KEMAH The city plans to build a 57-acre park on land leased from Galveston County.
Wildlife has flourished at the former dredge spoils site behind the Kemah Oaks neighborhood.
Galveston and Harris counties in 1986 started a project that funneled silt through a pipeline from Clear Lake to a holding area near FM 518 and state Highway 146 as part of the Clear Creek flood control project, Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark said.
The pipeline improved the flow of water from Clear Lake, which alleviated flooding upstream.
Galveston County took control of the holding area, or spoils site, in the mid-1990s when the project ended, Clark said.
County Judge Jim Yarbrough, to alleviate concerns of having a spoil site behind a subdivision, suggested building a county park on the land, Clark said.
But the county had trouble allocating money for the project.
Under the existing financial state, it was the best option to lease the land to Kemah, Clark said. It allows Kemah to use the property without buying it at retail value.
The county is leasing the land to the city without charge, Kemah City Secretary Kathy Pierce said.
Leasing allows the county to use the land in the future as a dredge holding site if needed again, Clark said.
City Councilman Wayne Rast, whose backyard abuts the park land, has negotiated with the county about building a park at the site for the eight years he has been on the council.
The first phase of construction, which costs about $80,000, will level the berm, a 15-foot-high earthen wall that enclosed the spoil site, for hiking and biking use.
The city also will build a small parking lot and extend Park Oaks Street, which dead ends to the north of the park land.
Work is about to start, and contractors should finish the first phase by December, Rast said.
The wall is about a mile-long around the perimeter of the former spoil site, which now has become overgrown by trees, cattails and other vegetation. Ramps will be cut into the side of the wall for people to reach the top of the berm.
The city has contacted the Galveston Bay Estuary Program about developing a wetland ecosystem at a portion of the park, which the city hasn t yet named.
The site includes flat land, which could be used for practice fields, and the city might cultivate a community garden on the property, Rast said.
It s a beautiful area, Rast said. Even in the summertime, you can catch a nice breeze on top of the wall since it s high up.
Rast and other city and county officials have talked about connecting trails at the park with hike and bike trails near FM 518 and possibly to League City s proposed master trail system.
Eventually, we should be able to tie the park in with hike and bike trails that regional governments have been promoting for years, Clark said. Trails could connect it with parks in League City and others across the county.
This story was brought to you thanks to khou.com s partnership with The Galveston County Daily News.
