Parks staff updated the Wylie Parks and Recreation Board on major capital work, saying the Pirate Cove shade project is nearly finished and a large shade structure for the pickleball courts is under construction while conceptual designs for parking at Community Park and Founders Park advance toward construction documents.

A parks department staff member (first cited in the transcript as Speaker 2) said contractors have poured piers and installed posts at Pirate Cove and that “some of the shade is actually being installed this week,” though one piece may need rework. On the pickleball shade project, the staff member said, “All piers have been poured, posts have been installed, and they are actually installing the trusses this week,” and that the structure will have “six big trusses” with fabric to be attached afterward and electrical work following that.

The staff member also said the city has started construction documents for parking at Community Park and Founders Park, with the work moving from conceptual layouts into drainage, lighting and final construction drawings. “There are about 180 days to get completed,” the staff member said, referring to the timeline that began in mid-September; staff described the 180-day estimate as an approximate project schedule.

On funding, staff emphasized that plans do not yet include full funding for all parking identified in the concepts. “We only have funding for a small portion at Community Park,” the staff member said, adding that the current phase covers planning and a portion of construction and that further work would require budget approval in future cycles.

Board members asked whether new parking would reduce playing-field space. Parks staff said the current concepts avoid converting the east-side park fields and instead place parking on the softball side; staff noted the softball association wants the outer fields shortened, which staff said allows the design to avoid a net loss of usable field area. Staff confirmed that finalized concepts will return to the board for a work session and input before any construction decisions are made.

The board took no formal action on the projects during the session; staff said the items will be scheduled for further discussion as designs and funding decisions are finalized.