IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO HENDERSON PARK
Improvements to Henderson Park have been a priority for the Brenham Parks and Recreation Board for the past few years, and it looks now that work will begin. Public Works Director Dane Rau briefed the Parks Board Wednesday on phase one of the planned improvements. Rau said the improvements will include a new Playscape area and swing sets, a large Barbeque Pit area, changing the softball field back to baseball, upgrading the batting cages and improved lighting throughout the park. Rau said they may install a wall for the outfield fence to make the baseball field competitive for 17 and 18 year olds.
The phase one improvements will be funded through Brenham Community Development Corporation (BCDC) funds.
Board members also got an update on the planned Brenham Family Park. Ed and Evelyn Kruse donated 106 acres for park in 2013. The property is located on the south side of Brenham, where Chappell Hill Street ends. A preliminary design for the park was shown to the board that included walking and biking trails, multi-purpose fields, playscape areas, and a 4 to 5 acre pond. The park would also contain several wildflower areas and a community center building. The design is preliminary, but BCDC funds had already been committed for the construction of the roadway and the retention pond.
Board members also received updates on a number of other projects. The construction of new restroom facilities at Fireman’s Park has been slowed due to recent rains, but the project is expected be completed by the end of the year. The Bluebell Aquatic Center will also see some upgrades in the near future. The BCDC has approve funding for re-plastering both the therapy and leisure pools and repaving the parking lot.
Wow, this is great! Our out of town players and their parents can use our new, improved baseball fields and shop in our new Hobby Lobby or Academy!
This park will require expensive insurance and maintenance paid for by city taxpayers. I am a city dwelling Senior who must drive miles to get to a park with walking trails. You can almost wager the adjoining residential property will not be priced for the below average wage earners of Washington county. Having just received my property tax bill in the mail, I now see the tax paid to the city of a Brenham EXCEEDS the school taxes. When will the city stop waging war on ORDINARY fixed income seniors?
Doesn’t surprise me the City has come up with another way to blow tax payer money. Why do all these baseball field upgrades when any baseball is hardly played there anymore? I thought that’s what Holt Park was built for?
There are not enough fields for the amount of players. I just wish they could keep all the fields together so if you have multiple kids playing, you don’t have to run all over town. I also hope they are looking at the parking. Hohlt Park was poorly planned for the amount of parking that was needed and looking at the plans above, it looks like the same thing is going to happen!
A little more information will perhaps make you not as Upset, Citizen:
“The BCDC Board develops a budget each year based on SALES TAX PROJECTIONS (emphasis mine). The City collects a local sales tax of 1.5 cents; of that amount, 3/8 (.375) cents is dedicated to BCDC activities. Historically, the BCDC has allocated 35% of its funds to economic development activities and 65% to community development projects.”
In other words, the funding for this/these projects comes from folks spending money with our local businesses. Every tournament held in Brenham/Washington County brings in families from out of town, who then spend money here for food, gas, shopping, and sometimes even overnight stays depending on play times. The sales tax from these dollars spent is what is allowing for these types of improvements; not your property tax or school tax.
Also, it seems the primary reason for updating the fields is so that games for more older-age groups can be held on these fields as well. Select baseball and softball tournaments are becoming a huge market and to be able to capture this audience and have as many tournaments scheduled and teams playing as possible only makes Brenham a more valuable destination. This is a WIN for Brenham!
Thank you for explaining where these funds come from. This new park will be the best in Brenham and a nice place for locals to spend free time. Looking forward to the construction of the park. Hope it gets done by 2020.