Thursday, March 28, 2024

Stepping it up

Posted

A possible grant-funded partnership between the city of Granbury, the Granbury school district and the Hood County YMCA could bring the city’s trail system to the other side of Highway 377, eventually providing a safe walk to school for Acton Middle School kids living in the new Saratoga development and providing other benefits for the community.

Saratoga, a 360-acre development in eastern Hood County behind Granbury Nissan, will eventually have between 400 and 500 homes, City Manager Chris Coffman said.

It will also have a hike-and-bike trail that Coffman said could connect to the city’s if the city is successful in extending its trail system to that part of town.

Construction on single family homes and town homes in Saratoga’s first phase is expected to get underway this year.

The Granbury City Council unanimously agreed at its regular meeting Tuesday night to partner with the Granbury Independent School District in seeking grant funds through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission. The agency offers a trails grant.

The grant funds would be used to extend an already existing trail system at AMS and kick-start the city’s trail system in that area.

Coffman said that if the city sponsors the grant and the school district donates the land, the partnership would provide the match required to receive the grant funds.

The council heard a presentation from AMS Principal Jimmy Dawson, two of his students, Walt Hartman and Lydia Strickland, Y Director Lisa Gossard and the Y’s health and wellness director, Holly Martin. AMS science teachers and Outdoor Learning Center coordinators Scott Carpenter and Jeremy Scott also were present.

Dawson said that the campus already has about a half mile of trails, thanks to grant money provided by the Granbury Education Foundation and Wolf Hollow. The trails are used for the school’s Outdoor Learning Center, which is shared with students brought there on field trips.

Dawson said that about a year ago, Coffman suggested that the school consider applying for a trails grant through Texas Parks & Wildlife. After that time, meetings were held to draft a proposal.

It was noted that the entire community on that side of town would be able to use the trails, including members of the YMCA, which is located across James Road from the school.

Gossard said that the Y serves a “membership base” of about 10,000 people.

Miller noted that a crosswalk will provide a safe way for Y members to cross the street to access the trails when they want to enjoy pleasant weather while exercising.

EXPERT HELP

Coffman said that he enlisted the city’s grant writer, Jake McAdams of Public Management, Inc., to provide advice to the group.

McAdams spoke from the podium and told the council that there are “different ways” the entities could “mix it up” with grant funds to achieve their goal of a trail system.

He noted that Texas Parks & Wildlife also has a small communities park grant.

City officials in Cresson were thrilled when they were notified in March that the town had been chosen by Parks & Wildlife to receive a $500,000 parks grant for a multi-use park on 23.5 acres of donated land.

“This could be an extremely beneficial project for both the city as well as the school and the ISD as a whole,” Mc-Adams told the council.

Coffman recommended that the council allow the group to move forward with the grant application “bringing it back before the school board and city” for approval.

“I think it’s a great idea,” he said.

Coffman said that the application for the trails grant is not due until February.

kcruz@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 258