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Parks and Trails. Memorial Park Index



Index of Willow Park Civics Blogs and Webpages, Willow Park City Council Meetings, Board Meetings and Documents, and other articles and sources about the Willow Park City Memorial Park. 


• Latest Update: posted 01 November 2024

• Tags: #Parks

• Note: Willow Park Civics is about Willow Park but is NOT associated with or managed by the City of Willow Park.




 

Parks and Trails. Memorial Park Index


• Memorial Day: Willow Park's Pfc. Paul Balint Jr., Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 26 May 2024

On Memorial Day we remember Willow Park residents who died for our country. Pfc. Paul Balint Jr. of Willow Park was 22 when he died in service to his country; he was killed 15 December 2006 by small-arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq. He died of injuries sustained when his unit came in contact with the enemy during Operation Iraqi Freedom.


Willow Park resident Shivaun Palmer honors her youngest brother, Special Ops Air Force Pararescue Kevin McKenna, who died in service to his country. The people you can never forget, you want others to remember, so the McKenna family, who moved to Willow Park in the 1980s, placed their reminder in the ​Willow Park's Pfc. Paul Balint Jr. Memorial Park Garden.


 Official City of Willow Park Notice. 

 WPC Summary: On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the El Chico City Hall, the Willow Park Parks Board is holding a Town Hall on the City's new Conceptual Plan for the Kings Gate Park AND on the City's consideration TO MOVE MEMORIAL PARK. Find drawing, maps, documents, journals, sources and more.


 On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the El Chico City Hall, the Willow Park Parks Board is holding a Town Hall for Citizens to voice their opinions on the City's new Conceptual Plan for the Kings Gate Park AND on the City's consideration TO MOVE MEMORIAL PARK from Ranch House Road to the parking lot improvements in front of the El Chico City Hall. Details in linked blog.


 On Tuesday, 29 October 2024, at 6 p.m. in the El Chico City Hall, the Willow Park Parks Board is holding a Town Hall for Citizens to voice their opinions on the City's new Conceptual Plan for the Kings Gate Park and on the City's consideration to move the Memorial Park from Ranch House Road to the parking lot improvements in front of the El Chico City Hall. Willow Park Civics update will as the City shares.


 Council announced their intentions to incorporate the Memorial Park plans into the town halls and survey for the Kings Gate Park Conceptual Plan; the City is looking for input and guidance from Willow Park Citizens on their plans to move the Willow Park's Pfc. Paul Balint Jr. Memorial Park to the El Chico City Hall parking lot and green space.


• Willow Park's Memorial Park is moving., Willow Park Civics Blog, 18 September 2024

 The City of Willow Park is planning to move the "Willow Park Memorial Park" from it's current Ranch House Road location to the new "beautified" parking lot in front of the new El Chico City Hall. Currently, there is no indication the new City Hall Memorial/Veterans Park will also be dedicated to Private Paul Balint Jr. or will also include any of the current dedications and memorials.


There are nine big projects that are actively flourishing like the Willow Park Parks themselves. And the new Parks Superintendent Jakob Cooper is busy keeping our Parks clean and maintained.


• 07 May 2024 Parks Board Meeting, Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 04 May 2024

Agenda Item 9. Discuss past progress and future plans for Memorial Park.

• [No background page.] 

• Minutes:

Ms. Fisher presented to the Board that the City is looking at different ideas for Memorial Park, its potential relocation, and the investment we're wanting to make on it. Ex-Officio Ms. Young expanded on the conversation, addressing the issue of no longer having water for the sprinklers at this park now that the old City Hall has been demolished. As to what will happen to 516 Ranch House Rd site: at this time, the City intends to retain the property, including the park, and noted that designated parkland must be taken to the voters to be sold.


Ms. Young proceeded to tell the Board that the City purchased the existing City Hall [in July 2023] and the acreage in front (to the south), and stated that Dorothy Witmeyer at Westwood Professional Services is also helping us design the expansion of the parking lot. When discussing the options for Memorial Park, it was proposed that Memorial Park could be relocated to the southwest corner of the City Hall frontage property, and the City has also contracted with Westwood for this possibly. Ms. Young stated that Staff would seek feedback from the Parks Board for fundraising ideas. She indicated that the park's visibility from the frontage road would gain more passer-by attention and be a striking and purposeful entrance for our City Hall and create a more formal, planned, and cohesive memorial park that will blend with the City Hall building. Because of this, it was recommended by Board member White that the Master Gardeners delay providing landscaping design suggestions for existing Memorial Park as its installation might then have to be removed.


Board member Wagner asked if Parker County ESD1 was [still] interested in the old City Hall site, and if the City was interested in selling any of its frontage since it was "prime real estate". Ms. Young stated that, although 516 Ranch House was a purchase consideration for the ESD, they have expressed that they are very happy with use of the Public Safety Building [they lease their space from the City], but if that ever did materialize, they liked the park and were not interested in taking it away. As to the frontage, Ms. Young stated that we will retain this land as it is required for the building's parking requirement. She also mentioned that TXDOT is planning on moving the exit entrance east, to Tricia Trail, and once the exit moves, it could open a possibility of adding another entrance to City Hall from the frontage.









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