Another group of Lake Highlands homeowners has joined the fight over DART’s plans for a pedestrian walkway onto White Rock Trail.

Several Lake Highlands North residents are speaking out in support of proposed east side pedestrian access to the planned DART Lake Highlands light rail station.

The group formed in response to grassroots upstart Save White Rock Trail, who protested by erecting a sign at the proposed access point and launching a website. The pro-WRT access group has plans of its own.

Members have sent a letter to DART officials and copied several in the decision process, including District 10 Councilmember Jerry Allen, the Lake Highlands North HOA board, Dallas Parks and Recreation Department and the Lake Highlands Area Improvement Association.

The letter shows support for east side access onto White Rock Trail and asks planners to consider several concerns shared by many in the neighborhood.

“This is a very rational response intended to show the appropriate people there is neighborhood support for the White Rock Trail access point, provided our safety concerns are addressed," said a member of the group. "We’re not out to prove anyone wrong as much as we want to educate our neighbors about the benefits of this access."

Those benefits, according to the group, include transportation flexibility for Lake Highlands North residents via DART rail, access to the Town Center and improved pedestrian infrastructure on White Rock Trail, which the group says is needed since school-age pedestrians use the street in an unsafe manner each day.

The new letter is in sharp contrast to another written last week by Lake Highlands North HOA President Win Evans. In his letter to DART Chief Architect David Ehrlicher, Evans asked DART to reconsider plans for east side access to the station via White Rock Trail. Evans noted that more than 70% of Lake Highlands North residents oppose east side pedestrian access, a claim echoed by Save White Rock Trail member Tom Nowak.

The pro-WRT access group did raise several concerns in its letter. Chief among those are a fear of increased crime in the neighborhood and an increase in parking traffic. The group asked planners to consider safety measures such as courtesy phones, quality lighting and video monitoring. They also requested designated DART parking at the Town Center and enforcement of “No DART Parking” signs in the neighborhood.

The group also voiced support for the planned city hike and bike trails which would be incorporated into the White Rock Trail access point.