Red Oak Gas taking Flower Mound to court over drilling denials

Flower Mound's tough restrictions on gas exploration have landed the town in court.

[pragmatist]

Excerpted from the article: "Along with Southlake, Grapevine and Trophy Club, Flower Mound requires a 1,000-foot setback between gas wells and homes as well as some other protected buildings. State standards require only 200-foot setbacks."

Flower Mound is not the "standard" Texas town.

Estimated median household income in 2005:
Flower Mound:$100,800
Texas:$42,139

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005:
Flower Mound:$225,500
Texas:$106,000

For population 25 years and over -
High school or higher: 97.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 53.1%
Graduate or professional degree: 13.0%
Unemployed: 2.5%
Mean travel time to work: 31.2 minutes

Flower Mound compared to Texas state average:
-Median household income significantly above state average.
-Median house value significantly above state average.
-Unemployed percentage significantly below state average.
-Median age below state average.
-Renting percentage significantly below state average.
-Number of rooms per house above state average.
-House age significantly below state average.
-Percentage of population with a bachelor's degree or higher significantly above state average.

The citizens of this town WANT a 1,000 foot setback. If that doesn't meet with the approval of the gas companies, then the gas companies should go elsewhere. They (the gas companies) knew or should have known the requirements for drilling here before they leased the mineral rights from the property owners.

If they can't work within our rules, they need to go elsewhere.

[Iam4LSU]

"If they can't work within our rules, they need to go elsewhere."

Speak only for yourself. These are the rules in place and rules are written to be reformed when they don't meet the needs of the people and/or when they become so restrictive as to stifle business.

I disagree with the town's rules. They are too restrictive and need to be adjusted. The church and daycare center are within their rights to not oppose the drilling. It does you no harm and it raises tax revenue for all of us.

There are a considerable number of citizen's who will disagree that this town WANTS a 1000 foot setback. Reasonable people should use reason to find a reasonable solution. Not knee-jerk reactions.

[pragmatist]

Iam4LSU wrote:

"If they can't work within our rules, they need to go elsewhere."
Speak only for yourself. These are the rules in place and rules are written to be reformed when they don't meet the needs of the people and/or when they become so restrictive as to stifle business.
I disagree with the town's rules. They are too restrictive and need to be adjusted. The church and daycare center are within their rights to not oppose the drilling. It does you no harm and it raises tax revenue for all of us.
There are a considerable number of citizen's who will disagree that this town WANTS a 1000 foot setback. Reasonable people should use reason to find a reasonable solution. Not knee-jerk reactions.

Not a knee-jerk reaction.

"Iam4LSU," I take it you've spent some time in south Louisiana (I am an LSU alumn, also). Have you seen a gas well fire? I have. I don't want one less than 1,000 feet from my house.

[pragmatist]

big bad John wrote:

All Three of you tell more dog do do that is stacked up higher then the dog court had my local park. don,t you num scouts have your own flower mound forum to tell that too? I don,t think the goofy folks up bedford are interesting in this hogwash do you? Are muchless me the guy from north richland hills although I venture on this forum because those goons venture on mine. For the sake of the three of you nuckel heads go get a life.

BBJ, I expected you to understand how Topix works, but I guess I was wrong.

News stories are tagged. This particular one had the following tags on it: Grapevine, TX, Flower Mound, TX, Trophy Club, TX, Denton County, TX, Southlake, TX, Parker County, TX.

Any comments made to the story will appear on the "local" Topix forums for each of those towns.

Take a chill pill, bro.