Veterans Park memorial bid conflicts with planned baseball field; county offers alternate park amenities and will seek community input

Public Works presented design and funding issues for the Veterans Park project in Fabens on May 15, telling the commissioner's court that the Veterans Memorial planned by El Paso County WCID No. 4 occupies the same space the county’s bond-funded baseball field would require.

"They are the landowners and they're... the grantees for this memorial," Norma Rivera Palacios, deputy county administrator for Public Works, said. Public Works engineer Livia Arias showed site plans and said the county’s bond allocation included a baseball field, skate park, shade canopies, lighting and other amenities, and that the current project budget identified roughly $4 million for the baseball field portion.

Because the memorial cannot be redesigned and the WCID is ready to award construction bids, staff proposed alternatives that would fit inside the same budget if the baseball field is removed. Options presented included a military-themed playground (with rubber surfacing and adaptations of existing play equipment), a recirculating spray park (staff estimated about $1.6 million for a near‑pool recirculating design), multipurpose courts including post-tension acrylic basketball courts and pickleball striping, and adult fitness stations. Staff said one playground alternative could be implemented at roughly $1 million and that designs can be customized to the veterans theme.

Lydia Arias said staff do not seek action at the May 15 session; they want to gather community feedback through meetings and then return with final recommendations. Committee and community representatives said the memorial work has been years in the making and expressed support for the broader park improvements. "We've been working as the Fabens Veterans Park Committee on the Veterans Memorial since 2014," said Michael Sebloski, chair of the Fabens Veterans Park Committee.

Commissioners and staff discussed maintenance implications, sensitivity for veterans with PTSD and the desirability of options that emphasize patriotism without triggering imagery. Commissioner Samaniego asked for community input and asked staff to identify less literal military-themed play features where appropriate; Public Works said it would present additional options that retain a veterans/patriotic theme but avoid literal items that some residents may find upsetting.

The presentation also reviewed the grant funding supporting the memorial and related park work. Staff said the county previously allocated $222,000 in 2023 to support the memorial project’s local match; they noted the memorial separately received Economic Development Administration funding. A county official described the memorial centerpiece as a 70-foot flagpole designed to be visible from I‑10.

Because ownership and control of the property and related negotiations with El Paso Water Control and Improvement District No. 4 (WCID No. 4) are active, the county attorney asked the court to move into executive session under Texas Government Code to discuss business and financial aspects of contract negotiations. The court voted to enter closed session for that item; Commissioner Stout made the motion, Judge Samaniego seconded it, the clerk recorded Commissioner Butler as absent and the motion carried.

No formal conveyance or final selection of alternate amenities occurred on May 15. Public Works said it will continue community outreach, refine cost and maintenance estimates, and return to the court with recommendations and any conveyance paperwork needed for final action.

What comes next: Public Works will hold community meetings, refine designs and cost estimates for alternatives that fit the current bond budget, and return to the court with final recommendations; negotiations over property ownership/control continue in executive session.