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Midtown Park boardwalk redesign lowers cost; residents urge city to finish sidewalks and roadwork
Summary
City staff reported a redesigned Midtown Park boardwalk and related water‑works permitting that cut costs by about $4.5–$5 million. Residents at the meeting urged the council to finish existing sidewalks, fix medians and roundabouts, and address road and drainage concerns.
City staff reported progress on several capital projects, including a redesigned Midtown Park boardwalk and bulkhead that lowered the project cost by an estimated $4.5 million to $5 million and allowed permit approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to refill the park lake.
City staff said contractors are preparing submittals for the Midtown Park boardwalk work, with construction expected to begin in March and possible completion in October. The city also reported progress on a pedestal for the Chick‑Lane elevated storage tank, Midtown Park water wells, South College openings, roundabout construction at Williamson, and multiple drainage and sanitary projects across the city.
During the public comment period, residents pressed the council to finish incomplete sidewalk and road projects before approving additional infrastructure or development. Patrick Jamal (resident of 213 Fairway Drive) said sidewalks remain unfinished near Chick‑fil‑A and Walmart and that, according to a conversation he had with TxDOT staff, some sidewalks would not be finished until 2026. Jamal also questioned a reported $3 million lift‑station cost for a new Stella subdivision and urged the city to “finish what we got started and take care of the citizens first.”
Charles Mancuso, a downtown resident and property owner, criticized recently installed medians and two roundabouts on W.J. Bryan (Texas) Road as “too narrow” and said traffic is traveling at unsafe speeds. Mancuso urged the city to consider purchasing adjacent houses to widen the roadway and said downtown’s character is changing with taller new buildings and unresolved parking concerns.
City staff clarified that the boardwalk redesign reduced the original $9 million design to an estimated $4.5 million and that permit approvals from TCEQ permit work at the lake, allowing it to be filled to planned capacity after completion of the boardwalk, dam and spillway. Staff also outlined other active projects and expected completion timelines.
No formal council action was taken on the public comments, but the matters raised (sidewalk completion schedules, roundabout safety, downtown building height and parking) were discussed publicly and will inform future project oversight and scheduling decisions.
