LCRA awards $20,000 grant for playground updates in Cross Plains

Family friendly park will welcome visitors of all ages

May 4, 2022

An LCRA representative presents a $20,000 grant to the City of Cross Plains for new playground equipment. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Cooper Hogg, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Julia Wheeler, Cross Plains Garden Club president; Callie Sutton, garden club intern; Diana Miller, garden club member; Debbie Gosnell, city administrator; Sean Conway, utilities superintendent; and Derek Podlevsky, city employee.

CROSS PLAINS, Texas – A $20,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority will help the City of Cross Plains update a local park with new playground equipment and amenities for both children and adults. The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $5,000 in matching funds from Cross Plains, will allow the city to purchase and install playground equipment, benches, trees and trash receptacles at the park at the Cross Plains Community Center. “It’s important for a community our size to provide a place where families can spend time together,” said Debbie Gosnell, city administrator. “In small communities like ours, parks play an important role in creating healthy and active lifestyles. All of our residents will benefit from these new updates, especially since there is a lack of recreational spaces in the area.” A new set of slides was added some time ago. The grant will help purchase a seesaw, climbing structure and swings that can be used by both older and younger children. “Our park had an outdated playscape made in 1980 that was no longer safe to use,” Gosnell said. “We couldn’t purchase additional playground equipment or add amenities after replacing the old playscape because of limited funding. The space was always meant to be a park.” The park currently has no trash receptacles, so the grant also will provide a way to keep the park clean with new trash cans. Additional trees will provide visitors with shade during the summer months. The park at the Cross Plains Community Center is the only one in the area for children. Both the playground and walking path have solar lighting, making for a safe, fun environment during both days and evenings. “We will get so much use from the updates made to the park,” Gosnell said. “Families will now be able to enjoy watching their kids play outdoors in a safe environment.” The community grant is one of 36 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations. For more information, visit lcra.org.

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