2023 is off and running! Some exciting projects are in the works in Northlake. Late last month, design engineers presented designs for monuments to mark the entrances to the town and received feedback from the council. It will still be a while before anything is built but it’s exciting to see the creative process and what might be possible in the next couple years to create a sense of space and definition of the town borders.
Another very exciting potential project in the works for a little while was showcased to the public last month. Northlake was approached by a couple entities last year to consider a public/private partnership for a hockey and mixed-use sports facility. The location would be off Hwy 114 and the facility is proposed to be 165,000 sq. ft. in total. It would contain two ice rinks and six basketball courts that could convert to a variety of other sports or combine into a large event space. Many larger cities have these facilities across the Metroplex and Northlake is growing to the point where amenities of this class are becoming viable.
Destinations are important for every city to consider and the council outlined a strategic goal a year ago to attract iconic amenities that fit with our area and economic profile. The project will be vetted over the next couple months. The council has outlined requirements that it be self-sustaining after a few years and shouldn’t use property tax dollars to fund it. The initial numbers indicate that it could be funded through facility rent, hotel taxes, and economic development dollars.
The Oncor Transmission Line comment period has ended but if anyone has more to say we encourage continued submissions to [email protected]. Over the next couple months, Argyle and Northlake will continue to work together to prepare our defense strategy against the lines impacting our communities, schools, roads and natural corridors. We all agree that the power lines must be built, but like all major projects, how it is done makes all the difference.
Recently the new state legislature was sworn in and got to work. I had a chance to be there for the first couple days and engage our statehouse delegation to help us in this effort. We have committed support from our county, state and federal delegations that should ensure we have the best chance at success. For more information, look up “Oncor transmission line” on the Argyle or Northlake websites for documents, maps and status updates.
One more reminder for those across our region that use city water and sewer. Every year residents are surprised to see their sewer bills reset in March. This is due to winter averaging. Whatever your water use is from roughly December to February dictates what you pay for sewer for the year. Make sure to minimize outdoor watering or turn it off completely until March. Utilities are getting expensive and every little bit of savings helps both our pockets and our environment.
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