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We have recently found out that the following article was published last year regarding the Orange Show new campus plans including Fonde Park:
https://www.houstoniamag.com/arts-and-culture/2023/10/houston-orange-show-expansion
Please read our response here:
Dear Houstonia Magazine,
We write to you today as the passionate and concerned residents of the Fonde Park neighborhood, responding to your recent article on the Orange Show's expansion. While the expansion promises to bring art and culture to our area, there are several misconceptions and issues that we feel compelled to address.
First, the assertion that Fonde Park is underutilized could not be further from the truth. Our park is a bustling hub of activity, frequented by families, children, and fitness enthusiasts. It is one of the busiest parks in our area, providing a much-needed green space for our community. We invite the leadership of the Orange Show and any interested parties to join us in documenting the park's vibrant usage with photographs and data. We are confident that the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the Houston Parks Board have records that will substantiate our claims.
Secondly, while the Orange Show's leadership claims to want to protect our neighborhood, we question the sincerity of this statement. We, too, are dedicated to protecting our neighborhood—specifically from private non-profits attempting to annex our park into their campus for their purposes. The community deserves to have a say in how our public spaces are utilized, and we must ensure these areas remain accessible and beneficial to all residents.
Our neighborhood already boasts incredible art installations, including the Orange Show and Smither Park. However, these existing art spaces are in dire need of maintenance and support. The Orange Show, once a freely accessible space staffed for community enjoyment, now charges an entry fee and often lacks the necessary staff to allow visitors inside. Smither Park suffers from ongoing vandalism, unfinished projects, and neglected maintenance. The fence requires painting, mosaics need completing, and the tall glass structure frequently suffers from damage. It's unacceptable that this project has remained incomplete for nearly a decade. We urge the Orange Show's donors and board members to manage and steward what already exists before expanding further. Our community prioritizes fitness and recreation, not more loud concerts and increased traffic.
If the mission is truly to spread art beyond the Museum District, why not consider other locations like River Oaks, Third Ward, or Mason Park? These areas could potentially accommodate large-scale sculptures without disrupting a neighborhood that values its green spaces and tranquility.
Moreover, the notion of an "open dialogue" is laughable when residents have to file Freedom of Information Act requests to uncover details about expansion plans. Learning about such significant changes through forwarded articles in non-local publications is both disrespectful and unprofessional. While the Orange Show may have grand visions for community education and workshops, these promises remain unfulfilled. Events are rarely aimed at or publicized within our immediate community, and when they are, they come with a price tag.
Lastly, claims of working closely with the community are far from reality. Installing a few parking signs does not equate to meaningful community engagement. Residents on Munger Street can attest to the traffic nightmares brought on by Smither Park's activities. If the Orange Show truly cared about community collaboration, they would use their own real estate to provide parking solutions for Smither Park visitors.
In conclusion, while the Orange Show's mission to enrich our neighborhood with art is commendable, the execution thus far has been lacking in community consideration, maintenance, and genuine dialogue. We urge the Orange Show leadership to address these concerns transparently and work genuinely with us to create a space that benefits all.
Sincerely,
The Concerned Residents of the Fonde Park Neighborhood
Media Articles about the SmokeSax and Our Concerns:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Orange-Show-Smokesax-Brays-Bayou-Greenway-17152750.php?fbclid=IwAR2-k0ZSOkIvn3g8Rvj2Y9kXpFj58dUNgsjqakx5qDuXWw0NcbMqRvxldSU
WEBSITESmokeSax Flyer (2).pdfFAQ.docx
SmokeSax Approval Could Mean Fonde Park Appropiation by the Orange Show
SmokeSax Approval Could Mean Fonde Park Appropiation by the Orange Show
Left: The proposed site of the SmokeSax where the OS would coordinate programming including concerts. Some of the identified concerns are lack of parking, appropriation of the existing Bayou observation area, and loud music from concerts.
September 5th Update:
We have delivered a survey to hear your opinion about public art in our neighborhood. Your answer matters. We want to hear from you. Please fill out the survey. If you need an additional copy just email us at: thefondecivicclub@gmail.com
May 27th Update:
Dear Neighbors,
We are working hard on a flyer about this issue which will be coming to you along with our June Newletter. Also we will be distributing a survey to each household. Make your voice heard on what your opinion is. Your Voice Matters!
May 19th Update:
May 5th Online Meeting: 60+ people attended the online meeting. How many of those who attended were from our neighborhood we do not know. Thank you to those who attended the meeting.
May 10th City Council Meeting: FCC's treasurer Molly Salazar and president Karina Blest went to City Hall to reiterate our request for a community survey and for Fonde Park to remain a park serving our neighborhood. Our main request is for the City to create a protocol to allow neighborhoods to give or not give consent for large artworks to be placed in their community spaces.
You can watch the video of what was actually said here: To watch what was actually said without the biased Chronicle May 11th article:
FAST FORWARD TO 1:53:46
https://www.facebook.com/HoustonTelevision/videos/411540507182126
Houston Chronicle Articles:
Dear Neighbors,
It has recently come to our attention that the SmokeSax Sculpture Project (70 feet tall) is part of a greater plan which includes the appropriation of Fonde Park.
We sent a letter on March 30th, to both the head of the Orange Show Board of Directors and Mr. Kenneth Allen from the Parks Board. You can find the letter below.
Last November, the Orange Show put out a press release that was NOT sent to us. In the release, which was given to us recently by a concerned resident of our neighborhood, we read that the OS plans to appropriate Fonde Park to extend their campus including Fonde Park as part of the OS experience. The SmokeSax is the bookend of their proposed project.
We want to hear from YOU. Are you for the OS appropriation of Fonde Park?
You find a copy of all letters we have sent so far here: https://www.fondecivicclub.org/fcc-communications
Questions to the Orange Show
1. Who from the OS is going to officially communicate to the FCC?
2. What authority do individual OS board members have to bind the OS?
3. Why does the OS think it should be in charge of the revitalization of Fonde Park? 4. The Press Release suggests that the OS sees itself as being in charge of the “community-driven programming” it envisions for Fonde Park. Why should the OS be in charge of Fonde Park “community-driven programming?”
5. How does the OS think the SmokeSax will reflect community values?
6. Given that Bob Wade was educated as an undergraduate and graduate student in fine art (UT art, Berkeley MFA in painting), is the intended reconstruction of the Wade piece considered by the OS to be visionary art? Outsider or self-taught art? Folk art? How is the Wade piece within the OS's creative remit?
7. What connection does Bob Wade have to the Fonde community, or the Eado community, or Houston?
8. Why does the OS characterize the SmokeSax as “community-driven art”?
9. Did the OS consider works of art for installation other than the SmokeSax?
10. Did the OS consider featuring in Fonde Park one or more early and/or mid-career local living artists, or any other visionary artist(s) instead of Bob Wade, a professional artist based in Austin when he was alive?
11. Does the OS think the reconstruction and necessary modifications of the SmokeSax will result in an original Bob Wade work?
12. Has the OS considered erecting the SmokeSax at Discovery Green as an OS monument or gift of the OS? The scale is right, it is a party venue, and it would seem to otherwise fit well. Or any other location?
13. In light of the delayed completion of Smither Park and ongoing degradation of the mosaics, how does the OS plan to complete and maintain additional structures?
All of the following questions are about changes from the construction and operation of the campus [For purposes of the following questions, the affected area (Area) is defined by the following streets and includes all streets in the Area :
• 45S feeder from Jean St. to Lidstone;
• Lidstone from 45S feeder to Carrolton;
• Carrolton from Lidstone to Collier St.;
• Collier St. from Carrolton to Hansford Ave.;
• Hansford Ave. from Collier St. to Jean St.;
• Jean St. from Hansford St. to 45S feeder.]
14. What permanent changes to traffic flow in the Area are being anticipated and planned for by OS experts as a result of the campus? Please be specific as to street and locations on street.
15. What accommodations for the increase in parking demand in the Area are being planned for by the OS experts? Please be specific as to street and locations on street.
16. What changes to streets in the Area, including resurfacing and widening, are being anticipated and planned for by OS experts? Please be specific as to street and locations on street.
17. What improvements and changes to the existing wastewater drainage and surface water run-off facilities in the Area are being anticipated and planned for by OS experts? Please identify corridors and other locations that will be directly affected.
18. How long will construction on the streets and related areas take? I.e., how long will community traffic and parking be affected by construction?
19, In light of current street parking problems for residents along Munger near Smither Park, why does the OS campus expansion not include any designated visitor parking?
The Orange Show is currently raising more designated funds on its website for this sculpture and its press release clearly shows the SmokeSax by the Bayou. The City has repeatedly told us the project is not approved and permitted YET.
See the new SmokeSax/Kensington Plaza design and fundraising information here: https://www.orangeshow.org/smokesax
Some of the questions we want to be answered are:
How can an institution raise funds for a project that could possibly be denied by our residents? Will the city permit something the residents are against? Can the city allow a non-profit to take management and programming of a public park against the resident's wishes?
Our Civic Club worked hard on the letter below and we believe it reflects the concerns that exist for our neighborhood.
There are several things in the Press Release that are of great concern to us:
1. The text and renderings clearly show that the OS assumed more than a year ago that the Saxophone would be installed. The text explicitly says Fonde Park's nine acres will be integrated with the OS campus, and the rendering shows it. It shows a new structure right in the middle of the green space now used by youth soccer and baseball teams. It shows the Saxophone anchoring the OS at the far side of Fonde Park, essentially marking the southern boundary of the OS campus, and it suggests the Carrolton Street parking spaces have been removed.
2. The rendering shows inadequate onsite parking for the campus. To the extent there is one, the plan for parking seems to rely on city streets and the Fonde Park Hansford Ave. parking lot. There are an unknown number of parking spaces on the east side of the building, and the only other parking shown is in Fonde Park. Fonde Park now has 2 parking areas, one on Carrolton, and one at the end of Hansford Avenue (abutting the OS on the north). The rendering does not take into account the 24 unit project being built adjacent to the Southeast corner of Fonde Park (at the corner of Knoblock and Carrolton), which when complete and inhabited, within a year, will add additional pressures to local parking. The rendering shows that the campus can easily hold 100+ people at a time, which represents a lot of cars and traffic. As it is now, Munger frequently becomes very congested from people visiting Smither Park.
We anticipate traffic and parking on Carrolton to become serious issues affecting our neighborhood. Please go to our "Current Issues" page to learn more about the construction on Knoblock street.
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