Park Planning & Development

Overhead view of playground equipment at Morningside Park

The City of New Braunfels has over 740 acres of park land that consists of developed parks and undeveloped open space providing a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Park Development includes park and trail planning, project construction in conjunction with the Transportation & Capital Improvements (TCI) Department, monitoring the Parkland Dedication Ordinance, and grant writing. For more information about park and trail planning as well as current park projects, contact Park Development Manager Jeff Bransford at (830) 221-4358 or through email.

Current Projects

Parkland Dedication & Development

The City of New Braunfels requires subdivision applicants (residential only) to dedicate land for parks, or to pay a fee that the City can then use to acquire land or develop park facilities. This is known as the Park Land Dedication Ordinance. The City’s first Park Land Dedication and Development Ordinance was passed in 2006. Since that time, population, land values, and other costs associated with park development have increased; therefore, in 2018 revisited and updated the ordinance to reflect current values.

The basic principle of park land dedication ordinances requires development to proportionately share the burden of meeting the needs of a growing community. As land is subdivided for residential development (growth) the demand for new park amenities is preserved through the dedication of park land, or fees paid in-lieu of land, and park development fees are collected to aid the City in the development neighborhood/community park lands to help meet the demand of the new growth.

More specifically, New Braunfels’ parkland dedication requirements use a formula to determine park land requirements and park development fee calculations. These formulas consider current population, current levels of service, and the current cost of land and construction. These values help to establish the elements of a park land dedication ordinance:

1.)    Land Requirement, or a fee-in-lieu of land dedication,

2.)    Park Development Fee.

For more information please download the Park Land Dedication Manual. It provides details to the ordinance requirements and process to meet the intent of the 2018 Park Land Ordinance.

Planning and Design

Parks and Recreation Strategic Master Plan

Conduct update to the 2017 Parks and Recreation Strategic Master Plan. The plan will identify community needs as well as prioritize capital and operational improvements.

Mission Hill Park (Phase 2)

Deliver additional site improvements for Phase 2 of Mission Hill Park based on Master Plan and 30% Design, including observation tower, meeting space, elevated walkway, trails, additional parking, and other amenities.

Dry Comal Creek Trail (Segment 1)

Develop Segment 1, connecting Landa Park to Walnut Avenue. This segment is part of the larger Dry Comal Trail corridor and is coordinated with the Great Springs Project.

Dry Comal Creek Trail (Segments 2 & 3)

Develop Segment 2, connecting Walnut Avenue to Loop 337; and, develop Segment 3, connecting Loop 337 to Altgelt Lane. This segment is part of the larger Dry Comal Trail corridor and is coordinated with the Great Springs Project.

Alligator Creek Trail (West Segment)

Construct 1.1 miles of hard surface trail, connecting to Goodwin Lane and Oak Creek Estates neighborhoods. This segment is part of the larger Alligator Creek corridor and is coordinated with the Great Springs Project.

Alligator Creek Trail (East Segment)

Develop a hard surface trail system east of I-35 along Alligator Creek within City, TxDOT, and private property. The corridor is envisioned to connect Timmerman Park, Resolute Hospital, and the Creekside area.

Landa Lake Dam and Spillway Improvements

Improve dam and spillway to address hydraulic inadequacies identified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Field of Graves Memorial

Construct memorial garden with memorial, landscaping, seating, and interpretive signage to memorialize early German settlers.

Mission Hill Park Rendering

Mission Hill 6

Construction

Zipp Family Sports Park (Phase 1)

Construct Phase 1 improvements to Zipp Family Sports Park, including four baseball fields, four softball fields, four convertible soccer fields, parking, and maintenance building.

Park & Trail Plans

  1. Park Plans
  2. Trail Plans

Park Plans


Callen's Castle - All Abilities Park

Callen’s Castle is a partnership project with New Braunfels Parks Foundation, Callen Hughs Foundation and the City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department. Callen’s Castle will be an all abilities park, much like Morgan’s Wonderland or Play for All Abilities Park in Round Rock. The park will feature special equipment that will allow children and adults, regardless of their abilities, to play together. The future park will include amenities such as, swings and a merry-go-round specifically for wheelchairs, foam mats, a sensory area that incorporates textures and music, a playscape with ramps and all abilities play-field and parking. In December 2014, City Council approved a four acre site on FM 1044 for the future park. In July 2015, two public input meetings were held, in addition to an online survey asking for community input on the future park. Based on community feedback a Master Plan was developed, presented and ultimately approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in November 2015. This project is currently in the design phase.


Landa Park Master Plan

In 2017, the City of New Braunfels adopted the Landa Park Master Plan. That plan includes a comprehensive assessment of all Landa Park facilities, maintenance programs, programming and visitor use, accessibility review for compliance with Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) and ADA, and preparation of concept designs.


Market Plaza Master Plan

Market Plaza is a 0.7 acre park located at 292 Tolle Street in downtown New Braunfels.  A Master Plan for the park was developed in 2014.


Mission Hill Park Master Plan

Mission Hill Park is a ten acre property located 2100 Independence Drive. The Mission Hill Park Master Plan includes amenities such as walking trails, a scenic overlook tower, interpretive signage, parking and preservation of the natural environment.


River Properties Vision Plan

The purpose of this project was to create a park vision plan for City owned property along the Guadalupe River, near River Acres Park. In recent years, the City has purchased several properties due to flooding issues. The River Properties Vision Plan was developed to guide future improvements for the City owned properties, River Acres Park and the adjacent area.


Athletic Field Master Plan