College Station City Council approves projects at Bee Creek, W.A. Tarrow parks

Project costs include:

• $191,275: Bee Creek Park
• $207,207: W.A. Tarrow Park

Per proposal details included in the meeting documents, playground features at each park may include:

• Educational play panels
• Overhead bars for building upper body strength and endurance
• Twisty slides
• Climbing obstacles
• Swings (W.A. Tarrow)
• The Serenity Spot to sit, socialize and relax (W.A. Tarrow)

Council members also approved a construction contract with BH Harris Construction for improvements in the Lincoln Recreation Center area at 1000 Eleanor St. near W.A. Tallow Park as part of the consent agenda. Per meeting documents, the $474,128 contract—plus the city’s contingency amount of $47,412—includes:

• Demolition of some existing pavement and infrastructure
• Construction of a new shade shelter
• Paving
• Infrastructure
• Site preparation work

The project is part of Lincoln Center area improvements outlined in the city’s bond package, which voters approved in 2022. According to city information, $493,488.07 has been spent from the project’s $1.55 million budget in addition to the Feb. 26 contract cost.

Also on the agenda

As the city prepares for tourism growth, council members approved a resolution during the regular meeting Feb. 26 authorizing the city manager to sign off on expenditures over $100,000 for major tourism events that will stimulate the local economy. City Manager Bryan Woods said this resolution ups the threshold the city manager has for approving expenses to $250,000 from the previous $100,000 limit.

“What we’ve seen over the last year and even more recently—specifically in the case of Texas A&M [University] and some exceptional events that we’ve been able to partner with them on—is sometimes opportunities come up and the ability to commit to those incentives [to partner for events] has to happen quickly, maybe even sometimes without the ability to call a meeting and have [City Council] vote on them,” Woods said during the meeting. “As we look at greater events and see the possibilities that are out there, we think that there will be some that may require a commitment above that [$100,000 statutory limit].”

The approval increases the city manager’s authority only as it applies to expenses funded through hotel occupancy tax revenue, according to city information. Woods said the resolution, which was recommended unanimously by the tourism advisory committee, also clarifies that the city manager may consult with the mayor and tourism committee chairperson when signing off on HOT-funded expenditures.

“The intent is to use this only when time doesn’t allow [for council approval],” Woods said.