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Receive an update regarding the John F. Burke Nature Preserve Master Plan.
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BACKGROUND:
The John F. Burke Nature Preserve is made up of 104 acres of land adjacent to the Elm Fork of the Trinity River immediately north of Valley View Lane. The Nature Preserve was made possible thru leases between the City and the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) and between the City and the Valwood Improvement Authority (VIA). The southern third of the preserve is owned by NTTA, the middle by the City, and the northern third by VIA.
Phase 1of the Master Plan, an Inventory and Analysis of the John F. Burke Nature Preserve was completed in August 2011. It included an introduction to the site, a terrain model, visual analysis, inventory and analysis of natural resources, including a habitat and wildlife inventory and habitat management.
Dunaway Associates LP was hired on March 3, 2016 to complete the John F. Burke Nature Preserve Master Plan. A committee was selected to work with Dunaway to develop the Master Plan. The committee consists of three Park Board members, City Staff, A Master Naturalist, a resident actively involved in scouting and Eagle Scout projects, and representatives from the Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD, North Texas Tollway Authority and the Valwood Improvement Authority.
The committee met on February 25, 2016 to discuss a vision and brainstorm ideas for the project. A second meeting with the Dunaway was held in March to discuss the planning process and program list and tour the preserve. The committee toured four sites on a benchmark trip on April 21, 2016. A public meeting to get input was held on Wednesday May 25, 2016. The meeting was well attended. Dunaway gave a brief overview of the master plan process and shared the site overview. Opportunities and constraints were discussed as well as a benchmark trip review and take-aways. The attendees liked the ideas and the general feeling was they wanted to leave the park as natural as pos...
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