Agenda

Back to Calendar Return

11.

City Council Regular Meeting

Meeting Date:

10/27/2020

BACKGROUND

The City of Schertz has owned an 8-acre parcel known unofficially as "Hilltop Park" for close to a decade and it has been undeveloped due to a lack of funding. Over the past few years, city staff has been able to address deferred maintenance and begin to create a Capital Improvements Plan. As part of that process, staff focused on the Hilltop Park area and discovered some adjacent HOA properties that could be acquired to create a larger community park. Around the same time, the Homestead development started coming on-line and staff worked with the developer to create the future city park in the Homestead development that would be adjacent to the existing Hilltop Park site. City staff hired a consultant to develop a conceptual plan for how the site could come together as a contiguous 45-acre nature-based community park that would be a jewel for the residents of Schertz.

City staff met with both HOA boards who own the adjacent land and both are open to donating the land for the project. The appraised value of the land will be utilized as part of the match requirement for the grant, reducing the city's cash match requirement for the project. Staff is working to get letter of commitment from them to turn in with the grant.
The TPWD Outdoor Recreation Grant for Local Parks has an annual funding cycle with applications being accepted in the fall (Due Nov. 6, 2020) with awards being disbursed late summer/early fall of 2021. Additional public input meetings for residents in Northern Schertz will be held over the next year to continue to garner feedback on the proposed conceptual plan and amenities.

GOAL

The goal is to consolidate the existing city-owned "Hilltop Park" with the existing HOA owned properties and the future Homestead Park (to be developed by the developer) into a 45-acre nature-based community park which would be the first community park in Northern Schertz - a true jewel for the residents of Schertz.

COMMUNITY BENEFIT

This will be the first large community park in northern Schertz and will be a huge benefit to the residents of this area. Schertz residents in the northern area of the city have provided feedback over the years of feeling isolated from Central Schertz and not having the same amenities as Central Schertz. Residents of northern Schertz have also said they have had to go to adjacent New Braunfels for their recreation needs. This 45-acre community park will have trails, picnic pavilions, an overlook, a fishing pond, and nature-based playground all right in Northern Schertz residents' backyard. They will be able to exercise in the park and be able to enjoy all the physical and psychological benefits of having green space in their neighborhood and will not have to get in the car to travel to another city to enjoy those benefits.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION

Staff recommends Council approve Resolution No. 20-R-120.

FISCAL IMPACT

The grant provides funds up to $750,000 and the city must match the $750,000 for a total project of $1.5 million. Funding for the city's match will come from various sources: the appraised value of donated land from adjacent HOA's; in-kind labor from city staff and volunteer groups; Park Fund reserves; and General Fund capital improvement dollars in Parks & Recreation budget.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Council approve Resolution No. 20-R-120.

Attachments
Resolution 20-R-120
Hilltop/Homestead Park presentation