The San Gabriel Park Phase 4 Master Plan is nearing completion as Georgetown City Council members heard updates on estimated construction costs and reviewed the park’s final layout during an April 8 workshop meeting.

What residents should know

San Gabriel Park is in its fourth and final phase of renovations, which will primarily repurpose several athletic fields in the northeast corner of the park.

Feedback from open houses, Parks & Recreation board members and stakeholders went into Phase 4’s final concept, created by design firm Parkhill.

Depending on a construction start date and final council decisions, estimates show Phase 4 could cost anywhere from $45.32 million-$79.24 million, according to a presentation from Parkhill Director of Landscape Architecture Chad Davis.

Measuring the impact

During the 50-minute presentation, council members weighed the pros and cons of installing natural grass or synthetic turf on some or all of the park’s soccer and baseball fields.Synthetic turf requires less maintenance and water, but is $5.68 million more expensive than natural grass over a 10-year period, according to the presentation.Additionally, the cost to replace synthetic turf is $4.62 million per 10 years, Davis said.

“Let me remind you that if you can get three times as many children out in that same space with the playability of synthetic turf, you may be able to meet the growth and the demand without having to develop parks,” Davis said.

The discussion

Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Pitts pointed out the synthetic turf’s hotter temperature compared to grass, and council member Jake French said he recently got torn up while playing on artificial turf.

“The heat gain is a concern,” Davis said. “On a 90 degree day in the middle of the day, they have measured the surface temperature of synthetic turf, and it can be 135-150 degrees.”

Davis said a newer synthetic turf option is crumbled cork, which does not heat up as much and is more “attenuating” for players who fall during games.

In the future, council members can decide how much of the park should be synthetic turf versus natural grass given bond funding, City Manager David Morgan said. In an April 9 Facebook post, Mayor Josh Schroeder said he would appreciate feedback from people who use the fields.

“Natural grass is cheaper to install but more expensive to maintain and uses lots of water,” Schroeder said in the post. “Turf is expensive to install but has lower maintenance costs. Is the extra cost [which will likely raise the costs of the programs] worth it?”

Cost to the city

A construction start date, inflation and field installation type all play into the final cost estimate for Phase 4 renovations.Parkhill presented initial Phase 4 concept plans to council members during a Jan. 28 workshop meeting. Schroeder asked Parkhill staff to look at Southeast Park and Westside Park to compare costs and sports complex options.

At the January meeting, Schroeder said the city is making “a lot of sacrifices” to squeeze athletic fields into San Gabriel Park.The Southeast and Westside park layouts will not be included in the Phase 4 Master Plan and mainly serve as conceptual options for council to consider, Parks & Recreation Assistant Director Eric Nuner said.



What happens next?

Parkhill will not yet begin construction documents for the project, Davis said. The Phase 4 Master Plan will include options discussed at the meeting, Morgan said.

“Hopefully you feel good enough with this plan that if and when the time comes, if the money is available, you can then take that discussion even further,” Davis said.

The renovations could be funded by a future general obligation bond for citizens to vote on, Parks & Recreation Director Kimberly Garrett previously told Community Impact. The next opportunity to pass a bond could be anywhere from 2026-28.