Parks staff shift Lake Pflugerville phases, recommend moving Old Town Park to future bonds

Parks staff updated council on refinements to the parks portion of the FY26 CIP, describing changes to Lake Pflugerville, Old Town Park and a proposed destination play space.

Staff said they consolidated previously separated Lake Pflugerville projects into Phase 2 (east of Becker Farms) and Phase 3 (west, including a nature center), noting the nature center is being deferred to a future bond. “Lake Pflugerville phase 2 is the bond funded project that we're about to start design on, and Lake Pflugerville phase 3…is the nature center on the Beelee property,” Parks staff said.

The department recommended shifting parkland acquisition dollars to fund a destination play space at Boles Park, explaining that selecting Boles saved land acquisition dollars that can be reallocated to immediate design and construction costs. Staff also said Piccadilly Park’s future dollars are contingent on drainage improvements; because drainage and easements affect park design, those park elements may be delayed.

Staff provided timelines: several park projects are scheduled for design in FY26, with construction moving into FY27 and later years. Staff noted trail improvements and ADA transition work are entering procurement or construction windows and that some trail projects were timed to avoid overlap with major events.

Why it matters: park timing and funding affect neighborhood amenities and event planning. Council asked for completion timelines and reminded staff that drainage constraints can reshape park design and scheduling.

Next steps: staff will continue design procurement for Lake Pflugerville Phase 2, finalize RFQs and return with funding requests and contract awards as projects progress.