Welcome to May!
May is a busy month for many in our area, between local elections and the last day of school for most, a lot of change can be found!
First, Saturday May 3 is the last day to vote in local elections. Things that you will see on a typical Northlake resident’s ballot will be three Northlake town council seats, with one of them contested. You will also see either School Bonds or School Board seats up for election. It is disappointing how so few people turn out for local elections when they most directly affect your life from tax rates and polices to what your kids are learning in school and those associated tax rates. Elected officials do not know HOW you voted, but they do know IF you voted. In other words, do not complain if you do not vote!
Soon the last day of school will be upon us, as well. This is a substantial change for many families from the daily structure of the school day to (hopefully) more fun with your family. Fortunately, we also see a small decrease in traffic during the summer months, which I am sure is welcome by all!
I unfortunately must announce some bad news. During a recent call with TxDOT, I was informed that they have delayed two major projects in our town. Most importantly they have delayed the 407 Breakout project (expanding 407 from Cleveland-Gibbs Rd. to Gateway Dr. in Argyle) from a “ready to let” date of September 2025 to September 2027. An additional two-year delay. I was pretty angry about this announcement. I immediately held talks with TxDOT, our transportation consultant and found it was yet again delayed by “utility relocations.” I do not know about you, but I have not seen a single shovel or worker working on these in the past year, when they first told us it was delayed by utility relocations. By the time you get this paper, I hope to have completed a Northlake-focused meeting with Atmos Energy, who is likely the biggest holdup in this reaction project. I hope to bring more positive news regarding this next month.
Secondarily, due to “a lack of funding” TxDOT has also paused the access roads project along I-35W. This project would ultimately be the best one to happen right now as it would completely rebuild all interchanges on FM 1171, FM 407 and Robson Ranch Roads to their ultimate version. This delay is due to TxDOT reprioritizing projects in West Texas over our fast-growing area. I can assure you that the news of both of these delays is my number one priority right now and I am working to get these dates improved. Judge Andy Eads and Commissioner Dianne Edmondson were surprised to hear this news when I broke it to them, and they are equally disappointed.
We have new businesses to share. In Northlake Commons, Branded Bagels has opened.
In Northlake Crossing, I understand that on May 8, LeRich Med Spa will be opening and is owned by a local Northlake resident.
