Prosper - Celina Edition | October 2023

From the cover

Celina ocials pave way for growing population

BY ALEX REECE

Major projects funded in the budget include:

Two-minute impact

Downtown improvements: spring 2022-summer 2024

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Capital improvement projects on several major roadways and other Celina projects make up $61 million of the city’s $195 million budget for scal year 2023-24, which was approved by Celina City Council members on Sept. 12. “The road improvements are No. 1,” Assistant City Manager Kim Brawner said. “That’s been the direction from council and they’ve been very adamant about that; making sure the street system is sucient for our community.” Approximately $35 million of the $61 million worth of capital improvement projects are roadway-specic, according to a Sept. 12 meeting. Some of the roadway projects, especially ones city ocials know residents have been waiting for, are specially listed in the budget, Brawner said. “The [projects highlighted in the budget are] ones that we’ve received the most citizen complaints about or the ones that people are calling [about], saying, ‘When is this going to be accomplished?’” Brawner said. For example, one highlighted project will bring necessary parking and drainage improvements to the downtown area, according to a statement from interim city manager Karla Stovall included in the budget.

Choate Parkway improvements: design phase to start 2024

Celina

Preston Road lighting: fall 2023-winter 2025

455

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Coit Road improvements from Vest Lane to Outer Loop: spring 2024-fall 2025

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SOURCE: CITY OF CELINA COMMUNITY IMPACT

CHOATE PKWY.

BEECH ST.

VEST LN.

289

PEC

455

FRONTIER PKWY.

ARIZONA DR.

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The work on Coit Road, a major road for Celina residents, is expected to help drivers get to where they need to go faster, he said. “It’s about wear and tear, maintenance, and also the inconvenience of having to go around [some roads],” he said.

City leaders chose next year’s capital improve- ment projects with the population growth in mind, Mayor Ryan Tubbs said. “[The projects are] denitely helping us with that growth,” Tubbs said. “Nobody wants to take a road that requires them to drive on gravel to take their kids to elementary school in the morning.”

Celina’s capital improvement projects are future-focused, Brawner said. “Most of our projects are three-, four- or ve-year projects,” she said. “I’d say most of them [residents are] going to see start this [scal] year.” For example, construction on Coit Road is slated to start in the next nine months, Brawner said. It is expected to take approximately 14 months to nish. The city typically staggers its projects, so when a project is around three-fourths done, the next one on the list begins. “People are going to be very upset with us,” Brawner said. “[They’ll say], ‘We can’t get away from construction.’” Follow ongoing transportation coverage online at www.communityimpact.com/ transportation .

Celina population growth

72,096 (projected)

0 10K 20K 30K 40K 50K 60K 70K 80K

34,776

34,229

23,811

16,702

6,028

*AS OF OCTOBER 2023

SOURCES: CITY OF CELINA, U.S. CENSUS BUREAUCOMMUNITY IMPACT

PROSPER CELINA EDITION