C O B B P A R KMASTER PLAN

A Park in the City

Some place where I can lieAnd watch the clouds drift acrossThat lake of sky

Where trees can growUnrestrainedLike proud, majestic kings

Where birds can singUnhinderedOn the shoulders of those trees

Where people can comeUnrestrictedRelaxed as they were meant to be

This is whatA park inside a cityWill always mean to me

-By Sara Hartse, Age 12

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This Master Plan report was prepared by:

July, 2008

Jacobs ConsultancyThe Urban Design & Planning Group777 Main St.Fort Worth, TX 76102-5304

Jacobs

Prepared for

City of Fort WorthParks and Community Services Department

Paid for by

Chesapeake Energy Corp.Fort Worth, Texas

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Contents

Executive Summary Cobb Park TodaySite Constraints and Opportunities Vicinity - Regional Vicinity - Local Forestry Cover Slope Analysis Existing Site Soils Existing Floodplain Existing Waterways

Neighborhood Infl uences Underground Utilities Zoning Property Parcels/ Property Acquisition Vehicular Circulation Neighborhood Circulation

Site Analysis & Inventory/Existing Conditions Site Map Park segments with photos South Central - I Central - II NorthPublic Meeting #1

Neighborhood Survey Results/Desired Amenities Survey Results - Park Use Chart Desired Amenities

Conceptual Design Schemes Scheme A Scheme B Scheme C

Public Meeting #2

Steering Committee Meeting Preferred Scheme

Final Master Plan Park Master Plan Park Segments South Central North

Public Meeting #3

Cost Estimate Cost Estimate

Recommended Phasing Plan

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Executive Summary

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IntroductionGood public parks are vital to any city’s well being and economic growth, and Fort Worth is no exception. In fact, Fort Worth is growing rapidly, when many other cities are losing resident popula-tion and business tax base. Today, the neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown area of Fort Worth are experiencing urban renewal with a resurgence of new housing and business development. This growth is due in part to the health of the downtown district, and because the residents have access to open green space nearby.

One of these great spaces is Cobb Park, the second largest park in the City of Fort Worth at 230 acres. Over the last 20-plus years, Cobb Park has been the victim of urban decay and neglect as the sur-rounding neighborhoods grew older, businesses moved out to the suburbs and malls, and city growth expanded outwards from its outer edges, not its inner neighborhoods. The change in demographics left the City with fewer dollars to spend on the long term development and maintenance of the park. One may ask if over the years the decline of Cobb Park and its surrounding neighborhoods are some-how connected to this shift in urban development in Fort Worth.

Author Peter Harnik, in his book, “Inside City Parks,” states the following:

“Does the healthy city come fi rst, or the healthy park?

Not long ago the question itself would have been laughable since both cities and parks seemed in terminally failing health. But today, both are recovering and the question has real relevance. Attractive, safe and usable parks prop up their neighborhoods, but cities need a strong economic base to fi x those parks in the fi rst place. And it’s hard to get that economic base without middle class taxpayers who often won’t move somewhere that doesn’t have decent parks.

More than a century ago, Frederick Law Olmsted, the great park designer and city planner known as the “Father of Landscape Architecture,” found this very issue to be central to his work when he pointed out that “a park exercises a very different and much greater infl uence upon the progress of a city in its general structure than any other ordinary public work.”

Parks, in other words, give a city a survival advantage. Every city, after all, is in competition with every other city, not to mention every other suburb and small town. By performing all the miraculous functions that people appreciate -- cleaning the air, giving cooling shade, providing space for recreation and play, offering attractive vistas, furnishing outdoor environmental classrooms -- parks improve a city’s quality of life. Each amenity, from the job market to the housing stock to cultural opportunities to even the weather, is part of the equation people use to decide where to live. A great park system can positively tip the balance.” Peter Harnick, Inside City Parks, Urban Land Institute.

Due to this fact that parks are vital to the economic health of the city, particularly the inner city, the City, through Parks and Community Services, is committed to improving Cobb Park. Many citizens have no idea where Cobb Park is or what amazing potential it holds in helping to change the sur-rounding neighborhoods as well as contribute to the economic base of the City.

Downtown Fort Worth

Frederick Law Olmsted

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So where is Cobb Park located, how did it come to be, and why is it important to the City and its future? What does the Park need to bring itself back to life and what amenities will activate it with people?

Cobb Park is located in the southeast section of the City in the inner ring of neighborhoods adjacent to downtown. The park’s most valuable asset is the natural landscape and hills with Sycamore Creek running through the entire length of the park. Three major streets divide the park into four sections bisecting the park at Highway Rt. 287, East Maddox Street, East Berry Street, and bordered by Glen Garden Ave. The park is surrounded on it’s perimeter by a mix of residential, commercial, and in-dustrial uses with a number of empty lots. The neighborhoods surrounding the park are seeing a “re-newal” with new housing development currently at Sierra Vista and soon to be at the Masonic Lodge Neighborhood development. A new urban village with a major multi-model transportation hub is being planned and will make public access to the park in the future even more convenient for all city residents living close to a bus line. An approved aquatic park is proposed within the park’s boundar-ies as well, which will attract many people. So change is coming and the desire to rescue Cobb Park from its negative image and bring new life to it has growing support.

HistoryIn 1907, prior to the City’s acquirement of the land for Cobb Park, a group of Fort Worth civil lead-ers convinced the City to form a Park Board to oversee the creation of a park system in the City. The City adopted Chapter VI of the City Charter to create the Park Board and to defi ne the Board’s authority in acquiring and managing Fort Worth parks. In 1909, the fi rst Park Board hired George Kessler, a noted Kansas City landscape architect, to draft a park master plan for city parks at the cost of $1,500. Kessler had designed the highly regarded Kansas City Parks system, in addition to other notable parks throughout the U.S. Kessler proposed to the Board to acquire land for three large parks, which would encircle what at the time were the City limits of Fort Worth. Those parks would become Trinity Park, Forest Park, and Sycamore Park. The land for Cobb Park became a desired acquisition because it adjoined Sycamore Park on the south end of Sycamore Creek and would form a long linear green space along the creek corridor that together would form one of the largest open green spaces in the City. But Cobb Park land was in the private ownership of the Cobb Family and not for sale.

Cobb FamilyThe Cobb family has a rich and long history in Texas; the Cobb’s being among some of the fi rst set-tlers in the new frontier. The family made their mark in Texas with cotton and cattle. The ancestors of the early Cobb family and prominent residents of Fort Worth, were Horace H., Susie M., Emma F., Fred C., William H., Charles S., Abby W., and Icy E. Cobb. Together, they gave to and deeded the land for Cobb Park to the City of Forth Worth on January 10, 1923. There is little information about Cobb Park prior to the Cobb family deeding it to the City. Fred Cobb was the owner of the Cobb Brick Company located on the current park property and thus the site must have been a source of clay for the brick factory at one point. Water from Sycamore Creek would have provided water for this endeavor. Frank’s brother, H.H. Cobb, was the owner of the OK Cattle Company in Fort Worth, but it is not clear if the property ever had anything to do with the cattle operation.

Sycamore creek rising above its banks A friendly game of croquet in the early days

Sycamore creek crossing over the north end of Cobb Park Drive

Fun time in the pool

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Cobb Park - PastAt the time the Cobb family made the gift to the City, the land was 220 acres in size and valued at $60,000. That sum was a sizable amount of money in those days. The opening clause of the deed states the Cobb family gave the land as a gift, “realizing the advantages to the community and desirous of contributing something to the happiness and welfare of the people of Fort Worth.” The deed stipulated three conditions: build a road along the creek for those who want to stroll through a country landscape, develop a concrete crossing to afford carriages and autos the ability to cross the creek, and no trees be removed, except those that are absolutely necessary for the development of the park. Upon completion of the new roadway, it was named Kessler Drive (after landscape Architect George Kessler), later changing to Cobb Park Drive. Looking at old maps, there were a number of streets that were adjacent to, and within the park boundaries, that were abandoned and removed. At that point, Highway 287 did not divide the park property as it does today. Later on, the City acquired the short length of 10 acres of privately owned property between Sycamore and Cobb parks joining them together. The two parks together form the largest collective park system in the City. There is little written about Cobb for the 18 years, between the time it became city property, up until 1941 when we next hear about it.

In 1941 at the start of World War II, Sycamore Park was designated as the site of a “rest and recre-ation camp for soldiers who come on weekend leave.” This use continued for a number of years and included some portion of Cobb Park as well. The National Guard facility, established in 1954 on Cobb Park property, continues to be active today. At one point, as evidenced by old photos, the park had access to streetcar service from downtown and there was a swimming pool in the park, as well as a horse-riding ring. The only traces of those early improvements today are the abandoned riding ring and Cobb Park Drive with two concrete water crossings.

A master plan was developed in 1980 and parts of it were implemented in 1982. The improvements remaining today, as part of that park update, are the remnants of a baseball fi eld, roadway across the Sycamore Creek, a playground, picnic tables, and some parking areas. Most of these 1982-era im-provements are hard to fi nd due to deterioration, overgrown vegetation, and vandalism. More recent improvements include an extension of the Trinity Trail, two trailhead connections, a small play-ground off Glen Garden Drive, and a picnic shelter next to the golf practice area off East Maddox Street.

Cobb Park - Present 2008Today the park is in disrepair and is hardly used, most of the park land reverting to an over-grown natural landscape. For the most part, the park is unused due to lack of recreational facilities and the image of the park being an unsafe place to go. The park has a history of a high crime rate and very few people venture into the park; they simply drive through. There is one area along Cobb Park Drive where people gather in what use to be a parking lot and picnic area, but it is questionable what activities occur there at any one given time. The creek bed has been the victim of erosion and fl ood-ing due to the increase in volume of storm water over the years from surrounding developments around the park and the increase of impervious surfaces. The worst fl ooding of the creek on record is in April of 1922 when most of the creek valley was under water and again in 1975. Today the creek will fl ood over its banks whenever there is a 5 year storm event.

Worn parking lot, picnic area, and playground Overgrown meadow with baseball backstop

Trash dumped in and near the creek Picnic pavilion in the north part of the park

Scenic Trinity Trials Worn and overgrown cut through road

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There is pollution in the stream water from the various sources of storm drains entering the creek. The park seems to attract a fair amount of dumping: garbage, old appliances, tires, and other trash in remote areas of the park and in the stream corridor. Even the surrounding neighborhoods, that once enjoyed this wonderful city amenity, now turn their backs to it.

In recent years Streams and Valleys, a non-profi t agency, built a wonderful bike and jogging trail at the upper eastern property boundary called the Trinity Trail. The trail is a discontinuous section of the Trinity River Trail System that ends at East Berry Street on one end and continues into Syca-more Park on the other end. The trail is hardly used due to safety concerns and its lack of connection to the main Trinity Trail system once it leaves Cobb and Sycamore Parks.

A New EraIn the fall of 2007, Chesapeake Energy Corporation authorized Jacobs Carter Burgess, Inc. to facili-tate the design of a new master plan for the redevelopment and restoration of the park. The City’s Parks and Community Services Department directed the design and public awareness program with input from a steering committee. With commitment of funds from the Tarrant Regional Water District and City gas revenue funds, The Parks Department has an initial $3.8 million dollars for de-sign and construction of a fi rst phase of the overall improvements of the adopted master plan design, which totals $25.6 million dollars in new construction costs for full implementation. The develop-ment of the master plan has strong support from the surrounding neighborhoods, and from its advo-cate Mayor Pro Tem Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks. During the three well-attended public meet-ings, which were a part of the master plan design process, the public concerns and desires for a new park were voiced. A survey of the desired amenities in the park by the local neighborhoods returned over 400 responses. The developed Master Plan incorporates the vast majority of the residents con-cerns and ideas for a new and better neighborhood park system. The success of the design process was due to the amount of public input and neighborhood participation in public meetings, working with a supportive steering committee, and support from the City and its leaders.

The new master plan marks the beginning of a new era for the park. While keeping the natural character of the park landscape intact, the new plan brings many new uses into the park with commu-nity gathering places for social, recreational, and educational use. Many new athletic facilities will be available in a part of the city now lacking these amenities. A new aquatic facility is proposed for the park that will have access from the new bus hub in the urban village. With the surrounding redevel-opment of the neighborhoods and new uses for presently empty lots, the redeveloped park is sure to become one of the most loved parks in the City system. The negative connotation that is associated with the park at present will be removed and in its place will be the source of public pride affording a safe and welcoming park to all. I would dare say that the Cobb family would be pleased to see the redeveloped park and people returning to it. The new design of the park is about the people who will use it, for they had the biggest impact on its future by being involved in the design process. It will be the “people’s park.”

What follows is the documentation of the design and public input process that led to the fi nal Master Plan.

The old arena, overgrown Overgrown basketball court

A shady grove

Cobb Park Drive through the park

An overgrown meadow

The spillway in the central portion of the park

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Cobb Park TodaySite Constraints and Opportunities

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Site Constraints and OpportunitiesCobb Park is located in the City of Fort Worth, Texas in the southeast quadrant close to the downtown area. The Park is located east of Interstate 35W, south of Texas Highway 30 and Texas Highway 180, with Texas Highway 287 running southeast through the middle of the park.

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INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE CITY OF FORT WORTH PLANNING DEPARTMENT

The Park is cut into four sections by East Berry Street, Texas Highway 287, and East Maddox Avenue, with East Rosedale Street on the far north park boundary. The two main entrances to the park are at both ends of Cobb Park Drive. Cobb Park Drive runs north/south through the park along the edge of Sycamore Creek. The south park entrance comes off Glen Garden Drive, and the north entrance is off the Texas Highway 287 Cobb Park off-ramp. You can access other far north and south sections of the park from East Maddox Avenue and East Rosedale Street.

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Existing Forest and Open Space Vegetation One of the stipulations in the original deed of the property from the Cobb family to the City was that “as few trees be removed as possible in order to establish the Park and its amenities.” Over time, ad-ditions were made to the Park property, especially on the north end, which had trees removed in the playing fi eld area. The middle and south sections of the Park have had a minimal amount of trees removed over the years. The proposed location of the great lawn is the only area that experienced removal of original trees (to build baseball fi elds). The area used to build Cobb Park Drive would also have required a fair amount of tree removal along the stream corridor.

The reason for this stipulation by the Cobb family was that they felt the natural environment of the parkland was unique to Fort Worth, especially with its location so close to the center of the City. The Cobb’s felt that there was urgent value in preserving the park for future generations. There has been little change in the Park landscape since about 1982. In those 26 years, a lot of the open areas have re-vegetated themselves. Where playing fi elds, roads, and trails were once located, they have now disap-peared and are overgrown. This has left the majority of the Park unused and inaccessible.

The natural vegetative species of the Park belong to the Blacklands Prairies of Texas. The soils of these areas are high in dark-colored clay with high-alkaline content. They are usually underlain by limestone formations, which is evident on the banks and in the creek bed of Sycamore Creek.

The tree canopy of the Blacklands consists of a range of native river bottom and upland tree types. These include trees such as Pecans, Eastern Red Cedar, Mexican Buckeye, Texas Buckeye, Redbud, Live Oak, Post Oak, Texas Ash, Shumard Oak, Cedar Elm, Chinquapin Oak, Green Ash, Hackberry, Ashe Juniper, White Ash, Bur Oak, Blackjack Oak, Soapberry, Eve’s Necklace, and Yaupon Holly. Other species such as Japanese Honeysuckle, Asian Honeysuckle, Asian Ligustrum, Viburnum, Pale Leaf Yucca, and American Beauty Berry, among others, have overtaken most of the non-native under-story. The native grasses are Little Bluestem, Sideoats Gama, Indian Grass, and Switchgrass. There are native groundcovers, ferns, and wildfl owers as well. In addition, there are various varieties of non-native plants that have invaded due to disturbance by man, birds, and introduction of non-native species to the region in general.

The areas along the stream corridor at bottomlands and at the Park’s west boundary are for the most part, heavily wooded. There is a pecan grove along Cobb Park Drive that is of particular beauty. The upper hillsides of the Park’s east boundary are wooded as well. The vast majority of the south section of the Park past East Berry Street is heavily wooded.

Open meadow with trees in background Shady grove

Overgrown elm grove Overgrown road through the meadows

Shady lawn Open lawn leading to edge of tree line

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RECOMMENDATIONSWhile respecting the original desire of the Cobb family to remove as few trees as possible to estab-lish a park, we feel that a certain amount of tree canopy removal will be necessary to build the new loop road, Nature Center and Community Gardens, the new lake, trails, and to increase visibility into areas of the park, for an improved sense of safety. To some extent, we will need to remove some trees located in the proposed great lawn area (although most of this is overgrowth from a time when the area was clear), and a few in some of the athletic fi eld locations. We recommend establishing the Community Demonstration Garden as an educational facility for inner city children and adults to learn about the native landscape and plant species (current and historical) that are in the Park. The butterfl y garden should have varieties of shrubs and fl owers that attract the insects and butterfl ies that migrate through this area each spring and fall.

Establishing the edges of the lake with native wetland species will help in water quality issues and provide wildlife habitat. In areas where it is possible, we suggest planting new trees to replace those removed, and in certain locations and view sheds, planting understory fl owering trees to provide more spring and summer color. In addition, we recommend planting native evergreens to make the park more interesting in winter. Heavy erosion of the stream banks will require stabilization us-ing bioengineering techniques and native plant species. This would dramatically help water quality issues related to fl ooding and siltation of the creek corridor, downstream into Sycamore Park, and lastly into the Trinity River. We recommend a program to remove non-native invasive plant species located along the stream corridor.

This Park is unique in that it provides the perfect setting as a more naturalistic landscape to study nature in the inner city environment. The Park is an oasis of nature.

Overgrown roadway Overgrown meadow with baseball backstop

Vegetation along Sycamore Creek Trees overhanging the creek

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“Where trees can grow unrestrained like proud, majestic kings”

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Existing Topography/Slope Analysis Cobb Park is unique in that is has some dramatic elevation changes across the Park property. From the east boundary of the Park, you can even see downtown Fort Worth. This is one of the few places around the City that are elevated enough to experience this dramatic view.

The majority of parkland is relatively fl at in the 5% slope or less category. This amounts to approxi-mately two-thirds of the Park. Most of this area follows the creek corridor and the open fi eld areas in the north section of the Park beyond Highway 287. This is why most of this area is also in the Flood Plain. The fact that this area is mostly fl at is why the majority of the proposed athletic fi elds are located in the north section of the Park. We selected this location to keep excavation and grading to a minimum for large areas and thus reduce cost. There are some fairly steep banks along certain sections of the creek bed that make access to the water diffi cult except at the proposed lake area. The lake will require a fair amount of excavation in the stream corridor.

There are areas that lie to the east side of the creek that begin to climb up the hill with slopes in the 5% to 10% range. The largest of these areas is in the middle of the Park where the large open green lawn will be located; the other area is where the Community Nature Center is located. The big lawn area will require some grading to fl atten it out.

The areas that are in the 10% to 30% range are located on the hillsides at the east boundary of the Park just below the Trinity Trail. Most of these areas will remain untouched and preserved as wildlife habitat and upland forest. Trails are about the only proposed park enhancements that will enter this zone.

RECOMMENDATIONSThe exact location and alignment of the entry roadway and the location of the great lawn area will be critical in order to reduce large amounts of earth work in these areas. Only minimal grading is required for the proposed athletic fi elds because they are already clear of trees and are fairly fl at. Additional study of the lake area is required to understand its hydraulics in addition to how it affects stream hy-draulics and fl ood capacity downstream. The depth of it will be critical for a number of reasons includ-ing water quality, fl ow, aquatics, wetland, upland vegetation establishment, wildlife and fi sh habitat, silting concerns, depth to water table, ability of soils to hold the water, and depth to bedrock. All of these issues will require further study and engineering in the design phase. It is important to keep a balance between the earth cuts and fi lls. First, to reduce constriction costs greatly and secondly because 67% of the park is in the fl ood plain. Avoiding earth material removal from and importation to the site is important for the fl ood plain areas. This will reduce the construction costs greatly.

Upper Trinity Trails sloping downhill towards creek High density housing on the hill on east boundary

Slope variations in middle of park Flat grassy area

Steep drop-off from Trinity Trails Steep slopes along the creek

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SCAB

FU

AB

SC

FUFU

FU

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Existing Soils According to the USDA Soil Survey, the soils in Cobb Park are comprised of three major types or classifi cation:

Frio-Urban Land Complex(FU)Frio-Urban soils are typically found in fl ood plains. The location of this soil type correlates closely to that of the fl ood plain mapping. In the Park, this soil is located along the banks and adjacent fl ood plain of Sycamore Creek. The parent material is loamy alluvium of Holocene age derived from mixed sources. These soils are well drained, usually located in areas that are fairly fl at, and experi-ence occasional fl ooding.

Typical Profi le • 0 to 24 inches: Silty clay • 24 to 40 inches: Silty clay loam • 40 to 80 inches: Silty clay loam

Aledo-Bolar-Urban Land Complex(AB)Aledo-Bolar-Urban Land Complex soils are usually found in areas with 3 to 20 percent slopes. This soil consists of two soil types: Aledo and Bolar. The location of this soil type correlates closely to that of the fl ood plain mapping, as they are not usually located in areas of fl ooding. In the Park, this soil type is located on the elevated upper terrace of the parkland along the Trinity Trail and the steeper slopes of the Park that are called “benches” or “ridges.” Parent material is loamy residuum weathered from limestone. They are well-drained soils.

Typical profi le Aledo • 0 to 8 inches: Gravelly clay loam • 8 to 17 inches: Very gravelly clay loam • 17 to 24 inches: Bedrock

Typical profi le Bolar • 0 to 10 inches: Clay loam • 10 to 30 inches: Stony clay loam • 30 to 36 inches: Bedrock

Sanger Clay(SC)Sanger Clay soils are usually found in areas with 3 to 5 percent slopes. The location of this soil type correlates closely to that of the fl ood plain mapping as they are not usually located in the fl oodway, but can be located in the 100-Year Flood Plain on the back slope. In the Park, this soil type is located on the upper slopes of the east side of Sycamore Creek in the middle of the Park. This is an area that fl attens out at the base of the more steep slopes climbing up to meet the Trinity Trail. The parent material is clayey residuum weathered from shale. The soil is well drained.

Typical profi le • 0 to 16 inches: Clay • 16 to 46 inches: Clay • 46 to 63 inches: Silty clay • 63 to 80 inches: Silty clay

RECOMMENDATIONSWe recommend borings be done in the following areas at a minimum to understand specifi c soil conditions and depth to the water table: 1. Community Nature Center 2. New lake 3. New bridge across Sycamore Creek 4. Baseball complex 5. New roadway loop 6. New park entrance 7. Athletic fi elds 8. Parking lots 9. Picnic structures 10. Observation points 11. Boardwalk at lake 12. Community Gardens 13. New wetland areas 14. Aquatic CenterThe soils in these areas require footings for structures or need structural capacity of some sort and thus we need to know the baring capacity. At the Community Garden areas, we need to know the soil types to understand what will or will not grow there. For playing fi elds, we need to know how well the sub-base material will drain or if underdrains are required. The excavation of the new lake and the underlying material will determine if the lake needs any kind of liner and to what depth it can be excavated before reaching bedrock. We recommend hiring a geotechnical fi rm to perform a complete geotechnical survey of the Park in those areas that will see new development.

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High water crossing at Park’s north end High water crossing at Park’s south end

A deep pool Concrete drainage fl ume

Trash dumping area along the creek Eroded slopes along the creek

Existing Flood PlainsThe majority of Cobb Park land, except for the upper hillside on the east Park boundary, lies within the regulated fl ood zones of Sycamore Creek as designated by the United States Army Corp of Engi-neers. A large majority of the new enhancements lie within the Floodway Zone with some work in the 100-Year Flood Plain zone. There are some narrow areas inside the 500-Year Flood Plain zone that are located on the west park boundary, but with little or no development in them. Restrictions limit what one can build or locate within each of these zones.

The items proposed in each of these zones are:In the Floodway • New vehicular bridge across creek • Roadway • New lake located in the stream corridor • Trails • Fishing overlook decks • Boardwalk and dock for canoes at one edge of the lake • Pedestrian foot bridge • Parking lot • Open picnic structure • Playground • Athletic fi elds In the 100-Year Flood Plain • New roadway • Trails • Parking lots • Small structures (maintenance storage shed, concession and restrooms for baseball complex) • Open picnic structures • Athletic fi eldsIn the 500-Year Flood Plain • Trails • Parking lot • Athletic fi elds

Environmental/Regulatory ConsiderationsThe Sycamore Creek corridor in Cobb Park presents numerous opportunities to enhance the ecology of this important urban riparian zone, while making it a more sustainable and usable feature of the park. Decades of development in the upstream portions of the watershed have increased the volume and velocity of fl ow in Sycamore Creek. These changes to the hydrology of the stream have resulted in sections of destabilized and eroding stream banks within the Park.

Future development in the surrounding neighborhoods would be held to design standards that past developments were not (i.e., in terms of storm water discharge velocities, etc.). Incorporation of stream channel enhancements into the Park plans would only serve to improve the long-term viability of infrastructure investments along the stream as well as create a safer and more enjoyable environ-ment for park users.Additionally, earth moving in a fl ood plain area must remain a balance of cut and fi ll. This is a con-struction concern sense 67% of the park is located in the fl oodplain.

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The following items should be considered for inclusion in Cobb Park improvements:

Bank Stabilization in Sycamore CreekThe next step in this process would be a detailed engineering study of the Cobb Park section of Sycamore Creek. This study would provide specifi c recommendations as to which areas bank stabilization should be enacted, engineering/construction options, permitting requirements, and approximate costs. This work requires a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There is a variety of permitting options available depending on what type of stabilization measures are selected. These methods would be based on an engineering analysis of the affected portions of the stream. Likewise, the costs associated with bank stabilization would vary widely depending on the outcome of the engineering analysis. In general, bio-engineering solutions are recommended over hard engineering solutions. However, the driving factor should be stabilizing the stream banks in the long-term, rather than adherence to a “bio-engineering philosophy.”

On-Channel Water FeatureWe have proposed constructing a water feature/amenity lake or pond on Sycamore Creek at the ex-isting upstream low-water crossing. The concept would be to simply enlarge the existing low-water structure to impound water, while excavating portions of the stream bank to create a “lake.” While a feature like this would increase the recreational opportunities in the park, it would result in impacts to the aquatic environment, essentially changing a stream environment to a pond or lake system in the affected area. However, the water feature would provide some tangible ecosystem benefi ts, including fl ood storage, sediment removal, and provision of a new habitat type (i.e., permanent, deep, in-stream, open water). Enlargement, or replacement of the low water crossing to impound more water, would likely require a Section 404 individual permit. This is a lengthy permitting process involving public comment and ex-tensive coordination with numerous regulatory agencies. Furthermore, the Corps would likely require mitigation for lost stream functions in the newly inundated area. This mitigation could likely take the place of enhancements to Sycamore Creek within the Park (i.e., planting of high-quality native woody plant species, removal of non-native or invasive species, etc.). The individual permit process can take from 2 to 3 years to complete.In addition to the need for a Section 404 permit for this water feature, enlargement/construction of the low-water crossing structure to impound water in Sycamore Creek would likely trigger the need for a water appropriations permit and a concurrent dam safety review. Essentially, the water appropriations permit would require that an alternative source of water (e.g., water well or City water) be used to supplement water that evaporates from the new impoundment. Dam safety requirements are triggered by any structure that measures 6 feet in height or greater from the downstream side (or 200 acre-feet).

Stabilize and bio engineer creek bank Proposed area of new lake

Remove concrete channel New lake as a water feature

Stabilize and bio engineer eroded slopes along the creekVehicular bridge over creek

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Stream CrossingsThe vehicular bridge crossing of Sycamore Creek, and two other pedestrian crossings of an unnamed tributary to Sycamore Creek would likely result in minimal impacts to waters of the U.S. and could most likely be constructed using Nationwide Permit 14 (Linear Transportation Crossings) or Nationwide Permit 25 (Structural Discharges) and little to no coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These structures should be designed in a sensitive manner, particularly as it relates to bank and streambed erosion. Further site investigation is necessary to determine the exact permit or permits required for the suggested stream crossing.

Miscellaneous Improvements Another possible opportunity to enhance the aquatic environment at Cobb Park is the removal of the small concrete channel that fl ows into Sycamore Creek entering from the neighborhood on the west side of the park. This channel allows high velocity fl ows to enter Sycamore Creek and does not allow for fi ltration of storm water coming from the adjacent neighborhood to the west. Replacement of this concrete channel with an earthen, vegetated channel would increase the aesthetics of this feature and provide for increased water fi ltration and habitat quality. However, given that the concrete channel could be considered a water of the U.S., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should be coordinated with to determine whether a Section 404 permit would need to be obtained prior to doing this work. One possibly applicable permit would include Nationwide Permit 27 (Restoration).

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Bridge crossing creek at East Maddox Avenue

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Neighborhood Infl uences

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Existing Utilities There are the usual public utilities in the neighborhoods surrounding Cobb Park such as water, sewer, electrical, storm water, telephone, and gas. There are also a number of public utilities running through Cobb Park. The most visual of these are the large towers and electric lines that run north/south through the center of the Park to a substation on Duvall Street.

Other public utilities include a large water main with a 30-foot easement that runs north/south through the Park starting on Glen Garden Drive on the south to Mitchell Boulevard on the north. Chesapeake Energy Company owns a gas line and easement that runs through the Park from east to west on the south side of East Berry Street. There is an easement and proposed gas line that would run east/west starting on the west side of the main section of the Park going northeast and turning north going under Highway 287 and following the Trinity Trail over to East Rosedale Street on the north side of the Park.

There are a number of sewer lines running north/south on the west side of the Park boundaries, in addition to East Berry Street and Glen Garden Drive on the south side of the Park. There are three, possibly more, major storm drain outlets from the adjacent neighborhoods that dump into Sycamore Creek. Unfortunately, these outlets are one of the main sources of water contamination and erosion of the Creek.

RECOMMENDATIONSWhile it is highly unlikely due to prohibitive cost, the Park would greatly benefi t from the burial of the overhead electrical lines and removal of the unsightly towers that cut through the middle of the Park. These towers are the most objectionable and unsightly physical elements in the Park and are visible from almost every location and view shed in the Park. The proposed gas line in the park would also have a negative effect due to the clearing of trees and vegetation that would be required to install the pipeline. This installation would leave a wide swath cut through the vegetation of the Park and reduce wildlife habitat as well as being visually objectionable. Although replanting the easement is possible, it would take years for the scars to heal. The positive side of this pipeline is the easement revenue that the City would receive, and they could use the revenue towards future park enhancements and maintenance. We also recommend improvements be made to the storm water outlets to improve water quality in Sycamore Creek. Utilities of water, sewer, and electric for the Nature Center could come off East Berry Street. Utili-ties for the concession and restrooms at the baseball complex could come off East Maddox Avenue.

High voltage power supply line going through the park

Gas line sign at Berry street with a power supply line in the background

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City Zoning Cobb Park is zoned Conservation District. The Park is surrounded by a various mix of zones including:

• Commercial • Mixed Use • High Density Residential • Residential Two-Family • Residential One-Family • Industrial • Community Facility • Planned Development

On the east side of the Park boundary the zoning use is mostly Residential Two-Family with some Commercial and Community Facility use to the southeast. The west side of the Park boundary is mostly Industrial with Residential Two-Family just beyond that to the west. The south boundary of the Park is mostly Residential One-Family with one area of Commercial. To the north Park bound-ary lies a mix of Residential Two-Family, Commercial, and Industrial uses. The majority of the neighborhood use surrounding the Park is Residential Two-Family, followed by Residential One-Family, and Industrial use third.

RECOMMENDATIONSIt would seem that over time, the large areas of Industrial use on the west boundary of the Park will most likely become mixed use or residential of some sort due to its location and potential property values once the Park enhancement is completed. We suggest that you analyze and compare this pos-sible future use with recommendations made in the section titled “Existing Parcels/Property Acquisi-tion Map.”

High Density Residential Residential 2 Family

Residential 1 Family Community Facility

Industrial/CommercialPlanned Development

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Existing Parcels/Property Acquisition Map A number of various property uses, i.e., residential, industrial, commercial, as well as a number of empty parcels, surround Cobb Park. Some of these parcels are in transition in use or experiencing urban renewal. An example is the new residential development at Sierra Vista and the new proposed residential development at the Masonic Lodge property, both major residential neighborhood expan-sions. Close by will be the new Urban Village that will bring desired commercial amenities back to neighborhoods that have lost those needed resources over a period of time. An example of this is a grocery store, super center, or other types of commercial uses that give convenience of one-stop shopping back to the neighborhoods that currently have to travel long distances to enjoy these needed shopping resources. The Village will also have a transportation hub that will allow access to shop-ping from various surrounding neighborhoods and provide a transportation link to the other multi-modal transportation hubs within the City. This hub will also allow residents from all over the City to have public transportation access to Cobb Park.

Because the Park is surrounded by a number or empty parcels, there exists a once-in-a-lifetime oppor-tunity to purchase some of these adjacent parcels to increase the acreage of the Park and to preserve them as open green space. Some of these parcels are not large enough to be used for any specifi c type of recreational facility, but they would enhance the Park’s wildlife habitat, storm water management and water quality to Sycamore Creek, added tree canopy, and provide buffer to some of the Park’s most valuable resources.

Some of the parcels are large enough to establish athletic or other passive recreational uses on them. As an example, you could consider using a couple of these parcels for the location of a new aquatic center. If the City deemed the use reasonable, one of the larger adjacent parcels would be a good location for a golf driving range, one of the desired uses requested by the neighborhoods.

This associated map doesn’t mean these properties are available for purchase by any means. This analysis is just to demonstrate that there are opportunities here that will disappear quickly once the public understands the proposed development of the Park, and new proposed recreational facilities. These adjacent properties will become highly desirable for housing due to it backing up to open green space and being close to and within easy commuting distance of the downtown area. The Park im-provements will act as the catalyst for urban renewal in the surrounding neighborhoods, which have already started as noted above.

RECOMMENDATIONSWe recommend that the City review these various parcels and opportunities and make decisions con-cerning which parcels would be to the City’s advantage to try and purchase, especially ones that could accommodate additional needed recreational uses. The City should also consider the large parcel to the east of Cobb Park that lies elevated above the Trinity Trail. Although the property is unstable for residential use due to its prior use as a landfi ll, it would provide increased value to the Park for storm water fi ltering and wildlife habitat. It would also preserve the open space aesthetics of the residential parcels backing up to it and could support additional trails, passive recreation, and viewing outlooks of the downtown area of the City. It is highly unusual to fi nd a park like Cobb Park located in a dense urban location with the opportunity to add to its acreage without having to buy expensive real estate.

Convenience store at East Berry Street Empty lot on East Berry Street

Light industrial building on Cobb Park Drive Adjacent empty lot off Maddox Avenue

Adjacent unused lot south of Ease Rosedale Street Adjacent unused lot on Duval Street

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Existing Vehicular CirculationOne of the challenges faced by Cobb Park is easy and clear auto access. The access to the Park is con-fusing due to the lack of a clear wayfi nding system to help one understand where to go to get into the Park. There are no major entrance icons to designate the main and secondary entrances, and many of the roads are one-way, making the various parts of the Park accessible only from certain entrances.

The Northside of the ParkThe north side of the Park can be accessed by driving southeast on Highway 287 and taking the Cobb Park off-ramp and turning right onto Cobb Park Drive. Cobb Park Drive is two-way for all days of the week except Sunday, and for that one day, it is one-way only going north from the Glen Garden Drive main entrance. There is no easy way to access the middle section of the Park going northwest on Highway 287 except to take the Mitchell Boulevard exit (turning right on Mitchell Boulevard), then turn right (going west) on East Berry Street, and entering the main entrance off Glen Garden Drive to Cobb Park Drive.

The Park is accessible from East Maddox Avenue coming from either direction, going north on Mitchell Boulevard from 287 onto East Maddox Avenue and going west, or going east on East Mad-dox Avenue. There are two places you can access portions of the Park from this street. One is the entrance to the southeast playing fi elds and the National Guard compound on the road going through the Park towards Highway 287 overpass. At one time, you could take this road and it went under Highway 287 to a stream crossing on the south side of the overpass that connected back to Cobb Park Drive. Safety issues required blocking off this road at the north side of the overpass connecting to Cobb Park Drive at the water crossing. The other Park entrance is off East Maddox Avenue at the same location as the fi eld entrance, but turns to the north side into a small trailhead parking lot that gives access to the Trinity Trail.

Across Sycamore Creek on the west side of the bridge, you can access a portion of the Park turning onto Duvall Street, but at present there are no amenities in that small portion of the Park to draw one there. At the end of Duvall Street, you can only turn right leading back onto the on-ramp to High-way 287 going north. You can also access Duvall Street by going east off Highway 287 to the bottom of the Cobb Park off-ramp, turning left under the highway overpass, and then taking a right onto Duvall Street.

The Southside of the ParkOne can access the south side of the park by coming east or west on Glenn Garden Drive, turning into the Park on Cobb Park Drive, or coming east or west on East Berry Street, and turning onto Glen Garden Drive. This is what we currently consider the main entrance to the Park, and yet it is not easily identifi ed because there is only one small sign telling you that this is the entrance to the Park.

A more circuitous route to the main entrance is heading northwest on Highway 287 and taking the Mitchell Boulevard exit (turning right on Mitchell Boulevard) to East Berry Street (turning right, traveling west), and entering in the main entrance off Glen Garden Drive to Cobb Park Drive. There is also access to a small parking lot and trailhead to the Trinity Trail off Glen Garden Drive.

The far south section of the Park on the other side of East Berry Street is accessible by coming either east or west on East Berry Street and turning south onto Glenn Garden Drive. This street runs along the edge of the Park at this location, but there is no real formal access point to the Park here.

View East on Maddox Avenue Glen Garden Drive

Maddox Avenue and Mitchell Boulevard intersection Cobb Park Drive looking north to Highway 287.

Cobb Park Drive looking south East Berry Street

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RECOMMENDATIONSWe recommend establishing a new main park entrance on East Berry Street with a new traffi c-con-trolled intersection. This entry would establish easier access not only by auto, but also by walkers from the surrounding neighborhoods needing to cross East Berry Street. We recommend this en-trance have a major park entrance icon clearly identifying this entrance as the main entry to the Park. We recommend that Cobb Park Drive become a secondary entrance with a secondary level of signage and that it connect to the new loop road off the new entrance at East Berry Street. This was one of the most desired improvements requested by the neighborhoods. We also recommend this because currently over half of the south side of the park is inaccessible and therefore, not used. We recom-mend that Cobb Park Drive become a two-way street at all times.

We recommend realignment of the entrance to Cobb Park Drive coming off the Highway 287 off-ramp so that it aligns better with Cobb Park Drive and recaptures some additional contingent land on which to build new athletic facilities.

We recommend establishing signage and a secondary entrance at Glen Garden Drive to the south of East Berry Street, because that portion of the park will have a trailhead and be accessible for the fi rst time.

We recommend the Trinity Trail crossing on East Maddox Avenue have improvements made to the crossing with fl ashing yellow lights and a pedestrian-controlled stop light creating a safer crossing. We also recommend caution signs for the crossing coming from both directions and a more identifi -able crossing in the pavement. This is a dangerous crossing and needs to be safer for those using the trail to cross from one part of the Park to the other.

We recommend the removal of a portion of the road going through the playing fi elds to the south off East Maddox Avenue and establishing a new access to the National Guard complex off Brooks Street. This will allow the recapture of Park property necessary for the new baseball complex, and the remaining portion of the existing road will lead into a new parking lot for the complex, but not continue to the National Guard complex as it does presently.

Glen Garden Drive looking into the park Cobb Park Drive looking south through the park

Existing main park entrance off Glen Garden Drive Trinity Trail Crossing at Maddox Avenue

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“Where birds can sing unhindered on the shoulders of those trees”

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Neighborhood Access AnalysisThe immediate neighborhoods surrounding Cobb Park are:

• Glencrest Civic League • Glencrest • Mitchell Boulevard • Burchill • Polytechnic Empowerment Association • El Poly Pyramid • Parker Essex Boaz • Historic Southside • Hillside • Hillside Morningside • Morningside • Morningside Park • Southeast Kingdom

One of the most frequently voiced concerns in the public meetings was neighborhood connectivity by pedestrians to the Park. There are few trails that lead into the Park except the Trinity Trail. Almost all other access is by vehicle only. There are two current trailheads to the Park; one off Glen Garden Drive and the other off East Maddox Avenue giving access to the Trinity Trail.

The design team drove every street surrounding Cobb Park in a one-mile radius (about an 8- 10-block perimeter) to analyze the neighborhoods that were within reasonable walking distance of the Park and how they could connect to the Park. This is not to say that others in neighborhoods further out would not come to the Park by walking or by bike, just that these areas in closer proximity were the most likely to need walking and bike access to the Park from their adjacent locations. The design team went through this effort to better understand those neighbors, what their neighborhoods were like, and what streets made the most logical sense as feeder connections into the Park.

From this analysis, we drew a plan that depicts the most logical and direct connection from any of these neighborhoods into the Park. While some of these connection points are not the most direct, they are the safest accessible routes, and require the least amount of crossing of major streets, except at major traffi c-controlled intersections. We developed this plan to make access to the Park as direct as possible in the safest manner. Some of these Park entries are not only for pedestrian connection to park trails, but also act as trail-head locations where there is parking; this allows one to park their car and access the park by bike or walking. These lie along the main streets surrounding the Park, or at locations of new parking for adjacent recreational facilities. All other points are accessed by walking or bike only from adjacent neighborhoods.

Existing trailhead adjacent to E. Maddox Avenue Southern neighborhood

Southerneastern neighborhood Western neighborhood

Southwestern neighborhood Northern neighborhood

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There will be a new proposed walk coming from the south that will connect to the new urban vil-lage and bus hub. This will allow pedestrians who come to the hub by city transit the ability to walk to the Park in a safe manner and within easy walking distance. Somewhere in this vicinity would also be a good location for the proposed future aquatic park because it would give access to more city residents.

RECOMMENDATIONSThese new neighborhood connection points of entry into the Park would greatly improve Park ac-cess and result in increased neighborhood use. Some of the points would need some new walkways constructed along neighboring streets which currently do not have sidewalks. Each entry point into the Park would be identifi ed by some sort of gateway identity with the Park name, some special pave-ment, a sitting area, and lighting to make each of these entries identifi able and signal that you are entering the Park proper.

Activating the Park is one of the biggest deterrents to crime and vandalism. Getting more people to use the Park is dependent on providing numerous ways to get access to it from all sides of the Park. If this increased access occurs and the Park becomes highly used, then a lot of its negative reputation will be dispelled and the Park will become easily accessed by all City residents and be a great commu-nity recreational center.

Southern neighborhood Southern neighborhood

Southern neighborhood Neighborhood connection

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Site Analysis

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Site Analysis map used at Public Meeting #1

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Cobb Park Site Analysis and InventoryThe purpose of a site analysis is to look at all of the natural factors that affect a site’s development. This compilation of information collectively guides the Design Team to make the best decisions as it relates to what activities, amenities, and land uses each area of the Park can sustain in a reasonable manner. The Design Team spent many days walking each square yard of the site in an attempt to understand the existing conditions of topography, current and past uses, vegetation, wildlife habitat, and to gain an appreciation of the Park and what it has to offer. We drove every street within a one-mile distance of the Park to understand the surrounding neighborhoods, their uses, and the best way to connect them to the Park. We researched many issues to fi nd the unseen elements of the site. We had a number of in-house experts go to the site to review certain issues and report their fi ndings to us. Some of the data collected in our analysis process included:

• Soil Types – What kind of development the site soils can support, what will grow, what areas will drain or not drain, etc.

• Slope Analysis– Understand which areas require the least amount of earth moving and which areas are too steep for development.

• Forestry Cover – Identify what species of trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildfl owers, which are on the site. This tells us what will grow well in all areas of the site as well as invasive species requiring removal.

• Waterways and Floodplains – It’s important to understand the hydrologic systems on the site to understand where water fl ows, where it fl oods, what is the water quality, and where it comes from. Is the water’s natural source from storm drainage? These issues are critical to locating any building structures or other improvements that might be impacted in any way by water. This also helps us to understand what one can or cannot build, by code, in each area of the site. We map the fl oodplain as it impacts the site in 100-year and 500-year storm events.

• Zoning – Community Zoning for the Park property determines zoning uses surrounding the project. This helps us to determine what access is needed from each neighborhood, what future development might occur in each area, what parcels of land might be suited for purchase to enhance the Park and its proposed activities, and any other impact the surrounding properties might have on the Park at present and in the future.

• Utilities – Determine what utilities are present including potable water, sewer lines, overhead and underground electric lines, gas lines, storm water lines, and telephone/ fi ber-optic lines. All of these give us information on where or where not to locate certain site amenities or structures. It also tells us where service could come from for Park structures, and where there are easements that no construction can occur.

• Vehicular Circulation – Understand the different ways cars and emergency vehicles get into and around the site, and how the fl ows work or need improvement. We look at where vehicles and pedestrians have confl icts with each other and decide how to resolve the confl ict so both are safe.

• Neighborhood Circulation – We mapped all walking routes presently used by the neighbors surrounding the Park and their means of getting to the Park (by foot, bike, or horse). We look to see where these routes have safety issues and decide where the best access points should be located for ease of access to the Park, logical connection from the neighborhoods, and safest routes.

The inventory takes into account all the amenities that are currently present on the site and what condition they are in such as: the number of ball fi elds, playgrounds, picnic shelters, parking lots, bridges, etc. We study where people congregate, and what activities are currently going on in the Park. This helps us to decide if it is prudent to continue these activities or propose other uses in their place.

The Design Team then looked and listened to the land, and to what is currently going on with within the Park to understand how potential design concepts would impact the site.

By completing the following site analysis and inventory, we are able to establish the base line constraints and po-tential construction-related issues that we should address before we arrive at a fi nal design solution.

We mapped all of these constraints and opportunities onto one large plan of the Park with associated photographs and presented this information to the public in public meetings in an attempt to help them understand the issues.

The following maps divide the site into three parcels: North Section, Central Section, and Southern Section. We provide a description of what is contained in each of these sections currently.

To convey the park, presentation boards were almost 5 feet tall

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Northern Section

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The old horse riding arena Golf driving range

Trinity Trails Trinity Trails through the driving range

Sycamore creek under Maddox Avenue bridge Open grass fi eld

Northern SectionThis section of the Park is adjacent to and connects with Sycamore Park (another city park) by a tun-nel, which goes under East Rosedale Street. East Berry Street and Highway 287 border this section with East Maddox Avenue running through the middle, thus cutting this section into two parts. The Trinity Trail system runs through this section and links the two parks together, fi nally terminating at East Berry Street.

The section of the Park from East Rosedale Street to East Maddox Avenue has a pastoral-quality landscape with many lovely Live Oak trees, providing pockets of shade. A shallow stretch of Syca-more Creek exists next to the East Maddox Avenue Bridge. This picturesque area is a tranquil and one of the few locations in the Park where it is easy to access the water. Presently, there are picnic tables taking advantage of the pockets of shade, and a trailhead servicing the Trinity Trail that holds approximately ten cars. At this intersection of Sycamore Creek and East Maddox Street, the water pools on the northern side of the Bridge, creating a potential fi shing opportunity as well as an area to get down to Sycamore Creek and interact with the water.

The Trinity Trail crosses East Maddox Avenue at this location and then turns into an unnamed park road leading to the National Guard Complex on the east boarder of this section. The fi eld to the east of this access road serves as an impromptu golf driving range and athletic fi eld. On the west side of the roadway next to the creek are the remains of a long-abandoned horse riding ring. A working street light is present next to the ring. This section of the Park continues to Highway 287 where the Trinity Trail passes under Highway 287 and turns back into the formal trail system extending along the upper terrace of the Park.

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Central Section

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Sycamore creek crossing next to Highway 287 Creek crossing off Cobb Park Drive

View of downtown Fort Worth from Trinity Trails Trinity Trails

Backstop in overgrown meadow Cobb Park Drive

Center SectionHighway 287 borders the center section of the Park to the north, and East Berry Street borders this section to the south. This is largest contiguous area of the Park. The Trinity Trail defi nes the east-ern edge of the Park terminating at a trailhead in the southwest corner along Glen Garden Drive. There is a steep slope along the eastern property boundary (along the trail). This leads up to a parcel of property previously used as a trash dumping area. This area is unstable and remnants of large con-struction debris extend out of the bank. The bank and the upper property have no trees and invasive plant species occupy this area. This upper parcel borders the east neighborhood.

As the Trinity Trail passes under Highway 287 from the north Park section, an old road shoots off to the west crossing the creek and joining up to Cobb Park Drive. Cobb Park Drive parallels the west boundary of the Park in this section. This abandoned roadway, the original stream crossing, is cur-rently gated with a “Do Not Enter” sign posted where water fl ows over the road. This highwater crossing is no longer used due to safety-related issues and vehicular circulation. At this crossing, the water has created shallow pools. The banks of the creek become steeper as they go upstream to the south.

Continuing along the upper portion of the Trinity Trail, you experience certain points that have great views of downtown Fort Worth. Down-slope from the Trail lies an open meadow where you can see remnants of a basketball court, a baseball backstop, and more paved trails, all overgrown with vegeta-tion. This area was once an active recreation area, but today is inaccessible and has grown back into an upland grass area with various groupings of trees. We call this area the Middle Terrace.

As the Trinity Trail nears its end at East Berry Street, you fi nd First Saint Johns Baptist Church property abutting the Trail on an upper parcel. The church parking lot provides parking and access to the Trail for the residents of the community. Close to the Trail’s end at East Berry Street, is a side trail that terminates at a trail head off Glen Garden Drive, which contains a picnic grove, pavilion, basketball court, a new play structure, and a 10-car parking lot. Along the trail in this area you see the remnants of park development that took place in the early 1980’s, but has been vandalized and de-stroyed.

There are two entrances to this section of the Park, both of which are at the ends of Cobb Park Drive on the south and north ends. Just after you enter the Park and drive along the roadway, you see another parking area located next to the creek at the creek crossing along with a play structure. This area is about the only area within the central section (except for Trinity Trail) that is currently used. This creek crossing has created a large pool of water where people gather during the daytime. You can see debris located high up in the trees that indicates how high the creek fl oods during large storms. This fl ooding has scoured the creek banks and caused serious erosion.

Continuing on Cobb Park Drive, Sycamore Creek hugs the roadway edge. Along the west Park boundary is Park Terrace Apartments. As you walk along this section of the creek, you experience soothing sounds as the water tumbles over the rocks in the creek. A concrete drainage fl ume, about midway on Cobb Park Drive, replaces what once was a natural stream offshoot of the creek. Today the water upstream of this concrete streambed fl ows into Sycamore Creek. Storm water runoff from the upstream neighborhoods probably inundates this structure during storm events. As the creek crosses under Cobb Park Drive, the creek becomes a trash dumping ground.

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Southern Section

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High density housing on a hill adjacent to park Overgrown Cobb Park Drive

A grove of trees near East Berry Street intersection East Berry Street intersection

Throughout the Park, you fi nd a number of nice groves of trees that include Elm, Pecan, and Live Oak trees. At some of these groves along Cobb Park Drive, you will fi nd picnic tables and views of the creek. As Cobb Park Drive approaches Highway 287 on the northern end, wooden bollards and cable line either side of the street, creating an edge and barrier to the roadway. This is the only place in the entire Park where a private property owner has access from the Park to a large structure of unidentifi able use. Along the west boarder of the Park, as you drive down Cobb Park Drive, you fi nd several empty parcels of property and other industrial buildings.

Southern SectionThe Glencrest neighborhood borders this section of the Park and is adjacent to the Glen Garden Country Club and a multiunit apartment complex to the east. The Park boundaries lie along Glen Garden Drive and East Berry Street. This area of the Park is natural in character with minimal de-velopment. Tall trees shade the ground plane with minimal understory cover. This area has invasive plant species along the stream bank.

Erosion along the banks of Sycamore Creek has left a deep chasm its streambed. Storm water runoff feeds into the creek during storm events, creating ephemeral stream channels along the entire corridor of the stream. At certain times, this area is subject to fl ooding. The remains of a road border the east-ern edge of the Park that is presently overgrown and rarely used. The road dead-ends at the southern-most tip of the Park. This portion of the Park is the least disturbed and least used portion of the Park.

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Public Meeting #1

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First Meeting PresentationThe fi rst public meeting was held at the First Saint John’s Baptist Church on East Berry Street on August 30th 2007.

Harold Pitchford, Assistant Director of the City of Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department, introduced the Cobb Park Master Plan project. He discussed Cobb Park as it is today; it’s a large park within the Fort Worth park system at a size of 230 acres. It has great potential with a stream corridor running through it and mature trees and meadows, but presently, it is a blank slate. This park could become the “country club of public parks” within the City system and with its size, be deemed a regional park for Fort Worth.

Harold Pitchford then turned the meeting over to Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks, of Council Dis-trict 8, who talked about growing up in a neighborhood near Cobb Park and her commitment to mak-ing the Park the place where people want to be. She wants to make something from the present Park, giving it a new life and identity.

Harold Pitchford then introduced the Design Team from Jacobs and turned the meeting over to Randy Sorensen, Project Director, to present the Inventory and Analysis Plan and photos of Cobb Park. He walked the audience through the Park with a site map prepared for the meeting and site photos taken by the Design Team staff. He described the opportunities and constraints of the site. Presently, Cobb Park is viewed as a pastoral landscape with many open spaces and lots of large trees but little programmed space.

After the presentation of the Park Site Plan and related photos, Randy opened the fl oor to the audi-ence to ask questions about the future development of the Park. The audience posed the following questions, which the Design Team and the Parks Department answered:

Why was the park created? The Cobb Family donated the land in 1923. The City annexed additional pieces over the years.

What amenities would you like to see in the park? Something similar to Forest and Fair Parks, such as an entertainment area, amusement park-type rides (e.g., a loop train, Ferris wheel, etc), and little league ball fi elds. Other suggestions included developing demonstration gardens and community gardens, cutting down junk trees, developing an arboretum area, incorporating tree/plant research, water testing, and adding a nature preserve. Additional amenities included an area for playing dominoes, a stocked fi shpond, public art, history plaques denoting uses and important people in developing south Fort Worth.

Can the park be more accessible as a whole? Yes, this can be explored as a design solution.

Can a ‘children’s center’ be developed? The audience expressed interest in the following: • Incorporating an area where activities such as tennis, football, and soccer could be played • Providing: o Covered shelters o Trails for walking

View of the Cobb Park presentation and the audience Presenting the site analysis and inventory of Cobb Park

Question and answer session after the presentation A resident making a comment about the park

Attentiveness given while responding to an earlier comment

Looking for the corresponding photo

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Attendees mingling and getting a closer look at the boards Attendees found an area of interest.

Getting a closer look

o A community-like center for use as a teaching space for identifi cation of plants, and learning lab techniques for water testing o Uniqueness - The audience felt it was important to make the Park unique, like no other park

How can we get people to use the Park? With many pending neighborhood developments (e.g. the Masonic site), can the Park be made more appealing and desirable so people will use it?

Can the creek have an immediate cleanup? Development around the creek has led to fl ooding during storms. A design team can address trash dumping situations and park erosion during the design process.

Can the Park be more secure? How can we feel safer? We provided ideas for more lighting, less dense vegetation, making the Park more visible, police patrols to lessen gang activity, and more access points into the Park.

Is the creek water safe? Water testing needs to take place to determine the water quality. Water testing will tell if the water is acceptable for consumption, play, and for fi sh.

Can solar energy be used? A design team can explore this later in the design process. We provided suggestions for alternate energy sources for lighting and general electrical use.

Can the neighborhood take part in the improvements? Involving the community in the development and construction process helps to promote community ownership in the Park, helps the Park become safe, and is greatly encouraged.

Can we improve the connections of the Park into the community? Yes. An urban village plan is in development on an adjacent property and the neighborhood and the school down the street desire a connection to the Park. Other vacant lots turn their backs on the Park property and create isolation; these parcels need to be captured and used as an asset to the Park. We need to look to the surroundings to make the Park successful.

Can we have a substantial entrance to the Park? Yes, the Park needs to become more visible so people know where it is and how to get in to use it.

Can Vendors operate within the Park? Yes. An outside vendor would run amenities like the train and Ferris wheel or horse stables.

Due to reputation, can the Park name change? No, the Cobb name must remain with the Park due to language within the deed of the property. If the name is changed, the original property is relinquished to the members of the Cobb family. Portions of the Park can be named though, i.e. so-and-so pavilion. Miscellaneous remarks and concerns: • Fishing - People fi shing in the creek are not a major concern but when they are taking fi sh home to eat, is a concern.

What can we do to prevent that? • Signage - Signage issues are another concern for direction within the Park • Parking - There is not enough parking in the park presently

At the close of the meeting, we distributed a brief survey to the audience. The survey asked community members what they would like to see in their park. We provided a list of activities as part of the survey as well as an ad-ditional space for suggestions not mentioned on the list. We collected the surveys and the members of First Saint John’s Baptist Church distributed the remaining surveys during church services over the weekend to get a larger sampling of what the neighborhoods would like to see.

After gathering the surveys, the Design Team discussed its next steps in the process. At the next public meeting, we would present design schemes refl ecting comments from that night’s meeting as well as incorporate the results of the survey. A member of the Parks Department would post a public meeting announcement with the date and time of the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm.

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Neighborhood Survey Results/Desired Amenities

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Park UsesFrom the surveys completed at the public meeting #1 and the church services the following Sunday, the design team had 400 responses to analyze and tally in order to better defi ne and recognize the neighborhoods wishes for the park.

The data was broken down into fi ve categories: Organized Sports Passive Recreation Natural Areas Community Facilities Other The design team created a pie chart graphic illustrating the desires of the community to show at the public meeting #2 as what was guiding the basis of design. This was done so the community members could easily see where their votes fell for the new uses for the park. Following is a brief description of each use type and the activities which could be associated with the use.

Number of Completed Surveys: 400 What site amenities would you like to see in Cobb Park? Rank Site Amenity Total Percent of Total (400=100%) 1 Picnic Facilities 372 93% 2 Basketball Courts 336 84% 3 Fitness Trail Loops 296 74% 4 Playgrounds 290 72%

5 Baseball Fields 284 71% 6 More Parking 276 69% (closer to use areas) 7 Pond 272 68% 8 Amphitheatre/ 260 65% Shelters for Large Groups 9 Nature Trails/ 236 59% Education Center 10 Concessions 232 58% 11 Soccer Fields 200 50% 12 Splash Pad 196 49% 13 Mountain Bike Trails 184 46% 14 Dog Park 116 29% 15 Horse Use 104 26% 16 Frisbee Golf 96 24% 17 Inline Hockey Rink 76 19%

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Organized Sport ActivitiesThis includes any team sport; baseball, softball, soccer, basketball and possibly even touch football. The percentage of votes, for this category, was the highest at 33 percent of the tally. This told the design team that organized sports were to be a very important part of the park design. As the design process moves forward, potentially a dedicated area will be incorporated for all organized sports or even creation of a ‘sports zone’

Activities in this area include:SoccerBaseball or SoftballBasketballTennis

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Passive RecreationThis is unorganized recreation. It includes activities like walking, jogging, fi shing, picnicking, play-ing (like on a play structure) and just generally being active outside. This kind of recreation took 26 percent of the survey votes. This told the design team that community members also liked to have an impromptu picnic, gather with friends or take their children to the park to play on a sunny afternoon. Passive recreation may hold many places in the future design of the park.

Activities in this area include:Pick-up games of football, soccer or softballPicnic areasPlaygrounds

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Nature AreasThese are spaces left ‘as is’ in their natural state or are manipulated to draw a certain animal to the location for observation. This received 15 percent of the votes. The design team envisioned many educational programs stemming from the natural areas including a bird area, butterfl y or insect area, a wetland area and many trails with educational and interpretative signage for the members of the community as well as school children to learn about the wildlife around them at the park.

Activities in this area include:Nature trailsEducational signage for fl ora and faunaBoardwalk crossing created wetland areasCommunity gardens

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Community FacilitiesThis is a broad category which secured 14 percent of the vote. Community facilities the design team envisioned include an amphitheater for concerts or as a teaching venue, meeting spaces, classrooms, a nature library, a swimming pool or splash pad and possibly restrooms and concessions. Further discussions with community members will help defi ne this term as the design proceeds.

Activities in this area include:Programmed events at an amphitheaterA building with open programmable space for community meetings, classrooms, etc.A community swimming pool or splash pad

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OtherOnce again this is a broad category where all of the activities that did not fi t in the above categories fell. Activities included this category were community gardens, Frisbee golf, inline hockey rink, fi t-ness trails, dog park, and mountain biking trails

Activities in this area include:Frisbee GolfDriving RangesFitness TrailsMountain-biking Trails

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Conceptual Design Schemes

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Conceptual Design Phase In this fi rst phase, the design team reviewed the results of the neighborhood survey (as shown in the previous section). The survey produced over 400 responses, an incredible response for a park project, and from such a restrained area of surrounding neighborhoods. The success of this sur-vey is due to resident advocacy and neighborhood group representation at the fi rst public meeting along with the fact that these neighborhood advocates are passionate about seeing change in the Park. This data was important to the design team to help us understand what amenities the pub-lic was looking for in the Cobb Park enhancement. The design team approached this design task with the idea that the Park design was all about the people and neighborhoods that would be the ultimate users of the Park, not what the design team felt was wanted or needed.

The returned survey data trended towards fi ve main park uses: organized sports, active open space, nature-related activities and education, passive recreation, and community facilities. Af-ter identifying these fi ve main usage types, the design team began looking at Cobb Park in broad terms of use categories, what areas of the Park these activities would make the most sense being located, and what relationship they held with each other. Factors that infl uenced location were many of the existing conditions outlined in the Existing Conditions Section of this report and include: topography, fl ood plain, tree canopy, waterways, neighborhood connectivity, auto circu-lation and access, and disturbance to the natural landscape. We considered the uses of each cat-egory and which would need parking, or certain types of access, and where that access and parking should be located in relation to those activities.

Three ConceptsWe developed three different conceptual plans from this study. They are depicted and labeled as Scheme A, B, and C. In the Conceptual Design Schemes, you will see the fi ve use areas depicted in colors of yellow, blue, green (three types), brown, and red, all in different proportions on each plan. Other symbols defi ne proposed trails, roadways, bridges, parking, water bodies, trailheads, Park entrances, etc. Each of the three plans demonstrates a combination of the uses and how they relate to each other in different locations within the Park.

Park Section: South, North, and CentralCobb Park is broken into four land mass areas that are separated by three main roadways that dissect the Park. The roads that separate Cobb Park into four areas include a section south of East Berry Street (South Section), north between East Berry Street and State Highway 287 (Cen-tral Section), and north of Highway 287 over to the north Park boundary (North Section). East Maddox Avenue subdivides the North Section in half. Each of these four land areas has a distinct character, and lends itself to a particular use group.

Scheme A

Scheme B

Scheme C

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South SectionThe South Section (south of East Berry Street and bounded by Glen Garden Drive) is currently un-developed, wooded with a stream corridor, and for the most part, inaccessible. This area of the Park seemed destined to have its natural and wooded character protected and preserved. It made sense to give access to this section in the form of trails with neighborhood connection points and some parking at a trailhead. One of the highly requested uses of the Park by the neighborhoods was for equestrian facilities. Historically there have been horse trails in the Park, and even today, there are the remains of a riding ring. In the past, several residents in the neighborhood south of the Park kept horses and used the Park for daily riding. While this use has disappeared over time, the residents have requested that it be restored. It seemed logical that this part of the Park was the place for horse trails, horse trailer parking, trailhead, and neighborhood connection points. In all three Conceptual Schemes of A, B, and C, the proposed design of this area is the same.

North Section East Maddox Avenue cuts the North Section in half. A large grass area currently occupies the south side of this section. People use it for passive activities including a golf range, informal sports, a picnic shelter, the National Guard complex, and some empty property. The Trinity Trail connects to this section and uses the roadway running through this section to the National Guard complex as the trail. On the north side of East Maddox Avenue, there is a trailhead and parking area that connects back to the formal Trinity Trail system, which continues into Sycamore Park to the north. This section is one of the most scenic parts of the Park and the one place where there is easy access to the water. This sec-tion also contains some empty property with no current use.

The north section of the Park is rather fl at and has large open areas of grass that lend themselves to development of organized athletic fi elds. These areas would require the least amount of grading and earth moving, thus reducing construction costs. These areas are also easily accessible off East Mad-dox Avenue without having to build extensive access roads. The fi elds are highly visible from the road and thus would be easy for police to monitor for safety, and would provide easy emergency ac-cess as well.

In the south section of this area, and to the east of the creek, we propose to establish a new four-quad baseball facility with parking for 175 cars, maintenance building, concession building with rest rooms, spectator seating, and other improvements associated with a league-oriented facility. There will be lighting for playing at night. There would be room to incorporate baseball fi elds in this area by re-moving a section of the existing road leading to the National Guard complex. A new access road for the National Guard complex would come off Brooks Street to the east. The new parking area would reside at the end of the existing road next to the baseball complex. A new section of the Trinity Trail would be built through this section of the Park replacing the old roadway and provide a continuous trail system. The new trail section would follow along the creek bank and go under Highway 287, connecting to the existing trail. On the opposite side, and west of the stream, would be a new basket-ball complex of six courts and parking for twenty-seven cars. This facility is proposed to be lighted for night use as well, and will provide increased security after dark.

Horse trails Horse trailer parking

Baseball complex Soccer complex

Basketball court complex Concession and restroom facility

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On the north side of East Maddox Avenue, we propose to leave this section in its current state for the most part. There is already a trailhead there with parking connecting to the Trinity Trail. We pro-pose to construct some side trails off the main trail, which would lead to the creek giving more access to the creek, and put picnic tables under the trees. We also propose a new playground in this loca-tion, and fi shing and viewing platform, allowing fi shing in the creek. West of the creek is an unused portion of the Park where we would establish a new soccer complex containing two soccer fi elds, parking for sixty-four cars, and lighting for safety. In all three Concep-tual Schemes of A, B, and C, the proposed design of this section remains the same.

Central SectionThe Central Section of the Park lies between Highway 287 and East Berry Street. There is an exist-ing road running through this section along the creek, which is the historic Cobb Park Drive. The roadway is narrow and often used as a cut-through between Highway 287 and East Berry Street. This section of the Park contains the two main park entrances, one off Glen Garden Drive, and the other coming off the Highway 287 off-ramp. There is a place along Cobb Park Drive that has an ex-isting parking area, some playground equipment, and picnic tables. This is one of the few remaining places in the Park used daily; however, this location is also suspect to illegal activity at times and does not feel safe, especially after dark. There is little lighting along the roadway and this contributes to the feeling of the Park being unsafe after dark. At this same location, there is an old concrete stream crossing what use to lead to the upper terrace baseball fi elds and open grassy areas, which have be-come overgrown and lost over time. You would not know there is anything on the other side of the crossing unless you had used the Park many years ago. One cannot cross the creek bed by foot unless it is dry. There is also a concrete crossing of the creek at the north end of this section next to High-way 287. This crossing is blocked off for safety and traffi c control reasons and is no longer used.

The other main amenity in the Central Section of the Park is the Trinity Trail at the upper east boundary. While this trail is a wonderful amenity, people rarely use it because it does not connect anywhere when it ends at East Berry Street. Since there is no activation of the Park at this upper area, the trail does not feel safe. Other than these amenities, the Central Section, which constitutes the largest portion of the Park, is under-utilized mainly due to access of the Park property east of Sycamore Creek at the upper terrace, and the steep slopes leading up the hillside to the Trinity Trail.

The Central Section of the Park is where the Conceptual Schemes are different from each other and the uses vary.

Boardwalk at lake Lawn area

Playground Park entrance gate

Scenic overlook Community Nature Center

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Picnic shelters Fishing pier

Wetlands Aquatic park

Water access point Community gardens / demonstration gardens

Neighborhood entrances

Open lawn areas

New lake

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Conceptual Scheme – AThis concept removes the main entrance to the Park off Glen Garden Drive and removes a small section of Cobb Park Drive. The only entrance into the Central Section of the Park in this scheme would be off the Highway 287 off-ramp. This one-way in and one-way out access scheme provides access control to the Park and stops cars from using Cobb Park Drive to cut through the Park. The new section of Cobb Park Drive at the end of the existing roadway would loop and cross over Syca-more Creek giving access to the upper terrace section of the Park, and then cross back over the creek, but dead end. This would require building two new bridges. There will be a new lake in the middle of this loop. This scheme has the community facilities, along with parking, located in one spot. The Community Gardens in this scheme are located at the end of the new road section separated from the community facility. This scheme has a lot of passive recreation uses on the west side of the creek along the roadway. On the east side of the creek, on the upper terrace, would be a large area of lawn for active open space and community use. The steeper slopes going up the hillside to the east would remain in their natural state as nature conservation areas. At the far north part of this Section, next to Highway 287 and on the west side of the creek, would be some organized sports fi elds. This scheme would have trails and trailheads as well at various locations.

This scheme is probably the least expensive to construct of the three schemes because it has less new roadway than the others do; however, it is the least accessible, and the gardens are removed from the community facility making their access diffi cult. This scheme would cause the most disturbance to the natural landscape of the three schemes to construct.

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Conceptual Scheme – BThis concept creates a new park entrance off Glen Garden Drive, removing the old Park entrance off Glen Garden Drive and a large portion of Cobb Park Drive, and replacing it with a new roadway. This roadway crosses over the creek traveling in the middle portion of the upper terrace and eventu-ally crosses back over the creek reconnecting with Cobb Park Drive to the north. This scheme has three new bridges crossing the creek. Close to the new Park entrance location would be new com-munity facilities with parking located on both sides of the creek. There would be community gardens at this same location. In this scheme, a small pond is located next to the community facility, but it would be smaller than the other two schemes. On the east side of the creek on the upper terrace would be a large open lawn area for passive recreation. This scheme has much more passive recre-ation area and less nature space that the other schemes. The steeper slopes to the east would remain in their natural state as nature areas, but are more fragmented in this scheme than the others. At the far north part of this Section, next to Highway 287 and on the west side of the creek, would be active open space. This scheme would have trails and trailheads as well in various locations.

This scheme would be the most costly of the three schemes to construct because it would require building three new bridges and a long length of new roadway with a new park entrance. It would however, be more accessible with a new and improved park entrance. This new roadway provides ac-cess to the upper portion of the Park that is currently not accessible. This scheme would require less disturbance to the natural landscape than scheme A, but more than Scheme C.

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Conceptual Scheme – CThis concept keeps Cobb Park Drive as the main Park entrance in its current location off Glen Garden Drive, but provides a new loop road inside the Park that crosses over the creek giving access to the open green space on the upper terrace. Two new bridges would be required in this scheme. There is a new lake, smaller than the one in Scheme A, but larger than Scheme B. This scheme would also have the community facilities with associated parking in two separate loca-tions; both relocated on the east side of the creek. The community gardens are located at the far southwest corner of this Section, but are separated from the community facility. This scheme has a lot of passive recreation use on the west side of the creek along the roadway. On the east side of the creek would be a large area for passive recreation use on the upper terrace. The steeper slopes to the east would remain in their natural state as nature areas. This scheme has no active open space in this Section unlike the other two schemes. This scheme would have trails and trailheads as well in various locations.

This scheme is probably in the mid-range of construction cost compared to the two other schemes. This scheme, like Scheme A, has two bridges, more new roads than Scheme A, but less than Scheme B. The location of the gardens is separate from the community facility. This scheme would cause the least disturbance to the natural landscape.

SUMMARYBased on the public meeting, there were elements of each scheme that were favored. There was consensus for the necessity of a new loop road, the upper slopes being protected as natural areas, and incorporating less passive recreation space and more active recreational space. A new park entrance was highly favored with a new image. A new lake was a popular idea. Community fa-cilities, community gardens, playgrounds, parking, more trails and trailheads, athletic fi elds, horse trails, and access to the water were all common elements requested. The preferred scheme seemed to be some combination of Schemes B and C. The team was directed to come up with a revised scheme that would incorporate all the items discussed at the meeting into one new preferred scheme.

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Public Meeting #2

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Public Meeting #2The second public meeting was held at the community center on East Rosedale Street, November 12th, 2007. Harold Pitchford, of the City of Fort Worth’s Parks and Community Services depart-ment, introduced Representative Hicks, and the design team. Mr. Pitchford discussed the high points from the previous meeting and the intent of tonight’s meeting.

He stated the Parks Department had received 3.8 million dollars for the construction and renovation of Cobb Park, for the fi rst phase. These monies were coming from a variety of sources.

He then turned the meeting to Representative Kathleen Hicks, who spoke about the politics of the park and the City’s commitment to making Cobb Park a success. She also mentioned the funds available for the Park and what a major step it is to receive such funds for Cobb Park. Representa-tive Hicks then turned the meeting over to the Design Team for their presentation of the Conceptual Plans developed from the last meeting comments and the survey results.

To begin, Randy Sorensen Project Director, spent time recapping high points from the previous public meeting. After which he began his presentation by showing a chart of the most popular site amenities that were voted on by the attendees of the previous meeting. He then walked the audience through the three conceptual plans developed for the park, describing and explaining the relationships of the different areas that would make up the park.

After his presentation, the meeting fl oor was opened to the members of the audience for their com-ments and questions regarding the Design Concepts. Their comments are as follows:

Access-The proposed concepts displayed pedestrian access to the Park from Berry Street, which drew safety concerns for a crossing in this particular area. Randy explained to the audience that the trailhead lo-cations represented on the concept plans are purely conceptual. These particular points are existing crossings at traffi c-lighted intersections, which makes it an obvious crossing point. As the design phase continues these points of access may change locations.

Main Entry-As discussed in the previous meeting, a park of this size needs a least one main entry point. An entry that really implicates that it is the entry or gateway into the Park - something bold that stands out. Randy Sorensen assured the audience that comment would be incorporated into the design of the

Park.

The New Urban Development Project-Access to the new urban development project is essential. This will house a substantial number of people and their families; therefore, we must consider access to the Park. In addressing that comment, the audience was reassured that that neighborhood would have adequate access to the Park as well as other existing and future developments in the surrounding area.

Scheme A

Scheme B

Scheme C

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Mayor Pro Tem council woman Kathleen Hicks speaking Presenting the potential park elements

Presenting the survey results Presenting the relationship between the chart and board

Explanation of a board to the potential location of the probable elements

Preparation for Conceptual plan presentation

Existing Driving Range-The concepts proposed removal of the existing driving range. This approach will leave amateur golfers that can’t afford fee costs at other driving ranges out of a facility to use. Several individuals use this area for hitting balls; therefore, there needs to be an area reserved for this activity. There are opportuni-ties to relocate the range in another area within the Park.

Horse Trails-There are people in the surrounding areas that ride their horses up and down the streets. If there were a trail within the Park, as it once was, those riders would most certainly use it. Horse trailers would require parking as well. Some people may ride their horses into the Park; however, those that live some distance from the Park will need a parking area.

Lighting-Providing adequate lighting is essential for a safe park. Upon discussion, a FWPD offi cer was present and provided his comments. Lighting is very important to have in a park as well as cameras. Surveil-lance cameras are relatively cheap and it would provide the Community and the City a great service to install cameras along with lighting. One can observe these cameras within their own home or business. There is a possibility of making the light fi xtures around the Park solar powered. A design team would address these comments much further into the design phase.

Naturalization-It is a proven fact that nature contributes to good health and wellness of ill people. This Park needs some areas left in their natural state for individuals that count on it for mental and physical healing. In the proposed concept plans, there are plenty of undisturbed natural areas just for those purposes in addition to others.

Fishing-The Park needs a “fi sh farm.” Fishing is a good teacher of patience and should be introduced in this Park for children. Along with teaching, opportunities for education in nature can be utilized as well.

Money-Maybe the $3.8 million dollars should go into developing the Park itself and not so much a community facility right now. The available funds are for the development of the Park, which will include some sort of facility. You must understand that it will take additional funds to complete a park of this size. As phasing and planning continues, disbursement of funds into the Park will be properly managed.

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Presentation of Scheme A plan Presentation of Scheme B plan

Presentation of Scheme C plan Assistant Park Director, Harold Pitchford addressing the audience members

Audience members looking at the boards during the presentation

Voting-The audience was asked to vote for their concept of choice by a show of raised hands.The results are as follows: • Scheme A – 2 votes • Scheme B – 9 votes • Scheme C – 13 votesIn closing, Mr. Pitchford thanked everyone for coming out and showing their support for the development and renovation of Cobb Park.

The Design Team discussed its next step. This would be to design a preferred scheme which incorpo-rated design elements from the other schemes into the preferred one. The design team will do more research on the park and analyze the outcome and comments of this meeting. The result at the next meeting will be a single concept plan incorporating things liked in all three schemes.

The meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm.

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Steering Committee Meeting

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Preferred Scheme

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The Preferred SchemeThe two end sections of the Park remain the same in the Preferred Scheme as in the Conceptual Schemes with a few minor changes. The Preferred Scheme keeps the section of the Park to the south of East Berry Street the same as the Conceptual Schemes with trails, parking, trailhead, and neighborhood connections. The Preferred Scheme also keeps the section of the Park north of Highway 287 the same as the Conceptual Schemes, but with some added trails connecting this section of the Park to the Central Section using a new trail along Duvall Street connecting at Cobb Park Drive.

The Central Section of the Park is a combination of various elements that were favored in Concepts B and C. There will be a new park entrance with a new image off East Berry Street, where East Berry splits and Berry Street intersects. The intersection of these roads would have a new traffi c control light with pedestrian cross-ings that would connect the South Section of the Park to the Central Section and provide a safe place for Park users to cross these two busy streets. At this new entrance would be the start of a new road leading into the Park giving access to the upper terrace area. This road would loop around and reconnect back to Cobb Park Drive with a new bridge across the creek. The old Cobb Park Drive would remain as is, but the entrance off Glen Garden would be a secondary entrance. The other end of Cobb Park Drive at Highway 287 would re-ceive a new image and entrance experience and be considered the other main entrance to the Park. This would make the entrances into the Park more formal and notable to those seeking access. A new community center and parking would be located on the side of this new road entrance close to the entry so that it would be visible from East Berry Street. This location is for safety, visibility and ease of access. The Community Gardens would be associated next to the Center, as the Center would become a place for community and neighbor-hood kids to learn about nature using the natural areas of the Park as an outdoor classroom. The Community Gardens would also contain a section for a Demonstration Garden, which would identify native species that exist in the Park. From this Center, there would be a new connection to the Trinity Trail and to the trailhead along Glen Garden Drive. Building new trails in the Central Section would allow linking of both sides of the creek as well as the middle terrace to the upper Trinity Trail. This trail system would be carried throughout the Park and provide numerous options for those wishing to walk, bike, or ride horses. This would make all parts of the park accessible for the fi rst time. This activation of the Park is imperative to solving many of the safety and vandalism issues of the Park’s past. There would be a new large lake developed close to where the current creek crossing is located and next to the current parking and playground area along Cobb Park Drive. There would be parking located close to all activities in various locations. A large portion of the Park would remain undisturbed as natural area. Developing the upper terrace (which is very open due to a lack of trees) into active recreation spaces with a big lawn would provide space for community events.

In this scheme, there is a smaller second community facility located in this same location, but its use would be very different from the other facility. The areas close to the stream are left natural and just beyond them there could be some passive recreational uses along the trails.

The vacant property at the far north end of the Central Section, next to Highway 287 and off Cobb Park Drive, would be an active recreation complex of some sort. Along the Trinity Trail would be some observation points providing great views of downtown Fort Worth. The Park will connect to all neighborhoods with direct en-trances into the Park trails, making the Park accessible from every surrounding neighborhood for the very fi rst time.

This plan incorporates all of the various activities and amenities that the neighborhood survey requested. It addresses all the comments and ideas brought up in the public meetings. We presented the Plan and received Steering Committee approval. From this approved Preferred Scheme we took the design forward into the de-sign of the Final Master Plan.

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87

Final Master Plan

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Final Master PlanThe Final Master Plan is a further refi nement of the Preferred Conceptual Scheme. We presented this plan at a third and fi nal public meeting. The public enthusiastically endorsed the plan and we received many complimentary comments on the design. They generally voiced that the plan refl ected the de-sires of the neighborhood communities for an improved and enhanced Cobb Park. The question on everyone’s mind was how would this be funded and in what time frame. It was unanimous that every-one felt Cobb Park was long past due for a renovation. Several voiced that they were worried that this was just another nice plan that would never actually become reality. Harold Pitchford, Assistant Park Director, addressed this issue by discussing the $3.8 million dollars currently committed to the project. He stated that these dollars would fund the fi rst phase of construction, with design and construction possibly being complete by the end of 2009. Everyone seemed pleased by this information.

The fi nal design of the Master Plan would be an immense improvement to the Park. It would give access to areas of the Park never before accessible. It would provide much needed athletic fi elds, com-munity meeting space, passive recreational areas, a site for a new aquatic center, a greatly enhanced trail system, access to the creek, equestrian facilities and trails, a lake, new main entrance, lighting, wayfi nding systems, needed parking areas, playgrounds and picnic areas, and most important was a new image as a safe environment. One of the most important improvements would be stabilization of the creek banks from erosion.

The Park would become what it was always meant to be, a place to enjoy nature and a variety of recreational facilities for enjoyment by all. We believe that this Plan offers what is described in the poem on the inside cover of this document as “what a park should be.”

This Master Plan incorporates all of the various activities and amenities requested by the neighbor-hood survey. It addresses all the comments and ideas brought up in the public meetings. It would provide a fi rst-class public park in the City and would be truly unique for its combination of rec-reational and natural amenities. It would truly be the “People’s Park.” I believe the Cobb family would smile down on this improvement having never dreamed it would become such a great city park and one of the largest parks in the City.

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North Section

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North Section of the park looking south to Highway 287

The Park would contain:

North Section The section of the Park north of Highway 287 would connect to the trails in the mid-dle section by using a new trail along Duvall Street connecting at Cobb Park Drive.

Along Duvall Street is an area of vacant land that can be utilized as a basketball complex of six courts and parking for twenty-seven cars. These courts would be very visible from East Maddox Avenue and be lighted at night.

A large existing open lawn area is located in the North Section between Highway 287 and East Maddox Avenue, and to the east of the creek. We recommend developing this area and establishing a community 4-quad baseball facility that could accom-modate community baseball leagues. The complex would have parking for 175 cars, a concession stand, restrooms, grandstands, and lights for playing at night. The com-plex is visible from East Maddox Avenue and has easy access for police and emer-gency vehicles. A new road access to the National Guard complex would be built off Brooke Street. There are two neighborhood connections to this section of the Park as well.

A new section of the Trinity Trail follows along the creek and connects the two existing sections of the trail. The former connection used the roadway that runs through this area, which we propose removing to build the baseball complex. This new trail section is a much safer connection than the old roadway. We would sug-gest building an improved trail crossing as the trail crosses over East Maddox Av-enue at the far north section of the Park. This crossing would have pedestrian- and bike-controlled traffi c lights that would stop the traffi c when someone pushes a button to cross. At all other times the light would be fl ashing yellow. This is a very dangerous street crossing of the Trinity Trail and we really need to make it safer. This crossing would fi nish the linkage of the entire Park trail system and make it safe to cross all three major roads that cut the Park into sections.

On the north side of East Maddox Avenue is an existing trailhead and small park-ing area connecting to the Trinity Trail. This area is also the one place that has easy access to the water of Sycamore Creek. It is a very scenic place. A small playground and picnic area would enhance this area. The creek would have a viewing and fi shing platform extending out over the water. Further down the trail would be a new trail loop that also takes you closer to the water. For the most part, this area of the Park would remain pretty much the same and would be the least expensive section of the Park to construct.

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Central Section

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Central SectionAt this new intersection on East Berry Street is a new main park entrance with large stone columns fl anking the entrance, providing a formal gateway and announcing to the public the existence of the Park. These columns are architectural in nature and scale, with the name of the Park in a prominent position, providing a compelling reason to enter the Park. This new entrance will replace the exist-ing main entrance on Cobb Park Drive off Glen Garden Drive. That existing entrance will become a secondary entrance. At this new entrance would be the start of a new road leading into the Park giv-ing access to the middle terrace area. This road would loop around and reconnect back to Cobb Park Drive with a new bridge across the creek.

The other end of Cobb Park Drive at the Highway 287 off-ramp would receive the same treatment and become the other main entrance to the Park. This would make the entrances into the Park more formal and notable to those seeking access.

A new community nature center and associated parking would be located on the west side of this new roadway entrance, close to the entry so that it would be visible from East Berry Street. This location is for safety, visibility, and ease of access. The Community Nature Center would be a small structure utilized for a number of uses including classroom/meeting space, exhibitions, restrooms, nature library, outdoor amphitheater, and other organized community events in the Park. The Com-munity Gardens, along with the Demonstration Garden, would be located next to the Center and become a place for community and neighborhood kids to learn about nature using the natural areas of the Park as an outdoor classroom. The Community Gardens would provide a place for neighborhood residents to have an urban garden. This use would be controlled and the plots rented out seasonally to control their use. This garden section would also contain a demonstration garden and a butterfl y garden, which you can stroll through and identify native species of plants that exist in the Park and see various birds and butterfl ies. A park can be a great forum for education as well as recreation, and this nature area would provide a unique facility for that in this inner city environment. From the Community Center there are trails leading to the waterfront of the new lake. The trail would wind through some new wetland areas that also act as an educational experience concerning the value of wetlands in a city environment. There would be a wooden dock/boardwalk located at the end of the path along the lakeshore giving canoes access to the lake.

New Park Entrance

New Neighborhood park entry connections

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At the Community Center there would be a new connection to the Trinity Trail and to the trailhead along Glen Garden Drive, providing more options of where to go inside the Park. In the Central Sec-tion, building a number of other trails would link both sides of the creek, in addition to linking the middle terrace to the upper Trinity Trail. This trail system would be carried throughout the Park and provide numerous options for those wishing to walk, bike, or ride horses. The design of the trail sys-tem would accommodate all kinds of users with different surface requirements from soft to hard. The park would interconnect to all neighborhoods with direct entrances into the Park with the trails mak-ing the Park accessible from every surrounding neighborhood for the very fi rst time. The more people you can get into the Park and using it, the better. This activation of the Park is imperative to solving many of the safety and vandalism issues of the Park’s past.

There would be a large new lake developed close to where the current creek crossing is and located next to the current parking and playground area along Cobb Park Drive. Redesigning the existing parking lot would allow room for three 40-foot square picnic shelters with tables. Moving the existing play-ground structure to this location would allow parents to sit under the structures in the shade and visit while watching their kids play. This area has direct waterfront access with four fi shing piers reaching out into the lake. There would be parking for forty-nine cars. At the north end of the lake there would be a waterfall outlet to the creek, over which a new bridge would be built to connect the new entry road back to Cobb Park Drive forming a looped road experience.

Along Cobb Park Drive would be a number of areas with trees and lawn that could provide places to get out of the hot summer sun and for passive recreation. There would be access to these areas from the trail system and a 40-car parking lot along the road edge. There would also be two new neighborhood connections on this western boundary.

New fi shing piers on new lake

New Nature Center and Gardens

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A large portion of the Park would remain undisturbed as natural area as envisioned by the original Cobb Family. This includes areas along the creek corridor and banks, parts of the middle terrace along the loop road, and the upper hillside area which has steep slopes and is home to many kinds of wild-life. At the top of this slope, at the far east Park boundary lays the Trinity Trail overlooking the entire middle section of the Park. A series of new outlooks along the Trinity Trail would provide viewing platforms to some of the most dramatic elevated views of downtown Fort Worth. These overlook ar-eas would include stone walls with interpretive signage containing information about the history of the Park, neighborhoods, important historic fi gures, nature, and descriptions of what you are looking at in the distant city skyline. The wall would also provide places to sit and rest. This gives people reasons to stop and rest along the trail making the trail experience even more interesting. There would be three neighborhood connections at this upper Park boundary. There are several trails interconnecting with the Park entrances and the various spaces in the lower portions of the Park with the upper trail, many of which go through undisturbed areas of the Park.

The middle terrace located along the new loop road is pretty open without trees as it historically con-tained baseball fi elds. Developing this large open grass area into passive recreation space would ac-commodate a number of informal sports fi elds in addition to community events. We call this area the “Great Lawn.” Near the road would be two parking areas accommodating 126 cars with various sizes of picnic shelters for various sizes of groups and events. This area could accommodate large crowds of people, such as a church picnic or family reunion. People would be able to have their picnic and spill out onto the lawn for informal games of baseball or football. Other neighborhood events that might occur here would be fairs, pageants, concerts, and any other use accommodated by a great lawn in a city park. We named this area “Reunion Grove.” This was a highly requested amenity by the residents and community associations.

The vacant property at the far north end of this Central Section, next to the Highway 287 off-ramp, and the new main entrance to the Park at Cobb Park Drive, would be an active recreation complex consist-ing of a soccer and softball fi eld, along with parking for nineteen cars.

This area is fl at and its location would provide good visibility from a busy street with easy access. These fi elds would not be lighted at night, because they will only be used in the daytime.

New picnic shelter

New overlook off Trinity Trail

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Central Section of Park looking north from new park entrance off East Berry Street

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South SectionIn the fi nal plan, the South Section of the Park (to the south of East Berry Street) is enhanced with new trails, trailhead parking for nine horse trailers, and four neighborhood connection entrances acting as a gateway into the Park giving clues to the person entering that they are formally crossing into the Park proper through a designed “threshold” entry experience. The new trail system design incorporates usage by both pedestrians and horse riders. The trail system winds among the existing trees keeping the area as natural as possible and providing the park user a direct connection with nature. There will be a new signalized traffi c intersection where Berry Street runs into East Berry Street. This will give safe pedestrian connection across this busy roadway and connect the south Park section to the central section for the very fi rst time.

South Section

New horse trail in the park

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Public Meeting #3

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Final Meeting #3IntroductionMelody Mitchell introduced Bishop Spears, Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks, and the Design Team and thanked Bishop Spears for the use of First Saint John’s Baptist Church and Chesapeake Energy for funding the Master Plan of Cobb Park.

Kathleen HicksMayor Pro Tem Hicks spoke about the politics of the Park and the City’s commitment to make some-thing “new” from the present Park. She spoke about growing up in the area and her commitment to making the Park a place where people want to be.

Final Master PlanRandy Sorensen walked the audience through the newly planned Park. He highlighted the new Park entrance off East Berry Street, the new interior loop road, the Community Facility, Demonstration Gardens, and Community Gardens in the fi rst part of the Park. Then he moved to the enlarged lake, boardwalk, wetlands area, and Reunion Grove I with adjacent fi shing piers. Next, he proceeded to describe the central portion of the Park where the additional two Reunion Groves would be located as well as the Great Lawn and programmable open space, where one could host soccer, touch football, or softball games. He then proceeded to describe the sports complex on the northern section of the Park and fi nally the southern section of the Park dedicated to equestrians and walking trails.

After presentation of the Final Master Plan for Cobb Park, the fl oor was opened to the community for questions.

Questions from the Community

Can we mark the trail in one-mile increments? Yes, the trails can be marked in any increment the community would like.When do things start in the Park? The Park Board must approve the fi nal Master Plan. The Board intends to present the Plan in March for adoption. Construction on the fi rst phase will probably begin sometime next summer. Construction Plans need to be created before any development can take place.How much money do we have for the Park? $3.8 million dollars for the fi rst phase. This plan is a Master Plan and it is not intended to be executed at one time. Will jobs be create d? Yes, in the Park as well as construction jobs related to the construction of the Park.Will volunteers do most of the work? There will be volunteer positions as well as paid positions within the Park. Paid contractors, who will have their construction contracts through the City of Fort Worth, will do the actual construction of the Park. What is the water quality? Is it safe? Does it need cleaning? The water in Sycamore Creek needs to be tested to establish the water quality, so how safe it is, is un known at this time. Once the water is tested, a creek clean-up schedule will be established.

Attendees getting settled in A closer look at the Master Plan

The big picture Introducing the Master Plan

Presenting the plan Audience members in tuned to the presentation

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What is the depth of the pond/lake? It will be a minimum of fi ve feet.Where is the fi sh farm? The lake will be stocked for fi shing. As far as a true hatchery is concerned, a conversation with the Texas Park and Wildlife division will need to take place to see their level of interest in having a hatchery in Fort Worth.What can happen now? The Plan needs to go to the Park Board for review and acceptance. After that, construction documents will be prepared for a determined Phase I.Can you incorporate a dog park? A dog park was not high on the priority list from the survey results and the members of the community.What is the cost? Cost of the Basketball area? A cost estimate for the Park has not been completed at this time.How much would a clean up of the Park cost? That cost is unknown at this timeIs gas drilling going to happen in the Park? No.

Melody Mitchell asked the attendees what they felt was most important to be part of the fi rst phase. In order of importance, the audience felt these should be the highest priority: • Lake • Road • Facilities

Melody Mitchell solicited a vote to accept or reject the Park Master Plan. The majority in attendance accepted the Park Plan.

Bishop Spears closed the meeting and thanked all for coming. Next StepWe will present the Final Master Plan to the Park Board for approval.

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Cost Estimate

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SPORTS SEGMENT

Description Unit Qty. Cost DEMOLITION Asphalt (driveways) SF 47,005 $1.50 $70,507.50 Concrete (trails) SF 11,052 $2.00 $22,104.00 Fence (old arena) LF 707 $1.00 $707.00 Lighting (includes all electrical utilities) LS 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Vegetation AC 3 $10,000.00 $30,000.00 Shelter LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Sub-total $238,318.50 SOCCER Soccer fi elds (sod, irrigation, fi ne grading) EA 2 $220,000.00 $440,000.00 Lighting -sports fi eld type LS 1 $200,000.00 $200,000.00 Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 27,851 $8.50 $236,733.50 Shade tree EA 68 $650.00 $44,200.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Irrigation (all items included) SF 129,181 $1.40 $180,853.40 Sub-total $1,111,786.90 TRAILHEAD Playground EA 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Fishing Pier SF 910 $50.00 $45,500.00 Picnic tables EA 6 $1,000.00 $6,000.00 Lighting LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $30,000.00 $30,000.00 Sub-total $206,500.00 BASKETBALL Full courts EA 6 $20,000.00 $120,000.00 Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 15,037 $8.50 $127,814.50 Lighting LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000.00 Shade tree LS 20 $650.00 $13,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $345,814.50 BASEBALL 4-PLEX 350’ Championship baseball fi eld (all items included) EA 1 $1,000,000.00 $1,000,000.00 250’ baseball fi elds (all items included) EA 3 $250,000.00 $750,000.00 Concession - restrooms LS 1 $350,000.00 $350,000.00 Lighting - sport fi eld type LS 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Concrete paving SF 27,480 $10.00 $274,800.00 Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 70,134 $8.50 $596,139.00

Maintenance building LS 1 $200,000.00 $200,000.00 Shade tree EA 69 $650.00 $44,850.00 Irrigation SF 7,298 $0.40 $2,919.20 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Sub-total $3,433,708.20 ARMORY Asphalt (grading and driveway) LF 336 $200.00 $67,200.00 Sub-total $67,200.00 INTERSECTION ENHANCEMENT Ground Plane Signage EA 2 $400. 00 $800.00 Pavers SF 400 $9.50 $3,800.00 Crossing markers LF 80 $5.00 $400.00 Pedestrian crossing/Flashing lights EA 1 $175,000.00 $175,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Sub-total $295,000.00 ENTRY ICONS Columns EA 10 $20,000.00 $200,000.00 Sub-total $200,000.00 TRAILS 8’ Concrete LF 3,954 $22.50 $88,965.00 4’ Stabilized soil path LF 4,577 $10.00 $45,770.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $144,735.00 SITE FURNISHING Bench LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Trash receptacles LS 1 $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Sub-total $35,000.00 Sports Segment Total $6,078,063.10

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MAIN PARK SEGMENT

Description Unit Qty. Cost DEMOLITION Asphalt (road and drives) SF 84,948 $1.50 $127,422.00 Lighting (includes all electrical utilities) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Vegetation AC 16 $10,000.00 $160,000.00 Sub-total $297,422.00 EARTHWORK Excavation (dirt moving and grading approx. 37 acres) CY 145,200 $4.00 $580,800.00 Sub-total $580,800.00 MAIN ENTRY ROAD Asphalt - Main road (includes curb and gutter) LF 3,673 $350.00 $1,285,550.00 Lighting EA 1 $200,000.00 $200,000.00 Box Culvert LF 70 $80.00 $5,600.00 Vehicular Bridge LS 1 $200,000.00 $200,000.00 Irrigation (all items included) SF 42,462 $0.40 $16,984.80 Entry Sign LS 1 $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Monumental Entry Columns(with masonry wall) EA 2 $40,000.00 $80,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Sub-total $1,918,134.80 REUNION GROVE I Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 15,159 $8.50 $128,851.50 Shade tree EA 4 $650.00 $2,600.00 40’ x 40’ Shelter EA 2 $250,000.00 $500,000.00 Playground EA 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Picnic tables EA 8 $1,000.00 $8,000.00 Lighting LS 1 $50,000.00 $50,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000.00 Irrigation (all items included) LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Sub-total $889,451.50

REUNION GROVE II Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 23,328 $8.50 $198,288.00 Shade tree EA 16 $650.00 $10,400.00 40’ x 40’ Shelter EA 2 $250,000.00 $500,000.00 Playground EA 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Picnic tables EA 8 $1,000.00 $8,000.00 Lighting LS 1 $50,000.00 $50,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00

Landscape development LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000.00 Irrigation (all items included) LS 1 $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Sub-total $971,688.00 REUNION GROVE III Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 16,377 $8.50 $139,204.50 Concrete paving SF 17,838 $4.50 $80,271.00 Shade tree EA 10 $650.00 $6,500.00 40’ x 40’ Shelter EA 3 $250,000.00 $750,000.00 Playground EA 1 $100,000.00 $100,000.00 Picnic tables EA 12 $800.00 $9,600.00 Lighting LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000.00 Fishing pier SF 840 $50.00 $42,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000.00 Irrigation (all items included) LS 1 $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Sub-total $1,307,575.50 NATURE CENTER Center(building) LS 1 $1,000,000.00 $1,000,000.00 Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 23,695 $8.50 $201,407.50 Lighting LS 1 $150,000.00 $150,000.00 Shade tree EA 24 $650.00 $15,600.00 Amphitheater SF 740 $200.00 $148,000.00 Brick pavers SF 45,948 $9.50 $436,506.00 Concrete paving SF 5,088 $7.50 $38,160.00 5’ Stabilized soil path LF 2,248 $10.00 $22,480.00 Fishing pier w/ boardwalk SF 7,776 $50.00 $388,800.00 Pedestrian bridge EA 1 $60,000.00 $60,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $150,000.00 $150,000.00 Irrigation (all items included) LS 1 $75,000.00 $75,000.00 Sub-total $2,700,953.50

SPORT FIELDS Multi-purpose fi eld (soccer, fi ne grading) CY 3,889 $5.00 $19,445.00 Multi-purpose fi eld (softball, fi ne grading) CY 2,140 $5.00 $10,700.00 Youth softball fi eld (all items included) EA 1 $175,000.00 $175,000.00 Soccer fi eld (sod, irrigation, fi ne grading) EA 1 $220,000.00 $220,000.00 Fishing pier SF 1,746 $50.00 $87,300.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $522,445.00

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UPPER TRAIL 8’ Concrete walk LF 2,771 $22.50 $62,347.50 4’ Stabilized soil path LF 2,305 $10.00 $23,050.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $95,397.50

LOWER TRAIL 8’ Concrete walk LF 4388 $22.50 $98,730.00 4’ Stabilized soil path LF 4388 $10.00 $43,880.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $152,610.00 COBB PARK DRIVE TRAIL Asphalt - Parking (includes drive, curb and gutter) SF 14,152 $8.50 $120,292.00 Shade tree EA 10 $1,001.00 $10,010.00 Lighting LS 1 $150,000.00 $150,000.00 8’ Concrete walk LF 6,831 $22.50 $153,697.50 4’ Stabilized soil path LF 4481 $10.00 $44,810.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $488,809.50 OBSERVATION POINT Concrete paving SF 2,142 $7.50 $16,065.00 Benches SF 6 $800.00 $4,800.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Sub-total $50,865.00 ENTRY ICONS (Neighborhood connection points)Masonry columns EA 16 $20,000.00 $320,000.00 Sub-total $320,000.00 STREAM CLEAN UP *Clean up LS 1 $1,500,000.00 $1,500,000.00 Lake (includes 6 acres, excavation, 18” clay liner) LS 1 $1,000,000.00 $1,000,00.00 Sub-total $2,500,000.00 SITE FURNISHING Bench LS 1 $30,000.00 $30,000.00 Trash receptacles LS 1 $40,000.00 $40,000.00 Sub-total $70,000.00 Main Park Segment Total $12,866,152.30

EQUESTRIAN SEGMENT

Description Unit Qty. Cost DEMOLITION Vegetation AC 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Asphalt (road) SF 11,284 $1.50 $16,926.00 Sub-total $26,926.00 TRAILHEAD Lighting LS 1 $50,000.00 $50,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $40,000.00 $40,000.00 Sub-total $105,000.00 PARKING Concrete Parking CY 1,296 $175.00 $226,800.00 Hitching Post EA 2 $500.00 $1,000.00 Lighting LS 1 $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Shade tree EA 23 $650.00 $14,950.00 Irrigation (all items included) SF 3,916 $0.40 $1,566.40 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Sub-total $294,316.40 ENTRY ICONS Columns EA 10 $20,000.00 $200,000.00 Landscape development LS 1 $50,000.00 $50,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $260,000.00 TRAILS 8’ Concrete walk LF 3,711 $22.50 $83,497.50 4’ Stabilized soil path LF 3,606 $10.00 $36,060.00 Pedestrian bridge EA 2 $60,000.00 $120,000.00 Signage (wayfi nders, directional) LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Sub-total $249,557.50 SITE FURNISHING Bench LS 1 $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Trash receptacles LS 1 $15,000.00 $15,000.00 Sub-total $25,000.00

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Equestrian Segment Total $960,799.90 (Main Park Segment Total) $12,866,152.30(Sports Segment Total) $6,078,063.10

Combined Total $19,905,015.30 Overhead/Profi t-10% $1,990,501.53 Mobilization-5% $995,250.76Design Contingency-15% $2,985,752.29

Grand Total $25,876,519.88

COST ESTIMATE ASSUMPTIONS: Estimate of Probable Costs does not include the following: Utility relocation or adjustments Any drainage items: relocation or new catch basins Traffi c construction safety set-up or maintenance: estimate $5,000 per month of construction Leave traffi c signalsRework of traffi c intersection at Berry and East Berry Streets Traffi c study Mobilization as a one time cost, does not take into account phasing of projectFee based on 2008 prices, does not take into account 3-5% annual infl ation costTraffi c signs Traffi c pavement markings Infl ation based on natural disasters Permitting and Bonding fees Future design fees Fuel surchargesGeo-technical study of property A topographical map of propertyHydrologic study of property

Not included in cost estimate:Neighborhood sidewalks into park outside park boundaries

*This is an estimate only and could go up or down in cost. A full hydrologic study and creek assessment needs to be completed to determine the extent of the cleanup and stabilization.

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Recommended Phasing Plan

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Phase I

Phase I

Phase I

Phase IA

Phase IA

Phase IBPhase II

Phase IIPhase III

Phase III

Phase III

Phase I 3.8 millionNew interior road Entry Columns 1-Reunion Picnic Grove (partial) Grading Demolition

Phase IA 1.65 millionTrail along Road 1-Reunion Picnic Grove (remaining)

Phase IBAquatic Center TBD Phase II 6.65 millionLake/ Boardwalk/Wetlands Nature Center/Community Gardens

Phase III 4.45 million2-Reunion Picnic Groves Sportsfi elds-great lawn Grading Demo Remaining center section

Phase IV 8 millionSports complex

Phase V 1.25 millionEquestrian Complex

Cobb Park PhasingThe proposed construction phasing for Cobb Park respects the initial budget set by the parks department of 3.8 million dollars and the desires of the community members present at the last public meeting. The order of preference of development is: the road, the lake and the facilities.

The Design Team broke the phasing into what it perceived to be logical construction sequences.

The construction of the park can be phased in any increment, as monies become available through the Parks and Community Services Department.

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Phase IV

Phase V

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“Where people can come-unrestricted relaxed as they were meant to be”

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“This is what A park inside a city

Will always mean to me”