Council approves replacement of fence along Hurst Athletic Center bordering 21 homes

The Hurst City Council authorized the city manager to proceed with replacement of the fence along the eastern boundary of the Hurst Athletic Center, a project that affects approximately 21 adjacent homes.

Public works staff presented plans to remove and replace roughly 1,900 linear feet of an 8-foot-high board-on-board cedar-stained privacy fence that was installed in February 2004 and has reached the end of its useful life. Staff said the replacement will follow original specifications so the new fence matches the look residents expect; the city will also remove trees and landscape material on city property along the fence line and will notify homeowners with a staging and construction letter. Gates installed by homeowners while private will not be reinstalled by the city unless a homeowner requests one and agrees to assume maintenance and liability for the gate hardware.

The staff recommendation used a bid from Goldsmith Construction for $128,000, plus $5,000 for landscape clearing and a 10% contingency, producing a total authorization of up to $146,898. Council approved the authorization by voice vote. Staff said work would likely begin in early April and run through May.

Why it matters: The project replaces failing infrastructure adjacent to private property, preserves neighborhood privacy, and involves notifying and coordinating with affected homeowners. Staff noted the developer originally built the fence and a developer agreement assigned maintenance responsibility to the city under the master plan.

The council also confirmed funds for the project will come in part from the Community Services operational contingency included in the FY25 budget.