RESIDENT UPDATE FEBRUARY MARCH 2018 CITY OF DENTON Rendering of Rayzor Ranch Town Center DENTON DEVELOPMENTS: NORTHWEST DENTON The opening of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center has renewed interest in northwest Denton. Retail and restaurant options are becoming more plentiful as new businesses move in and existing businesses expand in an effort to serve new homes in the area. Here s a rundown of current projects to help you be in-the-know: North Lakes Shopping Center The corner of West University Drive and Bonnie Brae Street is seeing some big changes. The former site of a car dealership and a restaurant, this area will soon be home to Torchy s Tacos, Ideal Dental, MedSpring Urgent Care, and Jersey Mike s Subs. And with large pad site potential, this new development could be anchored by a grocery or big box store in the future. Rayzor Ranch Marketplace and Town Center North of University Drive is Rayzor Ranch Marketplace. Here, you can shop and dine at a variety of stores and restaurants including Academy Sports + Outdoors, Kohl s, Walmart, Sam s Club, Panera Bread, Dickey s Barbeque Pit, and Freebirds. Marshalls and Tuesday Morning will also join the retail lineup and are scheduled to open in the fall. Rayzor Ranch Town Center, located on the south side of University Drive, is quickly becoming the retail, dining, and entertainment destination of northwest Denton. Furniture retailer Rooms To Go will soon open and be joined by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Cheddar s Scratch Kitchen, both opening in late spring/early summer. In the fall, look for Andy B s Restaurant & Entertainment. Later developments for Town Center include upscale retail, luxury multi-family living, an amphitheater, and a large park along Heritage Trail. To the south of the project, expect more medical development with a children s hospital alongside Texas Oncology and Select Rehabilitation Hospital. Infrastructure will also be improved to handle the increased traffic, including the extension of Panhandle Street from Bonnie Brae Street to the northbound I-35 frontage road. West Side of I-35 at University South of University Drive on the I-35 frontage road (across the Interstate from the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center), you will see the newly opened Cavender s Western Wear. More development is also moving in, with construction for Duluth Trading Company and Northern Tool & Equipment already underway.
IN THIS ISSUE Denton Developments: Northwest Denton...1 From the Mayor...2 Upcoming Public Meetings...2 Denton City Council...2 Charter Election Results & Ethics Ordinance...3 State of the City Event Rescheduled...3 Construction Project Updates...4 Improvements Coming to Downtown...5 Lynda.com is Free with Your Library Card...6 Energy Efficiency Rebates: A Case Study...6 Unite, Grow, Play in Denton Parks...7 Denton Works...7 Upcoming Community Events...7 UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS DENTON CITY COUNCIL Tuesday, Feb. 6 Tuesday, Feb. 13 Tuesday, Feb. 20 Tuesday, Feb. 27 Tuesday, March 6 Tuesday, March 20 Tuesday, March 27 FROM THE MAYOR Welcome to the Resident Update. This issue includes important information about the recent Charter Election and exciting development projects. You ll also learn what the City is doing to encourage energy efficiency, improve mobility, and more. In addition to these important topics, I would like to tell you about a program that is of special importance to me: the Mayor s Summer Youth Jobs Program. This program is a partnership between the City of Denton, Denton Chamber of Commerce, Denton ISD, and United Way of Denton County to provide local high school students with real life job experience. Through the 8-10 week program, students work for the City of Denton and local businesses to gain job skills training, career development resources, mentorship opportunities, and meaningful work experience. This program is available to any Denton resident between the ages of 16 and 21 who is currently enrolled in high school. Applications will be available in early March and the program will run from June to August. For more details on the Mayor s Summer Youth Jobs Program, send an email to cmo@cityofdenton.com. DENTON CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD Monday, Feb. 12 Monday, Feb. 26 Monday, March 12 Monday, March 26 2 PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Wednesday, Feb. 14 Wednesday, Feb. 28 Wednesday, March 14 Wednesday, March 28 These and other public meetings are broadcast live on DTV and at www.cityofdenton.com/dtv. For a current list of meetings and agendas, visit www.cityofdenton.com/public-meetings. Chris Watts, Mayor Chris.Watts@cityofdenton.com Gerard Hudspeth, District 1 Gerard.Hudspeth@cityofdenton.com Keely G. Briggs, District 2 Keely.Briggs@cityofdenton.com Don Duff, District 3 Don.Duff@cityofdenton.com John Ryan, District 4 John.Ryan@cityofdenton.com Dalton Gregory, At Large Place 5 Dalton.Gregory@cityofdenton.com Sara Bagheri, At Large Place 6 Sara.Bagheri@cityofdenton.com Not sure who your Council Member is? Visit www.cityofdenton.com, click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner, and type Find My Council Member in the search bar.
CHARTER ELECTION RESULTS AND ETHICS ORDINANCE A Charter Election was held on Nov. 7, 2017 for the purpose of submitting to voters five propositions for amendments to the Denton City Charter. The City Council received recommendations from a 21-member Charter Review Committee to help craft the propositions that were submitted to voters. The results of the Charter Election, shown below, were that four propositions passed related to council member residency requirements (Proposition A), the internal auditor (Proposition C), ethics (Proposition D), and a stipend for council members (Proposition E); Proposition B, related to recall petition requirements, did not pass. PROPOSITION A 95.09% YES 4.91% NO PROPOSITION B 40.14% YES 59.86% NO PROPOSITION C 84.93% YES 15.07% NO PROPOSITION D 87.02% YES 12.98% NO PROPOSITION E 56.93% YES 43.07% NO YES NO The adoption of an ethics ordinance was one of the requirements of Proposition D and became effective after the election results were canvassed on Nov. 20. The City hired a consultant, attorney Alan Bojorquez, to assist the City Council with the development of an ethics ordinance. Mr. Bojorquez is president of the Texas Center for Municipal Ethics and has over 25 years of experience in Texas municipal law. The City Council will be working to craft an ethics ordinance during Council meetings over the coming months. At the request of the City Council, public comment will be allowed for ethics work session items to encourage citizen involvement in the process of developing an ethics ordinance. To submit a comment regarding ethics ordinance development, visit www.cityofdenton.com, click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner, and type ethics in the search bar. For more information about the City of Denton 2017 Charter Election, visit www.cityofdenton.com/charterelection. For information on election results, visit www.votedenton.com. STATE OF THE CITY EVENT RESCHEDULED FOR FEB. 15 The annual State of the City event, originally scheduled for Jan. 18, will now be held on Thursday, Feb. 15 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Denton Convention Center located at 3100 Town Center Trail. Mayor Chris Watts will speak at 7 p.m. There will be an organizational fair held by various City departments to allow residents the opportunity to learn more about resources available to them. 3
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATES Denton is growing and with that comes the need to build, expand, and improve our infrastructure. The City of Denton, Denton County, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) are working hard to increase mobility and ease congestion throughout Denton. During 2018, you can expect to see those orange construction cones popping up on a number of major thoroughfares. U.S. 377/Fort Worth Drive Starting at the intersection of I-35E and Fort Worth Drive, U.S. 377 will be widened from an existing two-lane rural roadway to a six-lane urban section. This project will include replacing the existing rail road bridge and improving the intersection of U.S. 377 and FM 1830 (Country Club Road). As part of this project, Hobson Lane will also be improved, which will help ease congestion in this area. Construction is expected to begin in the fall. FM 2181 (Teasley Lane) Residents and travelers along Teasley Lane in south Denton know this area can get pretty busy. To relieve the congestion and better accommodate growth, the current two-lane road will be widened to a six-lane divided urban roadway from Lillian Miller Parkway to the Corinth city limit. Construction is already underway and is expected to continue through January 2020. Sidewalks will be added to assist with pedestrian traffic in the corridor. FM 2499 (State School Road) If you travel this area, you know that the new six-lane divided urban highway is almost complete, with the section of roadway from FM 2181 to Robinson Road already open. The remaining section, from I-35E to FM 2181 will open in February when the signal at Robinson Road/FM 2499 is functional. Mayhill Road The City is working on a major project along Mayhill Road, including expanding the existing two-lane roadway to a four-lane divided urban roadway from U.S. 380 to Edwards Road. A sidewalk will also be added on the west side of Mayhill Road and a shared-use bike and pedestrian path will be added on the east side, creating a bike/ped connection from the Medpark DCTA station to U.S. 380. Construction has already started and is expected to be complete in February 2020. The second phase of this project will be to add a bridge over the A-train rail and continue the roadway improvements to Colorado Boulevard. This phase is scheduled for completion in 2021. 35Express Projects (Update) As mentioned in the last issue of Resident Update, some of the most exciting (and needed) projects coming to Denton are happening along I-35E. Here is some additional information about the upcoming improvements: Loop 288 Loop 288 TxDOT is currently expanding the main travel lanes from two to three lanes in each direction from Business 77 to Mayhill Road. Expect delays along Teasley Lane as traffic is being re-routed from the closed Dallas Drive I-35E southbound on-ramp. And remember, lane shifting and realignment during construction will be necessary. Construction is expected to be complete by January 2019. 4 As part of this project, the busiest intersection in Denton, Loop 288 and I-35E, is also getting a major makeover. The current capacity will be doubled, as the current five-lane configuration will be increased to 10 lanes. Two dedicated turn lanes and two dedicated thru lanes will be installed, along with Texas U-turns in each direction (See Figure 1). Lillian Miller Pkwy. Lillian Miller Pkwy. Figure 1: Improved Intersection at Loop 288 and I-35E
Two other major intersections along I-35E will also see improvements. Travelers along Brinker Road will soon be able to cross under I-35E, as an eight-lane underpass is being added, creating additional mobility options in the popular retail and restaurant area. (See Figure 2). Additionally, the Mayhill Road intersection will also see the addition of a dedicated southbound to northbound U-turn lane. (See Figure 3). Construction on all of these intersections is anticipated to be complete by January 2019. Future plans for Mayhill Road include the addition of a northbound to southbound U-turn lane as well as five additional lanes to help you get across I-35E. Brinker Rd. Brinker Rd. Mayhill Rd. Mayhill Rd. Brinker Rd. Brinker Rd. State School Rd. State School Rd. Figure 2: Improved Intersection at Brinker Road and I-35E Figure 3: Improved Intersection at Mayhill Road and I-35E IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO DOWNTOWN Denton s vibrant downtown continues to grow and change, and the City is responding with enhanced public amenities to keep downtown Denton safe, walkable, and thriving. New signage, sidewalks, lighting, and parking will all soon be ready to help first-time visitors and downtown regulars navigate one of Denton s most popular areas. Newly installed wayfinding signs will help both pedestrians and drivers locate landmarks, parking, and other popular destinations. Crews began installing the downtown wayfinding signs in late January and, as the project progresses, you will see wayfinding signage in other parts of Denton. Information about the new signs and their locations can be found on the City s website, www.cityofdenton.com. To enhance walkability and safety, the Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Fund is being utilized to update lighting and sidewalks on four downtown street sections. On North Locust Street (from West Oak to McKinney Street) and on North Elm Street (from Parkway to West Oak Street), pedestrian-friendly lighting will be installed alongside sidewalk improvements. Additional pedestrian lighting will be added along West Oak and West Hickory Streets (between North Elm and Carroll Boulevard). Another much-anticipated project, the parking lot at McKinney and Cedar Streets, is under construction. This parking lot, also referred to as the old rock lot or old fire station lot, will be completely transformed. The project includes new pavement and striping for 86 parking spaces. Lighting, landscaping, an information kiosk, bike racks, and benches will also be installed, making this a great place to park as you explore downtown Denton. 5
ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES: A CASE STUDY Gina and Thomas Stock have lived in their 1,500-square-foot ranch-style home in Denton for nearly a decade. Last year, the Stocks began to consider various improvements that could increase the comfort and livability of their home. They decided that energy efficiency projects would be a good investment as they prepare for retirement in their 1980s-built home. To get a customized understanding of their home s energy efficiency, the Stocks took advantage of Denton s free Energy Audit program last spring. The results of the audit helped them develop a to-do list that targeted the major problem areas attic insulation, windows, and the heating/cooling system. By prioritizing these improvements, the Stocks would be able to reduce their electric bills, and were also eligible to apply for the City s GreenSense Incentive Program to earn rebates to help offset the cost of the upgrades. In 2016, the Stocks replaced their old aluminum windows with new vinyl ones, resulting in a savings of over $500 annually. In 2017, they added radiant barrier insulation to their attic space, replaced the HVAC system with a more efficient model, and repaired the duct work where it was needed, saving another $300. In total, the Stocks earned over $1,000 in rebates for these improvements and are on course to save about $1,000 annually on their electric bills. They haven t yet updated their gas heater, but the other improvements have helped save money on their gas bills as well. To get more details on Denton s Energy Audit and Rebate programs, and to learn more about energy efficiency, visit www.sustainabledenton.com. LYNDA.COM IS FREE WITH YOUR LIBRARY CARD 6 With two colleges in town, it is no surprise that Denton residents value learning and professional development. Denton Public Library loves to build community around the creative learning spirit that thrives here. In addition to providing classes and events for people of all ages, the Library also offers access to tools that can help anyone achieve their educational goals. In 2015, the Library started offering patrons free access to Lynda.com, an online learning superstore with over 4,000 online training courses to help build technology, creative, and business skills on demand. Over the past two years, Lynda.com has become a popular library program and new users are joining all the time. Last fiscal year, from October 2016 through September 2017, the Library subscription to Lynda.com was accessed 5,332 times and that number will continue to grow. Interestingly, the three most popular courses in our community were related to technology: Programming Foundations: Fundamentals with 979 views, HTML Essential Training with 549 views, and Excel 2013 Essential Training with 506 views. In addition to technology courses, Lynda.com also features videos on a variety of topics from piano lessons to marketing tips. There s truly something for everyone. See how far Lynda.com can take you on the path to achieving your learning goals you might be surprised! To access the free Lynda.com subscription, visit library.cityofdenton.com, click Online Library from the main navigation menu, and select Lynda.com from the list. You will need your library card number and library account PIN to log in. If you have questions about accessing Lynda.com, call (940) 349-8752.
DENTON WORKS Having two water treatment plants Lake Lewisville Water Treatment Plant and Lake Ray Roberts Water Treatment Plant ensures that Denton will have plenty of drinking water available during high usage months throughout the summer. The process of getting water from the lake to your faucet starts with raw water being pumped from either lake to the designated treatment plant where micro-sized particles are removed. Then, the water is disinfected so it is safe to drink. Both plants use a specialized process that utilizes ozone as the primary disinfectant rather than other chemicals like chlorine that could cause adverse side effects. Facts about ozone: Over 50 times more powerful and over 3,000 times faster acting than chlorine. Unlike chlorine, ozone leaves no harmful chlorinated by-products in the water as it quickly reverts back to pure oxygen if unused. Generated at the treatment plants and does not require storage. Leaves no unpleasant chemical taste or smell. More effective than chlorine at destroying viruses and bacteria. Oxidizes or removes taste and odor-causing compounds common in lake water. Ozone is produced at each treatment plant by introducing an electrical current into a flowing stream of oxygen gas inside a stainless steel vessel. Once the water has been treated properly, it is sent through a maze of pipes running underground throughout Denton to supply water to everyone that lives, works, and plays here. You can learn more about the City s water quality and water treatment plants on the City s website, www.cityofdenton.com. UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS Visit www.cityofdenton.com for a full calendar of events, workshops, and meetings. HONEY RUN Saturday, Feb. 10 at Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center STATE OF THE CITY Thursday, Feb. 15 at Denton Convention Center BLACK HISTORY MONTH Saturday, Feb. 17 at MLK Jr. Rec Center 7
CITY OF DENTON RESIDENT UPDATE FEBRUARY MARCH 2018 STAY CONNECTED www.cityofdenton.com /cityofdenton @cityofdentontx A publication of the City of Denton ADA/EOE/ADEA TDD (800) 735-2989 wwww.cityofdenton.com /cityofdenton