Sugar Land council authorizes $559,766 design contract for Ganaway Lake trail

Sugar Land City Council on a unanimous 7-0 vote authorized a $559,766.86 contract with Gage Engineering LLC to design and produce bid documents for the Ganaway Lake Trails project, a roughly 1.5-mile connector between Ganaway Lake and Cullinan Park.

Council approval follows a staff presentation that said the project is largely funded by a $3,800,000 federal grant with an $800,000 Fort Bend County parks bond contribution pending an interlocal agreement. Jonathan Braun, assistant city engineer, told the council the trail will include a boardwalk segment through wetlands, a 10-foot shared-use path, and safety improvements at the State Highway 6/Crown Garden Trail intersection. “We were able to secure a $3,800,000 federal grant to fund a large portion of this project,” Braun said.

The trail alignment shown to the council will start on the northeast corner of Ganaway Lake, run parallel to Boerne Road, cut across city property south of Ganaway Lake via a boardwalk where wetlands exist, pass the surface water treatment plant and connect to existing multimodal infrastructure over Oyster Creek before continuing north toward Cullinan Park. Braun said the design will follow Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) criteria and specifications because TxDOT will oversee project development and reimbursement for the federal grant; consultants must also hold the Local Government Project Procedures (LGPP) certification. The consultant scope includes NEPA environmental review, drainage and flood‑plain analysis, geotechnical investigations, structural design, signing and pavement markings, and signalization.

Braun said the city advertised a request for qualifications in June 2024, received seven submissions, interviewed two firms, and selected Gage Engineering based on LGPP credentials and trail experience. He said the city plans public outreach around 30 percent design and again at 60–90 percent, and noted a NEPA public comment period of 15 days for adjacent property owners and local officials.

Councilmembers pressed staff on connections to Cullinan Park and bicycle access. One councilmember asked about bicyclists entering Cullinan Park, where bicycles are not currently permitted; Braun said staff will coordinate with park managers on signage and guest accommodations. He told the council that final surface materials have not been decided and that boardwalk structural options are still under study.

Timeline presented to council called for a notice to proceed for design in January 2025, design completion by summer 2026, construction beginning in fall 2026 and lasting about one year. Braun said the professional services contract under consideration was roughly $560,000 and that funding for design is in place.

During roll call, Councilmember Whatley made the motion and Councilmember McCutcheon seconded it. Before the vote, the mayor (name not specified in the record) credited former Councilmember Steve Porter for initiating the project and praised staff for securing funding. The motion passed 7-0.

The contract award and design authorization do not themselves authorize construction; staff said final construction will follow completion of design, required NEPA clearance, and coordination with stakeholders including TxDOT, Fort Bend County Drainage District and Parks, the Cullinan Park Conservancy, Imperial HOA, the Texas Historical Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the latter because of wetlands).