Highland Village council authorizes CMAR for Pilot Knoll project after debate over $3.6M utility needs and cabin economics

The Highland Village City Council on June 10 authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute a construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) contract with Dean Construction to develop a guaranteed maximum price for the Pilot Knoll Park improvement project, including boat-ramp work and a proposed cabin program.

The move follows months of design work, grant awards from Texas Parks & Wildlife and a Park Board-driven master plan. The council debated the scope and rising cost estimates — including a newly identified need to replace failing water and sewer systems at the park — before approving the CMAR contract (motion by Mayor Pro Tem Virenza, second by Councilman Feaster; vote 7-0).

The council was told that key buried utilities at Pilot Knoll date from the 1960s and 1970s and are failing, forcing the city to budget for significant infrastructure work regardless of whether cabins are built. Finance Director Heather (identified in presentation as finance director) told council the full water-and-sewer replacement is priced at about $3,600,000 (water-only roughly $1,200,000; sanitary sewer about $2,200,000) including a 5% inflation allowance and roughly $348,000 for engineering. Heather also said earlier feasibility estimates prepared in 2021 had been far lower (about $430,000) and that updated regulation and the need to avoid discharging to older pump stations increased scope and cost.

Architectural and parks staff presented the…