2016 Progress

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GROWING

PLACES

Parker County is rapidly evolving

from its rural past. Inside, the

Weatherford Democrat examines

the growth that is changing

everything, from school

districts to housing to businessand commerce.

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2016 Growing Places Page 3

What You Want, When You Want It,The Way You Want It!

Delivering the news to Weatherford and all of

Parker County for 120 years.

Aledo Extra The County Line Shopper E-edition

www.weatherforddemocrat.com

PublisherJeff Smith

EditorJames Walker

Stories & Photography

Christin CoyneJelani GibsonMaggie Fraser

Design & ProductionErin Ferguson and Sally Sexton

Ad DesignErin Ferguson

Advertising SalesJulia Thompson817-594-7447

2016 Growing PlacesIS A PRODUCT OF

THE WEATHERFORD DEMOCRAT512 PALO PINTO STREETWEATHERFORD, TEXAS

Pg. 4Growth puts pressure onschool districts

Pg. 6Swancy touts Weatherford

potential

Pg. 8Walsh Ranch developmentwill create a new metro core

Pg. 10East Parker County Growth

Pg. 12Housing Weatherfords future populationboom

Pg. 14Retail success fueling citys growth

6 G i PlP

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2016 Growing PlacesPage 4

Parker County is facing growth. That seems to be anaccepted fact of life when it comes to living in ParkerCounty.

What is not so clear however is how prepared theentire county is for that growth when it comes to theeducational system.

The county, home to multiple independent schooldistricts, will see a population inux numbering inthe thousands in the years to come, and with thosethousands come new families and more importantly,new students that will cause some ISDs to take ahard look at their preparedness and the true price of

a smooth and successful expansion.

The most high-prole example of such preparationcomes from Weatherford Independent SchoolDistrict.

WISD passed a May 2015 bond package with three

propositions costing an overall $74.9 million toaddress growth, grade realignments, safety andsecurity.

Proposition 1 will fund existing facility improvementswhile Proposition 2 will construct a new Shirley HallMiddle School serving grades 6-8 and add a sixthgrade classroom to Tison Middle School as well.

Proposition 3 involves safety and security measuressuch as the implementation of controlled entrypoints for school campuses.

Dr. Jeffrey Hanks, WISD superintendent, is condent

of the districts ability to handle the oncoming inuxof students.

The Shirley Hall Middle School and the additionat Tison will become sixth through eighth gradecampuses and that takes a great load off of ourelementary and allows us to accomodate a little bit

more of that growth, so its been something thatweve been watching and looking and planning for,for quite a while, he said. Its one of those thingsthat we as a community have to be proactive aboutand look down the road and see and anticipate whatis coming or else well be in a bind.

The elementary schools tend to be where a lot of the

growth happens, Hanks said.

Predominately thats where it occurs, but thatcreates a way that over time moves up into the middleschool and high school, he said. Our average classsize is a little over 600 students at each grade level.Ten years from now that average class size may be650 or 630, so we have to make plans for when thatwave does come through the system.

Weatherford High School also faces a growth

challenge as it grows near capacity, Hanks said.

I know a lot of people see that big complex downthere but the high school was built with the intentthat it would be added onto at some point, he said.The common spaces were made big enough toaccommodate a larger population on that campusand academic wings were built where they can beadded on to. Were over 90 percent capacity.

That situation alone is going to present a challenge

that will need a solution, Hanks said.

One of the things you have to take into considerationis the ninth grade center over here and the fact thatwhile we have it full, its not full with students ... weonly have one grade level on the campus right now sothe question needs to be, do we continue to shuttlestudents from the high school back down to the ninthgrade center for career and technology programs thatare not available at the high school or do you createa space at the high school that may house those

programs and then that creates additional classroomspace at the Ninth Grade Center, Hanks said.

WISD is not the only entity that will have to thinkabout how it approaches growth, Hanks said.

I think the city of Weatherford will have that samechallenge, the Chamber of Commerce will have thatsame challenge, Hanks said. Being proactive aboutthat, thinking about it, preparing yourself for it is

critical for all those entities. Change is not necessarilya comfortable process ... some people dont want tosee it (Weatherford) change.

Part of making that change more of a smoothertransition is offering a sense of community, Hankssaid.

Growth puts pressure

on school districts

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You try to continue to offer those things thatthey value, Hanks said. Even a school in a largeurban setting can offer a feel of community andfamily, offering a close-knit very personal engagingenvironment for not only the children that it serves,but also for the family that it serves.

Growth does not have to be a barrier to fostering thatsense of community, Hanks said.

Theres no reason you have to get cold andindifferent because you get larger, he said. It reallydoes become fostering those relationships, lettingpeople know that you care about them.

The countys other big school district, Aledo ISD,also passed a May 2015 bond package with twopropositions worth an estimated $53.2 million.

Were quickly running out of room, said Dr. DerekCitty, Aledo ISD superintendent.

Proposition 1, valued at $28.8 million,included plans for a new elementaryschool and Proposition 2, valued at$24.4 million, included improvementsfor technology, security, buses andrenovations.

After much debate on the board of

trustees and in the community atlarge, the board made the decision tobuild a fth elementary school on thenorth side of the district, within theboundaries of the Walsh Ranch master-planned community.

With the rst phase of Walsh underway,and construction on the rst lot of homes scheduledto begin in Spring 2017, the elementary school wouldserve families moving into the new development.

However, more elementary schools will be neededto address overcrowding in the districts existingelementary schools, particularly on the districtssouth side. This was a major point of contentionduring the months-long discussion on the newschools location.

According to a report by Templeton Demographics,Stuard and Vandagriff elementaries located in thesouth part of the district have almost reached 93

percent capacity.

Vandagriff is predicted to hit capacity by 2016-2017,and Stuard by 2017-2018.

In the northern part of the district, McCall Elementaryis estimated to hit capacity by 2019-2020, and Coder

by 2020-2021.

Also contributing to growth in the north is theMorningstar Ranch master-planned community,which will have 2,100 homes at build out.

In addition to its new elementary school, the districtused the second proposal in the 2015 bond package torenovate and update its Coder Elementary campus.

The reception area was redesigned with a controlledentry for increased security, including electronicaccess control, security cameras, and a set of doorsthat allows reception to buzz in visitors and lockthe doors electronically.

Other parts of the school were renovated with newooring, tile, nish for countertops and cabinets,and paint for walls and doors.

You let the growth change you, or you bring people

into the fold, Citty said of increasing change in thedistrict.

Former Millsap ISD superintendent Dr. DavidBelding, who is leaving to take the superintendentposition at Aubrey, said he spent a great amount oftime focusing on growth and cultural solidarity.Were certainly projecting out for possible growth,he said.

The inux of students has been steadily climbing,Belding said.

Weve gained around 180 students already (since

2011), he said.

We (had) a family atmosphere that is here, Beldingsaid. We have to continue to celebrate our heritagewhile welcoming and embracing who becomes a partof Millsap. Millsap is special and (will) be committedto keeping it special.

Additional staff, building renovations and programexpansions are all being considered, Belding said.With increased enrollment we would get increasedfunding from the state, he said.

In the end, Belding views growth with a sense ofassuredness.

I think growth is a positive thing, he said. Its acompliment that youre doing something right.

Over in Garner ISD, things have stayed stable for themost part, said Dr. Rebecca Hallmark, Garner ISDsuperintendent.

Weve not seen any rapid growth, she said.

Although growth hasnt come in the drastic formsthat other school districts are experiencing, staying

on the lookout is paramount, Hallmark said.

We want to stay prepared, she said.

Dr. Scott Drillette, Brock ISDsuperintendent, faces the position ofbeing in charge of a school district thatmay have no choice but to grow.

The districts facility planningcommittee recommended the need

to build a new school for students inkindergarten through second gradewith an initial capacity of 450-500students, along with renovations to thethe elementary school and junior highschool.

We dont want to be in portables a longtime, Drillete said.

With an estimated cost of $17-20 million, a nal

decision wouldnt be made until the August deadlinefor calling a bond election, Drillette said.

The committee also noted that the elementary schoolwas over capacity by 78 students and had projectionsthat BISD, with 1,350 students would be 814 overthat gure with 2,164, in 2026.

Their plan also called for classrooms to be addedto Brock High School to accommodate 200 morestudents within 10 years.

Its pressure, but I feel like the community willrespond, Drillette said.

By Jelani Gibson and Maggie [email protected]@weatherforddemocrat.com


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Weatherford Mayor Craig Swancy, born and raised

in Weatherford when it was a much smaller town,

expects recent growth in the city, which had an

estimated population of just under 28,000 people

in 2014, to continue.

Its pretty amazing whats going on in Weatherford

on a daily basis that most people just dont pay

attention to, Swancy said.

Since he joined the city council nine years ago,

Swancy said hes seen the city make signicant

transportation system upgrades, from widening

the roads to putting in more access on and off the

interstate. Weatherford also has much more retail

shopping now, according to Swancy.

You can get almost anything you want or need,

Swancy said, adding that people come from

surrounding counties to shop in area.

He attributes much of that retail growth to the

transportation projects along the Interstate and

South Main area that made the stores possible.

I think the TIRZ project that were currently

working on is going to expand the I-20 corridor

dramatically, Swancy said, noting the recent

announcement that Academy Sports + Outdoors

is planning to open a store as a result of the TIRZ.

In addition to the road projects, Weatherfords

planning for the future has positioned the city for

growth it is now seeing, Swancy said. I worked

for the Weatherford Fire Department for 35 years.

Councils in the old days managed the city but they

didnt plan very far ahead, Swancy said.

Living in Weatherford, Swancy said more than

1,000 homes are planned for the north and south

parts of the city within the next three to four years,

as well as upscale apartments.

Weatherford College is doing all they can to takeon more students so well try to provide them with

the places for their students to stay and roads for

them to get to the college, Swancy said. The city

has intentionally planned for more recreational

activities and entertainment for residents, Swancy

said. When I was a kid we always used to say,

Theres nothing to do, so wed cruise the streets

of Weatherford going up and down South Main,

Swancy said. Well if you notice nobody hardly

cruises the streets anymore.

Additional recreational opportunities include the

development of Heritage Park, the amphitheater,

Swancy touts

Weatherford

potential


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the Patsy Hooks Dog Park and the connecting

Town Creek Hike and Bike Trail, as well as Quanah

Hill mountain bike trails and the construction

of the soon-to-open movie theater and bowling

alley. Swancy also noted that many of the existing

parks have also been upgraded and expanded,

such as the skate park at McGratton Park and

revamping Cherry Park.

The city hopes to continue extending the hike and

bike trail south and west to the shopping center

area and north to Mineral Wells State Park Trail

on the north side of the city.

Continuing growth, Swancy sees the tax increment

reinvestment zone as the most important thing the

city can do to continue growing.

When they realized that we were going to build

access roads and put in infrastructure, theres

companies lining up to come this way, Swancy

said.

Infrastructure, including water and sewer

extensions, will be important, as well, Swancy

said, noting locations where housing and otherdevelopment is planned to the north, west and

south. He also noted that the citys water reuse

project will reroute treated water back into Lake

Weatherford, which he expects to give the city a

more stable water supply and help recreation due

to steadier lake levels.

While the city has been working to develop and

market downtown, leaders hope to do more. After

failure of a proposed bond to fund a downtown

plan, Swancy said the city is working on a possible

method to get the state to pay for the projects. One

of the major parts of the plan is getting truck trafc

out of downtown and making it more pedestrian

friendly.

The thing that I liked about it was it routed trafc

off the square and put in a few one way streetsand made the trafc ow better, Swancy said.

And then we could come in and do extra parking

downtown. One of the things that concerns a lot

of people is the ability of people to nd parking

downtown.

By Christin Coyne

[email protected]



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Walsh Ranch measures 11.37 miles, or 7,267

acres, and is located three and a half miles west of

the intersection of I-30 with West Loop 820.

At build-out, the community will hold more than

14,000 homes and 30,000 to 40,000 residents,

said Jake Wagner, co-CEO of RPG.

The size of the land lends itself to a tremendous

number of homes and growth, and to create a

second metro core outside of Fort Worth.Its

very much the size of a lot of good-sized cities,

Wagner said.There will be 8.8 million square

feet of commercially-zoned space, which has the

potential to net billions, Wagner said.

About 2,300 acres of the development will be left

as green space and trails for hiking and biking will

connect the development to create a nature-rich

community, he said.By Oct. 2016, Walsh willhave a model park and 20 spec home sites. The

development will have 500 home sites on the

ground in 2017, with 20 to 30 homes built and

move-in ready by Feb. 2017, Wagner said.Home

prices will average $400,000.

The impacts of the burgeoning development havebeen felt most by the Aledo Independent School

District.Seventy-seven percent of the Walsh

Ranch development land is located within AISD

boundaries, according to statistics provided by the

district.Recently, the districts board of trustees

voted to build a new elementary school on Walsh

Ranch land.

The districts student population grew by 9.8

percent growth over the past ve years. According

to projections by RPG, AISD will experience

more than 60 percent growth over the next ve

years. Much of this growth is due to families with

elementary school-aged children moving to the

area to live in housing developments like Walsh

Ranch.

This prompted the need for a new elementary

school, as most of the current elementary schools

are predicted to reach capacity within the next ve

to seven years. According to the memorandum of

understanding (MOU) supplied by Walsh Ranch

for the new elementary school, Walsh will donate

land for the elementary school, and make a $1million donation to the district.

The district will work with Walsh Ranch and its

architects to create a design for the school that is

consistent with the aesthetic standards for the

Walsh Development.Construction is estimated to

begin on or around Aug. 1, according to the MOU.

If Walsh Ranch fails to complete rough grading

of the land by that date, they will give $25,000 to

AISD in order to complete the grading and cover

any other expenses.

Walsh Ranch will also cover drainage and internet

utilities for the school.Walsh Ranch also agreed

to establish a nonprot organization for further

donations to the district, according to the MOU.If

all goes according to plan, the school will open onthe rst day of school in Aug. 2017.

By Maggie Fraser

[email protected]

Walsh Ranch development

will create a new metro core


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Over the next year, the communities in East ParkerCounty will prepare themselves for growth, opennew businesses and attend to old business.

AledoA new re station, medical ofces and othercommercial developments are coming to Aledothis year.

Aledos re department was recently awarded aClass 2 rating from the Insurance Services Ofce(ISO).

This rating places them in the top 1.5 percent of cityre de artments in the nation Ma or Kit Marshall

said. This marks a signicant improvement overthe departments previous rating of Class 7.

Higher ISO ratings also mean better insurancerates for residents and businesses.

Its pretty huge. Who would have thought?Marshall said. This is a positive for our residentsand our businesses. That Class 2 rating represents

an exemplary re department.

The city also plans to build a new re station laterthis year near Aledo High School.

Bailey Ranch Road, located on the north side of

the city, will play an important part in the cityseconomic development infrastructure over thenext year, Marshall said.

With 110 businesses currently existing in the city,most lease spaces are lled, Marshall said.

However, the city has commercial concepts for 1acres of land along Bailey Ranch Road and Farm-

to-Market 1187.

The anchor of the commercial development wouldbe a medical ofce building, with the potentialfor restaurants and other retail businesses to setup shop, according to concept plans provided by

WD Photo/Maggie FraserBuildings are torn downin Hudson Oaks to make way for new construction.

Like most of East Parker County, Hudson Oaks isin a period of growth, in terms of both populationand economic development. Growth is happening

throughout East Parker County

East Parker

County Growth


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Aledos Economic Development Corporation.

Overall, the city has 180 acres of commercially-zoned land, with 12 tracts and lots designated fornew businesses or expansions.

Annetta

Over the past 10 years, more than 735 homesites have been constructed in Annetta and itsextraterritorial jurisdiction, Annetta Mayor BrucePinckard said.

Much of the new home development is due to theinux of families moving to Parker County in orderto send their children to Aledo schools, Pinckardsaid.

In order to manage the growth, the city is in theprocess of putting comprehensive, strategic andimplementation plans in place in order to deneits objectives and goals for the future.

To that end, the Annetta City Council recentlyadopted its rst-ever comprehensive plan,Pinckard said.

As Annetta grows, its water supply will be another

concern.

Annetta is largely dependent on private wells,leading to competition among residential well-owners.

As a result, the city is also exploring its options fora municipal water system to alleviate dependenceon wells.

Hudson OaksNew businesses will pop up all over Hudson Oaksthis year, Mayor Pat Deen said.

Economic development is the citys lifeblood, asHudson Oaks does not collect property taxes. Thecity operates on sales tax, Deen said.

Everything we do is driven by how we bringbusiness into the city, Deen said.

When several buildings were demolished on U.S.180 in May to make room for the long-awaitedHEB, Deen said he received calls inquiring whenthe grocery store would be ready for business.

A year ago now, we said we were going to getHEB. And Ive gotten so many calls about that, hesaid. Things dont happen quickly with municipalgovernment, and it was very painful to learn that.But HEB is coming.

Other new businesses will be coming to Hudson

Oaks within the next year along the same stretchof U.S. 180 where HEB will be built, includingStarbucks, Chik Fil-A and a branch of FirstNational Bank, Deen said.

Willow ParkA May bond election led to the passage of twoproposals: A $4.5 million bond proposition for anew public safety building in Willow Park, and a$2.2 million proposal to x several roads.

The public safety building, which has been in placesince 1971, is overcrowded and has several issueswith infrastructure. The building ooded duringthe record rainfall in May and mold has also beenfound in the building, plus the second story oorhas a hole.

Road repairs have been an ongoing issue for thecity. Willow Park Mayor Richard Neverdousky

said many of the citys roads were not laid with aproper base decades ago.

Since then, previous councils pursued short-term,low-cost road repairs, Neverdousky said.

Because of this, theroads have fallen intoa state of disrepair dueto poor construction

and maintenance,Neverdousky said.

Ranch House Road wasthe main focus of repairs,along with Fox Hunt Trailto Crown Pointe Road.People wanted lowtaxes. And thats all welland good. We had several

people on the councilwho fancied themselvesas libertarians, who didnot want to raise taxes.But infrastructure costsmoney, Neverdousky

said. You can scrimp on it. But its a pay-me-now or pay-me-later kind of deal. And the time ofreckoning has come.

The city is also in the process of nding a site for anew, permanent wastewater treatment plant.

The citys wastewater treatment plant was soldto the city as a package plant, meaning it hadbeen used. The plant originally supplied the now-defunct Trinity Meadows Race Track in the 1990sbefore it was sold to the city.

Because the current treatment plant will likelyreach capacity before a new treatment plant canbe completed, the city recently began the processof acquiring a temporary plant.

In addition to addressing infrastructure needs, thecity can also expect commercial development.

The Shops at Willow Park, a 44-acre, mixed usedevelopment, is predicted to be complete later thisyear.

A new oral surgery center, an assisting livingfacility and a funeral chapel are some of the other

businesses currently under construction in WillowPark, Neverdousky said.

By Maggie [email protected]


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The winds of change and expansion are howling inthe town of Weatherford and with it comes a newpopulation that will have to nd a place they callhome.

Finding that humble abode and sanctuarycomes with a variety of planning, economic anddevelopmental factors that will continue to shapethe citys borders.

Were getting more custom homes, they wannaget a home built, so values are going up, saidCraig Farmer, City of Weatherford planning anddevelopment director. We got people moving intown with a little bit more money.

The average house value in Weatherfordis about $200,000 and a large number ofresidential lots have already been proposed forconstruction, Farmer said.

Weatherford has master platted 1,028 residentiallots, he said. If there is any doubt of Weatherfordsrising growth in the overall building market, onemust look no further than the numbers.

Total valuations doubled from $40 million in2012 to $79 million in 2015, according to ofcialcity statistics. More than $80 million in newconstruction is coming into Weatherford, Farmersaid.

Were hearing from the realtors and othersthat theres a lot of people asking about qualitytownhomes and single family houses that arequality but not necessarily huge for old people,he said. At the same time theres people lookingfor entry level too, their rst house.

I think its a mix, Farmer said. Theres moredemand for apartment quality.

Prospective residents may also be looking todownsize as they get older and children leave thehouse.

My kids just left so I dont need a four-bedroomhouse, I need a really nice two or three-bedroomhouse with a big dining room and a bar, Farmersaid. I call it a variety of housing choice.

Single-family homes will be a priority as the citycontinues to grow, Farmer said. Most are singlefamily, some track-built, others custom-built.

It is a matter of the market catering to the publicsdesire. Its just what most people want.

Most communities Ive been in (that are) similarto Weatherford, somewhere around 25 to 5 percentof the housing is used for multi-family apartmentsand then the rest is traditional single-family, hesaid. Some of the bi er laces like Irvin are u

Housing Weatherfords

future population boom


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to 60 percent apartments.

The number of single family home permits hasincreased, according to ofcial city statistics.From 2012 through 2016, 751 single familydwelling permits have been issued. Regardless ofthe growth, Farmer thinks that Weatherford willstill keep its sense of individuality, and doesnt

count on Weatherford becoming a suburb of themetroplex anytime soon.

I dene a suburb different than others, he said.Weve got city problems, weve got a downtownthat needs some work, weve got neighborhoods

that need help. I dont think well ever be a suburb.I think Walsh Ranch is kind of a suburb.

Trafc is a big indicator of why people move aswell, Farmer said.

Turn on the news in the morning and look attrafc, he said. I commuted for years about 20

miles ... its (Weatherford) got a town feel to it, thetrafcs not bad.

County development is spurring housing growth,Farmer said.

We got a lot more buying power and a lot moreamenities than the average town of 25,000 andthats because of all the county development,he said. If you really look at most towns with a25,000 population they dont have a Lowes andHome Depot and a Target and two Walmarts(including the one in Willow Park).

I always use the expression, I think its the biggesttown of 25,00 Ive been in, Farmer said.

By Jelani [email protected]


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Weatherfords retail base has boomed over thelast decade though city leaders expect the city tocontinue growing in other areas, as well.

Eleven years ago, the Lowes, Target shoppingcenter just started construction, said Director ofEconomic Development Dennis Clayton, addingthat the Weatherford Ridge shopping centerfollowed behind and is almost nished out.

With that and some other projects, I know fora fact that weve added about 1.3 million squarefeet of new retail, primarily out on the interstate,Clayton said. And that has caused the city salestax to just about double in 10 years.

It was $4.5 or $5 million per year. It reached $11.3million last year as a direct result of that plus all ofthe smaller developments along South Main Street

and Fort Worth Highway and downtown.

There is more to come, Clayton said.A lothas happened and will continue, Clayton said,pointing out major projects under constructionsuch as the lm and bowling alley and the RogerWilliams dealership and the newly opened Keg1facility. I think the TIRZ is going to help continueour development to the west.

Clayton said he expects to continue to seebusinesses interested in open space west of SouthMain Street as well as near the west loop aroundWeatherford. Development of the east loop isalso expected to create additional opportunity forgrowth to the east, near Hudson Oaks, according

to Clayton.

While retail has been one of the largest growingsectors in Weatherford in recent year, Claytonnoted the multiple other sectors have also beengrowing, including healthcare, such as the newWeatherford Rehab Hospital, and warehouse anddistribution sectors.

The TIRZ focus on enhancement and marketingof the downtown, various transportation projects,including downtown, and housing growth will beimportant for continued economic development,Clayton said.

I think continuing what were doing and puttingsome of these new programs in place andimproving access and circulation are some of the

key factors, Clayton said. And quality of life andschools are some of the key factors, and thats inplace with all of the school districts we have.

Were sort of a model city for growth, Claytonsaid, adding that the location near the Metroplex,

the population, less trafc congestion, good qualityof life, the citys heritage and good school districtsmake it an attractive place for families. About45 percent of the labor force in Weatherfordcommutes to work.

But one of the strengths that Weatherford has,even East Parker County, is that whatever kind of

jobs we create in whatever sector, those workerscommuting would love to get a job in ParkerCounty without a commute, Clayton said.

By Christin [email protected]

Retail

success

fuelingCitys

growth

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Documents

2016 Progress