City park redesign spells out attractions

BY JEFF B. FLINN Managing Editor

The planning phase for development of Northside Community Park includes practice fields, a dog park, walking trails – all the amenities Boerne residents have told the city they desire in their parks.

But officials are hoping the city’s efforts to abide by the same regulations and requirements placed upon developers does not go unnoticed.

“I think it’s impressive that the city of Boerne wants to impose upon itself the very same regulations and requirements we impose on developers,” Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Tim Bannwolf said. “Most municipalities don’t do that.”

Lissette Jimenez, Boerne parks and recreation department director, laid out plans for Northside Community Park for the city Planning and Zoning Commission during its January 8 meeting.

The first phase of park construction began in 2009, with the creation of the existing skate park.

The second phase, the current redesign, includes three multi-use lit fields, two practice fields, a dog park, walking trails, addition of a splash pad, an all-inclusive playground, parkour courses, pickleball courts, two basketball courts, a community room, and the second phase of the skate park.

Adhering to Boerne tree preservation and drainage restrictions was essential in the park’s development.

“This property has beautiful trees and ... we’re maintaining 90 percent of existing city standard and legacy trees. We’re 100 percent protecting the heritage trees,” Jimenez said on Monday.

“We’re also restoring, protecting and enhancing the native vegetation. We will be planning additional trees around the borderline of the park, to provide additional privacy as much as we can,” Jimenez said.

Joining Jimenez was Jeff Carroll, Boerne director of engineering and mobility. He told P&Z that the city will adhere to its own drainage protection zone (DPZ) stipulations, which he said were created “to protect and allow restoration of our riparian buffers” and to protect natural drainage way.

“At Northside Park, there really is not much of a defined drainage way. If you go out there today, there is not a defined drainage ‘low’through the property,” Carroll said. “But this park project is going to help restore a natural drainage way.”

The redesign team chose a site plan that increased the drainage protection area, to improve the overall riparian benefits.

“The variance tonight is to realign the limits of the DPZ,” Carroll said. “They are proposing to increase the area of the DPZ, proposing to create a new stream alignment that runs through the middle of the DPZ. Today, there’s not a natural stream out there; they are looking to create a natural stream.”

The redesign proposal increases the water capture volume for the entire site, he said, “capturing 20 percent greater than the minimum volume that our codes require.”

P&Z Commissioner Bob Cates said the park redesign effort will serve as a blueprint for what the city can expect when dealing with future development.

“You're adhering to the same standards we expect everyone else to adhere to, and that’s very unusual in government,” Cates said. “This really gives a blueprint to show what the P&Z Commission leadership in Boerne wants to see, if there is the waiver given, and that is full protection of the environment, protection of the trees, and improvement of water quality.

“I think the standards ... are going to serve us well moving forward, in showing developers and others what we expect when considering an exemption,” Cates added. Bannwolf said he was impressed with the number of improvements – from a dog park to a splash pad and pickleball courts – included within the variance P&Z was to vote on.

“This will really add to water quality, quality of life, and things we in Boerne have come to treasure and appreciate,” Bannwolf said. “This will only magnify and accentuate far into the future.”

The 7-0 P&Z vote sends the item before the city’s Historical Landmark Commission next, before the plan eventually makes its way to City Council.