The Parks and Recreation Board revisited its decision regarding the controversial permit to sell alcohol at Zilker Cafe this past Tuesday, following concerns over the legitimacy of its original vote on the issue back in June. After a convoluted discussion between board members, PARD Director Kimberly McNeeley and Assistant City Attorney Chad Shaw, Chair Dawn […]
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
Trail Foundation and PARD poised to formalize long partnership
The Trail Foundation has been a steady partner of the Parks and Recreation Department since the nonprofit’s 2003 formation, growing out of a community-led effort to enhance the beauty of what is now known as Lady Bird Lake. Now the foundation and PARD are in the final stages of formalizing their long relationship with a […]
Posted inParks
North Austin park poised to be renamed Heron Hollow Pocket Park
It took nearly two decades, but Payton Gin Pocket Park in North Austin is destined to be formally renamed Heron Hollow Pocket Park, a goal of the North Austin Civic Association and other stakeholders since the early 2000s. The Parks and Recreation Board voted to recommend the new name at its June 22 meeting. Parks […]
Posted inParks
Naming process for Waterloo Park features raises questions about equity
What’s in a name? That question quickly moved to the fore of a Parks and Recreation Board discussion last week about proposed names for new features at Waterloo Park, which is set to reopen to the public Aug. 14 after years of renovation work and a rebranding process. For starters, the names proposed for key […]
Posted inParks
Parks board rejects alcohol sales at Zilker Cafe, but the vote is in question
A key vote by the Parks and Recreation Board may need to be recast due to a shortage of board members required to consider a proposal to sell beer and wine at the newly renovated Zilker Cafe adjacent to Barton Springs Pool. Parks and Recreation Department officials were apparently unaware that more than six members […]
Posted inCity Hall
Board member asked to resign after tempers flare over creek project
Council Member Pio Renteria has requested the resignation of his appointee to the Parks and Recreation Board, citing her lack of decorum during a tense discussion about the proposed Central Williamson Creek Greenway at the board’s May 25 meeting. The board member, Kate Mason-Murphy, responded with an accusatory email to Renteria, and copied her neighbors, […]
Posted inParks
Waterloo Greenway seeks alcohol permit before its August debut
A decade after closing for Waller Creek tunnel repairs, Waterloo Park, which once stretched along the shadows of state-owned parking garages, has morphed into the renovated and rebranded Waterloo Greenway, poised to reopen in August. The once no-frills park, home to many iconic community events over the decades, will feature a new Moody Amphitheater, a […]
Posted inParks
Sparks fly over proposed plans for Williamson Creek
The Parks and Recreation Board had one of its most contentious – and longest – meetings in recent history Tuesday night with a heated debate about plans for a segment of Williamson Creek in South Austin. The dispute centered on a proposed vision plan for what would be called the Central Williamson Creek Greenway between […]
Posted inParks
Council OKs site for new Dougherty Arts Center
City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve a site for the Dougherty Arts Center, close to the current ZACH Theatre at Butler Shores Park. The site, called 1A, was not city staffers’ first choice, but it was clear that staffers’ selection, 1B, had too many opponents, including the Save Our Springs Alliance. District 5 Council […]
Posted inBudget
PARD requests budget increase for security, staffing and program expansion
Last week, the Parks and Recreation Board unanimously voted to approve recommendations for budget increases for the 2021-22 fiscal year. According to the recommendation, Austin’s parks system has experienced an increase in off-leash dog violations, illegal parking, notifications of homeless encampments, alcohol in parks and “inappropriate behavior in greenbelts.” Because of these issues, along with […]
Posted inPlanning
Carver Museum expansion plans headed to Council in May
City Council is set to approve expansion plans for the George Washington Carver Museum in May, the final step in a yearlong – and entirely virtual – process of planning, community engagement, and board and commission review. The museum is dedicated to Black history, art and culture, and serves as an important community space in […]
Posted inParks
Commissions plan joint work group to address off-leash dogs
The Parks and Recreation Board and the Animal Advisory Commission are expected to form a work group to address the growing issue of off-leash dogs in Austin. Both bodies have received complaints from Austin residents about off-leash dogs and noncompliant pet owners in parks and in city neighborhoods. According to a monthly report provided this […]