Hello, Flower Mound! It’s 2022, and just like most of you, I’ve been thinking about my New Year’s resolutions and focusing on some of Town Council’s priorities for the year ahead. As I thought through our upcoming projects, I realized so many of them are focused on improving or creating new quality of life amenities and infrastructure. That fact alone makes me proud to be a resident of Flower Mound, where we prioritize top-notch community experiences and continuously improve upon what we’ve built.
So, let’s jump in!
In early 2022, we expect the completion of Canyon Falls Park, which will provide a new recreational amenity for our residents in the western portion of town. Canyon Falls Park will include a playground and pavilion, restrooms, basketball court, splash pad, trails, fitness equipment, and parking. The park, located on 10.8 acres that was deeded to the town by the Canyon Falls development, is located at 6425 Stonecrest Rd. It’s expected to open this month!
Rheudasil Park upgrades are wrapping up as well. The much-anticipated enhancements at 2401 Lake Forest Blvd. include a lighted boardwalk, playground areas for both 2-5 year olds and 5-12 year olds, basketball court, pavilion and restroom structure, enhanced landscaping, trail, sidewalk renovation along Lake Forest Boulevard, and a small fishing pier. Construction is expected to be complete in spring.
We’re also hoping to spend 2022 working toward awarding the construction contract for Peters Colony Memorial Park. This park, adjacent to the Flower Mound Public Library, will include legacy monuments commemorating local heroes and veterans, a children’s play area, pavilion, public art, water feature, nature trails, and pedestrian pathways with access to the library.
In addition to these exciting park projects, Town staff, along with consultants, have been working on a Tennis Center Feasibility Study. This project, which is focused on conducting a tennis center needs assessment, will provide data and information to analyze the market and to determine the size and amenities to be included in a tennis facility. The study will project costs, analyze partnership strategies and funding models, anticipate operating budgets, and look at the economic impact of a potential tennis center. Staff and our consultants collected community input in the summer and fall of 2021. At an upcoming Jan. 6, 2022 Parks Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, they’ll present site evaluations for three potential locations.
We’ll also spend the year completing a major update to our Trails and Bikeways Master Plan. The master plan will ultimately identify and prioritize enhancements and expansions of the trail and bikeway system within town. Town staff and our consultants on this project collected community input throughout 2021 through surveys and in-person and virtual meetings. On Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, staff and our consultants will present draft recommendations for the master plan, which is reflective of the community input we’ve received so far. Join us for an open house at Town Hall at 5:30 p.m., during which time we’ll seek residents’ feedback on the recommendations. Feel free to stay for a Parks Board meeting at 6:30 p.m., which will include a presentation to the Board. To learn more about the master plan and the process we’ve used to develop it, please visit www.flowermoundtrailsplan.com.
Clearly our Parks and Recreation Department will be busy in 2022 because on top of all these items, we’ll also be focusing on a Cultural Arts Center Feasibility Study. In 2018, the Cultural Arts Master Plan was completed and included a recommendation to “explore development of a cultural arts center or venue that will serve as a central hub for arts, cultural and creative programming.” The Town then hired a consultant to determine the need and demand for such a facility. You can learn more about what the consultant reported back at www.flower-mound.com/CulturalArtsCenter, but the gist is the consultant determined a facility like this did make sense in Flower Mound. The Town is now looking to work with an architect that can provide cost estimates on building a new structure versus renovating an existing building. Town Council will certainly be discussing this possible project in 2022.
Phew, that’s a lot going on. Be sure to get involved, follow along, and speak up. We’d love to have you join us for Town Council meetings on the first and third Monday of every month at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 2121 Cross Timbers Rd., where I’d encourage you to speak under Public Comment, and let us know how we’re doing.
Before I go, I just want to mention that our new town manager, James Childers, is officially on board! He got a running start on Jan. 3 after spending the last couple months finishing up his work as assistant city manager in Irving, while also meeting with our department heads and getting acquainted with our operations. I wrote about James in my November column, but in case you missed it, you can learn more about him, his extensive municipal executive experience, and his connection to Flower Mound at https://bit.ly/3lNU3ae. I’m sure you’ll have the opportunity to meet him in 2022 – in fact, there’s another reason why you should come out to a Council meeting sometime soon.
Happy New Year, Flower Mound. I’m looking forward to all that’s ahead in 2022.
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