Palmhurst takes no action on proposal for park land

The City of Palmhurst took no action Tuesday on a proposal from their neighbors to purchase 10 acres the city recently acquired across The Mansion on Shary.

Mayor Ramiro Rodriguez said the commission’s lack of action killed the offer from local developer Obed Flores, a petroleum engineer who owns the Shary mansion next to city hall.

“They’re welcome to come back anytime to make another offer,” Rodriguez said. “It was a hard decision, but I think for the community get-together it’s going to be great.”

The mayor said the city’s not ready to open the park yet, but the city has plans for it.

In exchange for purchasing the property for more than the $450,000, the city paid for it, Flores offered to give the city two acres right next to city hall.

Flores is in the middle of renovating the mansion property itself, about 12 acres. When he’s finished, the house will be a showcase of the community’s rich heritage and the pond alongside it will have dancing fountains, reminiscent of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, if not as big.

Flores plans to close on additional 340 acres of land this year, stretching from 4 Mile down to the drainage ditch at Palmhurst City Hall, east to the orchards on Shary and west to Glasscock. It’ll be divided into one- and two-acre ranchettes, similar to Sharyland Plantation.