Skate fans in Pflugerville are closer to getting two dedicated parks for their sport.
On July 25, the Pflugerville city council approved the selection of Austin-based Davcar Engineering to construct two skate parks within the city. Following a request for qualifications, Pflguerville received seven responses from design firms seeking to work on the skate spots. Speaking at a city council meeting on July 24, Tom Word, assistant city manager, said Davcar's experience with skate park design was one reason the city hired the firm.
"Skate parks are a niche item," Word said. "A lot of firms don't have [that kind of] experience."
Word said Davcar has worked on similar stake parks in Victoria, Amarillo, Corpus Christi and San Antonio.
Word also said Davcar's Austin location also stood out, noting that with the size and scope of the project, transportation back and forth from the site could consume a substantial portion of the budget.
City spokesperson Terri Waggoner said the skate spots are an ongoing project for the Parks and Recreation Commission. Meetings held in April and June allowed residents to give input and ask questions about the skate spots. While locations have not been finalized, Waggoner said the city's Parks and Recreation director met with members of local homeowners associations to discuss the possibility of building skate parks in Cambridge Park and Falcon Pointe.
A large skate park is currently under construction at Travis County Metro Park, and Waggoner said city officials think smaller skate spots spread out on the east and west side of Pflugerville could make for good practice spots for residents.
The Pflugerville Community Development Corporation agreed to help fund the skate spots with $100,000.