City parks plan asks Pearland ISD to consider using five district-owned tracts for fields and trails

Pearland parks officials and their consultant on Tuesday asked the Pearland Independent School District Board of Trustees to consider allowing five district-owned parcels to support new parks, athletic fields and trail connections as part of a citywide parks and recreation master plan.

Aaron Tooley, project lead for Baxter & Woodman, told trustees the consultant team is evaluating nine open-space sites and said five parcels owned by Pearland ISD are among the properties that could address community demand for fields and trails: a 45-acre tract on Liberty Drive near Broadway, a roughly 4.5-acre parcel by Shadycrest Elementary, the 61-acre veteran sports complex site, a 16-acre parcel near the Pearland Parkway traffic circle and a 40-acre parcel at Cullinan and Broadway.

Why it matters: Pearland ranks low on park acreage among peer cities, officials said, and the city is seeking land and partnerships to expand fields, inclusive amenities, trails and low-cost practice space for community sports. Several trustees raised revenue, access and long-term-ownership concerns during the discussion.

What presenters said

- Aaron Tooley (Baxter & Woodman) described a data-driven plan that includes demand-, standards- and resources-based assessments, a conditions assessment of existing parks and an “inclusivity-based assessment” to serve people of all ages and abilities. He said the planning process will run about 12 months with a goal of final drafts late 2025 and adoption early 2026.

- Tooley said the team will examine nine potential open-space sites and how they might meet needs for athletic fields, trails and passive recreation. “We are evaluating 9 open space areas to see how they might support the needed park facilities and athletic fields,” Tooley said.

Trustee and staff discussion

- Trustees asked how the city would acquire or use the district land — sale, lease or interlocal agreement — and whether the district could lose rental revenue from fields currently used by community groups. Parks staff and the consultant said all partnership models are on the table; interlocal agreements (shared use with the district retaining ownership) are a frequently used option that can include development and maintenance by the city while preserving future district access.

- Trustee Johnson said a phased, case-by-case approach would make sense and suggested leasing or shared-use agreements that preserve district options for future needs: “If the land can be developed in some way … we could lease it from the district so we have the revenue stream. But if the need comes up in the future, we need to retain that,” he said.

Board action

- No formal board action was taken. Trustees asked staff to continue conversations; the consultant invited written comments and asked district staff to forward feedback to the project team. The city said it will return with recommendations as the plan develops.

Clarifying details and timeline

- The consultant noted 5 PISD-owned sites among the nine open-space parcels being evaluated; sizes and locations were presented by the consultant and discussed on the record.

- The city’s master-plan timeline: community engagement over months, draft recommendations later in 2025, final plan for adoption in early 2026.

What to watch

- Staff said specific partnership terms would be negotiated later, including whether agreements are interlocal (no sale), leases (revenue to the district) or private sale (which requires formal public process). Trustees asked the administration to return with cost/benefit information, expected maintenance responsibilities and any recurring revenue or cost implications before the board commits to property-level agreements.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are included in the meeting record and include Aaron Tooley (Baxter & Woodman), city parks staff and Pearland ISD trustees.