Council discusses $5 million rec-center renovation and approves parks-and-rec fee-increases
The Burleson City Council discusses a $5 million rec-center renovation, approves parks-and-rec fee-increases, establishes liquor-store zoning and decides where to hold the May election
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BURLESON – The Burleson City Council discussed a $5 million recreation-center renovation and approved parks-and-recreation fee-increases and more Monday at City Hall.
The council also established liquor-store zoning and decided where to hold the May general election and more.
Council discusses $5 million renovation and approves increased parks-and-recreation fees
Burleson Parks and Recreation director Jen Basham presented to the council a $5.5 million Burleson Recreation Center (BRiCk) lobby-renovation proposal.
The renovation would include removing the rock-climbing boulder and using the space for a lounge and seating area, adding a play-feature for children, new flooring and paint for the lobby and meeting, pool-party and family-changing rooms, enclosing and relocating the front desk to the center of the lobby, enclosing the point-of-sale desk and creating additional storage-space.
Parks and Recreation plans to remove the boulder because it’s often used as a waiting area and not for rock-climbing because it’s too small for adults and too tall for children, making it “the perfect height to accomplish not a lot,” Basham said. Basham added that people hide behind the boulder to sneak into the BRiCk.
The renovation would begin in November and is estimated to take three months to complete.
The council also approved increasing the BRiCk’s fees and other park fees.
The BRiCk’s increased fees include increasing monthly membership contracts 10% and adding a non-resident daily pass for $2 more than the current individual and group passes and $5 more than the current family pass.
The BRiCk’s youth membership and day-pass fees won’t increase in 2024, but councilmember Larry Scott suggested considering increasing them 2% to 3% later to bring the BRiCk closer to being self-sustaining and not as reliant on subsidies.
The BRiCk’s fee-increases also include increasing fees for programs 25%, camp-enrollments 5% and rentals 10%. Other park fee-increases include increasing pavilion rentals $5 per hour and Russell Farm rentals 10% and adding a $5 per child fee for Russell Farm field trips.
Burleson Parks and Recreation charged $5 per child for Russell Farm field trips in 2023, but the fee wasn’t on the fee schedule. Burleson Parks and Recreation director Jen Basham said schools didn’t seem hindered by the fee.
The fee-increases will add $226,202 of annual revenue.
Basham presented these fee-increases to the council November 13. The fee-increases are based on the Burleson Park Board’s consensus.
Council zones for liquor-stores in anticipation of option election
In anticipation of an approval of a local option election for liquor sales in Burleson, the council established zoning for liquor-stores Monday.
The city will zone liquor-stores to be built by right in industrial zones and allow for special-use permits in general retail and commercial zones.
The council opted to allow them to be built by right in industrial zones because the industrial zones have regulations that’d prevent residential or commercial properties from being built adjacent to the liquor stores.
The council’s proposed zoning rules will also not allow liquor stores to be built within 1,000 feet of each other or within 300 feet of Old Town or interstate-highway 35.
Burleson to hold election at sub courthouse
The council chose to hold the May 4 City of Burleson general election, featuring city council places 1 (Victoria Johnson), 3 (Ronnie Johnson) and 5 (Dan McClendon) on the ballot, at the Ron Harmon Sub Courthouse.
Voters can vote early from April 22 to April 30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday April 27 and vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Burleson ISD will join the City of Burleson in hosting its election for school board places 5, 6 and 7 at the same time and place.
Additional notes from the city council meeting:
The council approved a $250,000 contract with LandDesign Inc. to plan the 55-acre property on the west end of the city. LandDesign will begin gathering and reviewing information and imagery in its initial pre-designing, visioning and programming phase in February, then begin its two-round community-engagement phase in March and deliver its final plans and cost-estimates in the Fall.
The council approved the Burleson Fire Department adding $1,600 non-emergency advanced life-support and $1,400 non-emergency basic life-support ambulance-transportation fees.
After not approving Spice Rack Bar and Grill’s and Old Texas Brewing Company’s requests to build awnings over their patio areas in Old Town at previous meetings, the council approved Spice Rack’s latest awning request in a move Mayor Pro Tem Dan McClendon said shows the council isn’t anti-business.
