Where I Live: Chisholm Ridge Back From The Brink Of Decline

Arlington TX

21 November, 2021

3:43 PM

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By The FWR Staff, Fort Worth Report November 20, 2021 I'm so proud of the Chisholm Ridge Homeowners Association where I live in North Fort Worth. We're a pretty huge HOA with 1,197 homes. As commercial construction and population began to explode seven years ago, the "new" began to wear off our neighborhood. Crime rapidly increased (158 guns stolen from unlocked cars in one three-month period), and pride of ownership showed its decline as about 5% of homes began to put out bulk trash any time of the month, not just the one week it's allowed. Airbnbs also operated against city code, one resulting in a party with three people shot, and storage of inoperable wrecked cars was clogging our streets. How'd we turn it around? Our District 2 City Councilman Carlos Flores responded to our pleas for help in many ways. First, by getting Code Compliance to implement a two-month no tolerance crackdown on bulk trash violators that included weekly patrols of our neighborhood. Second, FWPD, especially our current Neighborhood Police Officer Eric Byrd, began notifying owners of inoperable cars on streets to either move them or have them towed. Third, our homeowners association followed Byrd's recommendation to install Flock safety cameras at every entrance and exit, so that if a crime occurs and we know what kind of car is involved, the police department can look through camera data to find the vehicle and license plate number. Flock also alerts the department in real time if the vehicle of a known criminal enters Chisholm Ridge. Many arrests have resulted before a crime could be committed. Fourth, our residents have become good at reporting Airbnbs operating next to them, Code Compliance has been shutting them down, and the city attorney charged one incorrigible Airbnb operator. Lastly, Our HOA has put a 20% cap on the number of houses that can be rented in our neighborhood. Bottom line: Crime is now very low, our very narrow streets are no longer jammed with junk cars, and bulk trash doesn't sit on curbs for weeks ahead of bulk trash pickup. Our neighborhood looks new and beautiful again. Pride of ownership is back in vogue, 95% of us love where we live, and many of the 5% who don't like an orderly neighborhood are moving out, replaced by homeowners who respect their neighbors. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.