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Council previews Wolfpen Creek master plan with amphitheater upgrades and flood-aware design
Summary
Parks staff presented conceptual improvements for Wolfpen Creek park — terraced amphitheater seating, shade, food-truck pads, a splash feature, upgraded gateways and erosion controls — noting floodway permitting constraints and a potential third-party programming partner.
City parks staff on June 26 laid out conceptual improvements for Wolfpen Creek’s amphitheater and festival site, seeking feedback on a phased, flood-aware master plan that aims to increase programming and public use.
Kelsey Hayen, parks project lead, presented options including amphitheater-style terraced seating (three finish/material options), shaded gathering areas flanking the seating, permanent food-truck pads with electrical pedestals to avoid noisy generators, restroom upgrades, a splash/ water feature at the festival site, a small pavilion for gatherings, and improved entry gates and signage to create a clearer sense of arrival.
Staff emphasized that the site sits in the floodway and floodplain; Hayen said any improvements in the blue (floodway) zone could require U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits and that the city has begun a multi-year erosion-control grant with Texas A&M AgriLife and the Texas Water Resources Institute to remove invasive species and plant riparian buffers.
Council members broadly supported the direction and urged staff to explore practical choices that will survive periodic inundation. Councilor comments ranged from preferring flexible, flood-tolerant terraced seating over fixed stadium chairs to urging early attention to gateways and shade. Several members encouraged staff to seek a third-party operator to program events and provide supplemental funding; staff said an initial meeting with a potential private programming partner had already occurred and that staff would return with any proposal.
Hayen said staff will produce cost estimates, a menu of prioritized improvements, and discuss funding and phasing in coming months. Council flagged near-term priorities: better gateways/entrances and coordination of parking and shuttle options for large events; staff noted existing reciprocal parking arrangements (Post Oak Mall) had supported events of up to 3,000 attendees.
The master-plan concepts will return to the council after staff refines cost estimates and the potential operator proposal; any improvements in the floodplain will be designed to be resilient and to follow permitting guidance.
