Keller City Council approved a zoning change for the excess land Keller ISD recently sold around the Keller High School tennis courts and bus lot.

The motion was amended and then approved, 5-1, with one abstaining vote from Charles Randklev, at a regular meeting Oct. 20.

The gist: A gated community, Providence, will be developed behind the tennis courts and bus lot and will feature custom-built, 5,000-square-foot houses worth around $2 million. 

Applicant Curtis Young, a principal at architecture firm Sage Group, proposed zoning for  single-family residential homes on 25,000-square-foot lots in a planned development. This type of development, which has to be approved by council, allows developers to deviate from certain zoning restrictions

The proposal passed after it was amended to have 21 houses and a change from iron fencing to mason walls bordering the tennis courts on the east. 

Early voting kicked off in Tarrant County Oct. 19, and 337,084 residents cast their ballots in person or by mail by the end of the day Oct. 25, according to data from the Texas Secretary of State's website. 

The breakdown

Those 337,084 ballots translate to more than 27% of registered voters in the county, a 10% increase from the first week of early voting during the 2022 midterm election, according to the SOS's website. The total number of voters during the same timespan in 2022 was 215,598, or 17.1%.

There are more than 1.22 million registered voters in Tarrant County this year, nearly 30,000 fewer registered voters than in 2022. According to state data, 321,672 residents voted in person and 15,412 voted by mail by the end of the day Oct. 25. 

Looking ahead:Community Impact will continue to cover local elections through election night Nov. 3. Visit communityimpact.com/election for the latest local election results.

Early voting kicked off in Denton County Oct. 19, and 197,201 residents cast their ballots in person or by mail by the end of the day Oct. 25, according to data from the Texas Secretary of State's website. 

The breakdown: Those 197,201 ballots translate to over 28% of registered voters, an 8% increase from the first week of early voting in 2022, the last midterm election, according to the SOS's website. The total number of voters during the same timespan in 2022 was 116,552, or 20.49%.

There are 688,032 registered voters in Denton County this year. 191,483 residents voted in person and 5,718 voted by mail by the end of the day Oct. 25, state data shows. 

Stay tuned:Community Impact will continue to cover local elections through election night Nov. 3. Visit communityimpact.com/election for the latest local election results.

Zumiez opened its doors at Tanger Fort Worth in early September.

The details: The store offers a blend of sportswear, streetwear, accessories and footwear for men and women that are geared toward skateboarding and snowboarding, according to a release from Tanger Outlets. The store also offers hard goods for skateboarding and snowboarding.

Zumiez carries dozens of brands, such as Skechers, DC, Ed Hardy and Fox Racing, according to its website.

The 2,000-square-foot location opened across from Hurley and is next to OshKosh B’Gosh where menswear store Robert Graham was previously located.

• 15853 N. Freeway, Ste. 1125, Fort Worth

See five transportation projects around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Upcoming projects

1. Loop 288 frontage road construction

Project: The Texas Department of Transportation is planning to construct frontage roads on Loop 288 in Denton County with grade separations and an improved connector to US 380. The project would span from I-35 to US 380 east of Geesling Road.

Update: TxDOT has yet to raise the necessary funds for the recently announced billion-dollar cost. TxDOT is still working with Denton County and the contracting firm to finalize schematics and plan the project’s timeline.

• Timeline: finalized schematic expected December 2026

• Cost: $1.3 billion

• Funding sources: TxDOT, Denton County

2. US 81 improvements

Project: TxDOT and the city of Fort Worth will reconstruct frontage roads and make intersection improvements along US 81 from I-35W to Harmon Road.

Update: Fort Worth City Council approved an advance funding agreement with TxDOT for $3.75 million for water main relocation as part of the project at a Sept. 29 meeting.

• Timeline: estimated completion January 2028

• Cost: $75.9 million

• Funding sources: TxDOT, city of Fort Worth