Adams Hemphill Neighborhood Park could serve as a detention basin to reduce flood risk in a Central Austin historic neighborhood.
The Parks and Recreation Board last month voted for a recommendation to City Council to approve 138,136 square feet of the park for permanent use, and another 11,997 square feet of parkland for temporary use, as part of a Guadalupe Street flood risk reduction project overseen by both Watershed Protection and the Parks and Recreation departments. The board voted 8-1; board member Ted Eubanks opposed the plan, citing the park’s historical significance and a growing trend of parks serving dual purposes for infrastructure projects.
The historic park sits just north of UT Austin’s campus, running from West 29th Street to West 33rd Street, a few blocks east of Guadalupe Street.
In a briefing before the Parks and Recreation Board, city staff said the neighborhood park location was the only feasible option to locate upper and lower detention basins after studying other alternatives. The city undertook the $2.9 million capital project following a 2015 flood event that swamped the neighborhood of old homes. Like the homes in the area and the park itself, the main storm system is also rather historic. It was built in 1928.
“Since then, the neighborhood has immensely developed, and the storm drain system has not been upgraded. ” Watershed Protection Department Engineer Kristina McLaren told the board, “That means that our existing system is significantly undersized and causes the majority of rainfall runoff to travel over land, through streets, yards and structures.”
To minimize flood risk in the area, city staff evaluated several options. Buyouts of homes between 33rd and 34th streets proved cost prohibitive, and scouting for sufficient space for a detention area also presented challenges. Alternative drainage sites, including Austin Presbyterian Seminary and the Scottish Rite dormitory, were also evaluated but were deemed too small to accommodate the project, staff said.
Use of parkland for projects such as this one falls under Chapter 26 of the Parks and Wildlife Code, which prohibits the “taking” of designated park space unless no other feasible alternatives exist. If the project secures City Council approval, the city must take care to minimize damaging the parkland.
Resident Madeline Maxwell told the board she appreciated the city’s “outstanding effort” to talk to residents about the project, but neighbors still had questions regarding the function and appearance of the permanent site.
“We’re concerned about the maintenance of various plantings,” she said. “There’s a lot of risk here for an eyesore and just sort of an insect-infested horror where we now have a pleasant place to walk.”
McLaren said the basins will be designed to hold water for up to 24 hours after a rain event. A smaller basin will be fenced off with plantings at the bottom, while the larger, permanent basin will serve as a multi-use open, grassy field. The basins are expected to be dry most of the time.
Greg Montes, program manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, said the project will include a number of improvements to the park, including a pedestrian bridge, a nature play area, a pavilion, an ADA-compliant route to access the park, rain gardens, park benches and tables and a rock-climbing wall.
City Council is scheduled to vote on the change this Thursday.
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