Rockwall parks staff detail playground upgrades, dock repairs and master plans for Alma Williams and Klutz Farm

Parks staff told the Rockwall City Park Board on Dec. 9 that multiple capital projects funded in the current budget will move forward in the coming months, including playground upgrades, docking repairs and master planning for two larger parks.

"We're adding shade structures over the zipline," said a parks staff member (Speaker 5), describing Kids Zone improvements that also include replacement of artificial turf under the zip line, colored "racing lanes" in the turf, and hopscotch inlays. Staff said the playground, installed three years ago, draws heavy daily use and that a warranty evaluation for the surface's UV damage may result in a free turf replacement.

On waterfront repairs, staff said bids will be solicited to repair an outlying dock finger destroyed by wave action and that the city plans to install a roughly 650‑foot wave attenuator to protect the docks going forward. The parks staff member said TML insurance "is not going to cover the damage in the future" when the damage is caused by wind or wave action and framed the attenuator as a protective measure funded from the approved capital pool with an aim to have it functional by April 1.

Work on smaller projects is also imminent: Fox Chase Park’s existing playground will be demolished and replaced beginning the week of Dec. 9 with a 7–14 day closure depending on weather, while a $250,000 replacement of the Harry Myers splash ground is expected to be awarded in January for an April 1 opening. Chandlers Park will be laser graded and re‑turfed with TIF turf, with bidding in January and construction in February–March.

Parks staff held a pre‑construction meeting for Stone Creek Park and said plans include a fishing pier, added trail segments and seating. The project was described as phase 2 work to improve walkability and fishing access.

Master planning began for Alma Williams Park (near the ninth grade center) and Klutz Farm, the recently acquired 50‑acre site. Early internal concepts for Alma Williams include a skate park, a BMX pump track ("all wheels" park), pickleball courts, lacrosse and soccer fields and possibly baseball. Klutz Farm is being considered as a more passive park with picnic pavilions, playgrounds, walking trails and expanded lakes. Staff emphasized the plans are preliminary and will be shaped by a 6–8 month public master‑planning process with community meetings.

Staff gave preliminary cost figures for master plans in the budget: "Klutz Farm ended up being about, $1.14" and Alma Williams "about $1.40," as cited in the transcript; the unit (thousands, millions) was not specified in the meeting remarks. Stone Creek was described as "about $140.00 for the whole project," with staff saying they expect to come in under budget. The Harry Myers splash ground replacement was explicitly described as a $250,000 project.

Staff also said the master‑planning consultant Freezing Nichols will participate and that public engagement on the plans will mirror prior park master plans, with sticky‑note style workshops and public meetings.

The board did not take further formal action on these items during the meeting; staff indicated planning and bidding timelines and discussed funding and scheduling constraints.