A group of Flower Mound residents concerned with the town’s recently amended natural gas zoning and pipeline regulations are planning a petition drive this weekend.
The Flower Mound Cares organization is seeking to enact a moratorium on the approval of permits for new pipelines and centralized collection facilities.
According to the group’s website, the town’s amended zoning and pipeline regulations “do not adequately protect the public from hazardous fluids currently being used in the production and exploration of oil and natural gas in the Barnett shale.”
That statement is being disputed by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dixon, who said that the new guidelines will make the process safer for the town.
“I believe these items protect Flower Mound’s quality of life and put in place safeguards to protect our property values and the safety of our families,” said Dixon. Read Dixon’s entire Letter to the Editor here.
The Flower Mound Town Charter states that a proposed ordinance may be submitted to the town council by a petition signed by 15 percent of the town’s qualified voters.
At least 6,195 signatures would be needed, based on the town’s approximately 41,300 registered voters as of January 2010, according to town officials.
After getting written permission to hold their petition drive at several Lewisville ISD campus parking lots this weekend, the group received notification Wednesday that the school district’s attorney has rescinded the approval since the event was not related to school business, according to the group’s website.
New petition signing locations will be announced Friday on the Flower Mound Cares website.
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