Lake Fort Phantom Hill Master plan moves on to city council for approval

ABILENE, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – The Abilene Parks & Recreation board met Tuesday to hear a progress report on the development of the Lake Fort Phantom Hill Master Plan. It was in 2023 that the city approved LJA Engineering as the consulting firm that would see the plan’s creation through. LJA representative Johnathan Pomietlo presented the most current master plan, after which the board voted to approve the recommendation for further discussion with the City Council. Though the proposals are far from set in stone, the plan has come a long way from its inception.

“So the plan itself includes eight city-owned locations around the lake. We have come up with a design for these areas that would basically make this a regional destination for recreation,” Pomietlo told the board.

The master plan provides a framework for the desired additions and improvements to the area as well as a roadmap for how that development could be navigated. The 8 locations and their proposed additions are outlined in the presentation’s supporting documents, which can be seen in the images below.

The master plan divides these proposed developments into short, mid, and long-term improvements based on cost and possible timeframes for completion. The short-term goals include improvements such as fishing piers, road work, smaller pavilion and lawn game areas, beach enhancements, pedestrian trails, and tent camping. Those goals are more readily attainable and directly address some desires made known by the public at various community input events.

Still, the loftier long-term improvements, such as a full marina, clubhouse, environmental and nature education centers, boardwalk, and dry land and water activity features, will take more time and money. All of these proposed amenities are still only proposals and are subject to change throughout the project’s life.

“So from there, we used this tool. The placemaking wheel to categorize and prioritize what we got from the public… The big response that we got was to have places for events and gatherings such as festivals,” said Pomietlo.

The Placemaking wheel is a chart that divides community feedback into the four categories of Sociability, Usage & Activities, Access & Linkages, and Comfort & Image. The wheel helps categorize and guide development to ensure that the improvements made are still in service of the public’s desires.

Members of the P&R board stressed that this plan is purely conceptual at this point, and no commitments have been made to any one portion of the development. The city council will later decide on matters of financial obligation and action regarding which parts of the project are implemented.

“One thing I do want to make sure that we’re clear on today is this is conceptual… If this goes on to the city council and is approved, that does not mean it can’t be tweaked,” said a board member.

The Abilene City Council will address the board’s recommendation on the Lake Fort Phantom Hill Master Plan at its September 12th meeting.

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