From
Mae Smith
Title
Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Ascendant Commercial and the Texas Parks & Recreation Society Foundation for acquisition of a portion of the old Great Southwest Golf Course Property for parkland and future right of way for Great Southwest Parkway.
Presenter
Rick Herold
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
The staff and developer of the property have been in negotiations regarding the potential for a passive park on a portion of the Great Southwest Golf Course tract. The developer is constructing a warehouse development on the north portion of the property but the remainder of the tract (63.5+/- acres) is located within the floodplain and is restricted from development. The consultant firm of Oliver Windham, Landscape Architect was contracted to develop conceptual park plans to determine the viability of the site for a potential municipal park site. The consultant prepared (3) park development options, ranging in value from $450,000 to $1,483,500, with park development ranging from basic passive, naturalized park improvements to a higher level of park development.
Concurrently, the Department has been working on Project Discovery 2026, the updating of the comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. Based on the results of the study to date, the area surrounding the proposed park site is devoid of neighborhood park land and meets the criteria for park acquisition.
This project site also meets eligibility requirements for a potential Texas Parks & Wildlife (TP&WD) matching grant application, which could provide up to $500,000 in matching recreational development funds, as long as the tract is held in trust or a Waiver of Reciprocity Agreement is approved by the (TP&WD). Either of these options preserves the ability for the city to utilize the value of the land in donation for the city’s local matching share of development funds.
The plan of action would be for the City to enter into an agreement with Ascendent Commercial, allowing for the proposed property to be held in trust with the Texas Parks & Recreation Society Foundation for up to 2 years. The City would then contract with a consultant firm to prepare a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department matching grant to be submitted for consideration in October 2017. Announcement of grant award would be made in April of 2018.
It is also recommended that the City enter into a joint agreement with Ascendent Commercial and Texas Parks & Recreation Society Foundation to assume grounds maintenance upon execution of the agreement and until such time as either a grant is awarded or the end of the two year interim trust on the property is exhausted. This would allow general use of the site by the public and adjoining property owners.
At the September 6 Council Briefing, a consensus of the Council recommended that the item be placed on the Council Agenda for consideration.
Financial Consideration
Annual maintenance costs during the lease phase is estimated at up to $45,000, if the entire tract is maintained on a two week mowing cycle during the growing season. Maintenance costs would be significantly reduced if only portions of the property adjacent to the existing residential properties are maintained biweekly and the remaining property is maintained on an as needed basis.
A consultant contract for preparation of a Texas Parks & Wildlife grant application would be recommended with an estimated cost of up to $10,000.
As mentioned previously in this communication, the consultant that prepared the conceptual development plan of the proposed park evaluated three levels of park development ranging from a cost of $450,000 up to $1,483,500. The base level development plan would be approximately equal to the value of the land donation which would be the city’s local funding match if the grant is successful. A decision on the total amount of improvements proposed in the grant application can be made at a later date subject to available capital funding.