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Visitor urges Highland Village to reconsider nonresident senior pass pricing for Pilot Knoll/park access
Summary
A Denton resident told council the city’s nonresident park pass pricing discourages occasional visitors and asked staff to consider a smaller fee difference, noting an $85 gap compared with resident senior passes and pointing to camping fee differentials as precedent.
During public comment at the May 13 Highland Village City Council meeting, visitor Jennifer Lane of Denton urged the council to adjust nonresident fee structures for Pilot Knoll and other park access to reduce the cost gap between occasional nonresident users and resident seniors.
Lane told the council she and her husband paddleboard at Pilot Knoll, and she described differences in published fees: she said camping shows a $10 gap between residents and nonresidents for certain dates and that nonresident annual/senior-pass fees can be roughly $85 more than a resident senior half-year pass. She asked the council to consider a tiered or smaller surcharge for low-use nonresidents or to provide staff direction to allow park rangers discretion to apply a similar fee to occasional nonresident visitors.
Lane identified herself by name and ZIP code and said she and her husband are 70 and 65; she said they typically visit occasionally and would be willing to pay a modest premium close to resident rates.
Staff did not take immediate action during public comment; council members said staff has publicized nomination and park information in city channels and that fee structure adjustments could be placed on a future agenda if warranted.
Quote "I'm asking you to please apply the varying prices that you do for non residents, even if it's a little higher," Jennifer Lane said. "An $85 difference ... seems a bit high compared to the camping, which is $10."
Ending Council did not take action at the meeting but acknowledged the comment and the possibility of future agenda consideration.
