Authorize Execution of Memorandum of Understanding with Tarrant Regional Water District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Authorize Granting of a Temporary Access Easement to the Tarrant Regional Water District for Access Through Gateway Park for the Trinity River Valley Storage Project (COUNCIL DISTRICT 4)

It is recommended that the City Council authorize the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with Tarrant Regional Water District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and authorize the granting of a temporary access easement to the Tarrant Regional Water District for access through Gateway Park for the Trinity River Valley Storage Project.

The purpose of this Mayor and Council Communication (M&C) is to authorize the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to authorize the granting of a Temporary Access Easement to TRWD, permitting the use of parkland at Gateway Park (Park) for temporary access to install Trinity River Valley Storage improvements on the property adjacent to Gateway Park.  

The TRWD has requested the use of approximately 2.367 acres of Gateway Park to serve as a temporary access route between development sites H & I, which are a part of the Trinity River Valley Storage Project.  The haul route is necessary as contractors will be removing and distributing dirt between sites H & I (see attached exhibit) in order to create additional valley storage for the Trinity River Valley Storage Project.  The material being transferred from site H to site I will also be used to fill in the original Waste Water Treatment Facility located in Gateway Park.  A three party MOU between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TRWD and the City of Fort Worth will establish the parameters of this portion of the project.

The overall project is part of the Trinity River Valley Master Plan adopted by Council on June 3, 2003 (M&C G-13989) and Gateway Park Master Plan adopted by Council on May 14, 2002 (M&C G-13624).  The proposed access locations take into consideration the park infrastructure and user accessibility.  The access route is depicted in the attached exhibits.  Installation of fencing will be required along the access route.  Trees permitted for removal will be mitigated on a caliper inch-per-inch basis.   TRWD will be responsible for repairing and restoring the park to a condition as similar to or better than that which existed prior to the construction.  

Gateway Park is located in COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 and is classified as a metropolitan park.