Peters Colony Memorial Park in Flower Mound will give residents another place to relax, though on a smaller scale.
Slated to open late next year, the park is in the design stage now, with the design about 95% complete, Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Jennings said. The town works with Mesa to design the park, and that design firm subcontracts with design firm f2ds in Austin. Jennings said he expects to have the park out to bid by mid- to late summer, and construction would start in the late fall. The project should take no longer than a year to finish construction.
The park, located at 3201 Peters Colony and adjacent to the library, at 3030 Broadmoor Lane, will include:
- A soft-surface trail
- Signage
- A nature-themed children’s area
- Nature-type landscaping
- Artwork
- Legacy monuments to memorialize people, such as veterans and first responders
The total amount to develop the 3.3-acre park is $2.96 million, with the city receiving a $750,000 grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for the project. The rest is covered by the tax increment reinvestment zones, Jennings said.
“It’s called a speciality park—that’s the kind of category it fits in,” he said. “It’s not going to be like your typical neighborhood park where you’ve got a basketball pad and a big huge playground. We went through the master-plan process and heard from the public. We heard from previous council members that were really pushing buying this land.”
The town acquired property in 2017.
Jennings said town leaders wanted to accomplish something unique at the park, noting the park will have a veterans memorial and an educational component regarding the Peters colonists. According to the Texas General Land Office, a little more than 2,205 families came to the area in the 19th century, settling on nearly 880,000 acres of land. Peters Colony formed as a result of a contract—authorized by the Texas Congress on Jan. 4, 1841—between William S. Peters and his associates, a group of English and American men, and the President of Texas, Mirabeau Lamar. It began on Aug. 30, 1841, the GLO website stated.
The park will be located in a heavily wooded area.
“I think it’s going to be an awesome spot where people can just relax, unwind, kind of get away,” Jennings said.
He said he envisions people being able to check out a book from the library, and sit and read at the park. Smaller, special events could be held at the park, which will feature a custom-type pavilion that is available for rental. A water feature will be constructed at the park, and it will help drown out noise from vehicles and help people feel like they are in nature and relaxing. On the water wall, people will be able to see interpretive, educational signage.
“We’re working with an interpretive graphics firm right now to develop some of these pieces and work them into the design,” Jennings said.
