The Parks and Recreation Board of the City of Rockwall voted to waive $731,662.08 in cash-in-lieu and pro rata equipment fees for the Southside Hills subdivision so the developer can pursue a planned-development ordinance that would require construction of an 11.6-acre public park, board members said.

The waiver, approved by a motion during the meeting, releases the city from collecting $378,105.60 listed as “cash in lieu of land” and $353,556.48 listed as pro rata equipment fees calculated in the developer’s first submittal. Parks staff described the waiver as conditional: the developer must return with fully developed park plans that meet the requirements of Ordinance 2251, and the board will compare receipts for the constructed amenities against the fee amounts before formally accepting the park and treating the waived fees as satisfied.

Parks staff said the ordinance requires the park to include an 8-foot concrete hike-and-bike trail within the park portion (6-foot elsewhere was upgraded in the city requests), a playground, a plaza area, a covered pavilion, picnic areas, benches and landscape features, and that all improvements be approved and accepted by the Parks and Recreation Board after review and recommendation by the Parks and Recreation director. The staff presenter said the City’s written comments to the developer included requests to provide shrub and turf varieties in the second submittal and to “meander” sidewalks where feasible to slow bicyclists and improve aesthetics.

Parks staff cautioned the board that the 11.6-acre figure includes water and undeveloped acreage; historically the department typically develops about four acres of active amenities in a neighborhood park. “We normally only develop about 4 of the acres in a park,” staff said. City staff also told the board the area identified with blue on the plan is likely flood plain/greenbelt and would remain undeveloped open space. Staff noted the lake shown on the concept plan likely counts toward the 11.6 acres.

Board members raised questions about long-term maintenance. The planned-development (PD) ordinance specifies the homeowners association (HOA) will maintain park improvements, but Parks staff said the city would likely maintain playgrounds and trails and may be reimbursed from HOA funds for mowing or basic upkeep. “This is written that they will be responsible for maintenance, but Ron and I were talking … we may be reimbursed,” staff said.

Parks staff emphasized that waiving the fees tonight does not finalize park acceptance. The developer must submit detailed plans that meet ordinance standards and the Parks and Recreation Board must later review cost receipts and accept the park before the waived fee amounts are considered satisfied.

The motion to waive fees—made by a board member and seconded by another member—carried. No roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.

What happens next: staff will review subsequent developer submittals (staff said first submittal required additional details and that multiple resubmittals are common), confirm the scope and value of constructed amenities against the waived fee amounts, and return a formal acceptance recommendation to the Parks and Recreation Board under Ordinance 2251.