Zooming in
At a Dec. 8 meeting, Katy City Council unanimously approved a $791,089 agreement with Jerdon Enterprise L.P. to build an artificial turf field at Katy City Park.
Officials also approved a $1.08 million agreement with Paragon Sports Constructions for the construction and installation of synthetic turf and a $210,000 agreement with Siteco Lighting US Inc. to provide and install field lighting.
The park, located at 5850 Franz Road, is home to several year-round facilities including softball and baseball fields, a multipurpose court, a basketball court pavilion, six tennis courts and picnic tables.
The construction will also include sidewalk connections and drainage improvements to several problematic areas of the park, according to agenda documents.
Additionally, the new lighting system will be bright enough to host competitive and high school play for soccer and football.
Also of note
City Council also voted against a $56,540 proposal to build two pickleball courts over the existing tennis courts at the park after several community members spoke against the proposed action.
"It's the only place you can play tennis at night," resident Allen Walker, whose daughter plays at the courts, said. "If we're gonna rip out a court, I'm opposed to it, because I see that the kids don't have a place to play."
While some council members suggested restriping the courts to make them usable for both sports, Kevin Browne, Katy's director of parks and recreation, said it would be best to keep them separate as tennis court rentals have increased from 274 in fiscal year 2022 to 1,594 in fiscal year 2025.
“That’s been my opinion since the get go, that they should be separate,” Browne said.
Browne also said the park would not be a good place to build more courts, citing draining issues and safety concerns due to proximity to the baseball field.
What’s next
City staff will present an alternative solution for the pickleball courts in a future City Council meeting, though a date has not yet been set. Katy City Council will meet next Jan. 12.
There is no current timetable for design and construction, Browne said.
