Keller council chooses precast screening wall plus trees for sports-park material yard, will use tree-fund to cover added cost

Keller City Council on Tuesday directed staff to build a precast concrete screening wall and to add trees and ground-cover plantings around a proposed material-storage yard adjacent to Keller Sports Park.

Public Works staff presented three screening options and cost estimates, recommending precast concrete as the best balance of durability and aesthetics. “You can always do it later. We could plant trees a year from now,” a staff presenter said during the work-session briefing, but staff recommended moving tree installation forward if possible to improve the park frontage.

The total site-preparation cost to clear, grade and pave the new storage yard was estimated at about $264,000; wall options ranged from lower-cost prefab panels to mid-range precast to higher-cost single-width brick. With landscaping, the mid-range option added roughly $43,000 more than the most economical wall option. Council members generally favored the precast option plus trees; one councilmember said, “If it’s that visible, I almost rather go with the option B with the tree.” The council voted to proceed with Option 2 (precast concrete) and to pursue planting trees with lower‑maintenance ground cover and irrigation.

To pay the incremental cost for trees and irrigation, staff identified two possible funding sources: (1) reallocate about $50,000 of underrun from a pavement-marking project that came in under budget, or (2) use the city’s Tree Restoration Fund (approximately $420,000 at the end of 2024). Council members agreed both sources would be appropriate; staff said they would finalize the funding allocation and coordinate with the Keller Development Corporation (KDC) and parks staff.

Council also discussed access and security for the yard. Staff said the plan includes a rebuilt access road, two security gates (one at the south end) and a screening strategy to keep material storage from appearing untidy next to the park. Equestrian groups who use the arena raised concerns about trailer access to grassy areas; staff said they will seek input from equestrian stakeholders and may develop a gated, permitted access plan for trailers that balances parking wear-and-tear and equestrian needs.

Staff will return to the architect and construction manager to obtain bid documents timed to coincide with the sports‑park construction so the yard and wall installation can be completed without significant sequential construction. The council’s direction allows staff to proceed to bidding with the selected wall and landscaping approach.