Park Projects Updates
Did you know that League City has 15 City Parks, 2 Dog Parks and 24 miles of Hike & Bike Trails? There is also a host of other amenities available to our citizens such as paddle trails, granite walking/running trails and a mountain bike course.
The Project Management group works in conjunction with the Parks Department to design and construct these amenities and renovate them when they have reached the end of their useful life. We are currently working on eight projects in varying stages of design or construction. Below are a few highlights from our on-going projects.
To learn more about projects that impact your neighborhood, explore our interactive project map here
Bidding
Lynn Gripon Park Low-Water Crossing
https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4217/Lynn-Gripon-Park-at-Countryside-Mountain
The low-water crossing at Magnolia Creek will allow access east of the creek to develop and maintain phase 2 of the mountain bike trail as a continuation of phase 1 that opened in fall of 2021. To avoid encroachment into wetlands, the consultant completed a wetland delineation for the area east of Magnolia Creek for the future development of phase 2 of the mountain bike trail.
Final design plans for the low-water crossing were approved by city staff in February 2023. The project consists of three 11’x11’ box culverts crossing Magnolia Creek east of Lynn Gripon Park, cast-in-place wingwalls and headwalls, concrete pavement section for trail crossing, and grading around the crossing location. Plans were advertised for bid on March 14, 2023 and a pre-bid conference was held March 28th. Bids were opened on April 18th and 11 responses were received. Staff is reviewing the bids with the consultant in preparation for a May presentation to Council.
Design
There are several projects in varying stages of design.
Bay Colony Park (PK2001)
https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4350/Bay-Colony-Park
The proposed Bay Colony Park is located on Ervin Street west of Calder Rd. It is approximately 106 acres that will include a 5-field girls softball complex, a 4-field Pony-Colt baseball complex, 2 soccer fields, 2 playgrounds, a 5K Trail, a 9-hole disc golf course, tennis/pickleball courts, lighted parking and roads, restrooms, concession stands, detention ponds, irrigation, landscaping, and a maintenance facility.
The project is currently in the Construction Document phase, in which documents are produced that are necessary for a contractor to bid on and build the planned facilities. Currently, the emphasis for staff and consultants is to determine the exact alignment for TxDOT’s future Grand Parkway that is routed through the southern portion of the park. The Grand Parkway alignment will not affect the recreational uses of the park as the area south of the Grand Parkway will be used for detention for the park facilities. In addition, details of the entrance into the east side of the park from Calder Drive are being worked out. This is an important entrance as it will supplement the two entries into the north part of the park from Ervin Street, providing better ingress and egress from the park, especially during ball games and other large heavily attended events. Following these items being laid out, the final drainage study will be completed, and the amount of detention needed for the park will be determined.
FM 270 Public Boat Ramp Renovations
https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4348/FM-270-Public-Boat-Ramp-Renovations
This project will renovate the existing FM 270 Public Boat Ramp to accommodate all forms of boats and watercraft. The renovation will remove silt from the launch area, repair damaged launch surfaces, and reinforce the bulkhead, which is at the end of its life. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Permit was approved in the Spring of 2022. Drawings for final review were received in mid-January and plans were approved and signed the week of Feb 13th. Approved plans were sent to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) on February 27, 2023 then US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) for review and approval for grant funding which has been earmarked at $500,000. TPWD forwarded the plans to USFWS on March 21st to continue the review process. On April 10th, TPWD forwarded comments from USFWS which were sent to the consultant. The consultant responded back to those comments on April 18th and this information was forwarded to TPWD and USFWS. Bidding is planned to follow approval of a Texas General Land Office Land Lease and renewal of a Texas Department of Transportation Multiple Use Agreement.
Gilmore Elementary-Claremont Trail
https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4383/Gilmore-ElementaryClaremont-Connector-Tr
The Gilmore Elementary-Claremont Trail connection will connect to and become a part of the City’s trail system as well as provide new sidewalks and a pedestrian bridge as a safe route from existing trails north of Gilmore Elementary School. The trail will cross a detention/drainage area adjacent to the school. Our consultant received City comments in January 2023 from their 90% design submittal at which point design efforts were paused. The project was submitted for the State TA call for projects but we were notified in February it was not selected. Design has resumed and easement acquisitions have begun. Bidding and construction will proceed as scheduled in the summer 2023.
Hike and Bike Trails Wayfinding Signage Project Phase 2
https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4382/Hike-Bike-Way-Finding-Signage-Project-Ph
The City of League City has developed a family of hike and bike trail wayfinding signage which includes four different sign types. The first phase of signage was installed in 2021 within the Feathered Friends Trail System and included directional signs, park signs, and informational signs. Phase 2 will incorporate 29 new signs within the Flora and Flowers Trail System, 20 signs within the Coastal Creatures Trail System, as well as installing an additional four signs within the Phase 1 trails, totaling 53 new signs. Council awarded the design contract at the June 14, 2022 meeting and a kick-off meeting was held September 15, 2022. Final designs and sign placement locations are anticipated in the spring of 2023.
Master Planning/Studies
Heritage Signature Trail Layout
https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4541/46002/Heritage-Signature-Trail
On Tuesday evening, March 7th, a public meeting was held at Butler’s Courtyard for City staff and consultants to explain this project in some detail to residents of the historical district. This study, started in November 2022, will look at possible routes to connect League Park and Heritage Park through the Historical District. The consultant shared maps of possible walking and interpretive pathways to allow residents and visitors a way to see more of what League City has to offer. The meeting, which ran from 6:00 – 7:00 PM, was well-attended by city residents and staff and the consultants received valuable input into the options being considered. The presentation from the public meeting is available on the city website. Staff has received conceptual schematics to be used for a request to Union Pacific railroad to place the trail in their ROW. That alignment is the one preferred by most folks attending the public meeting.
Clear Creek Master Plan
https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/4547/46075/Clear-Creek-Master-Plan-Update
A public open house meeting took place at the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center on Tuesday night, March 8th from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Staff representatives from the Parks and Recreation Department and consultants hired by the City met with residents and discussed engagement boards on easels to present and discuss project overview and receive input on Clear Creek recreational opportunities. Community feedback received that night will inform proposed recommendations and preliminary design ideas. Clear Creek is a major nature-centered recreational asset for the City of League City. This new CIP project is designed to determine how the largely untapped resource can provide recreational opportunities in the coming years. The presentation boards from the public open house are available on the city website. A rough draft of the Masterplan is being prepared by the consultant for staff review prior to presentation at an additional public meeting.
Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan Update
The City of League City Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan (Master Plan) was approved in 2017 but must be updated every 5 years to be viable for use in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) park grant applications. A scientifically valid random survey of residents has been conducted and the City’s consultant is reviewing the information to include in a new chapter for the Master Plan that will determine Park and Recreation priorities for the next 5 years. The Master Plan update will be completed later in 2023 and will include a new chapter on changes since 2017 as well as the new chapter on Mountain Bikes approved in 2022. The City;s consultant (I thought the consultant name was to be left out) is assisting the City with preparation of an additional chapter which summarizes the updates from the original masterplan.
Kilgore Tract Preliminary Assessment
The City of League City is exploring the feasibility of developing a connecting trail and boardwalk between Heritage Park and the future Kayak Launch at Kansas Street, within a site known as the Kilgore Tract. The site will provide views of the Clear Creek environment as well as an approximately 3000 linear foot walking trail.
Environmental, Archaeological, and Wetland studies were recently conducted by the City’s consultant on this project. The results of the studies show that no Phase 2 Environmental Assessment is required, and the Wetland delineation revealed that trail and boardwalk access to the shoreline of the site is feasible with a US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Nationwide Permit.
The city is currently seeking a proposal from the Consultant for design work on the trail and boardwalk to possibly be included in the 2024 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). If approved, design would take place in 2024, followed by construction in 2025 or 2026.