Council authorizes master plan for Lakeline Park Phase 2, hires SWA Group for community-driven design

The Cedar Park City Council authorized a professional landscape architectural services agreement with SWA Group to create a master plan for Phase 2 of Lakeline Park. The council unanimously approved the contract after hearing a presentation on project goals, community outreach and the design team’s experience with floodplain and public-park work.

Mike DeVito, director of parks and recreation, said the city opened Phase 1 of Lakeline Park in 2023 and has since seen strong public usage of facilities and events. DeVito described the Phase 2 master plan as a “holistic” effort to evaluate developed and undeveloped areas on the south side of the lake and identify improvements that would expand programming and connectivity.

Senior project manager Caleb Stockton said the work is funded by the city’s general obligation bond program and will include public outreach, stakeholder engagement, site investigation and coordination with regulatory agencies. The master plan will set the scope for later design and construction agreements.

Scott McCready of SWA Group outlined the consultant team that will support the work — including local architects and ecological consultants — and emphasized experience designing parks in floodplain conditions and creating flexible event spaces. McCready said the process will include hands-on workshops, pop-up events and surveys to gather broad community input, with a target schedule around nine months for the master-planning phase.

Councilmembers praised the team and the park’s strategic position as a natural and cultural asset linked to the proposed pedestrian bridge. The council voted to authorize the city manager to execute the agreement and directed staff to return with a final master plan and recommendations for design-phase contracting once the planning work is complete.