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Staff outlines Mercer Park site plan and phased $1.7M base budget in Farmers Branch
Summary
Parks staff presented an updated Mercer Park site plan that prioritizes a $1.7 million base bid covering a playground, pickleball courts and core site work while holding higher-cost items (lighting, basketball, full landscaping) for later phases pending additional council funding.
Farmers Branch parks staff presented an updated Mercer Park site plan and a phased budget approach, saying the city can fund a base scope now and will defer higher-cost elements until funding is secured.
"Currently the budget is 1.7," the presenter said, describing a base bid that would cover concrete work, a playground, and pickleball courts while deferring items such as the tennis court, sport lighting, basketball court and some landscaping to later phases. The presenter said the design team will complete plans for the full master plan but bidding and construction will proceed in phases tied to confirmed budget availability.
Why it matters: Mercer Park is intended to provide a neighborhood park on the north end of an existing development; the board and staff framed the work as delivering the greatest benefit within current resources while retaining the option to build the entire plan if additional funds become available.
Details: The updated site plan reduces pavement near the pickleball and tennis areas and centralizes playground access to a single, larger trail entrance protected by a four-foot fence and 6-foot walkways. The base phase will include playground equipment and a pavilion; larger, higher-cost additions such as sport-field lighting and additional courts are listed as later-phase items. Staff noted an earlier city surplus and audit adjustments that increased fund balance and said council is likely to consider additional allocations during the budget process.
Board members asked whether the initial pickleball courts would include lights; staff said lighting is a later-phase item and that modern, directional fixtures can limit spill but acknowledged lights "will have an impact" on nearby townhomes. Staff also noted the park's lights currently are scheduled to turn off at 10:00 p.m.
Playground and amenities: Staff recommended themed playground equipment similar to Dutch Village (a larger 'ship' piece plus a 2–5 age area and swings), a 20-by-25 pavilion and shade over primary activity areas. Vendor choice matches equipment used at Dutch Village, per staff.
Next steps: Staff will complete design work to allow bidding for the base scope and will present 60% design materials to the board and council as budget decisions are finalized.
