To the apparent disappointment of all sides, a long-lingering proposal to change the city’s Parkland Dedication Fees was postponed by City Council on Thursday. Council Member Leslie Pool pushed for the postponement of the changes and explained that she needed more time to review the compromise that stakeholders and the Parks and Recreation Department had […]
City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department
The city department responsible for the city’s park system, rec centers, and associated infrastructure.
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 inCity Council
Sale of city land divides city interests
Plans for a dog park in Southeast Austin may be dead. Why? In short: The city cannot afford its own land, which is now worth more than six times what it was valued at less than two years ago. But it only gets more complicated from there. In January 2014, City Council postponed approving a […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin Tennis Center renaming debate remains tied
Most people seem to agree that the Austin Tennis Center could use a new name, but City Council moved no closer to replacing the current, prosaic moniker Thursday afternoon. Instead, Council remained firm in its commitment to postpone the renaming in order to allow the Parks and Recreation Department to sort out its naming procedures, […]
Posted inBudget
Does Austin spend enough on parks?
The Parks and Recreation Department is growing. And, though the department’s funding is much larger now than in past years, department leaders say Austin isn’t spending nearly enough on parks to keep the city competitive with other parks systems across the country. At $75 million, the 2016 General Fund budget approved for the department by […]
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
Council puts off vote on parkland fees
Last week, City Council postponed action on a staff proposal that would significantly increase parkland dedication fees for developers of most new residential developments, with fees dependent on density. Staff brought forth the proposal after more than a year of work as a result of a resolution adopted by Council in August 2014. Although Council […]
Posted inParks
Naming Parks: The struggle continues
A park’s namesake must be dead. Members of the Land, Facilities and Programs Committee discussed this and other new stipulations as part of a first look Wednesday at a naming ordinance for Austin parks and recreation buildings. After more than an hour of debate, though, proposed rules were sent back to Parks and Recreation Department […]
Posted inParks
Committee is unanimous: Caswell Center tennis players need parking spots
A vacant court isn’t all it takes to play tennis in Austin. It also takes a vacant parking spot. To that end, City Council’s Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend that 28 parking spaces be transferred to the Parks and Recreation Department and turned into dedicated parkland. Currently, those spaces […]