As of Jan. 30, Missouri City had more than $1.3 million to spend for new parkland and improvements to existing city parks, according to city documents. The money came from new housing developments, with over $500,000 more to come. Housing developers have the option to dedicate a minimum amount of land in their residential subdivisions for park space or make cash payments, according to the city municipal code. Map of Missouri City's 13 park zones[/caption] If using the first option, one acre of land per 100 units in a proposed residential development must be earmarked for park purposes. If using the second option, developers pay $1,400 per unit that will not be served by the amount of parkland called for in the municipal code. Many developers choose to give the city cash. Most recently, Missouri City City Council approved a $287,000 cash offer for the Dry Creek Village subdivision and a $236,000 cash offer for the Mustang Trails subdivision in March. Cory Stottlemyer, Missouri City media relations specialist, said in an email that the payments "are generally required at or prior to the time of final plat approval." Platting is the process in which each residential lot in a new subdivision is recorded with the county. Stottlemyer did not specify when the plats for the two subdivisions might be approved. Taking cash from developers instead of requiring them to set land aside for park space can be beneficial depending on the size of the housing development, said James Thurmond, director of the master of public administration program at University of Houston and a former city manager of Missouri City. Because the amount of park space required is based on the number of dwellings in a proposed development, small developments only net the city land for a small neighborhood park. But if the city takes cash from many small developments, it can use those funds to build a much larger park with more amenities, Thurmond said. Maintenance costs for large parks tend to be lower compared to the cost of maintaining many small parks sprinkled around the city, he said. “It’s more expensive to have to send crews all over the city to cut grass,” he said.

Funds vary by zone

Unlike the city's general parks budget, new parkland and improvement funds are specific to one of the city's 13 park zones. Developers' cash payments go toward a subdivision's respective park zone. The 13 zones had a total $1,357,422.17 as of Jan. 30, according to city records. Park Zone 8, located southwest of Hwy. 6, had a fund balance of $379,056.59 while Park Zone 1, at the northernmost tip of the city, has no money in it, according to Stottlemyer. Park zone funds can be used for capital projects only and not for routine maintenance of park facilities or their operational expenses. Those needs are covered by the city's operational budget, and park zone funds cannot be transferred between funds, Stottlemyer said in the email. Missouri City is considering multiple parks-related projects, but has not finalized how the the park zone funds will be spent, Stottlemyer said.