Residents asked for more sidewalks and the Southlake Boulevard sidewalk project is scheduled for completion this year
City View by John Terrell, Mayor of Southlake
Usually this phrase refers to something that is incrediblybrboring, but in this case, we are literally watching the cement dry on anbrexciting project that has been a long time coming.
In July of 2010, Southlake was awarded a STEP grant frombrthe Texas Department of Transportation intended to fund the concrete-layingbrnecessary to fill in the many sidewalk gaps along Southlake Boulevard. The projectbrcame with a condition though: The city would have to wait until the boulevard'sbrmedian project was completed before the sidewalk construction could begin. So,brin January of this year, sidewalk cement finally began to be poured and left tobrdry. As of this writing, around 1,500 linear feet have been completed with abrfinal goal of more than 13,000 linear feet.
This sidewalk project and many others representbrsignificant progress toward addressing Southlake's Citizen Satisfaction SurveybrNo. 1 gap item — sidewalk construction. In the 2009 survey and the 2011 survey,brmany of you told us sidewalk construction is a top concern. Through the years,brSouthlake's slow conversion from a rural to more urban community has causedbrattitudes to change about what our city needs. I think we have made progress inbrmeeting those needs but also acknowledge that when it comes to sidewalks, webrstill have a ways to go.
We've learned that people who have moved to this area wantbrsidewalks in their neighborhoods so they can walk with their families to nearbybrparks or use them for outdoor exercise. We've also learned that sidewalks arebrpart of a complete economic development package that attracts businesses tobrSouthlake. That's why the completion of the Southlake Boulevard sidewalk projectbrand the priority sidewalk neighborhood projects the city council approves eachbryear are so important. Each one is a small investment toward our goal of makingbrSouthlake Texas' premier community.
Here are the Southlake Boulevard sidewalk construction locations:
· North sidebrof FM1709 from North White Chapel Boulevard to deceleration lane in front ofbrBicentennial Park
· North sidebrof FM1709 from Diamond Boulevard to White Chapel Boulevard
· North sidebrof FM1709 from Mendez Development to Foxborough deceleration lane
· North sidebrof FM1709 from Foxborough Lane to Diamond Boulevard deceleration lane
· South sidebrof FM1709 from Harris Methodist to Miron Drive deceleration lane
· South sidebrof FM1709 from Davis Boulevard to Players Circle
· South sidebrof FM1709 from Chick-fil-A to existing sidewalk at Georgetown Park andbrcontinuing to Nolen Drive.
It should be noted that sidewalks don't come cheap. Thebrmillion-dollar-plus 2010 grant will fund most of the Southlake Boulevardbrsidewalks listed above, but the neighborhood sidewalks are another story. Everybryear, the city's budget sets aside at least $400,000 in capital improvementbrdollars for Southlake's sidewalks. I anticipate that type of funding willbrcontinue until we reach our goals.
The Southlake Boulevard sidewalk project is scheduled tobrbe completed this year. You can bet that we will celebrate when the finalbrsquare is laid and this project is complete... not only about this project butbralso because of the city's commitment to pedestrian connectivity.
See you in Southlake....
John Terrell, vicebrpresident of commercial development for DFW Airport, has spent countlessbrvolunteer hours in service to the City of Southlake. He served two termsbron the city council prior to becoming elected Southlake's Mayor in 2009 andbragain in 2012. Married to wife Joanne and father to two Dragons, the 2012brSouthlake Citizen of the Year has called Southlake home for more than 15 years.