From commercial development to highway construction, this is the page with all of the latest City of Southlake news. The provided links will take you to other parts of the website for more information.
February 22, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. SPIN #10 will host a city-wide meeting to discuss proposed classroom additions and renovations as well as the addition of a parking lot at the Carroll ISD Senior High School located at 1501 W. Southlake Boulevard. The meeting will take place at Town Hall, 1400 Main street.
Questions about SPIN should be directed to SPIN Liaison Alison Ortowski at (817) 748-8261.
Southlake Municipal Court Moving
The City of Southlake Municipal Court will be moving from its current location in Town Hall to its new home at DPS Headquarters located at 600 State Street. The first day of business in the new space will be Monday, February 8th.
"We are pleased to be moving to our new facility," said Sean Leonard, Deputy Director of Finance. "Our goal is to achieve a seamless transition and provide expert customer service."
The Municipal Court is home to the judicial branch of Southlake's municipal government, Metroport Teen Court and is a part of the State of Texas judicial system. (read more)
FY 2010 Southlake Sidewalk Update At the December 1st City Council meeting, the Southlake City Council received an update on the City's sidewalk projects and heard staff's recommendations for projects to be added to the City's priority construction list. To achieve better pedestrian mobility in Southlake three complementary efforts are currently in the works to help construct sidewalks: the Sidewalk Plan, an application for state funds for sidewalks along 1709 and a City initiated program which will ask residents to partner with the City with regards to sidewalk construction
The sidewalk plan is one of the key objectives of the Southlake 2025 Plan. The sidewalk plan's purpose is to create a seamless system of sidewalks and trails that allow citizens the opportunity to walk or bike to schools, businesses, shopping, parks, and adjacent neighborhoods. The plan was completed in 2007 and is now being put into action with the help and guidance of the Council and feedback received from past citizen surveys. To achieve the goals of this plan, the City Council has increased annual funding in the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to $300,000 annually.
Along with the sidewalk plan, Council has instructed city staff to pursue federal and state grant funding for sidewalk construction. The City will soon submit an application to the 2009 Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program (STEP). If approved the monies will be used to help fund sidewalks along FM 1709 (Southlake Boulevard). STEP is a competitive funding program for certain transportation related activities, such as sidewalks, bicycle lanes, landscaping, historic preservation, and environmental mitigation The City will also soon initiate a program which asks residents to partner with the City on sidewalk construction. Approved by resolution at the December 1st meeting, the program would provide guidelines to encourage residential and non-residential property owners to donate the property required to implement the City of Southlake's Pathways Plan. This would allow the City to use designated monies for sidewalk construction instead of right of way (ROW) acquisition. Donations to the City of Southlake under the Sidewalk Partnership Program are currently tax deductible. Upon closing the transaction, the City will provide the donor with a receipt for the gift and a letter opinion from the Internal Revenue Service as long as the deduction remains in effect.
For more information about the City's sidewalk projects and programs please call the Planning and Development services department at (817) 748-8621.
To view the presentation concerning the FY 2010 Sidewalk Projects Update and to see staff's recommendations for FY 2010, please click here. (This is a large file, it may take some time to download)
Bicentennial Park Groundbreaking On Friday January 22, 2010 the City broke ground on the first phase of the Bicentennial Park Improvement Project. Phase I improvements include entry features, 4-plex baseball fields, concession buildings, five tennis courts, house remodel, detention pond, streets, parking and paths.
Bicentennial Park is the city's second largest park with 74 acres and comprises the first land ever assembled for park purposes in the City of Southlake. The park is located at 450 West Southlake Blvd. (F.M. 1709) and is currently home to several baseball fields, basketball goals, an in-line hockey rink, a Tennis Center with pro shop, a large playground, Liberty Gardens and support facilities.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the phase I projects will take place on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. at Bicentennial Park, 450 West Southlake Blvd. For more information about Bicentennial Park or the groundbreaking ceremony please contact Community Services at (817) 748-8019. Below is a video illustrating the different phases of the park's makeover. Click play to view.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Comes to Southlake
Following its standing-room-only "Tidings of Joy" holiday performance at White's Chapel United Methodist Church in December, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra returns to the City of Southlake for a special one-night-only concert. This free event is made possible by the FWSO, the City of Southlake, APEX Arts League and the Carroll Independent School District.
The concert takes place Thursday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in the Carroll Senior High School Auditorium, 1501 Southlake Boulevard. It is open to Southlake residents and all Carroll ISD students and their parents. Suggested donations of $10 for adults and $5 for APEX members, seniors and students are welcome.
The Orchestra will perform Mendelssohn's beautiful Violin Concerto with soloist Robert Switala, Mozart's Overture to La clemenza di Tito, K. 621, and Dvorák's Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88. Andres Franco conducts.
"We are thrilled to return to Southlake after our popular holiday concert in December, which drew more than 1,000 patrons," said FWSO President Ann Koonsman. "It is truly gratifying to see the Southlake community embracing its major orchestra."
"Part of APEX's vision is to be the regional home for the arts in North Tarrant County," said APEX Chairman Terri Messing. "We are pleased the FWSO has become a part of that vision."
"The FWSO orchestra's performances are must-see events," said Southlake Mayor John Terrell. "I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to APEX, CISD and the FWSO for their commitment to this area's residents and students."
Please enjoy a video below of the FWSO at a recent practice session
Weekly Safety Tip Diversion Safes are one of the most efficient products for keeping your prized possessions well protected at all times. They are small safes that are designed to look exactly like common household products. Each one is also made to feel exactly like the real thing, so if a criminal were to pick one up they would never know the difference. Law enforcement statistics have proven conclusively that burglars only spend a few minutes in any home they break into. In most cases they will be in and out of a targeted house in less than ten minutes. They know that the longer they spend inside, the greater the chances will be that someone will come home or a neighbor will notice something is wrong and call the police. For his or her own self preservation, a thief will want to move quickly! Because a burglar only has a short time to look around, they will generally check out a few areas that are well known for being hiding spots for cash, jewelry and other valuables. The law breakers may know all about diversion safes, but they won't have time to look through every product in your home just in case you have one. You might have a safe that is a replica of a soda can, shaving cream, book or even a wall outlet. There is just no way for the thief to look through every item in your home, so you can hide your most cherished items right under their noses. DPS Headquarters Grand Opening The grand opening of the City of Southlake DPS Headquarters took place on Friday, January 8, 2010 following nearly two years of construction.
The former 667 North Carroll building was replaced with a state of the art building which will not only house DPS, Police and Fire Administration but the City's Municipal Court and Metroport Teen Court. Police and Fire staff assigned to the building started moving in at the end of December. Municipal Court and Teen Court staff will move their offices at the end of January.
Designed by the RPGA Design Group and constructed by Lee Lewis Construction Inc. the 85,000+ square foot building rests in the northwest corner of Southlake's Town Square. It's official address is 600 State Street with street entrances off of Carroll Avenue.
For more information about the grand opening or the DPS Headquarters please contact Community Initiatives Officer Renni Burt at (817) 748-8349.
Haiti Response On Thursday January 14th, Governor Rick Perry sent a letter to President Barrack Obama outlining the human and tactical resources Texas has available for use in the Haiti earthquake response efforts. The letter can be read in its entirety by clicking here.
Dozens of organizations are teaming up to help provide relief. A list of those organizations along with their phone numbers and how to avoid donation scams can be found here. For those interesting in helping immediately, simply text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the American Red Cross.
Sove Lavi, a local group in Southlake, is also taking donations for Haiti relief. Sove Lavi runs a clinic in the country which is dedicated to providing basic medical care and clean water. The group is collecting donations through its web site, www.sovelavi.org.
Construction Alerts (Updated December 31, 2009) Here is the latest information on the City of Southlake construction projects. Check back frequently for important information which could affect the commute of you or your family.
Questions? Please call the Public Works Administration & Engineering Offices at (817) 748-8098.
S. White Chapel Blvd. at Continental Blvd. Intersection Improvements: (1/4/2010 - 1/31/2010) Starting on Monday, 1/4/2010, paving operations will begin on the intersection, and will include asphalt paving, stamped asphalt crosswalks, and striping. While the intersection will remain open, traffic patterns will be altered intermittently during working hours. Flag men will be redirecting traffic as needed. Commuters should expect delays and plan for longer commute times. Landscaping of the new roundabout will continue thru Spring 2010.
Dove Road Intersection and Drainage Improvements: (1/5/2010 - 1/15/2010) Starting on Tuesday, 1/5/2010, beautification of the intersection will begin and will include the installation of stamped asphalt crosswalks followed by pavement striping of the intersection and striping of Dove Rd. between N. Carroll Avenue and Lonesome Dove. Traffic patterns will be altered intermittently during working hours. Flag men will be redirecting traffic as needed. Commuters should expect delays and plan for longer commute times thru 1/15/2010. Landscaping of the new roundabout will continue thru Spring 2010.
Quail Creek Sanitary Sewer Construction and Scheduled Water Shut-off: (1/5/2010) Water service to Quail Creek Estates will be temporarily shut-off on Tuesday, 1/5/2010, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm for water system improvements. Affected residents have also received written notification. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any questions about the scheduled water shut-off, please call Public Works Operations at 817-748-8082.
N. Pearson Sanitary Sewer Construction: (1/11/2010) Construction of the sanitary sewer improvements along N. Pearson will begin January 2010 per the City Contractor's revised schedule. The sanitary sewer is anticipated to be completed by late Spring 2010. Residents affected by the construction have been mailed a Construction Notice postcard, and should expect to see large equipment and flagmen during construction.
Primrose Lane Improvements: (1/4/2010) Construction of the water, sanitary sewer, drainage, and paving improvements along Primrose Lane will begin January 2010 and are anticipated to be completed by late March 2010. Residents affected by the construction have been mailed a Construction Notice postcard, and should expect to see large equipment and flagmen during construction.
DFW Connector Project: If you have any questions about the upcoming Texas Department of Transportation DFW Connector Project, please call their hotline toll free at 1-877-411-4212.
Dove at N. White Chapel Blvd. Utility Work: (January 2010) Oncor will be open-cutting Dove Rd. at the intersection with N. White Chapel Blvd. in January 2010 to bury electrical cables in preparation for the construction start of the new roundabout at this intersection. There will be intermittent closures of the intersection, and flagmen will be directing traffic during working hours. The intersection will be open in the evenings. Check back for updates and scheduled work dates.
Florence Rd. Water Supply Line Construction: (12/18/2009) Construction of Segment "A" of the new 30 inch water line along Florence Rd. was completed the week of 11/9/2009. Paving activities along Florence Rd. will begin at Randol Mill and proceed to the west towards Pearson Ln. starting on Friday, 12/18/2009, and continue thru February 2010. Commuters should expect to continue to see large equipment and flagmen in the area, and plan for travel delays.
T. W. King Rd. Closed from SH 114 to Plaza Rd./T. W. King East: (On-going) Construction of the new 30 inch water line (Segment "F") along T. W. King Rd. just north of SH 114 began the week of 11/9/2009. While construction is on-going, commuters may use Trophywood to Plaza Rd. as an alternate route to access T. W. King Rd. to the north. Commuters should expect to see large equipment and flagmen in the area. Paving activities are anticipated to begin in February 2010.
For information on other construction projects, please click here.
2009 City of Southlake Citizen Survey Analysis Underway The 2009 Citizen Survey wrapped up Monday, December 28th. Conducted every other year, the survey is a critical component of the City's strategy to provide the best in customer service. Questions on this year's survey focused on safety and security, city services, communication and city infrastructure.
"We need everyone's help planning Southlake's future," said City Manager Shana Yelverton. "This survey is one the best tools we have to help determine immediate and long term goals. The results help us focus staff's efforts to achieve what residents believe is important for Southlake's future."
In 2005 the city started following a strategic plan which set priorities for different focus areas. Those areas cover all aspects of life in Southlake from safety and security to recreation and mobility.
"All of the questions are tied back to the city's strategy map," said Assistant City Manager Ben Thatcher. "The results help drive initiatives and in some cases help us make decisions about the future of some city services."
Months of preparation go into each survey and for the third straight survey, the city has commissioned Decision Analyst, Inc. to conduct the survey and provide results. Survey results will be delivered to the City Council in January. Those results will immediately be put to work as staff plans the FY 2011 budget, the Southlake 2030 plan and several other master plans.