Dallas Parks and Recreation staff briefed the board on a long‑running encroachment on parkland adjacent to Luna Road and recommended an environmental site assessment to document fill material and any contamination before pursuing legal remedies.

Why it matters: Staff said the parcel at issue is roughly 5 acres and that the encroachment impacts about 3.5 acres — an area the briefing compared in size to three to five football fields. Park staff and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability proposed a two‑phase investigation (Phase I historical review and Phase II sampling) estimated at about $75,000 to determine soil and water conditions and to convert deep borings into monitoring wells if needed.

The city first documented improvements on the site in 2017, staff said. A formal case was opened with code enforcement in 2023 and, later that year, the city attorney’s office issued a notice identifying ordinance violations to the adjacent property owner. In June 2024 the operator removed trailers and equipment from the park property, and staff conducted a site assessment in September 2025 to better quantify slope and surface conditions.

Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability staff described the Phase II scope: ten shallow test pits and three deep soil borings for soil sampling, conversion of borings into groundwater monitoring wells, and lab analysis for volatile organic compounds, semi‑volatile organic compounds, total petroleum hydrocarbons and related analytes.

Board members pressed on timing, liability and cost recovery. Board member Mr. Karimi said the six‑year delay between discovery (2017) and the opening of a formal case (2023) signaled enforcement failures across city departments and urged a “bias for action.” Another board member asked why the city must pay for the assessment up front; OEQS and parks staff said the city should control the scope to ensure a thorough investigation and to preserve the strongest record for potential legal claims and remediation. Parks staff said the site investigation is a necessary step before legal can determine recoverable damages and next steps.

Staff requested the board’s guidance to proceed with the environmental investigation; the transcript records robust board support for moving forward but does not record a formal, roll-call vote authorizing the expenditure. Legal staff and parks staff indicated that after the assessment they will evaluate legal options, including pursuing reimbursement from the encroacher if warranted.

Clarifying numbers and details recorded in the briefing: the impacted area is approximately 3.5 acres; the parcel is “just short of 5 acres”; the estimated cost for Phase I and Phase II investigation is approximately $75,000; the Phase II scope includes 10 shallow test pits and 3 deep borings to be converted to monitoring wells; the testing suite includes VOCs, SVOCs and total petroleum hydrocarbons. The board emphasized a desire to recover costs if possible and to accelerate enforcement in similar cases.

Next steps: staff will engage the recommended consultant, complete the Phase I/II assessment, and return to the board with results and legal recommendations; the board discussed, but did not record, directing legal to pursue cost recovery once the assessment is complete.