A productive year for Town business and projects, 2011 has also proven to be a landmark year in Flower Mound History. A year-long celebration of the Town’s 50th Anniversary became more poignant as we mourned the passing of several town leaders, including Flower Mound’s first Mayor Bob Mayor Bob Rheudasil.
As 2011 comes to a close and we honor 50 years of Flower Mound history, I thought it the perfect time to also reflect upon the vision on which our Town was founded. The contributions of Mayor Rheudasil, those who stood beside him, and other leaders who followed ensured our community has stayed true to that original vision of our town and the principals that guide its development.
When Flower Mound was incorporated in 1961, those who lived in the area voted to create the Town in order to protect their way of life and the values on which the community was built. The city of Irving was attempting to annex a large portion of southern Denton County, including most of Flower Mound and part of Lewisville. Mayor Rheudasil, Andre Gerault, and others rallied local residents to file a lawsuit stopping the annexation and call an election to incorporate.
The Town’s founding fathers were motivated to act and defend the community for the same reason many of today’s residents moved to Flower Mound – an unparalleled quality-of-life. For the past 50 years, many of the Mayors, Town Council Members, and community leaders have shared a common trait. They fought hard to define and protect the quality-of-life we all enjoy and cherish so much as Flower Mound residents.
While many of the cities that surround our community have developed and grown at a much faster pace than Flower Mound, they have also experienced the consequences of unbridled development. Excessive traffic, over-crowded schools, and less-than-ideal commercial development are not uncommon in similar suburbs throughout the DFW Metroplex. When entering our Town from another city, you become keenly aware of the exact moment you cross the border into Flower Mound. The increased landscaping, higher architectural standards, quality of development, and open space all signal that you are now in a community that values its quality-of-life. The distinction did not happen by accident. This was the plan from the beginning.
By remaining patient and selective, Flower Mound’s leaders have ensured the Town developed as a master planned community that never lost sight of its most important asset, the residents. Throughout the Town’s history, the doctrine of always protecting the best interests of the residents has been administered by a series of governing documents. Much like the U.S. Constitution, Flower Mound’s Town Charter, Comprehensive Master Plan, Code of Ordinances, and the SMARTGrowth program were written to protect and enforce the core foundation of principals that has been in existence since 1961.
While they may be tweaked from time to time, the core principals upon which these documents were created have remained unchanged throughout the years. Ensuring the Town serves in the best interest of the community, balancing and diversifying the tax base, guiding quality residential and commercial development, preserving open space, and fostering the health, safety, and welfare of the residents continue to be driving factors for these governing documents.
Those who served before me and this Town Council deserve recognition for being pioneers and steadfastly defending these principals through the creation of the Master Plan, the SMARTGrowth Program, and similar documents. Those of us who are currently serving, or will be elected in the future, have a duty to carry the torch and honor their determination by ensuring Flower Mound remains true to their original vision. I am humbled to serve at such a pivotal time in Flower Mound’s history and will honor those who came before me by honoring their vision, the Master Plan, and the SMARTGrowth program.
This article is the first in a three-part series written to commemorate and bring closure to the year in which we celebrated Flower Mound’s 50th Anniversary and honored the leaders, vision, and principals that have shaped Flower Mound’s history and future. The second story will examine the Comprehensive Master Plan and the third and final piece will review the SMARTGrowth program and how it drives the Master Plan.
 GIF.gif)
