While City Council members have decidedly mixed opinions about a proposed $124 million bond aimed at upgrading Austin’s aquatics system, everybody acknowledges that the city’s pools are in desperate need of repair. The problem, of course, is that right now the Parks and Recreation Department doesn’t have the money needed to make even small but […]
Parks
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Dispute continues over program to expand artists’ access to cultural centers
There appears to be little progress in a dispute between a group of Austin arts organizations who claim they’ve been mistreated and marginalized by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department in its work to expand operating hours and access at four arts and culture centers. That means that groups that currently rehearse and perform at […]
Posted inParks
Council divided over $124M pools proposal
City Council appears divided over a nine-figure bond that the Aquatic Master Plan Task Force has said is necessary to repair, upgrade and expand Austin’s pool system. The bond proposal comes four months after the Parks and Recreation Department unveiled the Aquatic Master Plan, which presented a number of alternative approaches for dealing with the […]
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Parks board urges concessions expansion
Taking a walk down one of the many beautiful trails of Butler Park, it’s easy to get lost in the beauty of the scenery and forget that Lady Bird Lake is also one of the city’s financial assets. Parks and Recreation Department financial contract compliance staff made a presentation to the board at its Dec. […]
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Cyclists, motorcyclists get committee to postpone update to Balcones conservation plan
Dozens of mountain bikers, motorcyclists and others who enjoy using trails within the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve showed up at City Hall Friday ready for a fight over an update to the preserve management plan that they said endangers their access to the parks and trails. In response, members of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan Coordinating […]
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Human Rights Commission finds the naming of Austin public spaces inequitable
In Austin, streets have their names changed from time to time. City parks, however, rarely seem to undergo name changes, but the Human Rights Commission wants to change that. On Nov. 27, the Human Rights Commission considered amending its previous recommendation to City Council’s Gender Equity Resolution to require a more gender-neutral approach to the […]
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Aquatics task force says in all scenarios, Austin pools need more money
After several months of scrutiny by both the public and the City Council-appointed Aquatic Master Plan Task Force, the 150-page Aquatic Master Plan is getting the final touches to be presented to Council in December. The redesign of Austin’s aquatics system is a monumental undertaking that in every proposed permutation seems to require a lot […]
Posted inParks
An amphitheater for Bolm Road District Park?
On Oct. 24, the Parks and Recreation Board voted unanimously to make a recommendation to City Council regarding a request for information for parkland improvement and the management of Bolm Road District Park as an outdoor events venue. The RFI was requested at the behest of Vice Chair Richard DePalma, who is interested in assessing […]
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Austin parks reconsidering leash law enforcement
It’s no secret that although many parks around Austin require dogs to remain on leash, there always seem to be free-range dogs chasing Frisbees and splashing around in the greenbelt. Amanda Ross, the natural resources division manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, told the Parks and Recreation Board on Oct. 24, “This is one […]
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Austin Energy to turn over Holly Power Plant site by December
The bitter reminder of decades of pollution that the Holly Street Power Plant presents to the residents of the Holly neighborhood will soon disappear. As of the Parks and Recreation Board meeting on Sept. 26, the plant is in its final phase of decommissioning before the land will be transferred from Austin Energy into the […]
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Aquatic Master Plan Task Force moves forward
It’s no secret that Austin city pools are on life support. Last month, City Council put off a vote on the dense and troubling Aquatic Master Plan. Instead, Council members created a task force to take a closer look at a plan that was nearly four years in the making. The task force will be […]
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Whose job it is to provide recycling in Austin parks?
Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance mandates that by Oct. 1, all commercial properties in Austin will be required to provide recycling. However, open spaces, including public parks, are not included in the current ordinance, which leaves the Parks and Recreation Department wondering how it will provide recycling to the 20,000 acres that it manages. For Fiscal […]