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Friends group outlines Unity Park interpretive trail, eyes T-Mobile Hometown Grant
Summary
The Friends of the Highland Village Park Foundation presented a plan for an interpretive trail around the historic Unity Tree in Unity Park and said it will seek up to $50,000 from T‑Mobile’s Hometown Grant program while working to reduce projected costs and secure letters of support.
Kevin Fenderson, president of the Friends of the Highland Village Park Foundation, presented a plan on Feb. 17 to build an interpretive trail around the Unity Tree in Unity Park and said the group will pursue a T‑Mobile Hometown Grant that funds shovel‑ready projects up to $50,000.
Fenderson told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board the foundation has planted roughly 14 trees in Highland Village since the group formed during the pandemic and is now proposing a decomposed granite trail, five interpretive signs, a monolithic stone monument and other features around the fenced, historic tree. "If there was a bumper sticker for our park foundation it would be 'we plant trees,'" Fenderson said.
The nut graf: The foundation said the grant could cover much of the project but inflation and rising construction costs require redesign of some elements — notably a 6–8 inch concrete curb and river rock accents — to reduce the estimate. The project team is consulting McAdams (Ron Stewart) on design changes and plans an arborist inspection to document tree health before work proceeds.
Board members asked about additional funding and city participation. Leslie Andres asked whether the T‑Mobile grant allows in‑kind or matching contributions; Fenderson said T‑Mobile “welcomes additional grant participation, sponsorships” and that local partners such as Walmart and Datco have previously supported foundation efforts. He said the foundation is seeking five letters of support, will request a letter from the mayor and planned to present to the Community Development Corporation.
Fenderson described design details presented in renderings: an interpretive sign at five spots around roughly half the tree’s circumference, a minimum path width of five feet to meet ADA circulation needs, EPIC (plastic) edging, and the option to replace a concrete curb with lower‑cost edging to cut expenses. He said the foundation is evaluating QR codes on signs to link to audio interpretation and additional historical content.
On tree care, Fenderson said foundation board member Tammy Geer, a certified arborist, will prepare an inspection report and baseline evaluation. The group also plans to seek recognition on the Texas Big Tree Registry to document the tree’s size and significance. Fenderson said parts of the tree show deadfall that will require pruning and that the existing fence likely should remain in place to protect the tree from compaction and damage.
The foundation said the T‑Mobile program accepts quarterly applications; the current quarter closes in March and the group will refile in June if it is not ready. Fenderson asked the board for letters of support; board staff (Phil) said staff will continue to coordinate with the foundation.
The presentation concluded without formal board action; staff said the foundation and city would continue design coordination, refine cost estimates and return with updates.
Ending: The foundation intends to pursue the grant and to return with updated designs and support letters; an arborist report and refined budget will guide any future requests for city participation or approvals.
