HOUSTON -- A proposed water park with a giant dragon in Fort Bend County has some neighbors breathing fire.
Dozens of residents attended a monthly First Colony Community Association meeting Thursday afternoon. They voiced their concerns about phase one of a 10-year amenities master plan. It’s a proposed plan that would create a more than $800,000 community water park that some fear could turn a tranquil area in the Lakes of Edgewater into a bustling hot spot.
“It will destroy this community. Property values would fall,” Fort Bend County resident Nancy Hentschel said. “The homeowners do not want this project. They are speaking with a super majority voice.”
Another reason it’s not making a splash with some is because the new splash park could come at the cost of five of the community’s 10 pools.
“If and when those bulldozers hit those swimming pools, think about the crying children, and their parents are going to have to tell them about what’s happening to their local pools,” said resident Michael Jurenko.
11 News spoke with the association’s executive director in May. Sherrie Knoepful said the project could increase property values and noise shouldn’t be a concern. While they wouldn’t restrict non-residents’ use of the park, they wouldn’t advertise to non-residents.
One resident at the meeting Thursday spoke in favor of the proposed plan.
“My concern is, we need to be drawing younger families with children and I think these types of amenities are what are going to draw those younger families into our neighborhoods,” said resident Linda Watson.
Still, the majority of the people at the meeting were in favor of keeping the pools.
“Now what am I going to do? Spray park,” said resident Linda Brown as the crowd erupted with laughter. “So, I am going to sit under the water and push a button? I just think that’s unfair.”
