At a city-run job fair back in March, 15-year-old Jake Santema awaited an interview with staff as part of the process to become a summer lifeguard. “I’m a little nervous of the feeling of having someone’s life on my hands,” said Santema. “It sounds nerve-wracking a little bit.” It’s this level of responsibility and 40-plus […]
Parks
Posted inParks
Parks board weighs in on Shoal Creek PUD
After more than three hours of presentations and testimony, the Parks and Recreation Board decided to send the message that the amount and quality of open space planned for The Grove at Shoal Creek Planned Unit Development is not to their satisfaction. There was a lot of confusion during the meeting, starting with the fact […]
Posted inParks
County approves double-dip fees at Hamilton Pool
Crushing demand at Hamilton Pool Preserve has prompted a big change in policy, courtesy of the Travis County Commissioners Court. Starting in May, visitors to the park and its iconic pool will first have to go online to make a $10 reservation. That fee will come with a $1 credit card surcharge and will also […]
Posted inParks
New study envisions major changes around Barton Springs Pool
Austin’s rapid population growth and development, along with Zilker Park’s aging facilities, are threatening Barton Springs, the pool and its bathhouse. In a presentation to the Parks and Recreation Board on Tuesday, city staff and members of the Barton Spring Conservancy laid out several recommendations to preserve and improve the area around Barton Springs Pool […]
Posted inParks
As splash season nears, city begins to write future of Austin pools
As the temperature in Austin climbs, kids and adults flock to the city’s several dozen pools. But while the industry puts a pool’s lifespan at 30 years, many of Austin’s pools are 50 years or older. So in 2012, the city decided it would create an Aquatic Master Plan, a document that would imagine the […]
Posted inParks
Parking meters? In Zilker Park?
Austinites who frequent Zilker Park are used to kites, lights and fences going up. But this week, a wholly unfamiliar sight within the park grounds caught some residents off guard. Last week, the Parks and Recreation Department sent out notice that, beginning March 5, it would “implement a new method for collecting Zilker Park entry […]
Posted inParks
Changes to park renaming rules advance
It may soon be harder to name a park or facility in Austin after a person. At the Tuesday meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board, members voted 6-0 to recommend a draft ordinance that adds restrictions to rules regarding the naming of parks and facilities. The draft ordinance restricts both what they can be […]
Posted inParks
Playground talk sparks district conflict
Parks advocates appear united in their belief that the city needs to spend more money to provide green spaces and playgrounds for kids, but precisely where it should invest limited resources is a source of contention. At a meeting of the Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee on Thursday, Parks and Recreation Department staff unveiled […]
Posted inParks
Debate continues over parkland dedication changes
Both sides of the debate over a new Parkland Dedication Ordinance stayed late into the night to state their cases Thursday. In the end, City Council voted to approve the ordinance 10-1 on first reading at 2:25 a.m. Council Member Don Zimmerman voted in opposition. The change in parkland dedication requirements and fees is more […]
Posted inParks
City mulls free swimming for some Austin seniors
Plans to waive pool fees for all Austinites ages 80 years or older at Barton Springs Pool and other city pools are moving forward. Previously, the “Lifetime Pass” program – which grants free entry to Barton Springs for seniors who meet certain requirements – was a way to honor Austinites ages 85 and above. The […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment, Parks
Special events ordinance re-emerges
With ACL in the rearview mirror, the Trail of Lights just ahead and the city’s South by Southwest Music Festival already on the horizon, Austinites may be wondering what has happened to the special events ordinance that was supposed to improve how such events are handled by the city. The draft set of rules and […]
Posted inParks
Zilker Cafe likely to change hands
The Parks and Recreation Board recommended a new contract for the Zilker Cafe on Tuesday after months of reviewing bids by several contractors. Rodriguez Concessions has held the existing contract since 1950. It was denied a five-year extension of that contract, which expired yesterday. The board voted 10-1 to recommend approval of the new contract […]