Manvel parks board endorses city-hall park concept; recommends phased build with restrooms first

The Manvel Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously Thursday to forward a recommended concept for the City Hall park to City Council and asked staff to prioritize a phased approach that would install restrooms and utilities first.

The recommendation follows a design presentation by consultants Jeff Gerber of PJL and Michael Maurer of M12 Associates, who showed a master-plan concept that places a pavilion and multiuse lawns adjacent to a playground, a gazebo beneath mature oaks, a potential dog park and a shallow detention area redesigned as a landscaped feature. Gerber told the board the design team is finishing design development and hopes to have permit-ready documents in May and to bid construction later this summer.

Board members said the park should be built in phases so the city can add features as funding becomes available. Several members and staff stressed that a restroom building with utilities and storage should be the first construction priority so the site can support events such as the Manvel market and occasional concerts.

"The money that we have pulled out of the West Wing project is about $130,000," Gerber said during the meeting, noting that the consultants estimate full build-out of the pavilion, gazebo, playground, restroom and dog park would cost roughly $1 million to $1.3 million. He described an approach of grading and installing underground utilities in the first phase so later amenities can be "plug and play" as funding allows.

Designers presented several site details board members questioned or supported: a central pavilion with temporary stanchions to allow tents, a gazebo sited among oak trees for photo opportunities, separate playground zones for ages 2–5 and 5–12, and a detention area reworked with a shallow, engineered channel so the dog-park area would drain quickly and be usable after rains. Michael Maurer described options for playground surfacing and accessible, shaded equipment and said manufacturers rate typical larger playgrounds for up to about 75 users although actual simultaneous use is usually lower.

Board members also debated dog-park layout. Several members recommended either dividing the area into large- and small-dog sections or providing separate entrances to reduce conflicts. The consultants said a single fenced dog area could be subdivided if the board so directed.

On the subject of site utilities and event readiness, staff and the consultants described provisions for buried anchor points for tents and power for food trucks or small stage support. Designers said they can include "add alternates" in construction bids so the city can accept specific features if bid prices make that feasible when the building and parking work is contracted.

After discussion of priorities and phasing, Samuel Miller, chair of the Parks and Recreation Board, asked for a motion to recommend the plan and its phasing to City Council. A motion to forward the recommendation carried unanimously.

Votes at a glance

Motion to forward a recommendation on the City Hall park plan to City Council: approved (unanimous).