In 2011, the City of Allen began master planning the Watters Branch Community Park property, now known as Spirit Park. The master plan was prepared by consultant Dunaway Associates, L.P. This park will be located south of Ridgeview Drive and west of Stacy Road.
Spirit Park is sited on approximately 75+/- acres of land which includes the park's original 50.3776 acre tract known as the "Villages of Watters Creek, L.P." Until recently this tract was held in trust by the Texas Recreation and Parks Foundation so that the City's acquisition of the land could be used as the City's required match for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's grant. An additional 31.70 acres, adjacent to and north of the original tract, formerly known as the Bush-Elkins property was purchased by the City. Of this tract, 24.25 acres has been integrated with the original park acreage, while 7.45 acres became right-of-way for the extension of Ridgeview Drive along the north side of the park.
On January 22, 2015, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved $400,000 in grant funding assistance through the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund toward the project. The Texas Parks and Wildlife's Outdoor Recreation grant program will reimburse up to 50% of projects selected, up to a maximum of $400,000. The program funds are reimbursable, requiring the City to first expend the construction costs and request reimbursement of funds granted. These grant funds will be used toward the adult softball fields, the trail system within the park and the nature play area.
Land held in trust by the Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation will be dedicated to the City of Allen as the City's required match and, therefore, no matching funds will be required. This Resolution finalizes that matching contribution. Per the grant contract, twenty-five (25) acres of heavily wooded land along Watters Branch and it's tributary are to be dedicated as open space for perpetuity and maintained as natural areas with development limited to pedestrian trails and minor passive recreational trail-side amenities.
The entire 25 acres is forested with large mature trees. Staff believes that dedicating the forested land as open space is a sensible strategy on a couple of levels. First, these acres are already subject to development limitations by the Allen Land Development Code Tree Preservation Ordinance. The ordinance's influence on the park master plan phasing for the park has consistently and intentionally avoided removal of any of the forested area for park development. Second, staff believes that with the ever-increasing competition for grants and given Allen's numerous grants already received in past years, Allen's prospect of being awarded another major Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's park development grant would be significantly enhanced with an open space dedication that would stand out among competing agencies.