Cedar Hill hears "Green Imprint" Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan; plan recommends indoor recreation expansion and new dog park

Parks Director Sean Ray and consultant Yilda Capriccio of HAF Associates presented the draft Parks, Recreation and Trails Master Plan, branded the "Green Imprint," to the Cedar Hill City Council at its Feb. 25 briefing. The 12-month plan documents high community satisfaction, identifies gaps in indoor recreation and trails, and lists priority projects for a 5- to 10-year horizon ahead of a planned council adoption on March 25.

Capriccio told the council Cedar Hill has "really built a legacy of parks and green space," and that recent work has raised resident access to parks, trails and open space to roughly 64%. The consultant and staff said the city's park system performs well against National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) standards and that most service-level metrics are currently met or near target.

Key findings and recommendations: - Indoor recreation: HAF's indoor-facility assessment found the Allen E. Sims Recreation Center performs well but is crowded; the plan recommends adding roughly 10,000'to 15,000 square feet (minimum) or otherwise expanding to meet demand, and integrating 55-plus services into the recreation center or through a feasibility study for expansion. - Trails and access: Staff and consultants recommended closing gaps to create a more seamless trail network, with attention to underpasses/overpasses for highways and railroad crossings. - Park classifications and conditions: The study evaluated 10 parks in detail and produced an average conditions score above the midpoint; Parkerville Park (not currently city-owned) scored lower and could require improvement if ownership changes. - Priority projects: The plan lists about 18 potential projects; five are prioritized for the next five years, including construction of a dog park (in collaboration with Trinity Church), a 55-plus wing or recreation-center expansion, Crawford Park phase 2 (pool area), general recreation-center enhancements, and neighborhood-park rewilding and Valley Ridge enhancements.

Community engagement and metrics: The plan included four outreach events, three stakeholder listening sessions, a statistically valid survey, and an advisory committee that included council and community members. HAF reported high community satisfaction and consistent requests for more indoor recreation, event pavilions and nature-based programming.

Next steps: The consultant said the plan contains 10 goals and 83 action items with implementation metrics and recommended timelines. The city manager's office said the plan is tentatively on the March 25 council agenda for formal adoption and that staff can schedule one-on-one briefings or a workshop for council members before that meeting.

Ending: The consultant and parks staff urged continued investment to maintain Cedar Hill's "city in a park" vision and recommended council consider the short-term project priorities and feasibility work for the recreation-center expansion in upcoming budget discussions.