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 a...
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