The plans for the Town Hall Plaza project in Southlake took another step forward.
During the Nov. 18 Southlake City Council meeting, Southlake Director of Community Services David Miller made another presentation to council about the renovation and expansion project that was first discussed in the spring of 2023, according to previous reporting.

The context: Miller presented cases for natural grass or artificial turf between the park that spans from in front of town hall to FM 1709/Southlake Boulevard.

The natural grass would be a mix of Bermuda and Zoysia Palisades with a 15-year total cost of $1.63 million. The cost for artificial turf for the same 15-year span is $1.05 million, according to the presentation.

A closer look: Miller also addressed whether the city should forge ahead to construct bathroom/amenity centers within the park.

The plan would have a total associated cost of $1.52 million, according to Miller’s presentation, but city documents stated this was not a new cost, but part of the initial estimate for the park.

Kim McKinnon and Denise Lamanna work together as realtors on their “Downsizing Made Easy” program at Southlake-based McKinnon Real Estate, which focuses on helping homeowners across the region transition to senior living.

Community Impact interviewed McKinnon and Lamanna to provide families additional knowledge while considering a transition. Answers have been edited for length, style and clarity.

How can families determine if senior living is a good fit for their needs?
McKinnon: If someone is having a hard time functioning at home, meaning running errands, being able to get meals prepared. Are they able to walk freely?

Lamanna: Are their physical needs being met? We also run into loneliness or their ability to maintain their home from a maintenance perspective. That becomes an issue a lot of times with seniors.

Medical City Alliance earned an “A” from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, which rates patient safety in hospitals, for the seventh consecutive year.

The breakdown: The award recognizes hospitals for patient safety while they are admitted. Medical City Alliance was recognized as a “Straight A” facility in fall 2025, according to a Nov. 19 news release.

The Hospital Safety Grade is awarded twice each year and evaluates hospitals on more than 20 scientific scores related to errors, injuries, infections and safety systems within each hospital. The “A” rating means a hospital was instrumental in preventing harm while a patient was under its care.

Developers have broken ground on a master-planned community in Denton that will feature homes from nine builders, trails, park space, on-site schools and retail space, including the city's first H-E-B. Meanwhile, TeraHop, a Singapore-based tech company, is expanding its operations to a new Richardson facility.

Here are six development stories you may have missed from Community Impact's Dallas-Fort Worth coverage areas.

Landmark breaks ground in Denton, model homes coming soon

VanTrust Real Estate announces 121 Commerce Park project in McKinney

Flower Mound council approves zoning for 335-acre conservation development Eden Ranch

Tech company TeraHop to open Richardson manufacturing facility

Grocery store development in North Texas continues to surge

Fort Worth launches Alliance Logistics District to streamline regional freight traffic

On the heels of what proponents have called “historic” property tax relief, some Texas lawmakers are questioning whether the state can afford to continue increasing the tax exemptions passed in 2023 and 2025.

The big picture: Texas homeowners pay property taxes to various local entities, although lawmakers can limit how much entities increase taxes each year and provide state funding to expand tax exemptions.

Texas is spending $51 billion on property tax relief in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 alone and may be required to spend more to maintain existing tax exemptions in future bienniums, lawmakers said.

What they're saying: "We're kind of maxed out at what we can do for property tax reform, from a budget perspective," said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, during a Nov. 20 event.

"$51 billion ongoing, it's a huge amount to continue to support. To think about doing anything more seems very fiscally irresponsible," Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said.

The other side: Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, said creating limits on local government spending would be critical to keeping Texas affordable.