Iron Horse trail design gets $378,119 add-on to steer around former Exide cleanup areas

The planned Iron Horse Hike and Bike Trail is getting another round of design work, and the City Council is being asked to pay for it on Tuesday.

An amendment on the council's Oct. 6 consent agenda would add $378,119 to the city's professional services agreement with engineering firm Freese & Nichols.

According to a staff memo, the extra work covers some redesign of the route so the trail avoids remediation areas tied to the former Exide property and Stewart Creek, along with revised surveys and the work needed to meet local, state and federal environmental requirements.

The memo describes the goal as an alignment that is both compliant and "fiscally responsible."

The route

The trail was first identified in the city's 2019 Hike and Bike Master Plan as a 3.5-mile greenbelt segment following a tributary of Stewart Creek between Stonebrook Parkway and Lebanon Road. It is planned as a concrete shared-use path 12 to 14 feet wide.

When finished, it is meant to tie several parks and green spaces together: the future Grand Park site and the existing Big Blue Stem Trail on one end, and Beavers Bend Park, BF Phillips Community Park and the 1135 Wetlands along the way.

What has been spent so far

Council approved the original design contract with Freese & Nichols on Jan. 16, 2024, for $1,078,278. That agreement covered design management, structural design, construction documents, topographic survey, hydraulic and hydrologic analysis and environmental services, and it carried the project through preparation of a bid package.

If the amendment is approved, the design contract would total $1,456,397. Staff said the added cost would be paid from park dedication funds. The city's outside attorneys have reviewed the amendment, and staff recommends approval.

The amendment sits on the consent agenda, the list of routine business council typically passes with one motion; any member may ask to pull it out for its own discussion. The memo does not give a construction start date or a construction budget for the trail.

The regular council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center.

Sources

agenda.friscotexas.gov

agenda.friscotexas.gov

agenda.friscotexas.gov