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Resident urges ‘rewilding’ at Creek Ridge Park to support pollinators and reduce mowing
Summary
A sustainability committee member asked the Parks Board to consider converting a portion of Creek Ridge Park into native meadow and milkweed plantings to support monarch butterflies and reduce routine mowing.
Price Frozan, a member of the Farmers Branch sustainability committee, told the Parks and Recreation Board during the citizen comment period that a sparsely used area of Creek Ridge Park should be considered for “rewilding” with native grasses and milkweed.
“My comment is a little bit on that same name, but just a little bit different. In, Farmers Branch, we have a park called Creek Ridge Park on Webb Chapel… it is fairly good size. It is also quite inaccessible,” Frozan said, and suggested planting native wildflowers and milkweed “to encourage pollinators” and to help stabilize the spillway with “deep roots” that would reduce erosion.
Frozan argued that converting a centrally located portion of the park to native plantings could reduce ongoing maintenance: “you wouldn't have to mow it… you wouldn't have the parks department go and do all the regular maintenance to keep the grass low.” He noted that the site is “sparsely used,” which, in his view, makes it a suitable candidate for a pilot rewilding area.
Board members acknowledged the suggestion and said the item would be taken under consideration. No formal motion or vote occurred during the meeting; the matter was raised as public comment only.
Why it matters: Rewilding small public-parcel areas with native species is a low-cost tactic some cities use to support pollinators and reduce maintenance budgets. Frozan framed the idea as targeted — not the whole park but “maybe a center of the park” — and tied it to monarch habitat through milkweed plantings.
Board next steps: The chair noted the board cannot act on items raised during citizen comment at the same meeting but can place them on a future agenda, refer them to city staff for study, or briefly state existing city policy. The transcript shows Frozan’s proposal was recorded for consideration; no staff direction, study assignment, or timeline was specified at the meeting.
Community context: Creek Ridge Park lies south of Valley View on Webb Chapel; accessibility and parking limitations were reported by the speaker as barriers to current use.
