Residents west of Highway 3 in the Oaks of Clear Creek neighborhood are getting a $3.6 million detention pond and possibly a walking trail to go with it, after the League City City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, July 28, to award nearly $4 million in combined drainage contracts.

The vote, first previewed in our July 28 coverage, marks the start of the second phase of drainage improvements for the flood-prone subdivision. Houston-based contractor iCON GC won the construction contract at $3.6 million, the lowest of 12 bids that ranged up to $6.1 million. Engineering firm UES Professional Solutions 44 received a separate engineering design contract. The combined value totals nearly $4 million, funded through the city's Prop A general obligation bond program.

The new detention pond will hold 60 acre-feet of stormwater on a 15-acre site north of the subdivision, with access from State Highway 3, according to the city's project tracker. A new storm sewer line along Coleman Boylan Drive will direct neighborhood runoff into the pond.

Council Member Tommy Cones, a retired firefighter, told colleagues he had received three calls from residents asking for somewhere to walk near the pond site.

"If you look at Oaks Clear Creek, there's nothing in that area to [walk on]," Cones said at the July 28 meeting. "Highway 3 is about it."

Mayor Nick Long seized on the request to announce a broader policy shift. He said previous city-built detention ponds had become "mosquito pits" and directed City Manager John Baumgartner to return with cost options for trails and other amenities. Long said going forward, every city-built pond should include walkable features.

Council Member Chad Tressler asked whether the city would also add paths to existing ponds, such as one near Bay Colony. Long said many older ponds were built by private developers and remain the responsibility of homeowner associations, not the city.

Baumgartner committed at the meeting to delivering trail cost options before the end of July. As of Monday, Aug. 3, the city has not publicly confirmed whether those proposals have reached Council.

Construction on the detention pond is expected to wrap up by spring 2027, according to Community Impact, which first reported the vote details. Residents can review the July 28 meeting record and track future agendas through the city's Legistar portal.