Many of you read the “First Impressions Last” article in our weekly digital newsletter last Friday and saw some photos of the work being done at the Mill Pond Park Wallace Street entrance.
I sat down with the City Manager Scott Edmonson and Public Works Director Scott Glaze to get an update to share with you, our readers.
As shown in the Newsletter photos, the work reached from the Wallace Street entrance to just past the Museum behind the playground. The city rented an excavator with a thumb attachment (looks like a claw) for a week to get the project done.
They initially were only going to clean out only the wider area by the entrance. Because they were running ahead of schedule (even with missing last Tuesday because of the extremely strong winds), they decided to clean out even further down the creek to get it cleared of brush from many years of erosion, silt, and stray tree limbs.
The brush was then loaded in the brush truck and taken to the city collection site. It will eventually be burned. The city is a designated burn site with a TCEQ permit to burn (only vegetation).
The work is being done by a collaboration of the Parks Department and the Street Department. This project was all made possible because the city had recently acquired the land. This work is funded by Parks Department budget monies.
This project is to help with beautification and to keep the brush cleared out which will discourage ‘critters’ from interfering with family fun at the park.
Together, Buddy Whitley and the Parks Department had envisioned this plan to beautify the entrance to the park - the first thing visitors see when they come to town from the east on Highway 190.
Drive by there when you get a chance and see the great progress that has already taken place. It is truly being transformed into quite an inviting site for San Sabans and for visitors to our fine city.