Northwest Neighborhood Alliance gives homeowners collective clout

If you drive on an upgraded road, walk in a new city park or read a book in your neighborhood library, you can probably thank the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance.

From wider and safer roads, to more parks and green space to a reduction of “bandit signs” on utility poles, the NNA has taken neighborhood issues to City Hall and often gotten results.

It was formed in 1994 to give homeowners associations (HOAs) a united voice that elected officials could not ignore.

“The Northwest Neighborhood Alliance has worked hard to be the voice of the people in this part of city toward City Council and the state Legislature, especially in zoning matters,” said Chairwoman Margaret Tovar.

The alliance also represents property owners associations (POAs), community improvement associations (CIAs) and smaller groups and individuals (homeowner or renter) living within its boundaries, Tovar emphasized.

NNA covers northwest San Antonio between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 stretching from Highway 90 on the west to Interstate 10 on the east. It was formed by the late Ernani "Nani" Falcone, Dominick Dina and others to improve their community.

But its influence stretches beyond the northwest area, said Dina, vice chairman of NNA.

“The Northwest Neighborhood Alliance was the model for the (City Council) District 9 Neighborhood Alliance in the North Central area. And the District 10 Neighborhood Alliance in the Northeast area was modeled after the D-9 group,” Dina said.

All three alliances typically help individual HOAs with a local issue such as a traffic intersection, but also work on larger issues that impact their area. Over the years they have become two-way conduits for residents to their council member and vice versa.

The alliances also have been training areas for and incubators of future council members and mayors.

Former San Antonio mayors Howard Peak and Ed Garza worked with the NNA while current District 10 Councilman John Clamp previously was an official with D-10.

“Back in the 1990s, the Leon Creek Greenbelt Coalition was very active in preserving the Leon Creek waterway,” Dina said. “The Northwest Neighborhood Alliance, along with several NNA members, took active leadership roles which lead to Mayor Peak's linear parks initiative we enjoy today.”

In recent years the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance has been able to help bring major projects to its area, officials said.

Those projects include: a $5 million upgrade to Tezel Road with added lanes, better drainage and sidewalks; “co-locating” city services like a library and fire station next to each other; the 11-acre New Territories Community Park at Guilbeau and Old Tezel roads; a city crackdown on “bandit signs"– illegal signs attached to utility poles and in public right-of-way.

“We (NNA) showed if you work with the city, show logic in your goals and do your homework, things can happen,” Dina said.

“When the New Territories HOA went defunct, we were able to persuade the city to buy their three-acre complex that included a park and swimming pool. And several years later when an adjacent property came available we suggested the city buy it and now we have an 11-acre city park with trails, a pool and recreational courts,” he added.

Similarly, NNA worked to have multiple city services “co-located” near each other. The Falcone Community Park is across the street from a city library and fire station on Mystic Park, a road that connects Bandera and Guilbeau roads.

NNA is comprised of more than 30 neighborhood groups representing more than 30,000 homes, but the number of those groups that participate in regular meetings has dropped in recent years, said NNA member Jody Sherrill.

Tovar said: “We are working to get more involvement from all our members and from new neighborhood groups as well.”

The organization routinely monitors northwest side issues such as zoning cases and road construction projects and posts updates on those issues on its web site and isn't afraid to bend the ears of city, county and state officials.

NNA is gearing up for City Council redistricting expected to take place within a year or two of the 2010 census.

Dina said the organization's service area is spread over three council districts – 6, 7 and 8.

“Growth and the dynamics of individual council districts have changed. And the boundaries need to also change to reflect those dynamic. Districts should not be elongated like District 6 is now,” Dina said.

“A former District 6 representative said it felt like he had three districts in one because the dynamics of the three areas were so different,” he said.

Dina said the current geographic configuration of some council districts splits HOAs in half making things difficult for those HOAs and the alliance. “The split means dealing with more than one council member on an issue,” he said.

Dina and other NNA board members also favor having more than 10 council districts.

“Having 12 council districts will reduce the population in districts (some which have more than 100,000 people) and give residents better representation,” Dina said.

Tovar said other issues NNA is actively looking at include digital billboards and getting a raised median on Guilbeau Road at its intersection with Bandera Road.

Some motors try to make a quick left turn into several food establishments creating a dangerous situation at that intersection.