Following the lead of the Parks and Recreation Board, the Environmental Commission unanimously approved the new master plan for East Austin’s Walter E. Long Park. The vote, however, came with a host of conditions. The commissioners expressed concern that the Parks and Recreation Department had not yet performed an environmental assessment of the land nor […]
City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department
The city department responsible for the city’s park system, rec centers, and associated infrastructure.
Posted inParks
Walter E. Long Park plan, all $800 million of it, gets parks board approval
With an eventual price tag expected to exceed $800 million and a timeline likely stretching more than two decades, members of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board unanimously voted to approve a new master plan for East Austin’s Walter E. Long Park. At last week’s meeting, the board drilled into several components of the five-phase plan […]
Posted inParks
Zilker’s botanical garden admission remains unchanged for now
City Council claimed to have residents in mind at its June 19 meeting when it denied a chance to save some money by giving the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy a little more control over the garden’s operations and finances. In order to make some much-needed improvements, the Conservancy asked Council to raise entrance fees from […]
Posted inParks
Parks working group to look for new revenue options
The city’s parks board is set to look for new ways to fund the needs of the city’s parks system, in an attempt to deal with anticipated tight city budgets as a result of coming caps on revenue enacted by the state. Last week’s meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board saw unanimous passage of […]
Posted inParks
Austin City Council vote brings new management to Butler golf course after 70 years under one family
The Austin City Council voted 8-3 on Thursday to lease Butler Pitch and Putt golf course to Pecan Grove Partners, marking the end of an era for the Kinser family, who have run the course since construction began in the late 1940s. City Council members agreed with city staff recommendations and a Parks and Recreation […]
Posted inParks
Visions of Zilker Park split over parking
After months of meetings beginning in September of last year, the Zilker Park Working Group was not able to reach a consensus on recommendations for the Polo Fields and Butler Landfill, two areas currently used for overflow parking. According to an introductory statement to the Zilker Working Park Group’s Final Report, which was posted online […]
Posted inParks
Amphitheater, planetarium among $880M in improvements planned for Walter Long Park
Money from last year’s bond package approved by voters in November is expected to be used to fund the first of hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements and development at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park in East Austin. Family-style recreation amenities to an existing park area off Decker Lake Road would represent the first […]
Posted inParks
Start of summertime brings trash to Austin’s greenbelts
Austin’s greenbelts, though beautiful, have had a fraught history of visitors contaminating the wild beauty of the Central Texas landscape with their trash. At the May 28 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board meeting, Board Member Rich DePalma brought parks department staff and board members’ attention to this unfortunate, ongoing issue. DePalma said he […]
Posted inParks
Parks board critiques Butler Pitch & Putt solicitation, recommends change of hands
The Parks and Recreation Board yielded to the authority of city procedure Tuesday when it passed a recommendation for Council to approve an agreement with Pecan Grove Golf Partners to take over the management of Butler Park Pitch & Putt golf course in August. Several residents showed up to defend the longtime manager of the […]
Posted inParks
Lifeguard shortage forces Austin to stagger openings of city pools
With the opening of the Walnut Creek and Mabel Davis pools over the weekend, all municipal pools in Austin are up and running for the summer. The city says it’s waiting until smaller neighborhood pools are properly staffed before opening them, however. Jodi Jay, aquatics division manager for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County leaders urge vigilance on flooding
Heavy rains over the past two weeks have not resulted in major residential flooding, but at least one death appears to be linked to flooding and government officials are urging residents to avoid certain waterways and to be on high alert for flooding if another storm hits. On May 8, one man was found dead […]
Posted inUncategorized
Kitchen backs reopening Butler Park golf course contract
City staff has been directed to examine options to reopen the bid process for management of the Butler Park Pitch and Putt golf course so the longtime owner of the course can be considered for a contract extension. City Council Member Ann Kitchen, whose South Austin district includes the parkland property off South Lamar Boulevard […]