March 3
Wine Crawl
Clean Sweep
Friday Night Market
Movie Night on the Square Friday Night Market
Cinco de Mayo
Celina Cajun Fest Music on the Square Friday Night Market
Movie Night on the Square Splash & Blast Friday Night Market Music on the Square Clean Sweep
August 4
August 18 September 1 September 16 September 30 October 3 October 6 October 14 October 21 October 28 November 3 November 29 December 1-25 December 9
Movie Night on the Square Friday Night Market
Touch-a-Truck
Clean Sweep
National Night Out Friday Night Market
Celina Oktoberfest
Troubadour Festival Beware! of the Square Friday Night Market
Christmas on the Square Countdown to Christmas Celina Gift Tour
Dear residents and friends,
From all of us in the City of Celina, Happy New Year!
Thank you for taking the time to read this issue of Life Connected., the official publication of the City of Celina. In this edition, you will enjoy learning more about our hometown – past, present, and future. Here, the City has provided updates on new projects and developments, improvements to existing infrastructure, updates from our local government, and an exciting calendar of upcoming events that we will all enjoy.
I’m excited to see in this edition a story of the incomparable partnership between the City of Celina and Celina I.S.D. I want to thank City Manager Jason Laumer and Superintendent Dr. Tom Maglisceau for taking the time to visit with us and share their strategic partnership and its long-term, positive implications for our community. These leaders and their teams are making strides today that will impact Celina and our families for generations to come. The partnership they share is a model for communities everywhere.
As each edition seeks to keep us connected to our heritage, readers will also enjoy peeking into the past and seeing the historic portfolio of the Celina school buildings where students, teachers, and administrators have worked and served for over a century. Our new campuses are as spectacular as any you will find, but they follow a long line of architectural and building ingenuity that is fascinating. I hope you will take a moment to enjoy learning about the lineage of great school campuses in Celina.
We stand on the brink of a new year with new hopes and new possibilities all around us. As has always been true with the passing of time, I am certain this year will be marked with some amazing peaks and may have some moments that are more challenging. On behalf of the Celina City Council, let me wish you a blessed and prosperous New Year. Through it all, our hope is that your 2023 and this New Year for the City of Celina will be the best yet. We are grateful to serve in the greatest place on Earth to live, work, and raise a family.
We are Life Connected.
“My hope for Celina next year is to continue building on the spirit of Life Connected. Celina is a special place, and the people make it that way.”
“It’s been a great privilege to have had the opportunity to serve the citizens of Celina on City Council. Our community saw a lot of growth and accomplishments in 2022, and I’m excited to continue that path into 2023, working with our citizens, my colleagues on City Council and city administration. I pray that everyone has a happy and prosperous 2023!”
“My family and I are so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful community. Wishing you and your family in 2023 a year filled with all of the happiness, promise, and blessings enough to fill your heart. May you find the time that you need to make amazing memories with the special people in your life.”
Place 1
“2023 will be an exciting year for Celina. I’m grateful for our wonderful residents who made our City awesome. Happy New Year and I wish you and your family the very best!”
Place 3
“It is an honor to have your confidence to be a part of the leadership of our amazing City. Thank you for supporting the Council, City Staff and our First Responders. Here’s to a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.”
Place 5
“Wishing all of our Celina residents a 2023 full of joy! I hope everyone will find happiness in each and every day with their families and neighbors here in our community. Happy New Year, Celina! May this be your best year yet!”
“The New Year is always an exciting time as it brings new opportunities for our City and community members. I wish you and your family the very best as you begin this new year!”
Sean Terry Mayor Jay Pierce Mayor Pro Tem, Place 2 Wendie Wigginton Deputy Mayor Pro Tem, Place 4 Philip Ferguson Andy Hopkins Mindy KoehneCelina resident legend Punk Carter was honored at December’s City Council Meeting with the Key to the City by Mayor Sean Terry.
The legendary horseman has been a fixture in the Celina community for over 60 years. Carter – who is widely-known expert in horse training, roping horse training, and basic horsemanship – is a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, National Cutting Horses Association Hall of Fame and has judged prestigious competitions from his famous Punk Carter Ranch.
Carter was joined by his wife, Rita, along with his daughters Colleen, Cassye, and Caimey, at the presentation along with his six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
In the December City Council Meeting, Council voted unanimously to name the new Celina Senior Center at Ousley Park after Celina Resident, Ralph O’Dell.
O’Dell graduated from Alla Hubbard High School at the age of 16. In 1943, he was drafted into the United States Army where he served in World War II. During his service, he received the Pacific Medal, the Bronze Star, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
In April of 2013, O’Dell was recognized for his lifetime of achievement for service to his country and City. He also received the 2012 Citizen of the Year by the Celina Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, O’Dell led the Preston Trails Rotary Club to win the Non-Profit of the Year.
O’Dell has long been a vital part of the Celina community and the City is honored to name the newest Senior Center after such a dedicated resident.
Mayor Terry presented a proclamation to Celina High School Bocce State Champion Jenna Hemphill.
Scenic City of the Year Award
The Celina Planning Department was honored for receiving the 2022 Texas Scenic City of the Year Award.
Chief John Cullison was presented with an award for winning the Carter Blood Care Battle of the Badges Blood Drive held at Beware! of the Square.
Members of Celina’s Citizens Government Academy were recognized for their participation and graduation from the program.
The Celina High School Marching Band was honored with a special proclamation for winning the 4A UIL State Marching Band Championship.
EDC Golf Tournament
The Celina EDC presented the proceeds of its annual golf tournament to the Downtown Commission and Police and Fire Associations.
The
The City of Celina is a “Home-Rule Municipality” governed by a Mayor and six City Council members who are elected by the residents. City Council Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 5:00 PM inside City Council Chambers located at 112 N. Colorado Street in Celina.
All City Council Meeting Agendas are posted at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. Each meeting is live-streamed and recorded for those that cannot attend. Streaming information and agenda packets can be found online at www.celina-tx.gov/citycouncil.
CISD Student Proclamation
State Champion Marching Band Proclamation
Mayor Terry presented Director of Parks and Recreation Cody Webb with an award for Bobcat Trail at Ousley Park.
Bobcat Trail Award
Celina Planning Department was honored with the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association Excellence Award.
Planning Department Award
Life in Celina is the official community podcast of Celina, Texas. Hosted by motivational speaker and author Drew Myers, the Life in Celina Podcast is a storytelling podcast through the eyes of the residents that make our community so special. The podcast regularly shares the stories behind the amazing people, businesses, and groups that make Celina home. It’s aimed to inspire our residents to live a Life Connected.
Since its first episode in January 2020, Life in Celina has accumulated a library of over 90 stories from those who connect our community. Life in Celina can be heard twice a month and can be found wherever you listen to your podcasts.
included:
• Punk Carter, Legendary Horseman
• Sean Terry, Celina Mayor
• Bill Elliott, Celina Head Football Coach
• Brian Fleming, Celina Resident and War Hero
• Rachel Baty, Owner of Annie Jack
• Craig Leverette, Collin College Provost
• Coffey Anderson, Country Musician
• Torii Hunter, Former Major League Baseball Player
• Dr. Tom Maglisceau, Celina ISD Superintendent
• Natalie Imhoff, Owner of Buff City Soap
• Kristen Ethridge, Author
• Chad and Ryan Bailey, Founders of The Mill Community Church
• Melissa Cromwell, Celina Chamber of Commerce President
...and many more!
Life in Celina Podcast is available on all of your favorite podcast platforms.
What is the best way to stay connected with the City of Celina? It’s through our Celina Life Connected. app!
The City of Celina has partnered with CityFront Innovations, the industry leader in smart city technology, to create an integrated mobile app that allows residents and visitors the opportunity to access City resources at their fingertips. Celina Life Connected. app users have the ability to bill pay, report issues, find local restaurants, follow our social media platforms, and so much more!
Want to know when Celina is hosting its next special event – check out the Celina Life Connected. app.
Want to listen to the “Life in Celina Podcast” with host Drew Myers – check out the Celina Life Connected.
Celina Life Connected. app users even have the opportunity to make sure that we all keep Celina beautiful. The app serves as the mobile service request system for the City of Celina. The app has integrated image recognition technology to enable users the ability to report issues to the City by snapping a picture with their smartphone and submitting it for review. Each request can be tracked for follow-up and feedback from the City.
The Life Connected. app is available in both Google Play and Apple iTunes stores.
Travel north through Celina on State Highway 289 to County Road 134, and atop a hill with one of the most scenic viewpoints in Collin County, sits the Celina High School. Bold, visionary leaders in the early part of this century recognized that growth from North Dallas was inevitably making its way to this community steeped in faith, family, and our Bobcats, and an aggressive bond package was passed for the completion of the current high school. Meaningful to Celina’s legacy families, the location selected for the new high school would sit on the same hill where generations of students from outside the city had, in previous years, attended the long-gone Alla School, named by the Hubbard family in honor of their daughter.
Long before the present home of Celina High School, over a hundred years of Bobcats were educated in some fascinating facilities, several which no longer exist. The journey to the hilltop began in a two-room wooden structure. Earliest documents state that a school in Celina was run by Mr. Karnes as early as the 1883-1884 school
year and housed about 60 pupils. Eventually, the school was led by Sid Tolbert, who for the first time, allowed boys and girls to occupy the same playground and play games together.
The growth of this farming community eventually forced leaders in Celina to erect a larger and much more ornate school building. In 1906, the beautiful two-story brick Celina School opened on the site of the present-day Administration Building on Colorado Street. At a cost of $10,850.00, the school would open with 203 students and six teachers and boasted an auditorium that seated nearly 1,000 people. The location of this school campus would prove critical in just five years, when J. Fred Smith would design and build Celina’s beautiful downtown square just two blocks from the school.
Like so many structures from the early part of the 20th century, this beautiful school would succumb to a fire in 1915, just a little over eight years after it opened. School and community leaders would hurriedly partner to replace it with a three-story
brick building that would be built at the same site. It, too, was a marvelous architectural structure that would provide Celina students a place to learn as the community would grow. However, that rushed structure immediately began to have problems throughout. By the late 1930’s, the Celina School was deteriorating to a point that would provide safety concerns for students, faculty, and staff. In 1941, preparation was underway to pass a bond and to seek federal funding under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to build a solid school structure in Celina that would stand the tests of time.
Small town politics would soon erupt, and on January 23, 1941, just weeks after the WPA grant was issued, angry taxpayers filed a lawsuit to stop the bond. Seven days later the trial began, and by February 5, 1941, the school won the trial. Dissenters pled to
a higher court, but they lost there as well. In November of 1941, work began on the next chapter of a campus for Celina schools. During construction, local churches opened their facilities for classes, using Sunday School rooms for core instruction. With World War II underway, reports of the progress of the school were hard to find. However, the Celina Record states that a grade school graduation was held there in May of 1943 and another article confirms classes began for the 1943-44 school year in that building. For three decades, Celina students of all ages called that facility on Colorado Street home.
During this same time period, schools in America were divided. In the late 1940’s, an aging school for African American students on Ash Street would be replaced by the George Washington Carver School on Elm Street. Built with a
price tag of about $15,000, Celina Superintendent J.H. Reed opened the new red brick facility in July of 1950 under the leadership of Principal Cornelius Young. Students would attend Carver School through 8th grade then were bused to E.S. Doty High School in McKinney to complete their education.
By the 1960’s, forces of change swept across this country, and dividing walls fell. No longer would neighbors from the same town be prohibited from attending the same schools. In 1965, schools in Celina I.S.D. were integrated, and George Washington Carver School was torn down. A beautiful monument stands on the property today, just south of the old Bobcat Field, as a tribute to the students, teachers, and administrators who attended and served there.
By the mid-1970’s, the district was
growing beyond available space. The Alla School campus was used to educate junior high students, and a bond issue would be necessary to build a new high school. The site would be selected just across the street from the football stadium, and in 1977, under the direction of Superintendent Perry Morris and School Board President Jack Stanton, Celina I.S.D. opened its first designated high school building.
Growth would continue through the 1980’s and 1990’s, and another high school building would be necessary to sustain the high-quality educational experience that has always been a trademark of this community.
In the late 1990’s, Superintendent Don Newsom would convince Celina voters that a new high school would be necessary, and they responded in support.
At the beginning of the 1996 school year, Newsom and School Board President Pat Hunn welcomed high school students to Celina High School’s newest location, just east of the previous building and on the prominent corner of State Highway 289 and FM 455.
From this building, Celina would become a household name around Texas. Bobcat football teams would win seven state football titles from this campus and set a state record for the most consecutive wins by a high school football team, among other records. At that location, fine arts facilities were enhanced, agricultural education facilities were expanded, and other boys’ and girls’ sports would experience milestones. From this building, the Celina baseball team won its only state championship on record.
After 20 years, more growth and more people moving in, the high school building at the prominent intersection in town would no longer be capable of providing the educational space that was desperately needed. Another bond issue would be considered. Another vote would be passed.
This time, when the district was ready to prepare for a high school to handle the demands that would soon follow, they imagined returning to that old Alla School hilltop. Longtime Celina resident and historian Jane Willard wrote about the generosity and vision of the Moses Hubbard family in her memoirs titled, History of Celina, “Upon their death in the early 1900’s they endowed the small country school three miles north of town with a land trust. Upon consolidation, the CISD became the recipient of this trust and...years later the Hubbards are still helping educate the descendants of the children of their friends and neighbors.”
In 2007, Celina I.S.D. opened the magnificent Celina High School campus that stands today. The beautiful structure, recently crowned with incomparable athletics facilities, is fit to educate another few generations of Celina students before growth and expansion will, once again, call for new campuses. However, this will be nothing new to a district and a community forged through changes to schools since the late 1800’s. Celina residents from across the
decades would attest that, no matter the buildings or their locations, the heart and soul of this community embraces our schools, our students, our teachers, our coaches, and our administrators. While everything else has evolved or will continue to transform, that never will.
Alla School Built in 1896
Dr. Tom Maglisceau arrived in Celina as the new Superintendent of Schools as the world was dramatically changing. His onboarding process would have a much shorter trajectory than that which is normal for most superintendents. A global pandemic was about to uproot the traditional education system to which students and teachers in Texas and around the country were accustomed. With decades of hands-on leadership in education, the new leader of Celina schools would very soon find himself in empty hallways across campuses that would normally be bustling with teachers and students.
What was going to be a traditional spring break became an eternal spring. At first, the break extended. It extended some more, and
eventually, in-person school was cancelled for the remainder of the year. State mandates would quickly shift, and virtual classrooms were established. Seemingly unknown terms like “distance learning” became the norm overnight. School districts were thrust into ramping up new learning modules that had never been a part of any strategic plan or taught at a conference. Students and teachers, from their homes, would meet via the internet for daily lectures, assignments, quizzes, and tests.
Meanwhile, Celina City Manager Jason Laumer had been working tirelessly to navigate the unprecedented North Texas growth that had its sights set on all things Celina. Developers, retailers, small business owners, and so many others were ferociously working to gain their
place on the city’s Northern Collin County plains. One of his vibrant selling points for businesses was Celina’s decision from a few years earlier to mandate fiber internet to every household in the city. It was a bold and aggressive campaign that had started before his arrival here, yet one that would be critical as the world would soon change. So critical, in fact, Texas Governor Greg Abbott named Celina the first Gigabit City in Texas for this infrastructural ingenuity.
With children of his own enrolled in Celina schools, when the endless spring break unfolded and virtual learning emerged as the only option for school children in the city, Laumer quickly began to feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what seemed to many as just another city technology initiative. Suddenly, that initiative would be a transformational component in the lives of every student and teacher in Celina. While other districts throughout the state struggled with connectivity and bandwidth issues, numerous homes in Celina were equipped for the moment.
Yet, other challenges still existed. Rural parts of the community lacked the fiber internet that neighborhood communities in the city limits now saw and appreciated as a lifeline. Maglisceau and Laumer had met together before, but it was time to connect with a desperate need and to work in
tandem to find a solution. Could the Gigabit City help find a way to assist the district in reaching every home with internet access? The City not only was able to assist, but an entire generation of learners benefited from the collaborative effort. The City Manager made available to the district a large number of internet hot spots that it already possessed and others it was able to acquire so that no student or teacher in Celina would be beyond the reach of digital learning.
From this successful endeavor launched one of the most impressive city and school district partnerships anywhere. Much more than equipment that was exchanged for learning, trust was exchanged for growing forward as a team. A Celina Superintendent and a Celina City Manager realized that their shared efforts could make a dramatic impact on an everexpanding community. The partnership, birthed through the most challenging times, has sustained through the many better seasons that followed.
Life Connected. Magazine recently sat down with Dr. Tom Maglisceau and Mr. Jason Laumer at Celina City Hall. These leaders were asked about their partnership, its impact on their jobs and on the overall community, and how this partnership can be a catalyst for shared success as the city continues to grow.
Currently, in every sector, the word “partnership” is abuzz—maybe even cliché. How do you two leaders work to maintain a real and thriving partnership between the City of Celina and Celina I.S.D. in this critical time of expansion and growth in our community’s history?
TM: We both have one critical mandate and responsibility that we share, and that is to take care of this community and the people we serve. Since the day I first met with Jason and his team, that has always been the topic of every discussion and the goal of every agreement. Like any relationship or partnership, we are committed to working together, always thinking of the other person. It takes work, intentional communication. We meet regularly. We talk regularly, and in doing so, we know what helps the other succeed as they work to care for this place and our people.
JL: I agree. We both realize that we serve the residents of our community and work for the taxpayers whose hard work and sacrifice make everything we both do possible. A partnership between the city and the district is not only imperative, but it is important so that we can look for ways to help each other, both tangibly and intangibly. Tom can open his gymnasiums for our City basketball leagues. We can cut permit fees for all their new building projects. In the end, it’s a win for both of us, but more so, a win for the residents and taxpayers. That’s why we take this partnership so seriously.
What are some of those tangible impacts that this shared partnership between you two has yielded or can yield as we build forward?
JL: Regarding building forward, the single-most important way that the city can assist the school district is to make sure they have the proper infrastructure and safety in place for every site they are looking to build a school campus. Schools cannot open or impact the lives of kids in Celina if they don’t have streets, water, and public safety. Working with Tom on future school sites has been a catalyst for me, then, going to the developers around those future campuses and asking them to make sure that such infrastructure is in place, so that when they are ready to open another school, they aren’t held up by the city.
TM: Equally as important in this partnership are the memorable, fun moments, that come out of it. For instance, I cannot begin to tell you how incredible it is to be able to know that the Mayor and Jason’s team are always ready to provide a police and fire escort back into town when one of our teams or the band comes home with a state championship trophy. I love how the city shuts down our incredible historic Downtown Square for the annual Homecoming parade. I am grateful that the Mayor and Council always recognize our students and staff in their meetings. My team has never had to ask. This City knows what is best for our kids and our schools, and they do what is best for our schools.
If I asked you for the first thing that comes to your mind that proved to you, personally, the value of this partnership and that will have a lasting impact in the community, what would it be?
TM: Jason serves on the board of the Celina Education Foundation, so he understands the vital role of this foundation for honoring innovative ideas and student success. Jason and Mayor Terry began working with developers to financially commit to long-term funding that would be paid into our Education Foundation. Furthermore, Jason and the city work with developers to help secure sites for our schools, saving vital tax dollars for our citizens. His philosophy of “If you’re going to build here, you’re going to partner here” will have a dramatic long-term impact, and it will result in beautiful facilities for our students and teachers, better scholarships for our future graduates, and more grants for the innovative ideas of our staff team.
JL: On our Master Parks Plan, we have this beautiful linear park that will wind along Doe Branch Creek. It desperately needed a crowning piece where the public could gather, enjoy entertainment, and experience the best of Celina. Sitting at the top of this park was the old Bobcat Field where generations of teams played and won, and we dreamed of how this historic shrine could become that much-needed crowning piece. Working with the Ousley family, who originally donated the land for the stadium, Tom and his team worked to deed that property to the city so that we could achieve everything we wanted for our park and entertainment needs. The City not only gained the crown jewel of that park, but perpetual generations of residents and friends will get to experience the hallowed place that played such a historic role in our schools and in the community.
One of the ways you can greatly foster a partnership like the one you share is to be involved in the things that help the other to succeed. Are there ways that your involvement in each other’s areas have made the partnership stronger and the results better for people in Celina?
TM: Jason understands the principle that safe communities equal safe schools. Public safety is as high of a priority for both of us as anything we share. So, when it came time for us to identify and hire a new Celina Police Chief, Jason invited me to serve on the committee and gave me a chance to participate in the selection of the individual who would be tasked with keeping our community safe and also keeping our schools safe. Equally as important, when it came time to conduct a recent reunification drill, I leaned heavily into the Celina Fire and Police Departments for leadership, guidance, and assurance that our district can and will provide the best response for our students, teachers, staff, and their families should we ever need to evacuate one of our schools and reunify our students with their families. Partnership takes participation, and examples like these help us make each other better.
JL: Our relationship has been built on an understanding of our roles, but also an investment in each other’s areas of responsibility. I immediately looked for ways to be involved in the school district, beyond the fact that I am a parent of kids in our schools. I serve on the Celina Education Foundation Board. I work intricately with Tom on his Capital Committee and LongRange Planning Committee. I have worked with developers to secure for Celina I.S.D. nine potential elementary school sites and six potential secondary school sites. I understand that many people who move here do so because they are attracted to our schools. If, in my role as City Manager, I can help the district acquire land so that they can build beautiful campuses for generations of students and teachers to enjoy, then I feel like the city has done a small part in Celina I.S.D.’s future full of endless possibilities.
You both work for elected officials—the Celina City Council and the Celina I.S.D. School Board. Are they involved in this partnership as well?
JL: Our elected officials at the city and the school district are very involved in the partnership. Many of them are parents of students, and far beyond their elected responsibility, they have a personal investment in the success of our schools. City Council regularly discusses in their meetings and out in public, how their decisions will impact our schools. And the school board members participate and support so many of the initiatives of the city. They share their facilities and resources, and we share ours. If you look at the list of the best cities and best school districts in Texas, you will inevitably find that the best partnership exists between the two in each community. I think we have the best of the best in partnerships here.
TM: When I arrived here, the first message I heard was the motto, “Life Connected.” This idea resonated with my own beliefs that the community was so connected among our residents, businesses, schools. But Life Connected. is also evident between our Celina School Board and the Celina City Council. They work together, and they support one another. Life Connected. is also further evident as I hear of teachers and staff members from our District serving on Committees and Boards that impact our community. I personally attend every Planning & Zoning Meeting and City Council Meeting I can. To see the leaders across every reach of our community engaging and supporting each other, and our milestones is a gift that few outside of Celina ever get to experience.
Mr. Laumer, what is a high-impact project that you are currently working on with the School District?
We recently needed 20 acres of a 40-acre parcel for a public works project. I really liked the potential site, but the City just didn’t need or need to pay for the other 20 acres. I reached out to Tom to see if the school district had a need for 20 acres for any of their expanding facilities. He shared their desperate need for a parcel of land to develop a maintenance, food services, and facilities warehouse. We got our 20 acres and they got theirs. We both had a major win out of one phone call because of this incredible partnership.
Dr. Maglisceau, why is this partnership necessary for high-impact future initiatives of Celina I.S.D.?
Working together prevents us from wasting time or resources separately on things that will have a long-term benefit for both of us. For instance, by discussing and planning for the infrastructure and Capital Improvements Projects, it helps us to determine the next school sites to build and how we can effectively draw and redraw our attendance zones with the least amount of interruption. We are potentially going to be opening a new elementary school almost every year in the coming decade, and we want to limit the number of times our families have to change schools. Having strategic conversations and shared plans allows us to maximize what’s best for our families as we grow.
The City of Celina is committed to being smart and strategic in how we grow. One of the ways that we show our commitment is through Capital Improvement Projects, which are partnerships between the City and local contractors for roadways, waterlines, sanitary sewers, stormwater, and drainage improvements.
Under Construction
• Celina Police Headquarters
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• Senior Center at Bobcat Stadium Complex
• Fire Station 3 (Sutton Fields)
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Fire Station #3 Under Construction
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• FM 428 (Glendenning Pkwy) Expansion to a six lane divided from Dallas Pkwy to Preston Rd
• Preston Rd Lighting Phase 4 - N Legacy Dr to Marilee Rd
• CR 53 Improvements - Doe Branch to Glen Crossing
• Parvin Rd Asphalt Improvements - Asphalt Reconstruction from Bothwell Blvd to N Legacy Dr
• Parvin Rd Schematic Phase 1 - Expansion to four lanes from FM 1385 to Dallas Pkwy
• S Arizona Dr and S Colorado Dr Improvements from W Ash St to W Cedar St – storm drain, water, sewer, and roadway improvements
• Dallas Pkwy and Collin County Outer Loop Eastbound Frontage Rd Temporary Traffic Signal
• Ownsby Pkwy - Expansion to four lanes from Preston Rd to Coit Rd
• Coit Rd - Construction of two lanes of concrete from Vest Lane to north of Punk Carter Blvd.
• Celina Pkwy Schematic Design - CR 52 to FM 428
• Preston Rd Lighting Phase 3 - Lynn Stambaugh Pwky to Legacy Dr
• Frontier Pkwy from Preston Rd to Custer Rd
• Choate Pkwy from Kinship Pkwy to Custer Rd
• Preston Rd Street Lighting Phase 2 - Glendenning Rd to Lynn Stambaugh Pkwy
• Downtown Inner Loop Phase 1 - Improvements to storm drain system, roadway, water, sewer, lighting, and landscaping on Colorado Dr, Beech St, Ohio St, and Pecan St.
• Maryland St and Lakeview Way - Improvements to drainage system and roadway panel replacements
• Outer Loop Eastbound Frontage Rd from Preston Rd to Custer Rd
• Frontier Pkwy from Preston Rd to Dallas Pkwy
• Doe Branch Creek bank stabilization along S Arkansas Dr between E Oak St and E Ash St
The City of Celina is committed to improving the lives of our residents. It’s about providing the best in public safety, top-ranked schools, innovative infrastructure, and most importantly, listening to feedback from our residents.
Below are some ongoing and future City projects happening in and around Sutton Fields.
Fire Station 3 broke ground in September 2022, which will be located at the southeast corner of FM 1385 and Ballenger Road. The future Fire Station 3 will include five apparatus bays, community room, living, dining, and sleeping quarters, gym, locker rooms, and training room. The Police Department has assigned officers to patrol the Sutton Fields development every day.
In the Spring of 2023, Parvin Road is scheduled to be paved with asphalt. A full four-lane concrete section on FM 1385 is currently in the design process. This will connect FM 1385 to the Dallas North Tollway. The City worked with TxDOT to start this project on an earlier timeline with the goal to have it fully-funded and finished by 2026.
The City has worked with Prosper ISD for the construction of a new elementary school that will service Sutton Fields. The City took the lead to secure the land for the new elementary school, which will open in the Fall 2023 instead of the original plan of Fall 2024.
The City has worked with the developers of Sutton Fields to build an indoor amenity center prior to the beginning of Sutton Fields East expansion. The City met with residents at HOA meetings to address their concerns on zoning, safety, and infrastructure. Many projects have been factored into the City of Celina FY 2023 budget as a result of the feedback from the Sutton Fields residents,
The Texas Turfgrass Association (TTA) named Celina’s Field #4 as the 2022 Softball Field of the Year. The Celina Parks & Recreation Team was honored at the Texas Turfgrass Association Conference in Denton in December and will be featured in the upcoming Texas Turfgrass Magazine.
In order to be nominated, fields must have been two years or older and under the continuous care of the entrant for at least two years. In addition, the team had to submit photos of the overall field from top of the stands, behind outfield fence, behind home plate and/or end zone, infield and outfield grass, sidelines areas in front of dugouts and around home plate, and maintenance crew working with equipment on the field.
Wilson Creek Park will be Celina’s next big park! To be located at The Parks at Wilson Creek, the park will be approximately 100 acres with unique natural features that will be incorporated into the overall master plan design. The City of Celina in partnership with Dunaway took feedback from the Celina community during the November and December months via public meetings, a booth at Christmas on the Square, social media and direct email campaigns.
The Planning & Zoning Commission advises City Council about City Planning to include public improvements, civic improvements, zoning of property, widening and changing of streets, routing of public utilities, controlling and regulating traffic, and approving site and subdivision plats. In addition, the Planning & Zoning Commission makes recommendations and can approve various land development applications as well as amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning & Zoning Commission consists of seven members who serve on a three-year staggered term.
Public meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 5:30 PM in City Council Chambers
Some items the Planning & Zoning Board accomplished in 2022 include:
• Updated the City’s Overlay Districts to protect and promote major corridors
• Updated the City’s alcohol regulations in advance of the November election
• Discussed the City’s various growth strategies
Methodist Celina Medical Center will be breaking ground in January 2023 in Celina. The $200-million project will be a four-story, 192,000-squarefoot full-service acute care hospital and will be located on 46.7 acres of land at the southeast corner of the Dallas North Tollway and FM 428.
The Methodist Celina Center will feature:
• 78 inpatient beds: 48 finished out and shell space for 30 additional beds
• 30 medical-surgical beds
• 16 emergency department beds
• 10 post-partum beds
• Eight intensive care unit beds
• Four labor and delivery suites, including two C-section rooms
• Three operating rooms with shell space for one additional operating room
• Cardiac catheterization lab
• 40,000-square-foot medical office building
Service Lines: Women’s services, cardiovascular care, cancer care, orthopedics, and robotic surgery with a DaVinci surgical robot are all currently part of the plans. In addition, the medical center will have ancillary and support services, such as advanced outpatient imaging, mammography, laboratory services, and retail dining and catering.
Future plans include growth of these programs along with a Level III Trauma Emergency Department and NICU to support women’s services and provide a community health benefit in the community.
