Little Elm staff present $6 million not-to-exceed plan to add campsites, fix amphitheater and pave overflow parking at Little Elm Park

At a workshop meeting Aug. 19, Town of Little Elm staff presented an expanded plan to improve Little Elm Park that would add 17 campsites with water and electric, rebuild areas in front of the park amphitheater, pave an overflow parking area with 91 spaces and install enclosed trash compactors. Wesley, a parks staff member, told the council the project team has selected a construction manager at risk, received contractor pricing and is proposing a not-to-exceed budget of $6,000,000.

The proposal combines four previously separate pieces into a single project: primitive camping upgrades, an amphitheater facelift, additional paving and entry improvements for the overflow parking lot, and new trash-management enclosures. Wesley said the camping area would include a boardwalk linking the campsites to the amphitheater, a group pavilion, a restroom and shower building, individual campsite grills/fire pits and other public-gathering areas.

The amphitheater work would “rebuild everything in front of the amphitheater,” addressing persistent drainage problems and adding a raised concrete performance/dance area and improved seating and electrical/AV infrastructure to better support performers and events, Wesley said. He added, “It has 17 new campsites.”

Staff presented a line-item outline of existing revenue and proposed sources to cover the $6,000,000 cap. The project already includes roughly $350,000 spent on design and engineering, and staff said prior budget items include about $1,500,000 from a CO that can be used for parks (designation and details recorded in staff materials). Wesley said AV and IT upgrades are not included in the current bid totals and would require additional funding if the council chooses to include them.

Town staff also summarized constraints tied to other funding. According to materials presented, a TPWD (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) grant could be used for camping amenities but not for restroom buildings or amphitheater parking; funds previously set aside from TIRS/TERS (as shown in staff materials) must be applied to the amphitheater work. Staff said they have received consent from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with construction in the park’s shoreline area.

On scope and timing, staff recommended completing construction before the spring event season: work would need to be finished before Ironman in March, spring break and the town’s “Big Easy” event, Wesley said, noting the contractor schedule will need to work around existing events. The overflow parking proposal would pave the drive to El Dorado Parkway and the gravel overflow area and add lighting; staff said those parking improvements are not essential and could be removed from the scope if priorities change.

Other design choices discussed included screening the trash compactors behind masonry walls and locking enclosures to reduce illegal dumping, and adding grills at each campsite (each campsite in the camping plan would receive its own grill or small fire pit). Staff said the overflow boat-trailer parking arrangement is tied to marina slip counts and existing sponsor agreements and could limit use of the overflow lot if additional marina capacity is developed.

Councilors and other participants asked about funding and timing. Mr. Mueller, a town staff member, said the project grew in scope since it was first listed as the final item in the town’s 2021 capital priorities list, and that money already moved into the capital fund for the amphitheater work. Wesley told the council the first round of contractor pricing supports the $6,000,000 not-to-exceed figure but that staff will continue to look for scope reductions and cost savings where possible.

Next steps: staff asked the council whether it had the appetite to include the project and the proposed transfers into the upcoming budget. Council members indicated they were comfortable moving the scope forward into the budget the town will adopt in the coming weeks, and staff said they would present the budget amendments and funding transfers for adoption during the standard budget process.

Proposed and estimated costs and other numeric details were presented by staff during the workshop; final contract awards, precise funding sources and exact budget transfers were not decided at the meeting.