The big picture
Plans for the 30-acre park had seen minor updates over the past few months as city staff continue to include suggestions from Celina residents.
One of the bigger changes was cutting a splash pad and sand volleyball court from the plan to help with overall costs, according to an Oct. 10 meeting presentation.
A recent community survey revealed a large majority of residents wanted a splash pad if the park was expanded, said Matthew Milano, a project manager and landscape architect at the engineering consultant firm Freese and Nichols.
“Overwhelmingly, splash pad was 32% of the answers, and [none] of the other responses ... as an individual weighs up more than 3%,” he said.
The feedback prompted developers to add the splash pad back to the park, Milano said. It will be located next to the playground area.
Sand volleyball was another feature that was ultimately removed from the plans, and an overall lack of interest toward the courts in community surveys means they will not be added anytime soon, Milano said.
“Basically what [the surveys] told us is there's really not a demand for it here locally,” Milano said.
The pickleball courts planned for the park could be painted for outdoor volleyball if residents wanted, he said.
What else?
Other amenities approved in the plan include:
- A trail following Doe Branch Creek
- A large art fountain
- An art walk with two paths
- A dog park
- A community garden
- Multiple playground areas
- A basketball pavilion
- Tree house observation areas
Going forward
The project’s estimated improvement costs increased slightly since the last master plan update and are now at $22.5 million total.
- Ousley Park improvements: $14 million
- Doe Branch stream and trail improvements: $8.5 million
