Trail improvements, pond improvements, picnic areas, play courts and children’s activities are recommended as added amenities based on resident input, said Mike DeVito, the city's parks and recreation assistant director, on April 22 at the Cedar Park City Council meeting.
The current 25-acre park area includes the recreation center and amenities such as the sculpture garden, a fishing pond, open lawn space and a concrete trail. DeVito said the city’s 2015 park plan identified future improvements such as extended walking trails, pavilions, fishing piers and courts.
Funding for park amenities was approved in 2020 following the 13.41-acre sale of parkland in Cedar Park Town Center for economic development. Prior to the land sale approval, Town Center residents raised concerns about proximity to commercial development and the loss of green spaces.
The city worked with a consulting firm to collect community engagement and for planning how to maximize funds, DeVito said. Two virtual public meetings and two surveys collected public feedback.
Park improvements are scheduled to be completed in summer 2022, according to city documents. DeVito said staff will next create a more detailed design with cost estimates.
The project will be paid with leftover Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 funds, according to city documents. The TIRZ board, which was created for the Cedar Park Town Center area, was dissolved last June.
