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Council adopts Plan Your Play parks master plan; neighbors urge relocation of proposed Backus dog park
Summary
Frisco City Council voted 6-0 to amend the 2040 comprehensive plan to incorporate the 2025 parks and recreation master plan "Plan Your Play." Several residents praised the plan's tree-preservation policies but urged the city to move a proposed 7-acre, $5 million dog park at Backus Park to another site.
Shannon Coates, director of Play Frisco, told the City Council that the Plan Your Play parks and recreation master plan carries forward the city's 2016 parks and open-space plan and that the Parks and Recreation Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended adoption earlier this year. The council voted to adopt an ordinance amending the 2040 comprehensive plan to incorporate the 2025 parks and recreation master plan.
Why it matters: the adopted master plan sets priorities and policy recommendations for park design, tree canopy preservation, habitat restoration and heat mitigation across the city and will guide parks capital and program decisions in coming years.
Residents at council urged a change of approach to one specific project identified in earlier materials: a proposed 7-acre dog park at Backus Park. Susan Hanson and Eric Hansen, residents near Lawler Park and Backus Park, said the Backus site contains dense tree canopy and animal habitat and remains shown "on hold" on the city's website; both urged the city to find an alternative site that aligns with the new plan’s tree-preservation and resource-disturbance policies. Hanson cited plan pages that recommend "preserve the tree canopy" and "program parks to minimize resource disturbance." Hansen said the plan's statements on canopy and habitat were encouraging but said he remained skeptical that the dog park would be relocated without continued resident monitoring.
The council approved the ordinance unanimously. At the meeting Bill moved to approve the ordinance and Tammy seconded; the motion passed 6-0. Shannon Coates said the adoption is the final step in making the plan an official part of the city's comprehensive plan and noted the Parks and Recreation Board approved the plan in February and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval in late February; city council after deliberation approved the plan on April 1 and finalized adoption on May 6.
Ending: Council adoption makes Plan Your Play part of the city's guiding comprehensive plan documents; residents asked staff and council to apply the plan's tree-preservation policies when siting new park facilities and to continue outreach specifically around Backus Park.
