PARK DEVELOPMENT

Aquatics Master Plan

Last fall, Parks and Recreation staff began gathering residents, aquatics users, and community partners (DISD, UNT, and TWU) to plan for the future. The purpose of the plan is to identify opportunities to outline and prioritize the capital needs for the community over the next 10 years. It is anticipated that this plan will be presented to City Council this spring.

Lilly Cantu Inclusive Playground Master Plan

This project aims to provide a universally designed, sensory-rich environment that enables children to develop physically, socially, and emotionally. The visioned play space will allow kids of all ages and abilities, regardless of physical, mental, sight, and hearing impairments, to play. The process includes the master planning, design, and construction drawings. This playground for all will include, but is not limited to, signage with potential donor element, perimeter fencing, natural elements, such as water, sand, and/or landscape, shade structure(s), site furnishings, and more. To date, no funding has been identified for construction.

Audra Oaks Park (1602 Audra Ln.)

A master plan for a new neighborhood park named Audra Oaks Park will start in the summer with community meetings. Efforts to create a neighborhood park started back in 2017. A partnership with a local development resulted in the acquisition of a 5.19-acre lot in 2021 for a neighborhood park. It is anticipated that the park will consist of a playground, trail, pond, and open space for play.

Paddling Trails

Last March, Parks and Recreation, in cooperation with communities around Lewisville Lake, submitted an application to create a 100-mile paddling trail around the perimeter of the lake for kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard enthusiasts. Texas Parks and Wildlife toured the proposed trails and an official announcement of the largest paddling trail in the state is pending final approval from the State of Texas.

Lake Forest Park Dam Repair and Dredging Project

This project has been completed and the new trail is open for public use! As the trail was closed in 2019 with a breach of the dam, the project consisted of removing 45,000 tons of silt, reconstruction of the dam, enlargement of the spillway, and a new bridge. Parks and Recreation will be improving the trail from the bridge to the Good Samaritan Village in the near future.

ADA Improvements

As outlined in the ADA Transition Plan (2022), last fall, Parks and Recreation started to make improvements across the park system to assure City parks meet accessibility standards. A total of $300,000 was appropriated in the FY 2021-2022 budget for these efforts. As funding is available, it is planned that improvements will be completed annually as outlined in the ADA Transition Plan.