Daisy Espinoza / Houston Public Media
The Houston City Council approved a more equitable funding model for municipal parks on Wednesday.
City council members greenlit a shift in how development fees are distributed across 21 park sectors in Houston. Before the vote, those fees could only be spent in the sector in which they were collected. Now, 30% of the fees can be spent anywhere.
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The city has raised more than $100 million in park fees over the past twenty years, after city officials implemented a rule requiring single-family and multifamily developers to build their own open spaces or pay a fee in lieu of the requirement.
The funds supported the acquisition and improvement of dozens of parks across the city, but there’s disparity between the 21 sectors. Cullen Park in west Houston and Bordersville Park in north Houston are the only improvements in their respective sectors. By contrast, the sector encompassing Midtown and Montrose in central Houston saw more than 20 projects.
“Parks are such a tangible way to make our city a better place,” said Justin Schultz, CEO of the Parks Board, who supported the change. “It improves the quality of life. It improves our economic competitiveness. It reduces the heat in our city and it helps to absorb stormwater when it rains heavily.”
The change was also supported by the Greater Houston Builders Association.
The multifamily development fee has been stagnant for about 20 years at $700. Council member Sallie Alcorn, chair of the budget and fiscal affairs committee, said she supports raising it to the state-allowed maximum of about $1,300.
“We have had a green renaissance in this town, but it hasn’t hit all of our neighborhood parks,” Alcorn said last week. “I love the builders, I love the apartment people — but I also love the residents, and the residents want nice parks in their neighborhoods. So, this fee is due to increase.”
On Wednesday, the city council also approved the allocation of $11 million — from separate funding sources — for improvements at 25 parks across Houston.