Summer is in full swing and many of us are enjoying some much-deserved vacation time with our families and we hope you plan to attend Flower Mound’s many Fourth of July activities.
Continuing the tradition, the day will kick off with the Children’s Parade at 10 a.m. along Timber Creek Road and culminate with the fireworks finale at 9:45 p.m. at Bakersfield Park, 1201 Duncan Lane. While at Independence Fest, be sure to catch the performance by multi-platinum artist Rick Springfield. The Town has been preparing for months to ensure this is the best Independence Fest yet and best of all, everything is free! So come out and enjoy the live music, vintage car show, kids’ activities, business showcase, and much more. For more information, please visit www.flower-mound.com/festival.
As you are planning your summer activities, please be sure to add ‘A Community Conversation: Drugs’ to your calendar on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church, 6101 Morriss Road. As you may know, teen drug abuse has weighed heavily on my mind for some time and this will be an amazing opportunity for area residents, especially parents, to empower themselves with information from the experts. Numerous law enforcement representatives; school officials; civic leaders from Flower Mound, Lewisville, and Highland Village; and community resource organizations will participate in panel discussions, informative presentations about emerging drug trends, and question and answer sessions. For more information about A Community Conversation: Drugs, please call the Town Secretary’s Office at 972.874.6070.
Our Police Department remains an invaluable tool in the fight against drugs in the community. Recently, our longtime Chief of Police Kenneth Brooker announced his retirement after serving more than 40 years in law enforcement, 30 of which were spent with Flower Mound. Under his leadership, our Police Department has received numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Although his replacement will have large shoes to fill, the Town started working with Strategic Government Resources to find the next chief of police for our community. The search is expected to last approximately three months and we have selected David James to serve as interim chief until a finalist has been identified. Chief James has served in law enforcement for more than 36 years, including 15 years as the Chief of Police for the City of Carrollton and an extensive career with the Dallas Police Department. We are thankful to have him during this time of transition to make it as seamless as possible.
Last month, I was disappointed to see time run out on a key piece of legislation that would have created a Municipal Management District for the 158-acre River Walk at Central Park development. It was passed by the State House of Representatives, however the legislative session ended before it could be voted on by the State Senate. Now, the Council will explore new ways to help the River Walk development reach its potential and become the signature project it is intended to be for our community. One day, I hope to see The River Walk at Central Park drawing people from around the area to shop, eat, and play in Flower Mound, and I am committed to making that happen. In August, Centurion American will begin work on the signature feature of the project, the river walk amenity. This will require an investment of $8 million, a significant commitment to the project and to the residents of Flower Mound. Construction on the River Walk amenity will take six to nine month to complete, and will provide drainage as other parts of the development are built.
Work is underway on several new restaurants around Town. Construction crews are building the new Raising Cane’s on FM 407, just east of the FM 2499 intersection. There will also be a Firehouse Subs opening in the Highland Ranch development on FM 2499, next to Chipotle. Coming this fall, Flower Mound resident and renowned chef, David Burdick, will open Twelve Stones restaurant. Based on a new concept, Twelve Stones will feature a rotating “chalkboard” menu based on what is in season, locally sourced, and what inspires Chef Burdick. Twelve Stones will be located in The Pines of Flower Mound development, at the southwest corner of Gerault Road and FM 3040.
As you may have noticed, crews are also hard at work on other developments in Flower Mound. It seems like more progress is being made each time I drive by our new Market Street, the anchor of the River Walk Market project at the northeast corner of FM 1171 and FM 2499. Market Street is still on schedule for a November opening date, just in time for Thanksgiving. The second portion of the project is also being constructed and will include restaurant and retail space. Renovations to the Kroger, located at the southwest corner of the same intersection, are also coming along and are expected to be completed by early fall. The renovations include 20,000-square feet of extra shopping space, 80 additional jobs, and a facelift to the outside of the store. On schedule for an October grand opening, construction is moving quickly on the new Academy Sports and Outdoors store at the southeast corner of Chinn Chapel Road and FM 407, which is part of the Highland Plaza development. This will be perfect timing for many residents who enjoy camping in the fall.
I know with school being out for the summer and increased traffic around Town, running into road construction is frustrating. Several Flower Mound roads are being improved for better traffic flow and we appreciate your patience. Crews are hard at work on Wichita Trail, particularly between the Wisdom Creek and Cherry Sage intersection, where the road is completely closed while a drainage structure is being installed. Although inconvenient, this closure will reduce the project length by 60 days and the roadway is scheduled to be open to two-way traffic on August 19. After opening to traffic, there will be periodic lane closures until the project is complete in late September. Work is also underway on Chinn Chapel, where the roadway is being widened. Crews are currently working on the northbound lanes near the Waketon intersection and are moving north. This project is scheduled to be complete in March 2014. The end is much sooner for the Flower Mound portion of the FM 407 project. By the end of this month, crews will finish the job, completing the work on the medians and landscaping.
I have some exciting news for our boating enthusiasts. During the June 17 meeting, the Council voted to officially receive a Boating Access Grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for approximately $360,000 to enhance Twin Coves Park. Located on the shores of Grapevine Lake, the grant will fund a new concrete boat ramp, expanded parking for trucks/boat trailers, a fish cleaning station, a courtesy boat dock, signage, landscaping, and new concrete walkways that tie in the surrounding trails. Although a date for construction to begin has not been determined at this time, Parks and Recreation staff anticipates closing the boat ramp area around the end of November and will re-open it near the end of April, depending upon the progress of the project.
Please continue to check our website for more good news at www.flower-mound.com. For a complete list of ways to access the latest Flower Mound news and information, please visit www.flower-mound.com/stayconnected.
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