The 289-acre
non-profit Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is located on
McKinney's east side. It is the definition of the kind of open space that fits McKinney’s “Unique by Nature” motto. It is a tourist attraction and a hidden
gem for nature lovers.
 |
| Visitors canoeing, photo from The Heard's website |
Community groups meet at the Heard. School district and
homeschool students learn about nature year-round. The
Heard’s founder, Bessie Heard, was a woman ahead of her time and a downtown
McKinney icon. With all the Heard has to offer, one would think the city of
McKinney and its leadership would partner with Heard as they eagerly do with places like Tupps Brewery and the airport. Instead, the city of McKinney
and its leaders push the Heard to the side.
The reason
the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is problematic for
McKinney’s leadership is simple— the airport. City leadership is on a mission to convert the general aviation airport into a commercial airport. Last year, citizens voted down a $200M bond meant for that purpose. This November's charter election will decide if the current mayor can have his term extended to continue his pursuit of a commercial airport. It is hard for the city and its leaders to
concentrate money and effort on expanding the city’s airport when it is located
right next to a nature preserve with a mission to educate, preserve, and
conserve the environment. These two projects are close in proximity but worlds
apart in their missions.
McKinney
goes quite far to pretend the Heard does not exist. In the city’s 2040
comprehensive plan, the Heard is swallowed up in the so-called “Airport and
Aviation District.”
 |
| The Heard is located in the black circle at the bottom left of the aviation area. |
The McKinney Community Development Corporation
(MCDC) has been the primary financial support for non-profits like the Heard. The MCDC has given minimal yearly grant support to the Heard, similar to the
grants the MCDC gives to fundraisers and cultural events in downtown McKinney.
Here's the history and purpose of the MCDC according to its website:
“In 1996, McKinney voters approved a half-cent sales tax to be used to provide grants to projects and events that would enhance McKinney’s aesthetic, cultural, and leisure amenities. Over the past 25 years, MCDC has invested nearly $225 million back into the community.”
“Staying true to voter intent, we work proactively, in partnership with others, to promote and fund community, cultural and economic development projects that maintain and enhance the quality of life in McKinney.”
This year,
the Heard applied to the MCDC for a $148,000 project grant to restore the
Blackland Prairie area of its nature preserve. The application was formally presented
to the MCDC board in April. The board asked five questions of the Heard
representatives, ranging from interest in controlled burns to whether they
could get a used tractor instead of a new one. Not one word was said indicating
anything was wrong with their application. No other comments indicated a potential
denial based on MCDC priorities or the inappropriateness of the application. *Oddly, project grants for community purposes, not just economic development, are now being discussed in MCDC's closed executive sessions.
At the next MCDC
meeting in May, the Heard’s project grant application came up for
a vote. Not one person from the board said a word. After a lengthy silence, a
member requested a vote to deny. The denial of Heard’s project grant request passed7-0. At the same meeting, the MCDC board approved a $3.6M project grant for airport
infrastructure. The Notes Live for-profit outdoor amphitheater project was given
$3M. Right now, the MCDC has a fund balance of about $30M. The Heard
application looks like it was the only project denied this past fiscal year.
Whether McKinney’s leadership likes it or not, the Heard is an asset to the
city. It attracts tourism, educates citizens of all ages, and conserves and preserves open spaces. The Heard ticks all the boxes city leaders profess they want to support and promote. Whether a commercial airport is in McKinney's future or not, city leadership must find a way to work constructively with the Heard, just like it does with other non-profits in the city.
I am in complete agreement, The Heard is very important to our NorthTexas and Collin County history and future. This area does not need a commercial airport!!
ReplyDeleteIt’s sad to see the lack of support from the mayor and city council. Similar things have been quietly happening around Erwin Park - unique by nature is not truly supported by current leadership.
ReplyDeleteI wish to anonymously add a comment to the list of anonymous comments.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many misrepresentations and disinformation in this post, I don't know exactly where to begin. However, in the spirit of time, I will limit my response to some of the most inaccurate statements. First, there is no correlation between contemplated passenger service and the Heard museum as it relates to one having a negative impact on the other, it is actually quite the opposite. First, it is important to note that the environmental impact study that has been done, identifies no negative impact from scheduled passenger service on Heard. Among other considerations, scheduled service, and FAA directed flight paths currently identified for passenger service, takes flight to the south east and away from Heard. Currently there are over 400 operations a day at the airport. many consisting of training operations, touch and goes, etc., that have loud, combustible engine planes planes, flying at low altitudes and often directly over the Heard natural preserve (nearly 63% of the flights in 2023 were of this local nature). When passenger, scheduled service is present, the airspace becomes dramatically more restricted, and the aforementioned current, general aviation operations, are significantly reduced. According to Sy Shahid, former Executive Director of the Heard, the greatest impact to the Heard currently is noise of the small aircraft, and the significant impact those types of current flight operations have on bird migration. (It has been suggested in the past by Heard advocates, and I imagine may be suggested again herein, to restrict those types of flights... that is illegal, we are an FAA funded airport and cannot restrict any FAA approved aeronautical operations). Sy has stated that if the airport were to become a scheduled service, commercial airport, many of the flights currently impacting the Heard would be eliminated, and ultimately, a better relationship would exist between the airport and Heard. Secondly, the notion that the current ballot referendum is designed so I can run a third term to continue pursuing commercial service is also just rhetoric. It might interest everyone on this post to know, that if my, or councils goal, was to have passenger service, and we were concerned that had to be done before next May, that option has been available all along, and remains an option this very moment. There are two airlines wanting to begin service at TKI right now, willing to provide service with a sprung structure. If we were to enter an agreement with those airlines today, that would be that. The point is, future elections are not the barrier to passenger service. Never have been. Thirdly, regarding funding going to the airport and other, HUGE economic drivers, making options to fund the Heard difficult, is absurd. The decisions are not binary. MCDC has the ability to fund the Heard a hundred times over, with or without any of the other larger projects they have been involved in. As to why they made the decision in this case to not fund, I will have to let the board answer that question. If I were to take a guess, as a former chairman of MCDC, I would imagine that the specifics of the request gave them concern. Also, there may be a concern that the Heard has become complacent, coming back to the well (MCDC) over and over, versus relying on their outreach efforts that may take a little more effort. Again though, that is for the board to answer.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, thank you for your response. I contacted the MCDC and was told via email that the project grant does not fit into their strategic goals. If that's the case, why were they allowed to submit their application and present without that being discussed with them in an open meeting? Why are project grants that have no economic development component being talked about in closed session? When did that start?
DeleteI never said the MCDC didn't have any money. It has a $30M fund balance!
If, according to you, the Heard has become complacent (getting a pretty small amount each year) does that mean you're saying the same about TUPPS or the airport? I heard in the nearly 3 hour MCDC strategic meeting that moving forward, the airport would be getting $1M each year. The Heard only wanted $144k.
BTW, what is wrong with using our sales tax dollars to help non-profits in our city that actually bring tourism to our city?! The mission statement of the MCDC is pretty clear that it supports community.
Has anyone else noticed that NOBODY wants the stupid airport except the McKinney government? And they want to change term limits to stay in power? Hmmmm. There’s a word for that.
DeleteFor God’s sake vote not to extend terms for the mayor and council.
Not just a tractor. A tractor to help preserve the most endangered ecosystem in the US. … the Blackland Prairie. George you spin like a top. Facts be damned!
DeleteMany people disagree with the airport. The Heard has been here for years. We need to preserve it for the good of the people and the environment. The airport decision should be revisited. The DFW airport is being expanded so this McKinney project could end up being a disaster and for what? The loss of the Heard. What are the council members, mayor and lobbyists getting out of this?
DeleteProbably cash and praise from globalists
DeleteAs a long time visitor and a member of the Heard Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary I find it difficult to understand why our Mayor instructed the MCDC Board to deny the Heard’s grant for approximately 144,000. The Heard’s 289 acre Sanctuary is home to over 20 deer, beavers, river otters, bob cats, raccoons, armadillos, possums and dozens of bird species. So why does our Mayor don’t believe that the Heard is not Unique by Nature? The has over 100,000 visitors each year that can discover the Sanctuary on one of the 6 nature trails. I am joining many of my friends not to vote for Proposition A on the upcoming City of McKinney election. I encourage everyone to look at what projects are being funded that maybe should be funded with MEDC grants. As citizens we need to work to protect our precious open spaces and especially the Heard’s Wildlife Sanctuary.
DeleteIf they can kill the Heard, that's one less obstacle to the airport. Of course that's what they will do. Turn the entire area into a Love field lookalike is the goal.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I see after living in McKinney for over 20 years. The last few years have produced nothing aesthetically pleasing. The trees and green spaces going, going, gone. It’s VERY sad. Not to mention the choice of businesses put on some of the prettiest areas we have. Let’s put an ugly
ReplyDelete7-11 on Ridge/Virginia on a hill that can barely keep a tree in front alive.
A great Indoor/outdoor restaurant with walking and shops would have awesome, but hey another gas station, car wash, auto repair. What a beautiful area for that.
Towering apartment buildings are every where, butted up to the street (they cant at least have some kind of a setback with trees in front like they used to??).
Giant ugly orange storage units all over. Let’s put a tall storage unit right next to Wenk park so you cant see the trees, and forget Custer/Virginia… that 7-Eleven is disgusting (no trees), and the NW corner (another McDonald’s) like we need another McDonald’s… there’s only 2 others close by. There is nothing unique in Mckinney that has been built or created in last 10 years.
If it wasn’t for Stonebridge, old McKinney areas, the drive on El Dorado, Virginia (not changing for the good) and the Heard museum, there wouldn’t be much that’s unique by nature…
Understand that growth has to happen and Mckinney needs some revenue producing places like Allen, Plano and Frisco, but plan it right. Put cool destination places off 75 and/or 121 that is going attract some revenue. Make those the urban cool city areas and keep the areas that have trees and some nature alone or put something that’s aesthetically pleasing that fits the environment. A unique experience incorporating nature that brings some joy to the community instead of gas stations on every corner, giant storage units, and fast food.
Perfectly said! I’ve lived in McKinney area for 20 years and it’s heartbreaking to see what is happening to our pretty town. They want to make the entire east side industrial area. That is where most of the last of the natural areas that are left. Really sad. I want to move so I don’t have to see the destruction.
DeletePerhaps the McKinney motto should be changed to “Unique by Airport”!
DeleteMcKinney citizens are being duped. The airport bond was voted down last year so the city has decided to fund it anyway through the MCDC. However, as a 501c3 tax exempt charitable organization, the MCDC is required to function independently and in support of charitable activities. Clearly the MCDC functions as an unregulated arm of the city government to serve as a slush fund to support city initiatives (the airport) that the constituency doesn’t want.
DeleteYOUR tax money supports the MCDC. So, why is the MCDC continuing to fund the airport that the citizens do not want? If the mayor or other city officials have influenced how the MCDC funds are spent, it is without a doubt a violation of the MCDC’s 501c3 charter. As such, funding of the airport must stop or the MCDC must be dissolved.
My family supports the Heard mission. Many people live outside McKinney and cannot vote on the airport expansion, which everyone I know is against. The main reasons are increased noise, which affects everyone, especially people that work from home, and increase air pollution, affecting people, animals and plants. We moved out here because of all the noise and air pollution near the other airports. Please, I am begging you all, to vote out the mayor and all others in McKinney who are playing games and trying to stuff an airport expansion down the people's throats, even though only the developers and government want it. It is all about money and not about the citizens. Please get involved, and do not let these corrupt politicians pull the wool over you eyes.
DeleteDon’t forget all the awesome noise and traffic from the must have from the new concert venue going in. I wonder who got paid for that decision ……
DeleteMcKinney city officials do the same thing with the public library system as well. The libraries don’t earn revenue, but serve the entire community. The demand is so high to provide the community with free quality programs and service but they refuse to approve a reasonable budget and resources to make it possible. It makes me sad to see they are more interested in chasing more dollars rather than spending the dollars they have on things the people they are supposed to represent actually want. The Heard Museum and public libraries are both treasures that enhance the lives everyone in the community so much more than additional traffic and noise pollution.
ReplyDeleteI believe the public should get a response from the Development Board that denied this request. If you have a 30M balance why not enhance and improve an existing gem to our community the children truly benefit from as well as the adults. I would like to know the rationale behind this "ridiculous " decision!
ReplyDeleteNO! Let our children learn about nature, science, the world and wonder. Money is highly overrated!!! Quality of life. Tree’s, brooks, plants, animals. Please!!! No more loud airplane noise and pollution for the profits of the already well taken care of. Let our children learn History, all of us walk in peace and solace, listening to the birds, under the tree’s. QUALITY OF LIFE OVER GREEN BILLS!, Please! We. All need more peace and less anxiety.
ReplyDeleteSpread the word SAVE THE HEARD!
DeleteMany of us moved to McKinney to avoid issues that would be created by a larger airport, ie, environmental pollution, noise pollution, more traffic congestion, higher transportation and energy costs....
ReplyDeleteGeorge Fuller is a crook and so is the entire council. Voting for longer terms- for what? So they can do even more damage to our city? Wouldn't be surprised if they were getting kickbacks from every one of the projects they are backing, another reason for wanting longer terms
ReplyDeleteOf course. Why else would they oppose the will of the constituency? Because there’s money to be made!!!
ReplyDelete