Parks & Recreation

With the expansion of the District in 2011, new parks and greenspace were added to the parks inventory. From an original three parks (Glenshire, Marian, and Haviland) the district grew to a total of nine parks, including the Willow Waterhole a 279 acre facility located in the southeast corner of the newly expanded District. This expansion has added more than 300 acres to our parks and greenspace and with two more planned parks another 23 acres of greenspace will be added in 2011.

Braeburn Glen Park
9510 S. Gessner Road
Amenities: 12.90 acre facility; tennis center; parking; trails; picnic area; playground

Chimney Rock Park
11655 Chimney Rock
Amenities: 4.16 acre facility; community center; basketball; tennis; playground; picnic area

Glenshire Park
12100 Riceville School Road
Amenities: 10.3 acre facility; parking, trail, picnic tables, benches, drinking fountain, and play structure

Hagar Park
12100 Landsdowne
Amenities: 9.72 acre facility; baseball field; swings; covered basketball; tennis; picnic pavilion; trail

Haviland Park
11600 Haviland
Amenities: 18.6 acre facility; large basketball pavilion, barbeque grills, picnic pavilion, playground, picnic tables, benches, 2 tennis courts, 1/4 mile trail

Marian Park
11000 South Gessner Road
Amenities: 19.54 acre facility; community center, basketball, baseball, soccer, play structure, picnic area

Willow Waterhole
5300 Dryad Dr.
Amenities: 279 acre facility; walking trail; pedestrian bridges; bike trails; playgrounds; picnic areas

Westbury Community Garden
12581 Dunlap St.
Amenities: 7 acre facility; garden beds; future pavilion; habitat gardens

Westbury Civic Club
5322 W. Bellfort Ave.

Westbury Park
3635 Willowbend
Amenities: 6 acre facility; pool; tennis courts; playground; baseball; picnic area; restrooms

Parks Currently Under Development

One of the methods used by the District to improve the area is to purchase or lease available lands for redevelopment. Currently the District is investigating the purchase of a 3.81 vacant parcel of land along W. Airport Boulevard. The District is interested in developing park space on this tract to serve the immediate recreation needs of the Fondren Southmeadow

Subdivision. In November of 2009, the District entered into a lease agreement with the Houston Independent School District (HISD) for use of a 19.18 acre tract of land near Welch

Middle School. The area surrounding this parcel is currently being used by multiple HISD high schools for outdoor agricultural teaching space. The District has agreed to improve the land, provide specific amenities and access for the school, and develop the space into a public park.

7600 W. Airport Boulevard 
Amenities: 3.81 acre facility; Owned by Houston Independent School District; Lease agreement with the Brays Oaks Management District; Amenities should include educational elements

Welch Park Site
West Bellfort near Gessner
Amenities: 19.18 acre facility; Possible land acquisition; Site located near Fondren Southmeadow Subdivision; Public desire for passive park

Available Greenspace

In addition to our parks, there are many available vacant and underutilized lands that could be developed into park space. Public right-of-ways, utility easements, drainage channels, and vacant lands can easily be incorporated into the overall Parks Master Plan and the current study address these issue in detail.

Drainage Channels as Greenspace

The District contains approximately 19 miles of drainage channels maintained by the Harris County Flood Control District. These channels can become linear parks and nature trails, as well as provide trail connectivity with limited vehicular conflict points. The Fondren Diversion Channel, a major flood control byway, was recently enhanced with the planting of native trees and could easily become a major trail route through the District. The drainage channels within the Brays Oaks Management District, as well as other possible connections to surrounding park facilities, were visited, photographed, and analyzed for the feasibility of trail facilities and a detail analysis is included as a component of the Parks Master Plan.