After much discussion, Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board has posted a set of guidelines that will help them decide when to approve conditional use permits that would allow for the sale of alcohol in city parks. With the recommended guidelines in mind, the board subsequently voted to approve a CUP allowing the sale of alcohol […]
Parks and Recreation Board
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board members deal with the acquisition, development, improvement, and maintenance of Austin’s parks and playgrounds.
Posted inParks
Dove Springs getting a new trail: Donde Corre el Agua
In the summer of 2020, in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dove Springs community members began to wonder how they could better use a section of the local greenbelt that had become neglected. The unmarked trail, which is overgrown and enclosed by a 10-foot flood wall, was once actively maintained and a go-to river […]
Posted inParks
Parks board agrees to honor lifetime resident with plaque
The Parks and Recreation Board heard strong opinions about the renaming of Pan American Neighborhood Park at its June 27 meeting. The board had previously received an application from family members to rename the park in honor of longtime resident and coach Augustine “Tony” Castillo. But rather than changing the park’s name, the board agreed to […]
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Parks board continues debating alcohol sales in parks
The Austin Parks and Recreation Board debated Monday whether to approve a recommendation for City Council to create guidelines for the sale of alcohol in city parks in addition to those already found in city code. The draft recommendation notes that, while city code “prohibits the sale, possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages within a […]
Posted inPublic Health
Sustainability office spearheading regional food plan
Austin’s Office of Sustainability is working on the city’s first-ever food plan – a coordinating structure that is designed to help bridge disparities in local food access in a sustainable way. While Austin’s food system includes state-of-the-art restaurants and groceries across the city, the quality and quantity of food access is bifurcated by race and […]
Posted inParks
Parks board postpones vote on alcohol sales in Republic Square Park
The Parks and Recreation Department asked the parks board this week for its support of a conditional use permit that would allow for the sale of alcohol in Republic Square Park. Since the park is public property, it needs to have its zoning changed in order to legally sell alcohol. However, the board ultimately chose to […]
Posted inParks
City floats proposed structure for commercial parkland dedication
The framework for a new ordinance that would require public parkland for new commercial developments in Austin is coming together. In April, City Council approved a resolution that asked city staff to look at requiring parkland dedication for retail, office and industrial developments. Currently the city only requires parkland dedication for residential developments. Since 2018, the […]
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Parks board homes in on outreach efforts as plans for Zilker march forward
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board tackled two separate presentations on the future of Zilker Park at its last meeting. Both presentations focused on outreach and questions of how to make moving forward with any plan a more equitable proposition. Currently, the city is in the midst of a comprehensive planning process to guide future development […]
Posted inAustin
Off-leash dog group urges public action
The working group tasked with tackling off-leash dog issues in the city of Austin has dissolved, although the issue is far from resolved. “We’re kind of at the end of the road of what we can do,” said Animal Advisory Commissioner Jo Anne Norton, who served on the working group and presented to the commission […]
Posted inParks
Parks board continues weighing Zilker Park outreach efforts
The fabled adage, “Please all and you will please none,” seems to be an apt description of many of the city’s community engagement endeavors, with the ongoing outreach around the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan serving as a timely example. On the one hand, the city goes to great lengths to reach out to various […]
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Parks board not so fond of the Butler Landfill maintenance project
The gravel lot between Zilker Park and the MoPac Expressway bridge, which most Austinites know as the park’s overflow parking lot, also serves a less visible purpose – it’s a landfill. The Butler Landfill, which spans a total of 8 acres, is scheduled for maintenance this spring to protect its cap, part of which doubles as […]
Posted inParks
Zilker Park has sidewalks and safer bus stops headed its way
In an effort to improve pedestrian safety, Austin’s Public Works Department is working on building better sidewalks and bus stops in and around Zilker Park. Most who frequent the park agree that Barton Springs Road and the connecting Stratford Drive lack adequate pedestrian infrastructure, despite the heavy foot and vehicle traffic in the Zilker area […]