Over the next five years, Georgetown’s Parks and Recreation Department will launch several capital improvement projects.
Initiatives include a Blue Hole Park facelift, renovations to Chautauqua Park, building a larger pavilion and parking area at San Jose Park, and a trail connection from Bluffview Trail to the regional trail system.
Most of the projects presented to Georgetown City Council during its May 13 city council workshop are part of the city’s parks and trails master plan.
Renovations to Chautauqua Park include relocating the restroom and pavilion within the park. For Fiscal Year 2026, $70,000 will be set aside for design and $280,000 will be set aside for construction in FY27.
“We have closed the restroom down in Chautauqua Park and we’ve removed the picnic tables that are there, but we believe that is a gem of a park and improvements need to be made so that we can utilize that park again,” Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly Garrett said.
Council Member Jake French said the bathrooms and pavilion at Chautauqua Park were originally closed as “more or less a defensive mechanism” against homeless people who used the park.
“In my opinion, we prioritize maintaining existing levels of services as a city and I think we generally do a good job of that,” he said. “I think this particular park is one example where we’re not necessarily doing a great job, so anything we can do to expedite getting those amenities back in that park, I think we should absolutely prioritize.”
The department will also continue replacing park equipment which “helps maintain our park assets and reduces deferred maintenance,” Ms. Garrett said.
She said the department has a detailed list every fiscal year on what equipment should be replaced based on its use.
“Every year we look at that list and determine if we can push a project or if something is actually failing earlier than we thought,” Ms. Garrett said. “It gives us a really good schedule to make sure everything is replaced, is safe and it keeps our community parks looking good.”
Furthermore, over the next four years, medium priority parks and recreation master plan projects will be completed for $1.7 million.
These projects include trail access to Meadows Park from Carlson Place, a larger pavilion and parking at San Jose Park, and looped trails at Emerald Springs, Windridge Village and Summercrest.
The final future project presented to council was a connection from the Bluffview Trail to the regional trail in Lyndoch Park in Wolf Ranch. Ms. Garrett said this project would be funded through Parkland Dedication. It would be $750,000 for design and construction.
Current projects
City council also received an update on major ongoing projects, some of which have overlap into future Capital Improvement Project plans.
The final concept plans for Blue Hole Park will be presented to council on June 10, with public input opened after that date. The final concept and cost estimate is scheduled for a vote in September.
“I know that was a Downtown Master Plan priority, which is why we’re working on it right now,” Ms. Garrett said.
Phase 2 of Garey Park improvements broke ground on March 6 and will include an amphitheater, group cabins, a skate park, pump track, 18-hole disc golf course, memorial pavilion and more.
Ms. Garrett said the big focus right now is the renovation on the Garey House.
“We’re going to be expanding the capacity so that we’re able to serve more guests in that space,” she said. “Our focus is on that because we need to be open and ready for October 3 for our first event that we have scheduled in the new facility.”
According to Ms. Garrett, the master plan on the first phase of the Berry Creek Trail is a high priority. This project was included in the November 2023 county park bond. Options for trail design were presented in another item during the May 13 workshop and were detailed in the May 21 edition of the Sun.
Phase 4 of San Gabriel Park improvements. This includes redeveloping the sports fields to include nine baseball fields and 4.5 acres of soccer fields. It will cost approximately $50 million and will be a part of a future General Obligation bond. General Obligation Bonds are issued assuming a municipality will be able to repay the debt through taxation or revenue projects.