COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – At Thursday’s meeting, the College Station City Council unanimously approved a new master plan for Texas Independence Park.
It stands on the same site where the Texas Independence Ballpark was supposed to be built, but construction failed last August after several soil tests showed that the soil was insufficient.
The City Parks and Recreation presentation featured designs from landscape architecture and urban planning students at Texas A&M University. The amenities included in the park were developed with public feedback from previous sessions in mind.
The master plan presentation included a general park area, two bike parks, the Destination Play Experience playground, a dog park, a fishing pond, two disc golf courses and bike paths.
According to the presentation, construction costs are expected to be between $16.7 million and $20.8 million, although the project may utilize existing baseball field infrastructure and some funds.
The planned park is located off Rock Prairie Road, east of Highway 6.
The reaction of the city council members was consistently positive.
“This is exciting because this is not a park that we have. Period. And so we’re making lemonade out of the mistakes that the ballpark should have made. But I’m really excited about it,” said Councilman William Wright.
With the master plan approved, the next step in bringing the park to life is to submit a design contract to the City Council for approval.
Other important points were discussed at the meeting on Thursday.
Proposed tax rate for FY25
The City Council voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on the proposed property tax rate for fiscal year 2025 on August 22. This agenda item included a public comment period during which citizens could voice their opinions on the proposed tax rate of 51.3086 cents per $100 of value, which remains unchanged from the previous year.
No member of the public commented on the proposed tax rate at the meeting. Another opportunity for public comment will be provided at the August 22 meeting.
Traffic congestion and mobility analysis
On July 30, the city released a survey asking for citizen feedback on traffic congestion. The survey is a way for citizens to identify high-traffic areas and thus track trends in congestion. At Thursday’s meeting, the City Council received an update from officials on their findings so far.
50 intersections were selected for analysis. Traffic jams in the morning and evening hours were discussed and possible solutions to certain traffic problems were presented to the council.
Solutions being discussed include creating additional turning lanes, synchronizing traffic lights and using alternative traffic control methods such as roundabouts.
The survey closes on August 31 and the full analysis will be completed in the fall.
Ashburn Avenue ROO
The council also approved a request to change the zoning of three residential areas of College Station from GS General Suburban to GS General Suburban with a restricted occupancy overlay (ROO). Under a ROO, no more than two unrelated people may rent together.
The subdivisions affected are Sweetbriar Addition, Woodland Acres and College Station Woodlands.
If a property is currently registered with the city as a rental property, the same will apply to the property and the ordinance will change to “no more than four,” the city’s standard ordinance. However, new rental properties with “no more than four” cannot be added. City officials described the ROO as a snapshot of these areas “as they exist today.”
All rights reserved.
