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City of University Park, Texas, 3800 University Blvd. |
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Centennial Master Plan nears adoption
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After two years of work involving ongoing direction from our resident Master Plan Steering Committee and feedback from thousands of other residents through town halls, virtual meetings, surveys, and focus groups, the City’s Centennial Master Plan is heading to the City Council for adoption on June 21.
Like its predecessor, the City’s 1989 Master Plan, the Centennial Master Plan is a big picture document that focuses on creating a vision for key aspects of city management and city character. Once the listening stages of the process drew to a close, various resident focus groups developed 127 potential action items. Then, after multiple rounds of discussion involving Master Plan Steering Committee members and City staff, our project consultant, Gap Strategies, crafted 75 action items into Five Themes:
- Affirming Sense of Place – goals organized around preserving the beauty, character, safety, and sense of cohesion in University Park.
- Assuring Connectivity – goals related to streets, parking, trails, utilities, communication, and programs that allow residents to move freely, do their business, and connect.
- Innovative Governance – goals to help the City government stay responsive and well-coordinated within the region, and to foster more ways that residents can help improve and direct their community.
- Technological Integration – goals intended to provide University Park with vetted technological advancements that can improve city efficiency and quality of life, based on best practices from cutting edge cities.
- Preparing for The Future – goals for the horizon, with the idea of beginning now to prepare for coming changes that can be readily identified, while building a culture of adaptability, resilience, and sustainability across City operations.
The plan recently received recommendations for approval from the Master Plan Steering Committee and the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission, making it ready for Council consideration on June 21. City staff is still reviewing the document for its overall readability, but no substantive changes to content or direction are anticipated prior to Council adoption.
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City upgrades its proactive traffic signal preemption system |
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In an emergency, job one is getting to the scene as quickly and safely as possible. For more than 25 years, University Park Fire Department has used a product called Opticom, using infrared technology to trigger signaled intersections so responding personnel can pass through high-traffic areas without delay. With the passage of time, this technology has become less reliable, especially in neighborhoods like ours that have heavy tree cover.
To answer these shortcomings, thanks to the expansion and dependability of GPS technology, Opticom's upgraded traffic signal preemption system embeds radio technology in emergency vehicles and now uses GPS to calculate speed, direction and longitude and latitude data. All of these factors are immediately transmitted to GPS intersection receivers that then track the status of emergency vehicles, and switch as emergency personnel approach. Not burdened by dense foliage, GPS operation preempts traffic signals at a greater distance, and is not reliant on line-of-sight readings.
Approved by the City Council, at a cost of $309,000, our GPS-centered Opticom system is now operating at all 32 of the City’s signal-controlled intersections. Correspondingly, its tracking equipment is in all our emergency vehicles, including all Fire and EMS apparatus, and for the first time, all Police vehicles.
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Children's Fishing Derby - Saturday, June 4 |
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The pond will be stocked and the fish will be biting! The City of University Park will host this year’s Children’s Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 4 at Caruth Park from 9 a.m. to noon. Children must bring their own pole and bait. “Catch and Release” procedures will be followed.
Every hour awards will be presented for the largest and smallest fish caught! In addition, there will be children’s entertainment and a photo booth, sponsored by Allie Beth Allman & Associates. For more information about the event, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 214-987-5488.
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The Holmes Aquatic Center is open for a summer of fun! |
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It's not too late to get your pool passes so that you and your family are in the swim of things this summer. We have aquatic programs for all ages and abilities! |
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Pick up your pool pass at the Holmes Aquatic Center
Pool passes can be purchased in-person at the Holmes Aquatic Center or online using an existing RecTrac account.
Going forward, to make things easier, all pool pass holders will use their fob to renew their passes online.
Register for programs and make reservations
Log on to RecTrac to secure your spot on the swim team, sign up for swim lessons, or make pool reservations before all spots are filled!
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July 4 parade and Goar Park festivities |
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Summer weather is here, which means July 4 is just around the corner! In conjunction with the Rotary Club Park Cities, on Monday, July 4, floats, fire trucks, antique vehicles, a band or two and decorated bikes and their riders will follow the usual route, starting near Highland Park Town Hall and finishing in Goar Park. That morning, the park will be filled with merchant booths, bounce houses and lots of other family fun.
In the coming weeks, we'll have more details about these festivities in our City newsletters, on the City's website, and on our social media platforms!
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La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas gala dresses on display soon at UP Public Library |
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This month, UP Public Library is pleased to exhibit gowns from the 2022 La Fiesta de las Seis Banderas gala. These gowns are worn by duchesses when they present in the annual pageant that reflects the history of the Six Flags of Texas and the Park Cities. The duchesses are young women from the Park Cities, and the gala is a fundraiser for various Park Cities organizations, including our library. The gowns will be on exhibit from June 14 through June 25. You can view the dresses by visiting the library during regular business hours.
You can also get in the sovereign spirit by joining us for Princess Story Time on June 18 at 3 p.m. for stories, songs, dancing, and crafts with Princess Elsa! All little princes and princesses are invited to attend.
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HPISD student art displayed in City buildings |
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To showcase young talent, in 2007 City Hall began displaying award-winning art from HPISD. Enjoying ample exhibit space in its beautiful home in the Plaza at Preston Center, University Park Public Library also has student art on display. All the pieces were selected from HPISD’s recent Highlander Festival art show. The collection includes pieces from each HPISD school. Eight are on display at the library, and the other eight are on display at City Hall. Each piece shows the title of the work, the student’s name, grade level and campus. This art will remain on display until next spring, when 16 new selections will be made. |
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During the past few days, the City’s Utility Billing Department has been receiving calls from customers about recorded messages urging them to pay their water bill. These messages are an example of caller ID spoofing, involving scammers who disguise their identity and use software to falsify the information that is sent to your caller ID. Scammers do this because you are more likely to pick up your phone if you think it is a local number, instead of one you don't recognize.
While University Park Utility Billing staffers do call customers about the status of their account and to seek payment, all calls originating from University Park City Hall will show “City Univ Park” on your caller ID. If at any time you have questions about your account, or you have concerns about the validity of recorded messages, before you make a credit card payment or share credit card information, please call the Utility Department at 214-987-5322 or 214-987-5321.
Caller ID spoofing is illegal. FCC rules prohibit anyone from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongly obtain anything of value. Anyone who is illegally spoofing can face financial penalties for each violation. Regardless of the circumstances, if you believe you have been a victim of fraud, in addition to notifying your credit card company, so a report can be made, you are urged to call the University Park Police Department at 214-363-3000.
Tips for reducing spam calls:
- Check to see if your phone carrier has a service or app that helps identify or filter out spam calls.
- You can consider using third-party apps to help block spam calls – but be aware that you will be sharing private data with them.
- If you receive a call from an unknown number, often it is best not to answer it. Answering spam calls invites more spam calls, as the scammers then consider you a potential prospect.
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Let Water My Yard help you decide how much to water |
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Deciding when and how much to water your lawn during the summer can be challenging. Residents have a quick and definitive way to answer those questions. Sponsored by the Dallas County Park Cities Municipal Utilities District, the Park Cities are part of the Water My Yard program. Offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, this free online tool helps you determine how much supplemental water is needed to maintain a healthy lawn year-round.
To learn more about the Water My Yard program, go here. It only takes a few short online steps before you are set to receive automated emails or text-messages with weekly guidance that is based on weather and soil conditions in the Park Cities!
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Watering Restrictions
Consistent with ordinances in many other area communities, outdoor watering days are determined by street address.
- Even - Residents with addresses ending in an even number can use automatic sprinklers on Sundays and Thursdays.
- Odd - Addresses ending in an odd number can use automatic sprinklers on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
- Multi-family addresses and office buildings will water using their lowest street address number.
Watering restriction exemptions
- Residents can water at any time of the day or night, and on any day of the week with a hand-held hose, a drip irrigation device, soaker hose or watering can.
- Automatic sprinkler systems can be used during the repair or testing of a new or existing system and to irrigate newly planted landscapes within 30 days of installation.
- Automatic sprinklers can be used to irrigate athletic fields used for organized sports to protect the health and safety of the players, staff and officials present for athletic events.
- Sprinkler systems that are not connected to the City's water system are exempt from outdoor watering restrictions.
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City providing free mosquito dunks |
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Help us limit the mosquito population this summer! The City is providing mosquito dunks to UP residents who stop by City Hall (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - 3800 University Blvd.). To receive the product you must provide us with your street address. Mosquito dunks will be provided, one pack to each resident, until our supply is gone. This same product can be purchased at local garden centers.
Mosquito dunks look like a small, beige donut. They float in standing water. As the dunk slowly dissolves, it releases a bacterium which is toxic to all species of mosquito larvae. Dunks can be used in fish ponds, birdbaths, flower pots, rain barrels or any place where water collects and remains for a period of time. The dunks kill mosquito larvae before they grow to become biting and disease-spreading adults. The product is harmless to other living things. Each dunk is effective for a 30-day period.
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