Parks board approves Legacy Monuments and Children's Memorial policy for Peter's Colony Memorial Park

The Flower Mound Parks Board voted unanimously to approve a policy creating legacy monuments and a children's memorial area at Peter's Colony Memorial Park, establishing eligibility requirements, fees and an application process.

Travis (parks staff) presented the policy, explaining that legacy monuments are intended for residents who lived in Flower Mound for five or more years; guardians of children must have been residents at the time of a child's passing to qualify for the children's memorial. The policy sets an initial cost of $2,500 for a monument panel (which includes fabrication and engraving) and notes memorial trees have recently cost about $700.

Travis described the planned layout and capacity: six legacy monument structures will be installed when the park opens, each with roughly 34 panels (about 204 total panels) available for engraving; the children's memorial area is designed with 12 anchors, with the option to add more if demand requires. The staff will accept online applications, verify residency and any emblems (for example, military or first-responder insignia), and present groups of approved items quarterly for fabrication and installation. Staff said early applicants may be prioritized for the park's opening if fabrication timing allows.

Board members raised questions about eligibility vetting, demand, placement requests and fee waivers. Staff said eligibility requires proof of five years of residency and that vetting for military or first-responder emblems would include additional documentation. The staff noted the town reserves the right to waive fees for honorees based on service, but such waivers would require Town Council approval rather than a staff-only decision.

Board members discussed whether space could fill quickly and whether a first-come, first-served approach would apply; staff said the monuments would be installed as a group and panels could be balanced across the six structures, and that the panel plates are removable so placement adjustments are feasible. One board member suggested exploring electronic, weather-resistant panels for future expansion; staff said that could be considered later but is currently cost prohibitive.

The board moved to approve the policy "as presented in the agenda caption." A roll-call vote yielded unanimous approval. Staff expects the first round of applicants to be approved by January 2026, and staff will add the application materials to the town website following council approval steps where required.