Here’s your Keller recap for the week.

Council denied the Samantha Springs project

Tuesday night Council voted down both pieces of Samantha Springs Commerce, the mixed-use project proposed for 15.63 acres at 800 N. Main. The plan was 31 brownstone homes, about 8.19 acres of commercial space and 3.27 acres of open space, with three existing buildings reused: the old Shannon Brewing, the Samantha Springs bottling plant and the former Harvest Christian Center. Both the rezoning and the land use plan amendment were denied. This had been building for six weeks. Planning and Zoning split on it in September, approving the land use change but recommending denial of the development itself. Council tabled it on October 6 after hours of testimony, with members including Charles Randklev comparing it to the stalled Center Stage project and pressing on whether the promised retail would actually get built after the houses went up. One caveat on sourcing: the city’s video action index records the motions to deny, but the written minutes haven’t posted yet, so there’s no vote count to report.

7 Brew is approved at Keller Parkway and Pate Orr

Council approved both the use permit and the site plan for the 7 Brew drive-thru coffee stand going into the old Quickway property at 901 Keller Parkway, across from Keller High. The application listed hours of 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on weekends. No construction schedule or opening date has been set. If you drive that corner at 7:40 in the morning, this is the one to watch.

Providence cleared its first hurdle

The land use plan amendment for Providence, the 22-lot subdivision proposed on 20.93 acres of Keller ISD-owned land at 901 Johnson Road, was approved Tuesday. That’s the step that changes what the city’s plan says the land is for. The separate rezoning piece hasn’t shown a final posted status yet, so the project isn’t fully approved, but the land use side is done.

The data center hearing is tomorrow

Judge Kimberly Fitzpatrick hears the Circle T case Friday in the 342nd District Court. Nothing new got filed or posted this week that anyone could find. Westlake has said it expects the whole dispute resolved tomorrow; the plaintiffs’ attorney has said he doesn’t agree. Coverage of the September hearing also differed on whether tomorrow is about the plaintiffs’ standing to sue or about a permanent injunction, so treat any single description of it with caution until the court rules.

Keller Town Hall was packed on day one of early voting

1,604 ballots were cast at Keller Town Hall on Monday, the fifth busiest early voting site in Tarrant County. Through Wednesday the location had recorded 4,691. Countywide, Monday’s 50,409 was up 73 percent over the same day in 2022. Worth being precise: those are votes cast at that building, not Keller residents, since any registered Tarrant County voter can use any location. Early voting runs through Friday, October 30. The district has a trustee candidate forum scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, which is your last look at the candidates before voting closes.

Two propositions say “THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE” on the ballot

If you vote and see that line on Propositions C and E, know what it is before you react. State law requires that exact wording on certain school bond propositions regardless of what the actual tax effect is, and Keller ISD says all five propositions fit within the current tax rate. You can agree or disagree with the district’s math, but the ballot language itself is not the district’s choice. Each of the five propositions passes or fails on its own.

The natatorium is still closed

Sixth week. The district’s natatorium page, its calendar and its hours page all still say closed until further notice. The Monday, October 19 lesson start that the swim club had scheduled came and went with nothing official from KISD. The district is advertising for natatorium lifeguards, which suggests it’s getting ready, but there is still no announced reopening date. Proposition C asks for $8,867,510 to fix it.

Mt. Gilead Road is getting rebuilt, starting January 2027

The state construction filing for this one finally came clear, and it’s a big project. Mount Gilead Road Reconstruction is registered with a January 4, 2027 start and a January 4, 2029 completion. The scope is a full rebuild from asphalt to a three-lane concrete road, plus drainage, water and sewer work and sidewalks. That’s a two-year job on a main route across north Keller. The city hasn’t awarded a construction contract yet, so treat those dates as the plan rather than a promise, but if you use Mt. Gilead to get anywhere, start thinking about it now.

Keller’s Haunted Camp Out
Saturday, October 24 at Bear Creek Park, 400 Bear Creek Parkway. It’s the city’s overnight family campout with tent-to-tent trick-or-treating, a costume contest and s’mores. The date is on the city’s events list, but the detail page is still showing 2024 prices and times, so call Parks and Recreation at 817-743-4050 for this year’s cost, check-in time and whether spots are left. Registration has been required in past years.

Trash Bash
Saturday, October 24 morning, the Keep Keller Beautiful citywide cleanup. Pre-registration is required and the time and meeting point aren’t posted, so it’s the same phone call as above. Good one for kids who need volunteer hours.

Keller Farmers Market
Saturday, October 24, 8 a.m. to noon at Bear Creek Park. Free, no theme this week. It’s in the same park as the campout, so you can do both.

Next Saturday is Halloween and the market is running “Pumpkins & Pooches.” Keller High Theatre also has Hadestown on the 29th and 30th.

That's your Keller week. See you next Friday.