

Morgan says he already has put much research and work into the idea and made contact with/expects the support of relevant neighborhood leaders and groups—northeast police, city hall representatives, public improvement district, for example.

“Contacts have been made and everything has been started,” he says. “While a lot of work for one person, a team can get everything done in just a couple of hours a month.”

He continues, “I’m looking for a motivated team that could help think our problems through, develop solutions, and work with the city, state, and community groups to get things done … it will be fun, yet productive.”

Morgan says he defines the area of interest as both sides of the I-635 East corridor from Greenville to Jupiter, which he calls, “Apartment Alley.”

He notes that improvements to this area will be far reaching, benefitting not only all of Lake Highlands but also East Richardson, South Dallas and portions of East Dallas.

Those interested in participating should email nlhalliance@gmail.com.

*edited