Just now getting underway is our Open Space Master Plan (OSMP) and Implementation Guidelines for Rockwall County efforts which will involve many citizens, stakeholders, and city representatives.

The general objective of this project is to develop an Open Space Master Plan (OSMP) and Implementation Guidelines for Rockwall County. The OSMP will address the following goals, which were identified as part of a 2008 planning effort and further refined by the Rockwall County Open Space Alliance (RCOSA) and adopted by the Commissioners Court:

  1. Preserve quality storm water corridors (including creeks, channels, flood plains, tributaries and easements).
  2. Protect/establish corridors essential for county-wide open space connectivity for non-motorized mobility modes.
  3. Explore the need to secure land for a major preserve/public amenity that could potentially be developed in the future.

The OSMP will consolidate the existing and proposed plans from each of the cities into a countywide master plan that can be utilized as a guide by the County and individual cities to preserve and protect natural systems and designate open spaces and corridors for future recreational considerations and trail connections throughout the county. The Plan will also include specific implementation strategies and design guidelines that the County and each of the cities can apply to advance projects, pursue funding, and incorporate green infrastructure and low impact development (LID) best practices at the watershed, development and project scales to improve water quality, help manage stormwater runoff, reduce irrigation needs and elevate surrounding property values.