The City of Parkland commission on Wednesday directed staff to pursue next steps to study installing a water main to serve roughly 118 lots in the area known as the ranches, after contractors provided preliminary cost estimates of about $9 million to $12 million.

Commissioners emphasized that the workshop-level direction does not obligate the city or impose an assessment on residents; staff will return with firm numbers and options before any decision is made.

At the meeting, a staff member identified as Nancy said preliminary scenarios show the additional assessment for water could “range as low as 6,000 and as high as 8,000” per 2.5-acre parcel, on top of an already estimated $2,000 road assessment. “So that means 6,000 plus 2,000. So you’re looking at 8,000 to 10,000,” Nancy said. The staff presentation also noted that Bergeron, a contractor already on site, provided a price of about $9,000,000 and that NSID previously estimated about $12,000,000.

Commissioner Canavan asked whether the water main would include fire hydrants and individual hookups. Nancy said the main water line would include hydrants but would not include individual homeowner hookups; those would be additional and could be specified in any solicitation or RFP. “It does include the hydrants. It does not include the individual hookups to the lots,” Nancy said.

Several commissioners urged more resident outreach before moving forward. One commissioner said a survey of ranches residents—similar to a recent one in Pine Tree—would help determine local appetite for paying an assessment. Commissioners also noted public-safety benefits cited by the fire department and the potential property-value increase from providing water service, but stressed many residents would balk at high out-of-pocket costs.

Commissioners asked staff to explore whether some city-owned land or future revenues could offset costs, and to coordinate timing so water construction could be done alongside the road project to reduce disruption. Staff and commissioners cautioned that an RFP or other procurement will take time and that the current direction is only to gather information and negotiate options, not to adopt a final assessment.

The commission did not vote to levy an assessment at the workshop. Instead, by consensus the body gave Nancy authority to pursue negotiations, prepare a solicitation if appropriate, and return to the commission with firm cost estimates, outreach plans for ranches residents and a recommended next step.