DrivinTooFast
enthusiast
Posts: 1347
Reg: 02-20-08
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11-22-11 11:22 AM - Post#142545
In response to Elect Tommy Baril
I do have a couple questions for the candidates -
1. If we are going to make Allen a more tourist oriented community, do we need to modify the late night alcohol and/or alcohol related ordinances to be an effective tourist destination?
2. How would you plan now for the eventual full build out of Allen?
3. Assuming the ACC will not go forward, What should be done with the Arts of Collin County land?
4. How can downtown be best utilized and become a focal point for the city?
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Dagwood
member
Posts: 83
Reg: 09-09-11
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11-22-11 05:42 PM - Post#142563
In response to Elect Tommy Baril
rw,
Howdy! Thank you for your candid response about my post. I agree that electronic communication can hide the sincerity of one's comments, which can be both good and bad. As such, I am not certain that I can say any one thing specifically via this posting that would have you realize that I am a sincere person. As such, I would like to invite you (and whomever else might be interested) in sitting down together and chatting about Allen, Eagle football, DART, or whatever you would like to talk about. I believe that by the end of the conversation you will find that whether we agree about every topic or not that I am someone whom you could trust that my words reflect my thoughts.
Again, I sincerely appreciate that you were willing to ask me about my sincerity than just presume that I wasn't. Please let me know when you and I can get together at Starbucks, the Allen library, or wherever.
You can also follow me if you 'Like' me at www.facebook.com/ElectTommy.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy
DART? I'll pass on it coming through Allen, even though I'm sure the majority will win on this one.
Thanks for sharing your campaign info on here. I've been seeing signs go up in neighbors' yards and would like to know where to pull up who's running for what seat here...
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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11-23-11 10:45 AM - Post#142599
In response to Elect Tommy Baril
Howdy and good morning, Allen!
Thank you for the questions comments that you have sent. Please keep them coming. Also, check out my Facebook site since I might be answering these and other questions there. I have started taping videos to address some of the questions. Here are two of them.
Introduction of Tommy Baril
http://youtu.be/RLDtanIsEpI
1 of 2 videos on Allen Challenges
http://youtu.be/v0xcKZ2wq6c
Please share them with your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and others.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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11-25-11 06:05 PM - Post#142668
In response to DrivinTooFast
DrivinTooFast,
I apologize for taking a few days to respond. I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving.
1. If we are going to make Allen a more tourist oriented community, do we need to modify the late night alcohol and/or alcohol related ordinances to be an effective tourist destination?
I would need to understand the specificity of this question (i.e. which part of the current ordinance is it that we should change).
With that being said, though, I think it is important that any decision that Allen makes, including the creation or modification of ordinances, should be evaluated based on whether it is “smart”, whether it is “sustainable”, and then assess it against the goal that is trying to be achieved. I touched on “smart” and “sustainable” on a previous post (see above). With regards to being goal-oriented in this particular example, I would want to know what kind of visitors does Allen want to attract? For example, we could build a theme park and try to attract tens of thousands of visitors to Allen a year. However, to date, I have not heard Allen residents calling for this type of attention. Instead, I have heard Allen residents and business want to attract visitors who take advantage of the amenities that we have to offer – such as entertainment at the Allen Event Center, shopping at our many shopping centers, visiting our historical sites, staying in our hotels when visiting Allen and/or planning regional vacations, and dining at our restaurants. Another approach to attract more visitors is to look at what is working and see what we could do to market it to a broader group or to start something new. As an example of the former point, we could look at expanding the events/activities associated with our city’s Allen USA Celebration, which occurs the last weekend of June. As an example of something new, we should consider starting a Veterans Day event at our new Veterans Memorial near Bethany Park. This could become a regional event where we honor those who have served our country and community. I hope this answers your question without having the specificity of the ordinance.
2. How would you plan now for the eventual full build out of Allen?
Couple of quick points:
(1) Framework already exists - Good news is that the city of Allen zoned the remaining parcels of land years ago. This means that there is already a skeleton in place for the current and future city council, residents, and businesses to work from.
(2) Growth – One are of focus would be along Hwy 121. I would work with the city’s Planning office and the Allen Economic Development Corporation to bring higher paying jobs to the city so that our own residents can find jobs in the community. This would help the community in so many ways, including improving morale, disposable income supporting Allen businesses, etc. One way of doing this would be to establish a campus along the highway to attract either one large corporation or a mixture of corporations.
(3) Revitalization – We must realize that while the western part of Allen is relatively new, homes and shopping centers in parts of east Allen are between 10-30 years old. This means that the homes and shopping centers are on the back end of their lifecycles. We also have 4 shopping centers without anchor stores (e.g old Brookshires and Albertsons stores). If we do not proactively take action to address the revitalization of these neighborhood and shopping centers, we are going to find that our city looks like those that we have tried to avoid for years.
3. Assuming the ACC will not go forward, what should be done with the Arts of Collin County land?
First, to answer your question as written, I will assume something that has yet to be decided – that ACC (now referred to as the Arts Center of North Texas) – will not go forward. (Note: For the record, I believe that Allen residents should not be left to hold the tab if ACNT does not find partners that make the project viable and sustainable.) With that being said, I’m not sure how all of ACNT’s assets will be disposed of if it does not go forward. I suspect that lawyers will handle those decisions. Since the property is in effect part of the gateway into Allen from the northwest, I would work with the city’s planning department to make sure that whatever is built there represents Allen well. I’m not sure that I understood the context of your questions completely. As such, if my response did not answer your question, I apologize and let me know If there is something more specific you are referring to.
4. How can downtown be best utilized and become a focal point for the city?
Answering the second part of your question first – Allen is fortunate to have several great “hot spots” – whether it is the Village at Allen, Watters Creek. Also, the downtown area already has some aspects that make it a focal point for a diverse set of residents, such as the city’s library, The Edge, Senior Center, etc. However, I agree that more needs to be done about the downtown area. And if done properly, it could become the next focal point for the city.
To give credit to the city first, the fact that we have built commonly used facilities (e.g., the library) in or around downtown has brought more traffic in that area. Investors are going to look at whether or not people even pass through that area so this is a positive action.
While there are a number of approaches that I would be open to, the one that I have heard most often and would be interested in hearing about the feasibility of is to develop the area into a ‘Watters-Creek’ like area (albeit on a smaller scale). I’m sure there are a number of drawbacks about this approach, but I like this concept for several reasons: (1) it would bring more patrons to small Allen businesses (e.g. Rodenbaughs and MyPrintChoice) that have remained in that area for years, (2) it would increase the tax revenue (i.e. compared to empty lots), it would begin to bring businesses back to east Allen and thus support revitalization efforts identified above (i.e. similar to what Dallas has done in areas off of Hwy 75). In order for anything to occur though, the city will need to either put infrastructure in place so that businesses are willing to move in to that area or the city will need to offer incentives for an investor to be willing to make such improvements.
I hope that all of this answers your questions. These were great questions. I plan on posting the questions and answers on my Facebook site in case others were wondering the same things as you. Thank you, again.
Remember -- early voting starts next Monday! Please vote for Tommy Baril.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
Edited by Elect Tommy Baril on 11-26-11 11:19 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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11-25-11 06:09 PM - Post#142670
In response to Dagwood
Dagwood,
The list of candidates can be found by clicking the URL below.
http://www.cityofallen.org/SiteContent/81/docume nt...
Please vote for the 4th person on the ballot -- Tommy Baril. :)
Pol Adv by Tommy Baril.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
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MarkH
enthusiast
Posts: 271
Loc: Allen
Reg: 04-18-00
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11-26-11 01:33 PM - Post#142692
In response to Elect Tommy Baril
Have you received permission from the webmaster to use these forums to campaign for votes? Will the other candidates be given equal time?
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Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5538
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
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11-26-11 06:04 PM - Post#142702
In response to MarkH
If he hadn't, I think Web would've shut him down long ago.
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vrs
enthusiast
Posts: 2630
Loc: Allen, Texas
Reg: 04-20-00
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11-27-11 07:52 PM - Post#142719
In response to MarkH
Have you received permission from the webmaster to use these forums to campaign for votes? Will the other candidates be given equal time?
Allen Online is not regulated by the FCC.
I don't speak for the Gentle Webmaster but I have known him for a long time and have always found him to be extremely fair and openminded. If other candidates want to register for the forums and participate in issues-based open discussions that are civil and otherwise compliant with the forum rules, I am Almost Entirely Certain that Gentle Webmaster would welcome them. I believe the absence of other candidates from this Board is either a lack of knowledge of its existence (gasp!) or a lack of desire to participate in this kind of a venue.
Once elected, the rules of participation in forums like this are more problematic since elected officials are subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act. None of these candidates is an incumbent so that is not an issue.
| Blessed be the cracked, for they let in the light. |
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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11-28-11 12:29 AM - Post#142733
In response to vrs
Howdy!
The city of Allen is hours away until early voting for the Special Election to fill City Council Place 6 position begins. You can vote at the Allen Municipal Courts facility at 301 Century Parkway, Allen (i.e. next to the city Christmas tree). For more information, visit, http://www.cityofallen.org/departments/city_secr et...
I received some great news over the weekend. A father contacted me to tell me that his son, who is a freshman in college, was filling out an absentee ballot for this election. I hope that many of the 45,000+ voting age residents follow this young man's example.
As a candidate with a young family, I am commited to making Allen a place where our youth and young adults are proud to return.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
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 Webmaster
Community Manager
Posts: 3110
Loc: Allen, Texas
Reg: 01-24-00
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11-28-11 01:09 AM - Post#142734
In response to MarkH
MarkH,
Mr. Baril does not need permission to post in the forums. All candidates are welcome.
Allen finds it on. . . Allen Online! |
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Webmaster
Community Manager
Posts: 3110
Loc: Allen, Texas
Reg: 01-24-00
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11-28-11 01:10 AM - Post#142735
In response to vrs
I could not have said this better.
Thank you!
Allen finds it on. . . Allen Online! |
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ChrisH
enthusiast
Posts: 374
Reg: 07-30-08
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11-28-11 12:38 PM - Post#142745
In response to Webmaster
Just 1 question:
Are you going to move to Lovejoy if you dont win?
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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11-28-11 05:36 PM - Post#142761
In response to Webmaster
Thank you, Webmaster.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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11-28-11 05:39 PM - Post#142762
In response to ChrisH
ChrisH,
Howdy. Although you are responding to Webmaster's post, I am assuming that the question was meant for me.
The answer - no. Although a part of Allen falls within Lovejoy ISD and I have friends that live in that area, I have not had any intentions of moving to that beautiful neighborhood.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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11-29-11 09:38 AM - Post#142775
In response to Elect Tommy Baril
Howdy!
I hope and pray that all is well with each of you. This is just a quick email to share two things with you:
(1) If you haven’t already, please check out my videos that I have posted on YouTube. These are short videos that help you to better understand the vision and ideas that I will bring to the City Council, if elected. More will be posted in the days to come so keep going back.
Introductory Video
http://youtu.be/RLDtanIsEpI
Why I Love Allen
http://youtu.be/K-whNW0H1Tk
Allen Challenges (1of 2): Health of Community and Water Limitations
http://youtu.be/v0xcKZ2wq6c
Allen Challenges (2of 2): Emergency Preparedness
http://youtu.be/LGkTXJ6nUvM
Smart and Sustainable Growth
http://youtu.be/_IKF3HuEtWEv
City of Allen Rotary Club Lunch Presentation
http://youtu.be/o_Yrg1fGTj4
(2) Please vote THIS week if you live in Allen. I have heard from a number of people who have run for a public office that they were disappointed after the election to look at the voter list and see so many of their friends and supporters whose names are not on it because they “never found the time” to go vote for their friend. Voting information can be found at http://www.cityofallen.org/departments/city_secr et...
Please feel free to pass this information on to other Allen family members, friends, work colleagues, church members, and acquaintances through PTAs, HOAs, scouts, etc.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
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Kat1900
member
Posts: 29
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 01-21-09
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11-30-11 05:03 PM - Post#142851
In response to Elect Tommy Baril
I haven't completely decided who I'm voting for (although leaning towards Barbara McNutt) but I know with certainty I won't be voting for Hollingsworth for this very reason:
http://www.allenamerican.com/articles/2011/11/29/a ...
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rw
member
Posts: 420
Reg: 10-11-01
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11-30-11 05:38 PM - Post#142853
In response to Kat1900
That's just one more reason I will not vote for him.
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Al C
enthusiast
Posts: 5538
Loc: McKinney/Allen, TX
Reg: 02-16-01
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11-30-11 08:09 PM - Post#142862
In response to Kat1900
So he's got support from the "not in my backyard" crowd, eh? Nice.
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RRRquilter
enthusiast
Posts: 1243
Loc: Allen
Reg: 05-02-05
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12-01-11 10:18 AM - Post#142878
In response to Al C
Do these people realize that he is not running for School Board?
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Elect Tommy Baril
newbie
Posts: 22
Reg: 11-16-11
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12-02-11 01:25 AM - Post#142926
In response to RRRquilter
To my fellow Allen Online friends,
I have really enjoyed the opportunity to have the dialogues that we hae had on this site. Fortunately, an opportunity recently availed itself for me to host a 'Meet the Candidate' THIS Saturday from 7-8 p.m. I would live to meet with you, your spouses, your neighbors, your colleages, your church members, etc.
If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please join us at 110 Rockland Trail, Allen, TX 75002.
Please bring your preferred beverage - whether itis soft drinsk, wine, etc. and a desert to share with others.
I hope that y'all -- as well as the others can come out. Please let me know if you will be able to join us.
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy
God Bless! Gig 'em!
Tommy |
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