City takes another step towards Salt Creek Park project

The city of Graham is negotiating the final documents with the Brazos River Authority regarding the Salt Creek Park project, City Manager Brandon Anderson said at the Graham City Council meeting Thursday. On Oct. 30, the BRA approved a contract with the city that excluded the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and authorized the transfer of $1.4 million to the city for the project. Mayor Jack Graham, City Manager Brandon Anderson and Councilman Lee Boyd met with the BRA recently to discuss the contract, Anderson said. “They do have authorization from their board to sign the documents; however, we were presented with them and raised a few questions within the documents that we wanted changed, which I don’t think are going to be huge issues,” he said. “They had some stipulations that we couldn’t go in with any structures and we just need to clear up some of that language.” Graham belongs to the upper region of the Brazos River Basin and the new contract proposal was presented by Upper Basin Regional Manager Michael McClendon to BRA members during their board of directors meeting in Waco. McClendon said the BRA will hold a flooding easement over the properties within the 10-year floodplain, but will not have an easement over the area along Hwy. 67 where J&N Feed and Seed and city softball fields are located. For the rest of this story, subscribe to our print or online edition.