The Flower Mound Parks Board recommended the approval of improvements to Leonard and Helen Johns Community Park, which would add more tennis courts, a playground, an amphitheater, more trails and a pier at the pond.
David Shipp represented MHS Planning+Design, the firm in charge of designing the park’s improvements.
The park is right off of Timber Creek Road.
Resident Patricia Fager’s house backs up to Timber Creek Road and she said she worries about the extra traffic that come with the extra amenities. She said it might overcrowd the small community.
“If you put more tennis courts and elaborate stuff, it’s going to drive more traffic down Timber Creek,” she said. “And parking is another concern, so I would appreciate if y’all would take that into consideration.”
Resident David Youngblood said he was concerned with the extra tennis courts and hoped there could be some more variety of courts or fields, since the park already has tennis courts. He also commented on the playground design.
“I have three children, so I believe a larger playground would be a benefit,” he said. “But, overall I think it’s exciting and I look forward to it.”
Both Fager and Youngblood said they hoped to see improved lighting on Timber Creek Road incorporated into the plans.
“Y’all listened very well and made adjustments and it looks great,” said board member Rick Kenyon. “There are some things we should talk about when it comes to actually designing it, especially the educational pieces, but you brought good designs, we talked through them, so in my mind, it’s perfect.”
Another speaker at the public hearing said it would be nice to preserve some of the natural features of the area “to enrich the ecology,” which might help serve the youth in an educational way.
She talked about features that could provide information on native plants and wildlife.
Kenyon said those would be good features to add in as the park is actually designed.
As of now, the item is planned to go to Flower Mound Town Council at the May 19 meeting. Updates can still be made to the final design.
