GRAPEVINE / COLLEYVILLE / SOUTHLAKE / WESTLAKE EDITION Volume 2, Issue 5 | July 20–August 16, 2012 www.impactnews.com Giovanni Capriglione | 18 District 98’s new state House representative calls Southlake home impactdeals.com Coupons start on Page 21. Find even more online at Chiefs look forward to improved response times, training grounds DPS facility on N. Southlake horizon Uses, taxes, utilities on three tracts up for debate Despite cuts, employees to see first raise in years Grapevine, DFW Airport look to settle land deal GCISD trustees approve $139.6M operating budget Southlake city leaders break ground on the new public safety facility in North Southlake. By Rachel Slade If leaders with the City of Grapevine and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport are able to come to an agreement in the coming months, more than 1,500 acres within the city’s lim- its could see as much as $2.3 bil- lion in construction in the com- ing decades. At this point, discussions about the property have remained largely behind closed doors, and city and airport leaders cau- tion that there are still months of negotiations ahead. Any deal would need to be approved by the airport’s board of direc- tors as well as the city councils of Grapevine, Dallas and Fort Worth. But recent surveys com- missioned jointly by the airport By Rachel Slade and Diane S.W. Lee e Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District board of trustees adopted a $139.6 million operating budget in June for 2012-13 that offers employees a 1 percent cost-of-living raise and a 1 percent incentive pay- ment — employees’ first raises in two years. e realities of this year’s budget crisis, though, mean the district is having to dip into its fund balance to cover expenses. GCISD trustees, who approved this year’s budget on June 18 in time for a July 1 fiscal year start, had been working to craſt the 2012-13 budget since November. But although trustees worked to keep widespread cuts away from the classroom by trimming operating expenses and identify- ing additional revenue sources, GCISD will still face a $6.4 mil- lion shortfall. “We have passed a deficit bud- get this year,” Superintendent Robin Ryan said, “and we antici- pate passing a deficit budget until the formula changes or until additional revenue is placed in education, and education is made a priority by the legislators of this state.” Budget deficit e formula to which Ryan is referring is the state funding model for education approved during the 2005 legislative ses- sion, which cut school property and Grapevine, which mark the first time the two sides are seri- ously considering their options, offer a look at the content of their talks. Building infrastructure On the table are three parcels: Site 1 is 272 acres known as the “Mustang” tract that straddles Mustang Drive between Hwys. 121 and 26; Site 2 is 85 acres along Hwy. 114 between William D. Tate Avenue and Main Street; and Site 3, also known as the “entertainment” tract, is 1,151 acres bounded by Bass Pro Drive and Hwys. 121, 114 and 26. Up for debate is how the city and airport might split the costs and responsibilities of build- ing the sites’ infrastructure and By Abigail Allen A new public safety facility that has been in the works for several years will soon be a reality in Southlake. City officials anticipate that the new Southlake Department of Public Safety North Training Facility will decrease response times, improve the city’s ISO ratings and help save money spent on training. “When you’re talking heart attack or you’re talking a structure fire, seconds are crucial,” Southlake Fire Chief Michael Starr said. e building, which will house three bays for fire equipment, three training classrooms, an underground firing range, a small clinic and more, will cost around $13.3 million to construct and about $3 million to furnish. e majority of that money will come from the Crime Control and Prevention District budget, which gets its funding from a half- cent sales tax. “I want to express my level of gratitude and appreciation for the taxpayers’ support of the Department of Public Safety and public ser- vants,” Police Chief Stephen Mylett said. From conception to completion e idea to have three fire stations — one each in the north, east and west areas of the of providing them with public safety services. But most impor- tantly, discussions hinge on how Grapevine and the airport’s owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth would split the benefits reaped by millions in square feet of new office, retail, entertain- ment and industrial space. “Bottom line, we understand that any deal that is to be done needs to make business sense to the City of Grapevine, it needs to make business sense to the air- port and it needs to make busi- ness sense to Dallas and Fort Worth,” said John Terrell, vice president of commercial devel- opment at DFW Airport. e first order of business is infrastructure. A study by Freese Courtesy City of Southlake See Land | 13 See GCISD |12 See Safety | 14 CISD Guide | 10 Learn more about Carroll ISD’s budget for the 2012-13 year impactnews.com Carroll ISD TRE election Get the latest information about trustees’ decision on whether to hold a tax ratification election in September. www.impactnews.com/dfw-metro On a roll | 15 ‘Tis the season for two-wheelin’ Upper crust | 17 Westlake pizzeria is the real deal 97 TOLL 114 121 26 97 360 635 Site 1 • 271.9 acres Site 2 • 85.0 acres DFW AIRPORT Sites Under Negotiation Site 3 • 1,151.2 acres Source: TXP
Giovanni Capriglione | 18 District 98’s new state House
representative calls Southlake home impactdeals.com
Coupons start on Page 21.Find even more online at
Chiefs look forward to improved response times, training grounds
DPS facility on N. Southlake horizon
Uses, taxes, utilities on three tracts up for debate Despite cuts, employees to see first raise in years
Grapevine, DFW Airport look to settle land deal
GCISD trustees approve $139.6M operating budget
Southlake city leaders break ground on the new public safety facility in North Southlake.
By Rachel Slade If leaders with the City of
Grapevine and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport are able to come to an agreement in the coming months, more than 1,500 acres within the city’s lim-its could see as much as $2.3 bil-lion in construction in the com-ing decades.
At this point, discussions about the property have remained largely behind closed doors, and city and airport leaders cau-tion that there are still months of negotiations ahead. Any deal would need to be approved by the airport’s board of direc-tors as well as the city councils of Grapevine, Dallas and Fort Worth. But recent surveys com-missioned jointly by the airport
By Rachel Slade and Diane S.W. Lee The Grapevine-Colleyville
Independent School District board of trustees adopted a $139.6 million operating budget in June for 2012-13 that offers employees a 1 percent cost-of-living raise and a 1 percent incentive pay-ment — employees’ first raises in two years. The realities of this year’s budget crisis, though, mean the district is having to dip into its fund balance to cover expenses.
GCISD trustees, who approved this year’s budget on June 18 in time for a July 1 fiscal year start, had been working to craft the 2012-13 budget since November. But although trustees worked to keep widespread cuts away from the classroom by trimming operating expenses and identify-ing additional revenue sources, GCISD will still face a $6.4 mil-lion shortfall.
“We have passed a deficit bud-get this year,” Superintendent Robin Ryan said, “and we antici-pate passing a deficit budget until the formula changes or until additional revenue is placed in education, and education is made a priority by the legislators of this state.”
Budget deficit The formula to which Ryan
is referring is the state funding model for education approved during the 2005 legislative ses-sion, which cut school property
and Grapevine, which mark the first time the two sides are seri-ously considering their options, offer a look at the content of their talks.
Building infrastructure On the table are three parcels:
Site 1 is 272 acres known as the “Mustang” tract that straddles Mustang Drive between Hwys. 121 and 26; Site 2 is 85 acres along Hwy. 114 between William D. Tate Avenue and Main Street; and Site 3, also known as the “entertainment” tract, is 1,151 acres bounded by Bass Pro Drive and Hwys. 121, 114 and 26.
Up for debate is how the city and airport might split the costs and responsibilities of build-ing the sites’ infrastructure and
By Abigail AllenA new public safety facility that has been
in the works for several years will soon be a reality in Southlake.
City officials anticipate that the new Southlake Department of Public Safety North Training Facility will decrease response times, improve the city’s ISO ratings and help save money spent on training.
“When you’re talking heart attack or you’re talking a structure fire, seconds are crucial,” Southlake Fire Chief Michael Starr said.
The building, which will house three bays
for fire equipment, three training classrooms, an underground firing range, a small clinic and more, will cost around $13.3 million to construct and about $3 million to furnish. The majority of that money will come from the Crime Control and Prevention District budget, which gets its funding from a half-cent sales tax.
“I want to express my level of gratitude and appreciation for the taxpayers’ support of the Department of Public Safety and public ser-vants,” Police Chief Stephen Mylett said.
From conception to completion The idea to have three fire stations — one
each in the north, east and west areas of the
of providing them with public safety services. But most impor-tantly, discussions hinge on how Grapevine and the airport’s owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth would split the benefits reaped by millions in square feet of new office, retail, entertain-ment and industrial space.
“Bottom line, we understand that any deal that is to be done
needs to make business sense to the City of Grapevine, it needs to make business sense to the air-port and it needs to make busi-ness sense to Dallas and Fort Worth,” said John Terrell, vice president of commercial devel-opment at DFW Airport.
The first order of business is infrastructure. A study by Freese
co
urte
sy c
ity
of s
out
hlak
e
See Land | 13
See GCISD |12See Safety | 14
CISD Guide | 10Learn more about Carroll ISD’s budget for the 2012-13 year
impactnews.com
Carroll ISD TRE election Get the latest information about trustees’ decision on whether to hold a tax ratification election in September.www.impactnews.com/dfw-metro
On a roll | 15‘Tis the season for two-wheelin’
Upper crust | 17 Westlake pizzeria
is the real deal
97TOLL
114
121
26 97
360
635
Site 1 • 271.9 acres
Site 2 • 85.0 acres
DFW AIRPORT
Sites Under Negotiation
Site 3 • 1,151.2 acres
source: tXp
2 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
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Don’t peek now, but when you turn this next page, you will be looking at the most popular spread in Community Impact publica-tions. It’s the Impacts page, and it more than any other
has come to define what we strive to offer our readers every month: information, pure and simple.
When we talk to readers, it is the Impacts page that — 90 percent of the time — we hear about. And I have to admit that I, too, have drunk the Kool-Aid. Before I started working here, I loved the Impacts page I received in our Georgetown edition (just north of Austin). And now as a writer and editor, it remains my favorite spread to put together each month because it’s just so dang exciting.
No matter how many statistics I hear and read in the news about our struggling economy, the Impacts page makes me smile because it is a reminder that things are
still happening. Businesses are expanding, jobs are being created and entrepreneurs are pursuing their dreams. It’s exciting! It’s inspiring! It gets me revved up about facing traffic and the heat and hordes of equally energetic individuals to go check these new places out!
This month, we not only have a whole new batch of businesses for you to explore, we have reminders of a few that have been impacting these communities for a long time. That’s right, we have a special treat in this edition: profiles on three businesses that have thrived for 16 or more years each (Page 15-17). Incredible, isn’t it?
In the excitement of the new, have you thought to check out some of the oldies-but-goodies? I can tell you firsthand they’re fun, fashion-forward and delicious. Enjoy your explorations.
“Red Barn BBQ and Steaks is awesome!! The banana pudding cannot be beat. You know it’s homemade with the very first bite. ...I’ve known Von almost 18 years and he is a perfectionist and always serves his best. If you haven’t been there, you must try it!”
—Caron Jean
Travis wins Denton County sheriff Republican primaryimpactnews.com/dfw-metro
“I have known Will Travis for 11 years. ... The people of Denton County deserve the leadership of a conservative Christian with family values to conduct the law enforcement for us. The facts of Will’s background gives him our confi-dence in his judgement. I am thankful for a true conservative like Will Travis working at the grass roots level bringing truth and justice.”
—Clint Noe
Major mixed-use projects gain momentum in 2012impactnews.com/dfw-metro
The last thing we need in Grapevine is more apartments and a gas station with a patio that no one will use. We already have several large apartment complexes within the city. Enough already!
—JMingTX
15 Business Grapevine Bike Shop
Gypsy Butterfly
17 Dining La Scala New York Pizzeria & Bar
18 People Giovanni Capriglione
19 History Grapevine Lake
20 Real Estate
News
Features
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Publisher / Chief Executive OfficerJohn P. Garrett, [email protected]
Grapevine / Colleyville Southlake / Westlake
Market Publisher | Brandon WiechmannEditor | Rachel SladeLead Designer | Jean ChenCopy Editor | Abigail AllenContributing Writers | John Harden, Diane S.W. Lee
Editorial management
Executive Editor | Cathy KincaidManaging Editor | Shannon CollettiCreative Director | Derek SullivanAd Production Manager | Tiffany Knudtson
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About us
John and Jennifer Garrett began Community Impact Newspaper in 2005, in Pflugerville, Texas, with a mission to provide intelligent, unbiased news coverage with a hyperlocal focus. Now, with 12 markets in the Austin, Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth metro areas, the paper is distributed to more than 750,000 homes and businesses.
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Subscriptions to our other editions are available for $3 per issue. Visit impactnews.com/subscription.
4 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
pizzas, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria opened this month at 1401 William D. Tate Ave., Ste. 100, in Grapevine. 817-488-4547, www.grimaldispizzeria.com
6 Providing a variety of Philadelphia cheesesteaks, Fred’s Downtown Philly opened its sixth location earlier this year at 2100 W. Northwest Hwy., Ste. 205, in Grapevine. 817-310-3200, www.downtownphilly.net
7 Providing manicures, pedicures, facials and waxing services, Castle Nail Spa is now open at 5505 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. 200, in Colleyille. 817-428-0026, www.castlenail.com
8 Cajun restaurant Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is now open at 600 W. Hwy. 114 in Grapevine. 817-488-6220, www.pappadeaux.com
9 Silver Spoon Café & Bakery recently opened at 621 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 100. The restaurant, which took over the old Nelson’s space, offers a variety of sandwiches, salads and fresh bakery items. 817-442-9112
10 Featuring a variety of retail and resale items such as electronics, tools, instruments and more, Grapevine Trading Post has opened inside the Grapevine Gold & Silver Exchange at 818 S. Main St. in Grapevine. 817-310-1088
11 Jimmy John’s gourmet sandwich shop opened this month at 1401 William D. Tate Ave., Ste. 500, in Grapevine. 817-416-5555, www.jimmyjohns.com
12 Affinity Smiles Dental opened a Colleyville location this month at 6407 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. A. 817-421-1104, www.affinitysmiles.com
Coming Soon
13 Beer pub chain The Ginger Man is expected to open in the old Wine Loft space at 1512 E. Southlake Blvd. in late August. www.gingermanpub.com
Now Open
1 Massage With Light & Energy offers massage services in the areas of deep tissue, oncology, Swedish, reflexology, trigger point therapy, reiki and arching light. The business opened in May at 5100 Thompson Terrace, Ste. B, in Colleyville. 817-707-3799, www.massagewithlightenergy.com
2 Hair fashion store Hair Pop, featuring clip-in and weaving extensions, recently opened within Neighborhood 6 of Grapevine Mills mall, 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway in Grapevine. 972-539-2115, www.hairandpop.com
3 American fashion designer store Michael Kors recently opened in
Southlake Town Square at 252 Grand Ave. 817-442-1505, www.michaelkors.com
4 Local bank chain First Financial recently opened a Grapevine branch at 1015 W. Northwest Hwy. 817-722-8980, www.firstfinbank.com
5 Offering a wide selection of coal-fired brick oven, New York-style thin crust
iMpacts
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impactnews.com • July 2012 | NEWS | 5
New development at the corner of Hwy. 114 and William D. Tate Avenue features Grimaldi’s Piz-zeria, Jimmy John’s and a new location for AT&T.
14 One Posh Place, offering a selection of home accents and gifts, will open Aug. 18 at 317 S. Main St. in Grapevine. 817-251-3945
15 Popular Italian restaurant Patrizios, now under construction at 1281 E. Hwy. 114 in Southlake, is expected to open by September. www.patrizios.net
Name Change
16 Colleyville Express Lube at 5413 Colleyville Blvd. is now called Lone Star Lube & Inspection. The business is under the same management and offers automotive maintenance and inspection, filter and oil lube services. 817-428-5000
Relocation
17 The Grapevine AT&T store moved this month to 1401 William D. Tate Ave., Ste. 600. 817-424-4288, www.att.com
18 Prudential Texas Properties, a residential real estate company that has operated in Colleyville for more than 24 years, recently moved to 5665 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. 300. 817-268-5000, www.prutexas.com
19 Eightninety, a small design and development studio that specializes in web, mobile and app development, relocated from its home offices to 312 W. Northwest Hwy. in Grapevine earlier this year. 817-601-5019, www.eightninety.com
20 Relocating from Keller, Home Theater Technologies is now open at 6100 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. 100. 817-379-9901, www.homewiresolutions.com
Closed
21 Pura Vida Tan at 909 S. Main St., Ste. 104, in Grapevine has closed.
22 The Flats Bar & Grill at 2140 Hall Johnson Road, Ste. 118, in Grapevine, has closed.
Anniversary
23 Style & Grace Boutique, a women’s clothing resale shop run by the GRACE nonprofit at 2030 Glade Road, Ste. 238, in Grapevine, celebrated its one-year anniversary last month. 817-416-0917, www.gracegrapevine.org
In the News
Southlake resident Darrell J. Sekin Jr. was elected president of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America at the organization’s annual convention this spring. Sekin is president and CEO of DJS International Services Inc., a Colleyville-based freight forwarding and customs brokerage firm.
The Grapevine Chamber of Commerce and GCISD have partnered for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, in which business mentors will coach teenagers on turning their business plan into a reality. The chamber is seeking volunteers, mentors and sponsors. Learn more by calling 817-481-1522 or visiting www.grapevinechamber.org/yea.aspx
Diane Harris (above) and her in-laws, Bill and Barbara Harris, recently opened Silver Spoon Cafe & Bakery in Southlake.
17115
9
Compiled by Rachel Slade & Diane S.W. Lee
news or questions about Grapevine, colleyville, southlake or westlake? e-mail [email protected].
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6 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
calendar
Aug. 4
the Marinas of lake Grapevine host lakefest: legacy on the lake featuring stoney larue, Johnny cooper, hillbilly picnic and the Byron dowd Band. this annual event features an outdoor concert spotlighting texas country music, food from local restaurants, a freworks display and a boat show all beneftting the legacy Brain Foundation, which helps brain tumor patients. doors open at 5 p.m. tickets cost $20 online now or at the door. vip tickets are also available for $200, and provide dinner and additional food and drinks (including alcohol) throughout the night. doors for lakefest Grapevine open at 5 p.m. at silver lake Marina, 2500 Fairway drive in Grapevine. For more information, visit www.lakefesttx.com.
co
urte
sy l
akef
est
This year’s Lakefest will feature Stoney LaRue and Johnny Cooper in addition to food, a boat show and a fireworks display.
Lakefest Grapevineeffciently. 6:30 p.m. Free. third Floor of 1400 Main st. 817-748-8638. www.cityofsouthlake.com
26 International Film Night the southlake public library and international cultural club host a viewing of “the help,” an american flm set in the south about black housemaids and the white families for whom they work. includes light refreshments. 6:30 p.m. Free. third Floor of 1400 Main st. 817-748-8243. www.southlakelibrary.org
August 3 Ice Cream Socialthe colleyville public library hosts an ice cream social in celebration of its 2012 summer reading program. Features live music, children’s arts and crafts, a petting zoo, bounce houses and ice cream. Free. 100 Main st., colleyville. www.colleyville.com
15 Master Work Daythe Bob Jones nature center offers nature lovers a chance to work and learn side-by-side with its master gardeners. Focus on native texas plant gardening. 8-11 a.m. Free. Bob Jones nature center, 355 e. Bob Jones road, southlake. 817-491-6333. www.bjnc.org
July20-22 Guys and Dolls Grapevine’s runway theatre hosts the fnal weekend showtimes of Guys and dolls, an oddball, romantic musical theater comedy set in new york city. 8 p.m. July 20 and 21; 3 p.m. July 22. $12 students and seniors; $15 adults. 215 n. dooley st., Grapevine. 817-488-4842. www.runwaytheatre.com
Texas Coin Show coin collectors from around the state and country meet at the Grapevine convention center to show, trade and sell rare and valuable coins. Features 70 dealer tables, grading services and gold door prizes. 2-6 p.m. July 20; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. July 21; and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. July 22. $3. 817-410-3459. www.coinshows.com
21 Kit-Katz Comedy Club the Funniest amateur comedians in dFw present the world can never Get enough comedy at the lancaster theatre. 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. $15. 300 s. Main st., Grapevine. 817-410-3100. www.palace-theatre.com
21 & 28 MasterWorks Concert Series the nonproft arts council northeast brings free concerts to area cities through its Masterworks concert series. 7:30 p.m. July 21, Zack king Band (rock and roll); July 28, the killdares (celtic music). Free. rustin park pavilion in southlake town square, 1256 Main st., southlake. www.artscouncilnortheast.org
25 Drip Irrigation: Do-it-Yourself southlake hosts a seminar on installing a drip irrigation system or converting an existing system to drip to help water landscapes
Find more or submit Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake & Westlake events at www.impactnews.com/gcs/calendar.
To have Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake & Westlake events included in the monthly print edition, they must be submitted online by the fourth Friday of the month.
Online Calendar
601 S. Main St, Grapevine • 817-416-5577 • www.weinbergersdeli.com
Current take home car program WILL be revised (Taxpayer savings)
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IMMEDIATE PLEDGE TO TAXPAYERS
impactnews.com • July 2012 | NEWS | 7
Compiled by Rachel Slade & Diane S.W. Lee
Colleyville City Council100 Main st., colleyville 817-503-1000Aug. 7 and 21, 7:30 p.m.Meetings broadcast live on city cable channel 16. replays air at 6 p.m. on the thursdays and sundays of meeting weeks. www.colleyville.com.
Grapevine City Council200 s. Main st., Grapevine817-410-3000Aug. 7 and 21 7:30 p.m.audio recordings available on the city’s website by noon the following day.www.grapevinetexas.gov
Southlake City Council1400 Main st., southlake817-748-8400 Aug. 7public work sessions often begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a private executive session and public meeting. Forum times vary. Meetings are broadcast live on city cable channels 27 and 34. live streams and recordings also available at www.ci.southlake.tx.us
Westlake Town Council3 village circle, westlake www.westlake-tx.com July 23 and Aug. 27, 7 p.m.
Tarrant County Commissioners Court 100 e. weatherford st., Fort worth817-884-1111, www.tarrantcounty.comMeetings are Tuesdays, 10 a.m.
Meetings
city and county
Grapevine
Tarrant County Southlake
Colleyville
Council eyes bond project vote on November ballot
The City Council in mid-June discussed the option of issuing $70 million in general obligation bonds to finance construc-tion for both projects without raising the current tax rate. The council will need to approve adding the measure to the Novem-ber ballot by mid-August.
Residents will not see a tax rate increase associated with the additional debt given the current tax rate of 34.8 cents per $100 valuation, said John McGrane, the city’s director of administrative services.
City leaders say the estimated $40 mil-lion public safety building will provide more room and more efficient technology
Cities battle West Nile virus season
Area health officials are asking
residents to take caution after mosquito samples taken from several area cities tested positive for West Nile virus in recent months.
Mosquito samples taken in Southlake’s
for the fire administration, police depart-ment and municipal court. The estimated $30 million expansion and renovation of the existing CAC would include additional amenities, such as an aquatics center and an area for senior citizens that would replace the existing Senior Center.
Monticello neighborhood and in North-west Colleyville’s Jefferson Circle area tested positive for the virus in late June. A week later, samples taken in Grapevine near the lake and near Hall Johnson Road also tested positive.
Leaders say last year’s drought fol-lowed by a mild winter and recent rainfall has made this a particularly bad season for West Nile. Human cases have been confirmed in Dallas, Denton, Parker and Tarrant counties.
Southlake to work with others on animal control
Southlake City Council members on June 19 unanimously approved an interlo-cal agreement to combine animal control services with Colleyville and Keller. The move will be effective Oct. 1 if the other councils approve the agreement to oper-ate animal control services and detain animals in Keller. Keller’s existing shelter is undergoing an expansion scheduled for completion in November 2014. The com-bined services are projected to save the cities money, provide more shelter room, improve services and extend hours.
Healthy living pays off The City of Colleyville placed second in
Baylor Regional Medical Center’s Lifestyle Improvement Challenge. The challenge, which pitted the residents of seven cities against each other in a battle to lose weight and learn healthy living skills, attracted more than 31,000 participants in Tarrant and Denton counties.
Its second-place finish won Colleyville a $15,000 grant, which city officials say will be used to promote healthy lifestyles.
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8 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
transportation
By Rachel SladeYellow flashing arrows are all the rage
here in North Texas. The new addition to left-turn signals has been popping up in cities such as Grapevine, Frisco and Arlington, and may soon be coming to busy intersections near you.
Implementation of the new signals is a result of changes to the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices made effective in January 2010.
States were given a two-year period from the effective date to either adopt the MUTCD or have a State MUTCD/supple-ment that is in substantial conformance with the national version.
Texas adopted a State MUTCD in December of last year, prompting cities to begin the implementation of the new system if they had not already done so.
Researchers and policymakers cite a number of reasons for the change.
Safety improvementsTransportation experts say the new
system will help keep drivers safe, encour-aging them to proceed with caution while turning left at a time when they would traditionally be seeing a solid green light.
Research has show that the new
Flashing yellow arrows
configuration also helps to eliminate acci-dents caused by left-turning drivers who cut across an intersection as the lights on their side turn yellow and red because they believe oncoming traffic, too, is coming to a halt.
Traffic flexibility Traffic engineers say the new signals
provide more than increased safety; they provide efficiency.
The addition of the yellow flashing arrow will offer engineers more options to handle variable traffic conditions and provide more opportunities for drivers to turn left during peak traffic times and at busy intersections.
National implementationA traffic study conducted before imple-
mentation of the new system discovered that a lack of detailed direction in the MUTCD had resulted in the development of a variety of left-turn signal systems.
Nationally, four different systems were being used on a regular basis and addi-tional variations from those four could be found as well.
Although officials expect that it may take time for drivers to adapt to the
new system, the Federal Highway Administration anticipates that consistency nationwide will help cut down on accidents created by drivers who are unoccustomed to regional variations.
Local timelinesAlthough other cities in the
Dallas-Fort Worth area have already begun swapping their signals, nei-ther city nor Texas Department of Transportation officials have plans to install these signals along major thoroughfares in Colleyville or Southlake yet.
Grapevine’s first flashing-yellow-arrow display was switched on last fall at the intersection of Mustang Drive and Stone Myers Parkway.
Additional signals will be considered on a case-by-case basis as the city opens new intersections, including those associated with the DFW Connector, and as equip-ment already in use requires replacement in the coming years, officials said.
New left-turn signals pop up through the MetroplexA solid red arrow means drivers turning left must stop
A solid yellow arrow indicates the traffic signal will be turning red. Drivers should not assume oncoming traffic has a red light, as their signal may still be green.
A flashing yellow arrow means turns are allowed, but drivers must first yield to oncoming traffic and pe-destrians, then proceed with caution.
A solid green arrow means drivers should turn left and oncoming traffic must stop.
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impactnews.com • July 2012 | NEWS | 9
DFW CONNECTOR UPDATE
NorthGate anticipates opening of three major bridges by year’s endFM 1709/Northwest Highway bridge set for August
By Diane S.W. Lee and Rachel Slade Since construction for the
8.4-mile DFW Connector project kicked off in early 2010, drivers traveling along Hwys. 121 and 114 have endured a variety of naviga-tion and congestion challenges.
The estimated $1.1 billion proj-ect was 67 percent complete at the end of June, though, and after more than two years of construc-tion, NorthGate Constructors has some good news for drivers.
“By the end of the year, we hope to be 85 percent complete,” spokeswoman Kristen Schropp said. “This fall and winter we have so many pieces of work opening, which is great because those new pieces of construction will be open to traffic.”
Two major structures opened this spring near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: the northbound International Parkway to eastbound Hwy. 114 ramp, and the westbound Hwy. 114 to southbound International Parkway bridge.
“The new ramp makes it easier for people to exit the DFW Air-port,” Schropp said. “The other bridge would make it easier for people to get into the airport from the east.”
Several significant openings in the heart of the project are planned for the coming months.
Coming soon Traffic flow between Southlake
and Grapevine will improve once
the new Northwest Highway/FM 1709 bridge is opened to two-way traffic by the end of August, Schropp said.
Also anticipated to open around August is a southbound Hwy. 121 to westbound Hwy. 114 bridge near the DFW Airport.
“This bridge will alleviate congestion north of the DFW Airport and allow people to move more safely from southbound 121 to westbound Hwy. 114,” Schropp said.
Crews are also working this summer on paving the second half of the expanded William D. Tate bridge, which is expected to open before Halloween.
Main Street bridgeWhile paving for the Main
Street bridge finished last year, crews continue to work on drain-age, grading and pavement issues at the northeast corner of Main Street and Hwy. 114.
NorthGate’s construction schedule was delayed earlier this spring after workers discovered contaminated soil while install-ing waterlines in the area of the Chevron/McDonald’s and Wells Fargo Bank.
The contamination, which they determined was caused by an oil spill that occurred decades ago, forced crews to change the align-ment of the waterlines and wrap them in steel.
If work goes smoothly, Main Street bridge and its intersections
will be completed before Thanks-giving, Schropp said.
“I think drivers will be thrilled when Main Street and William D. Tate are opened, because they will easily be able to travel through the City of Grapevine,” she said.
Looking ahead To ease traffic congestion at
William D. Tate Avenue, crews are building two direct connec-tors. A northbound Hwy. 121 to westbound Hwy. 114 direct
connector and an eastbound Hwy. 114 to southbound Hwy. 121 direct connector are anticipated to open in mid-2013.
Workers are also expanding Texan Trail to three lanes in each direction. NorthGate hopes to open that bridge in mid-2013.
Crews have already started paving westbound Hwy. 114 from International Parkway to Main Street, which will be completed next year. During the last quarter of 2012, NorthGate will also start
paving eastbound Hwy. 114 from FM 1709 to Main Street.
“It is really hard to imagine what it is going to look like and how great it is going to be during this time of construction, because it requires closures and detours,” Schropp said. “But in the long term it is going to benefit the local economy, especially the sur-rounding cities.”
For up-to-date news about road closures and traffic switches, visit www.dfwconnector.com.
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10 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
CARROLL ISD
Education Focus
By Rachel SladeCarroll ISD trustees are work-
ing to balance an estimated $83.2 million budget, but once again the board has been forced to con-sider one-time money, new fees, budget tightening and its fund balance to make ends meet.
“We started working on this coming year’s budget as soon as we passed this past year’s budget,” board President Read Ballew said, “but tackling it early doesn’t solve the issues that we have. The state has created quite a gap for us.”
For the 2012-13 fiscal year, that gap is about $3 million. Last year’s $82.4 million budget, which included a $4.5 million funding gap, was balanced with-out pulling from the district’s fund balance.
And even after an estimated $14.8 million was recaptured by the state, about $608,000 was left over to roll back into district
coffers. This year, however, Car-roll ISD will not be so lucky.
Closing the gap District spokeswoman Julie
Thannum said that the district will tap into its fund balance to make up some of the shortfall, and the board continues to con-sider a number of revenue-pro-ducing and cost-cutting options.
“For me, is our goal to balance our budget or to provide the best education that we can?” board Vice President Sue Armstrong said. “We can make cuts, but at what cost to the students, the future job market, the labor force? So we’ve tried to keep cuts away from the classroom.”
The only problem with that philosophy, Thannum said, is that it masks Carroll ISD’s financial woes.
“As long as we do a good job of keeping it away from the class-room … I don’t think people
realize there’s a crisis,” she said, “but let’s be clear: the way the state is funding education would be leading a business to bank-ruptcy. Just because trustees are doing a good job of managing through that doesn’t mean we’re not hurting.”
The district has already tight-ened its staffing models, trim-ming employees through retire-ments and attrition, and taken a look at charging parents a variety of fees for non-essential services to find balance.
Trustees have held off on a somewhat controversial “pay to play” fee that would charge students who participated in certain extracurricular activities, but this summer they approved a bus ridership fee that charges families $250 per bus rider, up to $500 per family.
Carroll ISD’s property-wealthy status means it receives no state funding for its bus services, Ballew said, but charging for bus services was approved by the Legislature last year in an effort to allow districts more opportunities to plug holes created by the budget cuts.
TRE possibilities The night this article went to
press, trustees were expected to discuss the possibility of call-ing for a tax ratification election in mid-September. If agreed upon by the board, that ballot item — referred to as a “TRE” — would ask residents to approve a
District trustees were scheduled to consider a tax ratification election for the Novem-ber ballot as this story went to press.
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Carroll ISD anticipates $83.2 million budget
two-cent increase to the district’s maintenance and operations tax rate — pushing it from $1.04 per $100 of valuation to $1.06.
Under state law, districts are allowed to set their M&O tax rate as high as $1.04 without voter input, and may add up to 13 cents to that rate with voter approval.
Above the $1.06 mark, however, additional tax revenues brought into the district are subject to Chapter 41, the state’s “Robin Hood law” that redistributes money from property-wealthy districts to poorer districts.
Based on those facts, surveys of Carroll ISD taxpayers have shown strong support for a 2-cent TRE, but support drops dramati-cally for a TRE that would put the district’s tax rate above $1.06 per $100 valuation.
A two-cent increase to the M&O tax rate amounts to an esti-mated $1.1 million bump to the district’s budget annually. (See our website for an update.)
Staff constraints In the state’s current fund-
ing system, the primary way to receive more money is to grow
the student population. Carroll ISD, however, is seeing its popula-tion decrease as children age out of the schools and their parents choose to stay in their homes.
Faced with less money coming in for students and the bien-nium’s budget cuts, trustees are continuing to move forward with personnel cuts that adhere to tighter staffing models. So far, they have been able to accomplish those cuts through retirements and attritions, rather than laying employees off.
Carroll ISD employees are still feeling the pain of the cuts, though. Employees have gone as long as three years without raises and meanwhile seen large increases in their insur-ance costs.
To help soften the blow of a 9.5 percent hike in insurance costs last year, the district gave employees $650 each in one-time supplemental pay-ments.
Most employees will see an additional 6 percent increase to their insurance costs this year, and trustees in the coming weeks will discuss cushioning that by giving them a small raise. The board feels strongly about giving raises, Ballew said, but approv-ing them would have an ongoing impact to the embattled budget.
“And if you think about it, if we give a 2 percent raise, that’s $1 million,” he said. “So if we go ahead with the TRE in November and it passes, well, that just used all that money and we’re back in the same place we are now.”
“Let’s be clear: the way the state is funding education would be leading a business to bankruptcy. Just because trustees are doing a good job of managing through that doesn’t mean we’re not hurting.”
—Julie ThannumCISD spokeswoman
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CARROLL ISD
Education Focus
Feed
er
scho
ols
DIStrICt SCoreS by graDe2011 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) results*
Grade 3 Reading 99% Math 99%
Grade 4 Reading 99% Math 99%
Grade 5 Reading 98% Math 98%
Grade 6 Reading 97% Math 99%
Grade 7 Reading 98% Math 98%
Grade 8 Reading 99% Math 99%
Grade 9 Reading 99% Math 98%
Grade 10 English language arts 99% Math 96%
Grade 11 English language arts 99% Math 98%
StatIStICS State District
Economically disadvantaged 60.29% 1.96%
Limited English proficiency (LEP) 16.9% 0.73%
Average annual salaries of teachers $48,375 $51,373
SubjeCt State 2011 District 2010 District 2011
2011 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) results*
Reading 90% 99% 99%
Math 84% 98% 99%
Writing 92% 99% 99%
Science 83% 97% 97%
Social studies 95% 99% 99%
*to
ta
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tu
De
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S:
7,70
3
* Editor’s Note: The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests will eventually replace TAKS tests in all grades. This year’s accountability ratings are based on last year’s tests because the state wanted to give students and teachers time to grow accustomed to the new testing standards.
Carroll ISD feeder chart
Carroll Middle 8 Dawson Middle 9
Walnut Grove 4 Rockenbaugh 2Johnson 5 Old Union 3
Durham Intermediate 6 Eubanks Intermediate 7
Carroll 1
Carroll Senior High (11th–12th) 11Carroll High (9th–10th) 10
2011 TAKS results by grade2010 TAKSresults by campus
*Editor’s noteStudents from Durham Elementary School now attend Walnut Grove Elementary School, which opened last year with money from the 2009 bond program. Exemplary 2.5% 99% 99% 100% 100% 99% 100%
elementary SChoolS
ELEM
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12 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
Find related stories at impactnews.com. Keyword Search
GCISD budget Funding cutsor
GCISDContinued from | 1
taxes by one-third, expanded the business tax to make up the difference, and tied dis-tricts’ local and state revenue together.
Education officials and lawmakers now know that combination is not working. The business tax revenue has not been able to fill the funding gap created by dropping property taxes, thus producing a “structural deficit” for school districts. And although a variety of factors have increased the cost of education, the funding formula locked districts’ funding levels at the amount they were receiving in 2005.
Add to the flawed formula a massive shortfall in the state budget during the 2011 legislative session, in which Texas
school districts sustained roughly $5.3 bil-lion in cuts, and GCISD is one of hundreds of districts pinching their pennies.
GCISD’s share of the cuts made in 2011 was roughly $14.2 million in reduced expenditures over the 2011-13 biennium. Still, the district projected to end the 2011-12 fiscal year with a fund balance of about $52.5 million, which officials say will help absorb additional state funding cuts in the future.
“While the reductions are not as bad as we first feared during the beginning of the last legislative session, they still are dras-tic cuts to public education all across the state,” Ryan said. “They are damaging to kids and to teachers and certainly diminish what happens in the classroom.”
GCISD also contributed $26.24 million
to the state during the 2011-12 school year in the form of a Chapter 41 recapture pay-ment. Chapter 41 payments, taken annu-ally from property wealthy districts, get redistributed to lower-income schools. Officials estimate about $28 million will be sent to the state during the 2012-13 year.
Trimming costsCrafting the budget was not easy, as
trustees approved numerous cost-cutting measures meant to reduce effects on the classroom.
“When you don’t have adequate dollars to provide the education that’s expected, then every point of the budget develop-ment process is a challenge,” Ryan said.
For cost savings, trustees approved authorizing the sale of $425,000 of dis-trict property and upgrading the district’s outdated surveillance video management system from analog cameras to digital cameras to reduce operational costs over the next five years.
Staffing was another area that saw cuts. The district eliminated more than 50 posi-tions this year, including 33 full-time-equivalent night shift custodial positions. That move is estimated to save the district $200,000 every year under a five-year con-tract by outsourcing the service to a janito-rial and custodial services group.
And trustees in February provided a retirement and resignation incentive to 25 middle or high school employees and 15 elementary school employees who gave
early notice. Resignations and retirements are helping the district conform to new staff models that require fewer teachers.
The district also looked to save money on bond projects in the works.
In May 2011, 68 percent of voters approved issuing $124.5 million in bonds to fund projects in GCISD, including equipment, furniture, facility renovations and expansions. GCISD sold $92 million in bonds during the 2011-12 fiscal year.
To capture historically low interest rates, the district also authorized sell-ing the remaining $32.5 million of bonds sooner than the anticipated spring 2013 timeframe. The move is expected to save GCISD about $18.8 million over the lifes-pan of the bonds. It will also soften the tax rate impact, helping taxpayers realize an additional 3.05 cents per $100 valuation in taxes, as opposed to the previously cited 3.93 cents.
With the interest rate set to expire July 31, trustees authorized refunding about $37.9 million in existing variable rate bonds from the old programs for a savings of about $14.3 million.
“When adequate funds are not available, building a budget is certainly very difficult,” Ryan said. “Fortunately, we have planned very well and have a fund balance that will support the deficit budget over the next few years.”
2012-13 Budget: $139.6 Million
1.0%$6.4M
$28M
EMPLOYEERAISES
SHORTFALL
ANTICIPATED CHAPTER 41 RECAPTURE:
1.6%
11.3%
87.1%
From federal sources
From state sources
From local & other sources
Source: GCISD
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LandContinued from | 1
and Nichols Inc. concluded that the cost of extending Grapevine water and wastewater infrastruc-ture to Sites 1 and 3 would be about $31.1 million. An airport survey estimated that another $30.1 million would be needed to build roads, medians and more on the property, and about $5.2 million would cover the cost of gas, electric and communications infrastructure on site.
Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate said the expansion of the city’s water and wastewater sys-tem to the site seemed likely. Whether the city helps pay for the expansion is up in the air, but either way, Grapevine’s infra-structure is closer to the sites than the airport’s. Tate also expressed an interest in having Grapevine police and fire officials handle services to the site, though Ter-rell said the airport, which has its own emergency crews, has yet to decide a preference on that front.
Beyond talks of infrastructure, things get more complicated.
Difficult history Tax-sharing agreements have
long been an item of contention between the airport and its host cities of Grapevine, Irving, Euless and Coppell. And other issues, including intense disagreements over zoning, noise control and plans for the airport’s expansion — including a future runway that would have planes cross directly over historic downtown Grape-vine — have landed the airport in court against its hosts.
“There is a lot of history here,” Tate said. “There are 25 years of bitterness to overcome.”
Disagreements have also been settled by legislation. In 2001, Senate Bill 569 thrust Grapevine into a revenue-sharing agreement
with the airport, whose terminals all lie within Grapevine city lim-its. The bill allowed Grapevine to continue collecting tax revenues without disruption up to $5.9 million annually, a cap deter-mined by the city’s 2000 revenue intake. After that cap, however, revenue would be split: one-third to Grapevine and two-thirds to the owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth.
That bill also established some-thing of a compromise between Grapevine and the airport over the land in question today. Prop-erty separated from the airport terminals by highways were pur-posefully left out of the legislation, leaving Grapevine in a position to negotiate the terms on these three tracts. And until 2021, Grapevine must approve any retail plans for those pieces of property.
“After 2021, anything built that produced taxes, all the taxes would go to Grapevine because we would not have a tax-sharing arrangement,” Terrell said.
The tax revenues that could
be at stake are significant. A sur-vey produced for Grapevine and DFW Airport by Austin consult-ing firm TXP came up with five development scenarios. Assum-ing the airport was able to achieve build-out that included hopes for office, retail and industrial space as well as two amusement parks and another 2,400 rooms’ worth of hotels by 2026, tax revenue alone could run as high as $350.1 million over 30 years.
Striking a deal DFW Airport signed tax-shar-
ing agreements with Euless and Irving in 1998 that set a precedent for the one-third/two-thirds split, and Terrell said the airport’s pref-erence is to continue the trend with Grapevine.
Its contracts with Euless and Irving include what is known as a “favored nation clause,” which states that if the airport makes a better deal with another city, Euless and Irving will receive the same deal.
One-third/two-thirds is not the
preference of Grapevine city lead-ers, though.
“We have more land and we have the best land,” Tate said. “They’re going to have to give us a better deal.”
Terrell said he understands Grapevine’s position, and that there would likely need to be two agreements between the airport and the city to get this deal done: a tax-sharing agreement that mir-rors those of other host cities, and a developer’s agreement.
“This is a much broader arrangement than simply a tax sharing, so we would handle some special needs of Grapevine in the separate agreement,” Terrell said.
Another primary concern on Council members’ minds is com-petition. The “entertainment” tract is well positioned to add to the offerings of Grapevine’s north-ern corridor, which already fea-tures premier hotels and regional attractions.
But it is also positioned near the two largest pieces of unde-veloped, non-airport land within
Grapevine’s city limits, which means the city and airport could see competition for projects between the sites.
“Obviously we would prefer for new development to go onto [Grapevine] properties,” Tate said, “and we also know it could cre-ate competition for people who are paying taxes at the full rate and have invested in property for years.”
It could be months or even years before a deal is struck between the city and airport, but Terrell said he is encouraged by the fact that the two sides are finally in real discussions.
“I feel very good there’s enough benefit on both sides that we really have the opportunity to create a deal that’s good for everybody,” Terrell said. “It’s too important a deal to rush, so we’re going to take the time necessary to make sure everybody is comfortable.”
Potential Land Use & Build Out by Site
CONSTRUCTION COST: $461.4 millionONSITE EMPLOYMENT: 4,467HOTEL ROOMS: 0AMUSEMENT PARKS: 0
CONSTRUCTION COST:
$190.3 millionONSITE EMPLOYMENT:
1,727HOTEL ROOMS: 0AMUSEMENT PARKS: 0
ACRES: 1,151.2
Site 3Site 1 Site 2
ACRES: 271.9 ACRES: 85CONSTRUCTION COST:
$2.3 billionONSITE EMPLOYMENT:
15,762HOTEL ROOMS: 2,400AMUSEMENT PARKS: 2
Find related stories at impactnews.com. Keyword Search
TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE: 915,689 TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,070,000
Retail/Entertainment 385,025
Retail/Entertainment 970,000
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14 | NEWS | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
city — existed for many years, Starr said, and the north station was originally going to be the Department of Public Safety headquarters. A study undergone in 2005, however, recommended that the city switch its primary DPS station to the eastern dis-trict of the city.
Still, the north facility’s construction began sooner than planned. On May 15, the City Council approved the facility, along with its guaranteed maximum price of $13,315,693.
“A lot of it had to do with staffing — being able to staff it,” Starr said. “Like I said, we anticipated building this station and set that funding up through Crime Control, but we were able to start staffing it sooner than expected.”
The building’s construction at 100 E. Dove is scheduled to begin July 29, and it should take about 14 months, Starr said.
Changing response timesIn the current configuration of fire sta-
tions, the northern portion of Southlake is served by the DPS East facility.
As a result, response times to the north district of Southlake have been as long as 8 minutes 16 seconds, plus a dispatch and turn out time of about 60 seconds each, Starr told the council on May 15. That means more than 10 minutes pass from call to crisis management. During that
time, flashover — in which heat causes the near-simultaneous combustion of items in a room, creating a fully developed fire and killing occupants within seconds — can occur.
“[Flashover] causes more damage, causes increase in fire, and the chance of someone surviving that is pretty much zero, which requires us to call in additional resources, more water, that sort of thing,” Starr said.
In addition, he said, if someone is in car-diac arrest for more than 10 minutes, they can become brain dead.
The standard for the travel time for the fire department, Starr said, is around 6 minutes 30 seconds. But he said he expects the new station will help the fire depart-ment have about a 5 minute travel time in the north district.
Starr said completing training inside Southlake will also keep responders close enough that they can still react to a call, and it will prevent the potential problem of one station having to cover the entire city while another station’s personnel goes elsewhere to train.
Cutting insurance costsResidents living in the north district of
Southlake could save about 23 percent on their homeowner’s insurance after the new station opens, because of an improved Insurance Services Office rating.
To achieve a better ISO rating, there must be a fire station within a 5 mile radius of the home being insured. Although the
city has an ISO rating of 4 overall currently, the north district has one of 9, Starr said.
The goal of the city, however, is to bring its overall ISO rating down to a 2, which could translate into an additional 10 per-cent savings on homeowner’s insurance.
Costs vs. benefits The estimated annual cost for the facil-
ity for things such as utilities is $200,000 to $225,000. Like the headquarters near Southlake Town Square, the new build-ing will feature energy-efficient lights on motion sensors and water-saving plumb-ing. It is also going to be constructed with the goal of being LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certi-fied, Starr said.
The salary for the 12 people who will staff the fire station — six will be hired in
January 2013 and another six in January 2014 — will cost around $1 million annu-ally, Starr said. After they are added, the city will have 63 firefighters.
Both chiefs hope to save money the city has spent on out-of-city training.
“We’re looking more and more to try and conduct training within our own city limits, because there are expenses that are incurred by sending our officers elsewhere,” Mylett said.
The fire department also hopes to do most of its training in-house; it budgeted $36,000 last year for training.
“I would expect a pretty significant decrease in that cost,” Starr said.
SafetyContinued from | 1
guaranteed maximum construction price$13.3 million$13.3 million $3 million$3 million
bill to furnish and outfit the facility THE FACILITY3 BAYS FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT
3 CLASSROOMS FOR TRAINING
UNDERGROUND FIRING RANGE
WALK-UP CLINIC FOR MINOR INJURIES
POLICE REPORTING STATIONS
Source: City of Southlake
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Southlake safety Southlake fireor
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impactnews.com • July 2012 | FEATURES | 15
Grapevine Bike CenterFormer firefighter keeps residents rolling
A bout 22 years ago in Grapevine, the only bicycle center was just 800 square feet and it was owned by
33-year-old Gary Scott, a full-time Grape-vine firefighter. Scott opened the Grape-vine Bike Center after he realized there was a need for it in the city and felt like doing more in the city he grew up in.
Today, Scott, now 55, still owns the bike center. But it is now housed in a 2,400-square-foot location on Northwest Highway.
The center offers a variety of bikes, including mountain, BMX and kid bikes, and Scott said he strives to provide a qual-ity two-wheeler that’s carefully assembled to fit each rider. His store also has an on-site repair department.
“We cater to everyone,” Scott said. “We have bikes for kids, amateurs, professionals and for people who just need a basic bike.”
A lot has changed for Scott and the bike business over the course of two decades. More than 20 years ago, technology was a lot simpler, as well as most bikes at the time. Advances in materials and technolo-gies mean that bicycles are generally lighter weight and work much better than they
Business
By John Harden
Grapevine Bike Center owner Gary Scott says summer is a busy time at the shop. Children and families break out their bikes for the season, he said, and the Tour de France supplies excitement and inspiration.
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Grapevine Bike Center1106 W. Northwest Hwy.Grapevine • 817-488-2999www.grapevinebikecenter.com
did 10, 20 or 30 years ago, Scott said.“Today, we have bikes that can do a lot
more than they used to,” he said. “We have mountain bikes, road bikes, three wheelers and unicycles. And we also have electric gear shift bikes that can shift gears auto-matically. You didn’t see that 15 years ago.”
Despite the many changes in the indus-try, the center offers service and repairs to almost all make and models. Services include repairing brakes, chains, wheels, frames and handle bars.
“There’s not too much we can’t do,” Scott said.
The center also offers rentals and infor-mation on how to pick the perfect bike, and price selection ranges from $150 to $1,200 or more. Grapevine resident John Robertson said he’s a frequent visitor to the bike center.
“They have everything I need,” the 17-year-old said. “I can see why they’ve been around for so long. Their customer service is very friendly.”
Scott said 1990 was the perfect year to begin a business in Grapevine because back then, it was easy to set up shop with-out worrying about losing business.
“Twenty-two years ago there wasn’t anyone else here,” Scott said. “Now when you look around, there are bike shops everywhere.”
In 2006, Scott opened another shop, Bike Center of Mansfield, after he retired from being a firefighter. He said he made the right move by retiring at that time because by 2008, business dragged more slowly when the economy took a hit.
“That was probably the biggest challenge we had to face,” he said. “But we came in every day and we survived.”
After two decades, Scott said, he does
not have any plans to leave Grapevine. It would be nice to be the No. 1 bike shop in America, he said, but his 2,400-square-foot building is more than enough.
“I’ve been here all my life and I’m just going to continue to work here,” he said. “I’m just a good ol’ boy who loves Grape-vine.”
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• Current Sergeant/Supervisor in Tarrant County Precinct 3 Constable’s O� ce• Specialized in Civil Process• Endorsed by Zane Hilger, the incumbent Constable of 24 years• Longtime Northeast Tarrant County resident• Married 15 years with 2 children
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William D. Tate, Mayor of GrapevineDavid Kelly, Mayor of ColleyvilleJohn Terrell, Mayor of SouthlakeJim Story, Former Mayor of BedfordMary Lib Saleh, Mayor of EulessOscar Trevino, Mayor of North Richland HillsPat McGrail, Mayor of KellerRichard Ward, Mayor of HurstBob Golden, Mayor of HasletTom Wilder, Tarrant County District ClerkTarrant County Law Enforcement O� cers AssociationBedford Municipal Police AssociationArlington Police Association PAC
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16 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
The Gypsy ButterflyTrendy boutique has stood the test of time
P aige’s Gypsy Butterfly, a boutique clothing store in Colleyville, has gone
through several changes in its 17 years of operation. But despite the changes, which includes relocating at least three times, owner Paige Floyd has managed to maintain the boutique’s familiar trademark: providing high-quality fashion.
“Being one of a kind has always been our motto,” Floyd said. “We always tell our customers that when they walk into our store, they’re walking into uniqueness.”
The Gypsy Butterfly, formerly known as Paige’s, was the product of Floyd and her mother decid-ing to open their own boutique shop in the mid-90s. So much of a business’ success depends on whether the community will accept what it has to offer, she said, but for Paige’s, timing was everything.
“When we moved here, there was nothing around,” she said.
“There were no shopping centers or any kind of clothing stores. That really helped put us on the map because there was no com-petition.”
Floyd, a Texas Christian Uni-versity marketing graduate, said she always had an eye and a flare for fashion and that running a boutique has always been her true passion.
Today the shop features dis-tinctive jewelry and handbags, an assortment of gift items, and rack upon rack of mostly soft-hued, trendy clothing pieces with a mix of Western flair.
Fort Worth resident Shannon Mayo said she has been a fan of the store for at least six or seven years. She tries to visit the store about every other month to keep up with the latest trends.
“I love this store,” she said. “They have some of the best items for all ages. The clothes are taste-ful and high quality.”
After a few years, Floyd’s
mother left the business to her to manage. Now Floyd’s 16-year-old daughter is beginning to help out at the store regularly.
“It’s kind of neat because three generations of women in our family have worked in the store,” Floyd said.
Through the years, Floyd said, the changing economic climate has forced her to adapt. She’s even tried branching out into different product lines, at one point selling home décor.
But through all the changes over 17 years, she has managed to keep the store’s atmosphere the same and attracted a loyal following.
“A lot of my customers have been here since the beginning,” she said. “We’ve had to reinvent ourselves a few times, but I think the one thing people can expect from our store is that they’ll always be surprised. … We try to sell things you can’t find any-where else around here.”
Gypsy Butterfly was named Paige’s before it moved to Cheek Sparger Road, after its owner, Paige Floyd.
Jewelry can be found throughout the space.
The shop uses vintage finds to display cloth-ing and accessories.
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La Scala New York Pizzeria & BarWestlake eatery serves up a slice of the American Dream
W hen Anthony Perolli’s parents came to America from Albania in 1969, they went straight to New
York. That is where Perolli was born and raised — in Brooklyn — and where he took his first job behind a pizza counter at age 13.
Today, you’ll still find him behind a pizza counter. But it’s his own place — and it’s in Westlake, Texas.
“We’ve come a long way,” Perolli said. The family’s path took a major turn in
1979 when Perolli’s aunt and uncle, Vera and Joe Lusha, moved from New York to North Texas and opened Joe’s Pizza. They had a tough go at it the first few years, Perolli said, but eventually the New York pizza restaurants began to spread across DFW and pick up steam. That is when it became a family affair.
“All us family members moved down here one at a time and opened up Joe’s Piz-zas,” he said. “We were all in the restaurant business in New York, but Texas is great. We were lucky to get here when we did.”
It was 1996 when Perolli, along with his parents, opened their restaurant in Westlake.
Uncle Joe himself picked the location, Perolli said, but he and his father picked the name La Scala. They weren’t nervous opening their first place, he said, because they believed in the power of hard work and quality product.
“You take the risk, and we believe as long as you work hard and do things right, it’s going to work,” he said. “We will never cut corners — buy the best cheese, buy the best flour, buy the best products period.”
It started out as a mixed concept, and remains one to this day: one restaurant, two distinct styles. There is the Joe’s Pizza side, which features casual seating and a traditional pizza counter stacked with
slices, calzones and more for the customer in need of a quick turnaround. And just across a narrow hallway, tables are swathed in tablecloths and the menu offers a selec-tion of fine dining Italian dishes, including steaks, seafood and veal. The restaurant also features a bar where patrons can kick back surrounded by New York sports memorabilia and enjoy a DJ until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.
There are even two signs that point you to the restaurant: signs for Joe’s Pizza and signs for La Scala. But Perolli says he is ready to finally drop the Joe’s name.
“We all stuck with it because it was per-fect marketing: open up everywhere and everyone gets to know the name. That’s what pizza was in Dallas-Fort Worth,” he said. “But we were never a franchise, we were a family business.”
Because the location is tucked away in Westlake’s primary commercial center, La Scala has relied on word of mouth and loyal customers to build business.
“My customers, they’re more than cus-tomers to me,” he said. “You see them two or three times a week for 16 years; it’s like family.”
Perolli never forgets how it all began, though, with one family’s dream of mak-ing it big.
“We really owe it to my grandfather,” he said. “All my aunts and uncles, we all own restaurants, and he’s the one who helped us with the money.”
Perolli describes his grandfather, Bajram Ukperaj, as a man’s man and a great per-son with a big heart. He died in November 2010.
“He wanted to make sure he saw us all do good,” said Perolli, whose father changed his last name to match the Albanian town they came from. “He died happy.”
By Rachel Slade
La Scala offers specialty and deep dish pizzas in addition to traditional New york slices.
The eggplant parmesan sandwich features crusty bread, fresh sauce and melty cheese.
Henry Perolli (center) laughs as son Anthony (left) and nephew Best pose as “real New yorkers.”
Owner’s Favorites:cheese pizza: “plain cheese — that’s new york pizza,” perolli said. “i eat pizza every day, that’s an absolute. and maybe twice a day.” ($7.95 and up)
chicken parmesan ($7.95 at lunch)
eggplant parmesan sandwich ($5.25)
veal piccata ($8.95 at lunch)
tiramisu: “the tiramisu is one of the only things we don’t make here,” perolli revealed. “the tiramisu comes from Manhattan and the cheesecakes come from Brooklyn.” ($4.95)
La Scala New York Pizzeria & Bar 3 Village Circle, Ste. 115, Westlake817-491-3779 • Hours: Joe’s Pizza side, Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (bar open until 2 a.m. Fri. & Sat. with limited menu La Scala side Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.-10:30, Sat. 4:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
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18 | FEATURES | Community Impact Newspaper • Grapevine/Colleyville/Southlake/Westlake Edition
people
Giovanni CapriglioneSouthlake resident to represent House 98th DistrictBy Diane S.W. Lee
After an unsuccessful go at the District 98 House seat in 2010, Southlake resident Giovanni Capriglione defeated seven-term state Rep. Vicki Truitt in May’s Republi-can primary with more than 55 percent of the vote, and he will run unopposed on the November ballot. Capriglione, who often goes by simply “Gio,” campaigned on increas-ing government transparency and improving the state’s business climate and public education finance system. His platform also included a commitment to never raise taxes, to tighten border security along Mexico, and to support pro-life policies and Second Amendment rights. He credits his win to taking his message directly to the voters, visit-ing nearly 7,000 homes between Haslet and Grapevine before this year’s primary.
“I have been in every single neighborhood,” Capriglione said. “I would send letters ahead of time telling people I was coming to their house, [and] I’d show up within 72 hours. Rain, snow, sleet — it doesn’t matter. I told people I was coming, and so I did.”
As the owner of Texas Adventure Capital LLC, Capriglione manages investments for Texas-based small businesses. He lives in Southlake with his wife, Elisa, and three daugh-ters, Cristina, Helen and Natalie.
You were unsuccessful in your previous run. What do you think contributed to your win this time?
A lot of people say the second time is a charm. People are very busy, especially in our community; it is hard to say, ‘Every-one come to me and listen to me talk, and I’ll give you a five minute canned speech and I’ll take a couple of questions.’ And so what I decided to do was the opposite: I’ll come to you, literally. It provided them an opportunity to ask me anything with
absolutely no moderation. I wrote every-thing down, every concern, every issue … so that when I go down to Austin, I have a list of what is important to people. I think that was a big reason for my success.
What were your constituents’ concerns? Illegal immigration is one of the top
concerns for people in this area. Making sure that we are protecting the sanctity of life from birth all the way to natural death. Education finance is a major concern for
those of us in the area that have seen so much change in the budgets of our district. In a nutshell, people want limited govern-ment, they want lower taxes and they want more freedom.
I would say one other issue is jobs and the economy. When I ran two years ago, I did some door-to-door … and there were a lot less people home. It is unfortunate that we do have a lot of people in our district that are either unemployed or underem-ployed.
How does your business background translate to being a state representative?
One of the things that people really want to see in political leaders is someone that has been able to manage dollars.
Myself, I don’t get paid unless I am suc-cessful at what I do. Also, when you run your own small business, you are con-stantly doing things; there is no 9-to-5 in a small business. I think that translates well into politics.
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Background
•Bachelor of science in physics, worcester polytechnic institute
•Master of Business ad-ministration in fnance, santa clara university
•at-large board mem-ber, carroll education Foundation
•president, cross timber hills homeowners asso-ciation, inc.
•Member, national rifle association
•vice president, tarrant republican club
State House District 98 covers a majority of Northeast Tarrant County from Haslet to Grapevine.
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impactnews.com • July 2012 | FEATURES | 19
B etween the settlement of Grapevine in 1844 and the 1900s, farming dominated the city’s history. The
area of land now occupied by Grapevine Lake, also known as “Lake Grapevine,” was once home to farmers and dairy pro-ducers.
According to historical records, the federal government acquired more than 12,000 acres of land in the late 1940s. The U.S. Congress approved the River & Harbors Act of 1945, which allowed the construction of Grapevine Lake, Benbrook Lake, Lavon Lake, Lewisville Lake and Ray Roberts Lake to help minimize flooding along the Trinity River floodplain, accord-ing to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Today Grapevine Lake serves as a major water source, but it was built to control flooding for the City of Dallas and to provide water rights for Dallas, Grapevine, University Park and Highland Park. The project cost about $11.75 million and opened in 1952.
“It (Grapevine Lake) changed our city,” Mayor William D. Tate said. “It was the first thing that really began to change us from an agricul-tural community [to a suburban city]. It displaced a lot of dairies and a lot of farms. Some of them were able to relocate in the area. Some had to go out of business.”
Tate was about 9 years old when his father, Grapevine Mayor Gordon Tate, dedicated Grapevine Lake in July 1952. William D. Tate recalls pushing one of
Workers near the end of construction on Grapevine Lake, circa 1952.
eight tiny red buttons that lowered the gates to block water from passing through the dam, which allowed water to back up to make the lake. He said the state released several hundred thousands of bass, crappie and channel catfish fingerlings into the lake before it opened.
“They closed the fishing for two years to allow them to grow up,” he said. “When they opened it, they were about two pounds.”
Now many of the fish are descendants of the first fish released into the lake, Tate said.
Records have been broken for fish caught in Grapevine Lake. One blue catfish caught by rod and reel in March 2010 was 40 inches and 44.20 pounds, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife. The lake has helped spur economic development in Grapevine, Tate said.
“It exposed us as a community, and people started wanting to move here and live here to be close to the lake,” Tate said.
The lake stretches across 19 miles and covers 7,280 acres at a normal level of 535 feet elevation. It draws more than 2 million visitors every year for a variety of activities, such as camping, swimming, boating and fishing. A variety of fish, including spotted bass, largemouth bass, white bass, white
crappie and channel catfish, populate the lake.
“It is viewed as a wonderful asset to the quality of life for the citizens of Grapevine,” said Joe
Moore, Grapevine’s assistant director of Parks and Recreation. “You’ve got to think about the fact that many cities don’t have a lake in close proximity to their citizens.”
References: U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers, “Grapevine Area History,” “Images of America: Grapevine,” Grapevine Conven-tion & Visitors Bureau, Grapevine Histori-cal Society, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Dallas Morning News historic archives
By Diane S.W. Lee
Grapevine LakePopular recreation spot formerly home to farmers
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“It exposed us as a community, and people started wanting to move here and live here to be close to the lake,”
—William D. Tate Grapevine Mayor
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Grapevine312 S. Main Street
CARPET • HARDWOODS • PORCELAIN TILE • CERAMIC TILE • LAMINATE 12 Months Same As Cash*
*WAC - See Store For Details. Some Restrictions Apply.
Heavy Plush Carpet
$249Sq. Ft.
Lifetime Stain Warranty. 10 Year Labor Warranty. Regular $3.99
sq. ft. EXP. 8/16/12
Hand Scraped Wood Flooring
$599Sq. Ft.
Regular $6.99 sq. ft.EXP. 8/16/12
OFF Any Purchase
$250Installation Warranty
LIFETIME
$2000 Minimum Required.EXPIRES 8/16/12
Completely Installed
Completely Installed
Asian TopRestaurant
CHINESE & JAPANESE BUFFET
TAKE OUTDELIVERY • DINE-IN
LUNCHBuffet
DinnerBuffet
$7.49
$7.99
Up to 5 People. 7 days a week. Excludes holidays & other offers. Exp. 08/16/12
Up to 5 People. Sun–Thurs Only. Excludes holidays & other offers. Exp. 08/16/12
Within 5 Mile RadiusMinimum $15 Purchase(99 cent gas charge may apply)Purchase of $20 or more.
Excludes holidays. Tax not included. Not valid with other
