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Residents press council for transparency, tree preservation and rental policy on proposed civic center
Summary
Two residents urged the council for clearer timelines, bidder transparency, protections for heritage oaks and clarity on whether the civic center will be rentable by residents; speakers also raised concerns about asbestos and cost.
Two members of the public used the citizens-to-be-heard period May 1 to press the council for more transparency and to ask questions about the proposed civic/community center, its timeline, rental policy and potential impacts on heritage oak trees.
Carol Willoughby, who identified herself as with Chartwell in Fair Oaks Ranch, thanked council members for improvements in communications and asked when the city will publish a timeline for the civic center, which bidder is being considered and whether residents will be able to rent the facility for private events. She also asked whether the Municipal Development District (MDD) would need to approve private event uses that were not open to the public.
Sharon Brimhall, a Parkway resident, echoed Willoughby’s questions and added concerns about heritage oak trees and whether they would survive construction. Brimhall said she recalled earlier plans to renovate an existing city building but was told asbestos and lead paint made remediation cost‑prohibitive. She urged the council to consider remodeling to preserve the campus and oaks and to be transparent about costs and bidder details.
Council thanked both speakers and said staff will continue communications; staff did not provide a timeline or firm commitments in the meeting record.
