The design of Forney Community Park received special recognition March 11 from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The ASLA merit award was presented to Richard Curry, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Forney, and to City Manager Brian Brooks, who traveled together to San Antonio  to receive the honor during the ASLA’s annual conference.

The honor came just four days after Forney Community Park completed its first year of operations. The park opened March 7, 2009.

The award recognizes the park’s architectural blending of various elements, including elements symbolizing Forney’s historic heritage.

“One of the reasons I think this is such an incredible award is that it was judged by landscape architects in Colorado,” Brooks said in a statement given to the Messenger Tuesday afternoon. “Another reason is that typically, parks with sports venues rarely win this kind of award. We’ve been open for a year now, and . . . a lot of hard work, time and energy are really showing their fruitfulness.”

The award will be presented to the City Council at a future Council meeting, probably in April, Brooks said.

Forney Community Park was planned to come online in phases. The park area that is presently open to the public represents the first phase. It includes a softball complex, a soccer complex, a family recreation area with pavilion and splash pad, lit basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, hike and bike trails, and the Mick Spellman, Jr. Parks Building, which is the park’s administrative hub and the home of the City of Forney Park and Recreation Department. The design of each area within Forney Community Park represents a different facet of Forney’s history.