Southlake now has 12 and ½ more acres of land in its parks portfolio. The city acquired the property nestled between Harbor Chase of Southlake and Abiding Grace Lutheran Church for more than $3 million.
Mayor Laura Hill says that the city started looking at this land when planning out the route to extend Kirkwood Boulevard. That road, which is now set to run on the western edge of the property, is only one of the amenities the property offers, with others including natural vegetation and wildlife.
“It made more sense to just go ahead and take that piece of land,” Mayor Hill says.
The property will stay as-is for the time being, but there may be plans to elevate the property in the future.
“For now, the land will stay in its current passive state, maybe with a little bit of cleanup of the brush, but we want to work with the council and the Parks and Recreation Board to determine its best uses,” Assistant City Manager Ben Thatcher told MySouthlakeNews.com. “In the future, it will likely be considered as part of the updated Southlake 2035 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan.”
Mayor Hill says that the council is prioritizing investing in open spaces within city limits, which is why part of next year’s election will include a bond proposal that will ask citizens if they want the city to set aside finances for the purpose of purchasing land that could be turned into parks.
“We would have that money available to access easily if we find a great piece of land in Southlake,” Mayor Hill says.
With that on the books, and the city still looking for other valuable pieces of open space in central areas within Southlake, Mayor Hill says citizens can look forward to more news about green space opportunities in the future.
“Hopefully we will have more good news for citizens going forward,” Mayor Hill says.