The city of Cedar Park currently requires subdivision developers dedicate eight acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, or pay a fee in lieu of dedication, according to city documents.

The parkland dedication requirements were adopted in 1997, before the city was nearing build-out and multi-use projects were becoming popular, according to the documents. The present fee in lieu of parkland is $720 per single-family dwelling unit and $480 per multifamily dwelling unit.

After considering residential trends and reviewing parkland dedication requirements in other similar cities, Cedar Park city staff identified potential ordinance amendments and presented them to City Council on April 12.

“[The parkland dedication ordinance is] a very common tool used by cities when residential development happens,” Assistant Director of Development Services Amy Link said. “Residential development adds additional citizens to the city [and then] there’s a need for park facilities.”

The three suggestions from city staff were to continue allowing parkland dedication in single-family developments while mandating that multifamily developers pay the fee in lieu of dedication; update the cost of the fee to reflect the increased land value in the city; and requiring a park improvement fee in addition to the dedication or fee already in place.

City Council indicated that staff should move forward with creating formal ordinance amendments to be voted on at a later date.