July 18, 2023 — Duncanville City Council created the city's first Nature Preserve zone making way for the Charles F. Ladd Nature Preserve at 609 W. Danieldale Road.
March 21, 2023 — Bob and Trudy Ladd attended the City Council work session/briefing. Watch the staff briefing, Council discussions, and Mr. Ladd’s comments regarding the property his family donated to the people of Duncanville 25 years ago. During the briefing session, Mr Ladd encouraged City leadership to continue forward with all expeditious movement to take necessary action to create and commit funding to the Charles F. Ladd Nature Preserve.
March 13, 2023 — Jim Jones, president of the Duncanville Nature Conservancy and other members, attended the City of Duncanville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting, briefing the assembly during public comments: “Duncanville currently has 241 acres of parks or 3.4% within Duncanville city limits. There does not appear to have been any park or open space added to Duncanville since roughly 1974 when the population was 75% less than 2023. The Park Master Plan projects recommended 464.4 acres of parks in Duncanville or 6.5% of within Duncanville city limits. The addition of the Charles F. Ladd Nature Preserve would increase the parks and open space to 4% of Duncanville city limits.”
View letter | View Fulfilling the Vision of the Charles F. Ladd Nature Preserve
March 9, 2023 — The City of Duncanville hosted the first of three public forums to gather public opinion of the future of The Ladd Property. There were four stations where attendees could communicate their desires for the property through a survey, a comment box, and two visual exercises using colored stickers on a map and later a word cloud. The D.L. Hopkins Jr. Senior Center was filled to capacity and the conversation grew lively as passionate discourse grew.
February 13, 2023 — Duncanville Nature Conservancy submits a letter to the Duncanville City Council recommending 609 W. Danieldale Road be rezoned as Greenspace/Preservation District (GP).
Monday, Jan 24, 2023 — A joint session of the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) and Duncanville Community and Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) met to discuss the Ladd Property. It was the first step in the time frame outlined by City Staff necessary to change the zoning of the property, paving way for a nature preserve ordinance. Members of the Duncanville Nature Conservancy were present to speak during two-minute public discussion. Conservancy president, Jim Jones, presented a letter to both bodies, as well as, the vision statement.
View letter | View Mission Statement
Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, members of the Duncanville Nature Conservancy, community leaders, and local advocates for a nature preserve hosted a private tour of the property for the Duncanville mayor, members of the city council, and city staff. Led by Sam Kieschnick, an Urban Wildlife Biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, attendees saw firsthand the natural beauty of the land, discussed the challenges it faces, and explore opportunities a nature preserve offers the community.
See photos by Mark Graham and others via NextDoor.
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022 — Duncanville City Council voted unanimously to approve a motion “to authorize city manager and staff to institute legal proceedings to consider amending the park master plan, the comprehensive land use plan, to undertake zoning text change amendments and zoning amendments necessary to designate 609 W. Danieldale Road by ordinance as a nature preserve and that the staff shall propose a timeline for the initiation and completion of that process at the December 20, 2022 regular meeting”. According to Mayor Barry L. Gordon: “It is our intent and purpose to deliver an ordinance to the City of Duncanville regarding the property at 609 Danieldale Road.”
Below: Excerpt from Dec. 6, 2022 Duncanville City Council meeting. Full video here.
© 2022, Duncanville Nature Conservancy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.