Olivia, a 12-year-old rescue dog, was all smiles and wags earlier this month when the street name, Parkwood Drive, was changed to Olivia Court in her honor. Olivia, a rat terrier, and chihuahua mix, is a well-known local Southlake dog who frequently walks in Northwood Park.
She belongs to the daughter of Eric Karl, who regularly walks Olivia in the neighborhood. He proposed changing the street’s name to safeguard the community from ongoing traffic after it was discovered that more commercial businesses would be developed in the area.
“Our primary goal is to keep FM 1709 and commercial traffic out of a residential neighborhood and away from our school crossing,” Karl stated in a letter written to the Director of Planning and Development Services, Dennis Killough.
"There are two Parkwood Drives, one is known as a residential street, and it has five homes on it; the other Parkwood Drive is in a commercial area,” Karl stated.
The recommendation to change the name came after Karl and other homeowners met with the commercial developer at a Southlake Program for the Involvement of Neighborhoods (SPIN) meeting in April 2022. The SPIN process was very successful in this instance, according to Karl.
When it was time to think of a name for the street, after a process of elimination, Olivia seemingly was the right choice.
City Council approved the name change at the March 21, 2023, City Council meeting.
The process took over a year to come to fruition, but it was “woof” the wait!
Olivia (the dog)
Olivia Court
Eric Karl and Olivia
Eric Karl and Olivia
The Community Engagement Committee (CEC) is hosting the virtual SPIN Town Hall Candidate Forums for the public to hear from candidates for Southlake mayor, City Council and the Carroll ISD Board of Trustees.
SPIN is a non-political program dedicated to facilitating citizen engagement and communication between residents and the City. The CEC is a group of citizen volunteers who oversee and facilitate SPIN events. This hosted session is intended to provide an opportunity to familiarize residents with each of the City Council candidates and their platforms.
The virtual SPIN Town Hall Forum for mayor and City Council candidates takes place on Wednesday, April 7, from 6 - 8 p.m. The virtual forum for Carroll ISD Board of Trustees candidates takes place on Monday, April 12, from 6 – 8 p.m.
Forums will be broadcast on the City’s cable channel (Frontier channel 34 and Spectrum digital channel 190) and online via Video on Demand. A recording of the forums will be made available within 48 hours of the end of the program.
The candidate forums are a public opportunity to familiarize residents with each of the candidates:
Mayoral and City Council Candidates
Mayor
Place 2
Place 5
Carroll ISD Board of Trustees Candidates
Place 4
Place 5
Program
Both forums will use a virtual format. Questions for the candidates should be submitted using the links below:
Submit a question for City Council candidates.
Submit a question for Carroll ISD School Board candidates.
All questions must be submitted no later than 3 p.m. March 26 — no questions will be accepted after this date or during the forum. Similar questions may be consolidated or edited for clarity by the CEC.
Make sure you’re ready for either early voting, starting April 19 or election day, May 1. For more information about the election, visit CityofSouthlake.com/Elections.
Stay in the know with the latest news and updates from City Council, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Zoning, SPIN and more by using the City’s on-demand video service to watch meetings.
This service allows customers to access City information 24 hours day, seven days a week.
You can find your meeting is just four easy steps.
1. Visit the City of Southlake website. Scroll down and you will see a green icon labeled Video OnDemand
2. Click the Video OnDemand icon and it will direct you to a list of available videos.
3. Select the meeting of your choice.
4. Once you have made your selection, chose the meeting you would like to watch. The meeting will display along with the agenda. Customers have the option to watch the full meeting or skip to a specific agenda item. A video transcript and option to share the video are also available.
If you would like to watch a live video, follow the same instructions for 1-3 and click Live.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from the candidates for Southlake City Council at the upcoming virtual City Council Candidate Forum, hosted by the Community Engagement Committee (CEC).
The CEC is a City of Southlake Committee and a nonpartisan body dedicated to facilitating citizen engagement opportunities and communication between residents and local government, typically through SPIN Town Hall Forums.
This SPIN Town Hall Forum takes place on Monday, October 5, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It will be broadcast on the City’s cable channel (Frontier channel 34 and Spectrum digital channel 190) and online via Video on Demand. A recording of the forum will be made available within 48 hours of the end of the program.
The candidate forum is a public opportunity to familiarize residents with each of the candidates:
Place 1:
Sabreena Hakemy
Kathy Talley
Place 6
Randy Williamson
Victor Avila
Program
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this program will use a virtual format. Questions for the candidates should be submitted using this form: http://bit.ly/AskSLKCandidates2020. All questions must be submitted no later than 3:00 p.m. on October 5—no questions will be accepted during the forum. The moderator will consolidate similar items and may edit questions for clarity.
The forum will begin with each candidate providing an opening statement. Next, all candidates will have the opportunity to respond to questions submitted by the audience. Finally, all candidates will be asked to provide a closing statement.
Make sure you’re ready for either early voting, starting October 13 or election day, November 3, by checking out our voting guide. For more information about the election, visit CityofSouthlake.com/Elections.
Residents have a vision for the community they live in. Together, the City of Southlake, residents and businesses can create the best possible Southlake.
To do this, it requires the implementation of plans and processes that undergo rigorous examination. We need your help in reviewing potential development projects.
The Southlake Program for the Involvement of Neighborhoods was created in 1993 as a forum of open communication, typically between Southlake residents and applicants with development proposals. Occasionally, the City of Southlake will bring proposals through SPIN, like when the City proposes improvements to a City facility or park.
SPIN is a first step in the development process. Sometimes items presented during SPIN are still in the concept phase. Though it’s not a required step, City staff encourages developers to present their ideas during SPIN meetings.
During SPIN meetings, votes are NOT taken. The discussion is purely a learning experience for everyone involved.
When a developer comes up with a project idea, they are able to present it during a SPIN meeting with an approximate timeline to start the conversation with the community. In many cases, this happens before a developer submits any formal project plans to the City.
In 2019 alone, there were 39 different ideas presented during SPIN meetings. Many concepts went on to receive final approval and some chose not to continue the development process.
SPIN is an opportunity for developers and residents to exchange information. Developers gain an understanding for how residents feel about their project and residents can hear ideas and provide feedback early in the development process.
With the assistance of residents, the City of Southlake can enhance the quality of life for the entire community and achieve the high standards we’ve set for ourselves.
Interested in attending the next SPIN meeting? It’s scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, 2020 and will be held virtually. Click here to see what's on the agenda and learn how to watch or participate.
For future meetings, subscribe to the SPIN calendar on the City’s website (“Notify Me”) to be notified when an agenda is posted.
Watch for announcements on when SPIN meetings are held by following the City of Southlake Facebook page, checking the calendar on the City of Southlake website or registering to receive SPIN notifications through Alert Southlake.
Learn more about SPIN here.
In accordance with Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s action that allows telephonic or videoconference meetings of governmental bodies that are accessible to the public and reduce in-person interaction and encourage social distancing, the May 12 SPIN Town Hall Forum will be held virtually.
Meeting Agenda
To review the meeting agenda, please visit: https://www.cityofsouthlake.com/AgendaCenter.
Watch the Meeting
To simply watch the meeting, visit: https://www.cityofsouthlake.com/VOD. Scroll down and select the “Live” tab. Once the meeting has concluded, it will post to the City’s on-demand video player (at the same link as above) no later than the morning of Monday, May 18.
Meeting Participation
For those who want to participate during the meeting, you are required to register with the City at this link: https://bit.ly/512SLKSPIN, starting 90 minutes (4:30 p.m.) before the 6:00 p.m. start time. Participation instructions will be sent to the email provided. Please note that at the time of the registration, participants will be held in a queue until the meeting starts. Please also allow for possible delay in the video at your location if internet connection speeds are slow.
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation is frequently changing. The City of Southlake is committed to working with our residents and businesses as this unprecedented situation unfolds. For the latest City news and information, visit: www.ProtectSouthlake.com, Mayor Laura Hill’s Facebook page and the City’s Facebook pages.
