FM 407 Widening Nearing Completion
If all goes well, motorists should be driving on the new lanes of FM 407 by the end of January.
“The contractor has six months left to complete the widening but they are running about three months ahead of schedule,” said Lantana General Manager Kevin Mercer.
When completed, FM 407 from FM 1830 to Chinn Chapel Road will be a four-lane divided urban highway.
At this time, there are no official plans for new traffic signals along FM 407, but County Commissioner Andy Eads said that he is working with Lantana and Double Oak officials and TxDOT to explore the possibility of future stoplights.
“Once the roadway is complete and open to traffic, traffic studies will be conducted according to TxDOT procedures to determine which intersections qualify for signals,” said Eads.
Businesses Blossom Along FM 407
The long-awaited CVS Pharmacy is getting closer to reality as company officials are communicating with Lantana’s district office in preparation of building their new location here.
Mercer said that the pharmacy should be submitting plans soon for their store at the northwest corner of FM 407 and Copper Canyon Road.
Additional dirt has been placed on the site and the building pad has been readied for construction.
Mercer said that Kwik Industries is making good progress on construction of the Kwik Kar Wash which is next door to the Kwik Auto Care facility on FM 407 and is currently scheduled for completion in late November.
Plans for the Dry Clean Supercenter on FM 407 just west of the car wash have been submitted and approved. Construction should start within the next few weeks.
Mercer said Pizza Hut is expected to submit plans soon for their new location on FM 407 east of Sonic.
Crossing Guard Program Rolling Out Soon
A dedicated crossing guard to man the Lantana Trail/Stacee Lane crosswalk mornings and afternoons on school days will soon be in place.
An agreement between the Denton County Sheriff’s Department and the Fresh Water Supply Districts for a crossing guard has been signed by Lantana officials.
“Hopefully the sheriff’s department will have that position ready to be manned by Christmas break,” said Mercer.
The pay rate for crossing guards will be $10 to $12 per hour, said Mercer.
Those interested in applying for the position should contact Assistant Deputy Chief of Operations Randy Plemons at 940-349-1700.
Water Tower Coming Down
Sometime in early December Lantana will lose a landmark. The old water tower south of FM 407 will be coming down to make way for Lantana Town Center.
“The contractor is wanting to remove it the first part of November but it all hinges on getting monitoring equipment moved to the new water tower,” said Mercer.
Mercer said water service to Lantana should not be interrupted during the switchover to the new water tower.
Lantana Town Center will be anchored by a Kroger Marketplace store along with a gas station and a number of smaller retailers and restaurants in the triangle created by FM 407, Jeter Road and McMakin Road.
The new shopping center is expected to open in the first half of 2015.
New Hike and Bike Trail Under Construction
Lantana’s Hike and Bike Trail extension is nearing completion.
The new segment runs east of Stacee Lane behind the Isabel addition over to the far north end of Lantana Trail across from Bandera.
“They were hindered a bit by the rain but they are working on the final leg of it right now and it should be open around Thanksgiving,” said Mercer.
Police Activity
Recent calls to the Denton County Sheriff’s Office from Lantana:
9/3/2013 – Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse – 8000 block of Watson Rd. (Laurel)
9/4/2013 – Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse – 1200 block of Golf Club Dr. (Crescent)
9/6/2013 – Theft – 300 block of Perkins Dr. (Magnolia)
9/6/2013 – Burglary of Building – No Force – 1400 block of Burnett Dr. (Heritage)
9/9/2013 – Burglary of Motor Vehicle – 8300 block of Bayberry Ave. (Bandera)
9/9/2013 – Burglary of Motor Vehicle – 8300 block of Bayberry Ave. (Bandera)
9/14/2013 – Theft – 9400 block of Carson Dr. (Telea) – Someone took a check out of the mailbox and cashed it.
9/23/2013 – Credit Card or Debit Card Abuse – 9600 block of Arbor Ct. (Sierra) – Two charges had been made against credit account without permission.
9/24/2013 – Fraudulent Use of Identifying Information – 900 block of Fannin Dr. (Larkspur) – Unknown actor(s) used personal information to open an account without consent.
10/1/2013 – Theft of Property between $1500 and $20k – 400 block Spring Creek Dr. (Magnolia) – Victim stated she believes the movers stole items from her property while moving.
10/9/2013 – Animal Bite – 8600 block Weston Ln. (Sandlin) – Complainant was bitten on the left ring finger by one of his two dogs while attempting to break them up from fighting.
10/18/2013 – Theft of Property between $1500 and $20k – 600 block Sheldon Rd. (Magnolia) – Victim stated an unknown actor(s) stole her property.
Development Watch
Lantana had 2,790 occupied homes as of October 25, with an estimated population of 9,068.
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