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Beautiful oak trees and a pond dot the peaceful six acres of land behind the Hope Hill subdivision that the City of La Grange plans to turn into a park. The City will apply for a grant to help pay for some of the park construction costs. Plans call for a hike and bike trail, exercise stations, a playground, community garden, butterfly garden and more. Photo by Andy Behlen
The City of La Grange will pursue a grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife to build a new city park within the new Hope Hill subdivision along Horton Street.
The subdivision developer, Samaritan’s Purse, agreed to donate 6.19 acres of land within the neighborhood to the City for a future park. The donation would be contingent on a successful award of the grant. City Manager Shawn Raborn said he feels very confident that TPWD would award the grant to the City.
The maximum grant award is $750,000 and would require a local match of $750,000. However, Raborn said the value of the land donation could be used toward the matching funds.
A park design presented to the City Council at a meeting Monday night, Sept. 28, includes hike and bike trails, playground areas, picnic areas with tables and barbecue pits, a community garden, a butterfly garden, a fishing pier at the existing pond, a bicycle “pump” track (which Raborn compared to a skateboard park but for bicycles), a basketball and pickleball court and exercise stations.
La Grange native plant grower Tim Patrick attend the meeting and asked whether including native plants into the landscape design would increase the City’s chances of getting the grant. Raborn said native plant landscaping would give the City’s grant application some extra points.
“I want to offer the City my help with providing some natives and some planning to go with it,” Patrick said.
“Thank you, we’re very interested in anything you could help us with,” Mayor Janet Moerbe said.
Raborn asked Patrick to share his contact information and said the City would consult with him during the planning process.
Council voted unanimously to pursue the grant opportunity. The City will file the application on Nov. 6. Raborn said awards would be announced in March. He expected the project to take about two years to complete. Council also voted unanimously to pass a resolution banning mining or drilling on the proposed park property, which was a requirement to pursue the grant.
In other business, Council voted unanimously to distribute $14,670 in tourism grants, which are funded by hotel occupancy tax revenue. The following grants were awarded:
• $3,000 to the Faison Preservation Society
• $2,400 to the Fayette County Tourism Association
• $4,000 to the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center for advertising costs associated with the Center’s upcoming Heritage Fest and Muziky
• $2,470 to the Texas Quilt Museum for their online marketing plan
• $2,800 to the Friends of Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill to assist with the annual Trail of Lights.
Councilwoman Kathy Weishuhn, who serves as the Tourism Grant Committee chairwoman, said all tourism grants are reimbursements. Groups that apply for grant funds must present receipts for qualified expenses in order to get reimbursed.
