At the end of February I had the opportunity to provide a Highland Village update at the annual State of the City luncheon. This is a joint event with the Highland Village Business Association, the Flower Mound and Lewisville Area Chambers of Commerce. I’d like to provide you the information I presented.
Of course Kids Kastle is our biggest project currently underway. We are excited by the number of people signing up to sponsor, donate food, and volunteer to help with the build. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. If you haven’t signed up to be part of the community build, I encourage you to visit SpeakUpHV.com and sign up. You don’t need any special skills, just a desire to be part of a community project that will impact you and generations to come! Really, there are no special skills required, tools and safety equipment will be provided along with training on site. Kids Kastle has been part of Highland Village since 1994 when it was designed and built by the community. Kids and parents have helped design the new Kids Kastle which will be a playground for people of all ages and abilities making it an All-Abilities Playground that supports social interaction, cognitive development, and will promote and encourage inclusion with kids and adults with special needs. So many families who were part of the original build have told me how much their involvement impacted them and they have signed up again but this time with their adult children to be part of the project. I hope you will join us – just select Come Build with Us at SpeakUpHV.com to sign up.
Our parks department has been very busy lately working on the other projects approved in the 2017 bond election. Improvements to the ponds at Unity Park are underway with dredging taking place to remove the silt, increase the depth of the ponds and provide improvements for the aquatic life. The softball field at Unity Park is complete and will be open for the spring season. Sunset Point Park is nearly complete and will provide lighting, parking, and a safer turn around for emergency vehicles. The walking path at Victoria Park and the Highland Village Road trail connection are still in the works.
The street department has been working diligently on the 23 streets targeted for reconstruction in the bond election. So far the seven streets of Phase 1 are complete and the six included in Phase 2 are under construction. Phase 3 and 4 are in design and engineering. The goal is to complete the streets by the summer of 2021.
Our fire department is working to increase our safety during severe weather. We currently have six Emergency Outdoor Warning sirens that are strategically located to provide the best coverage for the whole City. This year we added a siren at the City’s Southwood storage tank lot. This new siren improved our ability to provide severe weather warnings for residents who live in the western sections of the City. Also, this spring, we are moving the siren that is located at Overlook, across the lake to Pilot Knoll Park and we will be installing a new siren at Sunset Point Park to improve our ability to provide severe weather warnings for our residents and visitors who live and play in our northern areas, along Lake Lewisville. These sirens are meant to warn people outside of approaching severe weather so they can seek shelter. Residents can select Notify Me on the City website to sign up for severe weather notices via text. The fire department is also working on achieving the Best Practices Recognition from the Texas Fire Chiefs Association.
Our police department continues their presence in our schools developing relationships and teaching our youth about relationships, rapport, respect, and fairness. This program has such a positive impact on our kids. The community has partnered with us for the last 12 years to help raise funds for the families of fallen police officers. Our department holds the TXFallenPD Tribute event the third Saturday in October which includes a 5K run/walk, a citizen bike race, a police bike race, a police obstacle course, touch a truck, vendors, a kids zone and live music all at The Shops at Highland Village. Last year we were able to donate $60,000 to the Fallen Officer Fund thanks to our generous and caring community.
Doubletree Ranch Park continues to be a draw for the families of Highland Village and the surrounding area. This year the parks department has added shade to the splash pad, a playground, swings, and an interactive checkers/chess lawn game.
You can watch the video on the City website, YouTube channel, or on our Facebook page.
Spring break and all the fun festivals and outdoor activities will be here before you know it. Be sure to check out hvparks.com if you’re looking for something for your kiddos to do over the break. Here are upcoming events you’ll want to be a part of or attend:
- Our annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, April 4 at Unity Park ball fields. Remember the hunt begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. so you will want to arrive early!
- The Fire Department Open House is scheduled for Saturday, April 11 from 1–3 p.m.
- We are set to host the annual Highland Village Art Festival in The Shops at Highland Village on May 2. Mark your calendar to attend and if you’re an artist and would like a booth at the event, check out hvparks.com for the application.
We are fortunate to live in such a wonderful city. Council and staff work hard to provide you quality service and superb amenities. If you see something that needs our attention, you have a question about something or you just want more information about Highland Village please contact me, a fellow Council member or the appropriate person on staff. We welcome the opportunity to assist you and get to know you.
Thank you for allowing me to share this information with you, it is a beautiful day in Highland Village.
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