The city’s Parks and Recreation Board became an outlet for pent-up concern about the draft Zilker Park vision plan last week. For more than two hours, community members and organizations including the Texas Sierra Club and Save Our Springs Alliance testified about concerns about the city’s public engagement process and components of the resulting vision plan. […]
Zilker Park
Austin’s largest downtown park, Zilker Park is comprised of 350 acres donated by Andrew Jackson Zilker in 1917. It contains the Zilker Botanical Gardens, Umlauf Sculpture Garden and adjoins Barton Springs Pool.
Posted inParks
What happened to the Zilker Park mini-train?
Zilker Park, the crown jewel of Austin’s park system, used to be home to a miniature train amusement ride that delighted families for generations and became one of Austin’s most iconic attractions. “The first one I ever rode, I was about 10 years old maybe. It was really exciting,” said Fred Britton, who was lounging […]
Posted inParks
Vision plan authors hope for a more sustainable future for Zilker
The current state of Zilker Park, from an ecological perspective, is about what you would expect for a 100-plus-year-old metropolitan park in a city with a population just shy of 1 million. With 2.6 million visitors enjoying nature and amenities in the park each year, Zilker is in dire need of the more than 91 […]
Posted inParks
Zilker Park plan brings worries over parking, ecology, athletic fields
Concerns about athletic fields, ecological impacts, and plans for major accessibility and transportation infrastructure were among the issues discussed during a recent feedback session with planners working on the future of Zilker Park. Last month the city unveiled its draft vision plan for the 351-acre park, with stated goals including improving and rehabilitating areas of […]
Posted inParks
City eyes major upgrades, parking garages for Zilker Park
The city has released the draft of its vision plan for the future of Zilker Park, which splits the major enhancements proposed for the park into five regions that include the seven primary activity zones for current public use and programming. Some of the most substantial improvements likely in store for the 351-acre park include […]
Posted inParks
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 inCity Hall
Civil rights office could take over enforcement of city’s ADA regulations
The city may fold enforcement of all concerns related to the Americans with Disabilities Act into the Office of Civil Rights, a change that would take those responsibilities away from human resources staff. A resolution was passed unanimously at this month’s meeting of the Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities that asks for the reorganization. Commissioner Robin […]
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 […]
Posted inParks
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 […]
Posted inParks
Planning Commission denies alcohol sales at Zilker Cafe
The Planning Commission Tuesday rejected the latest request to sell alcohol at Zilker Cafe amidst concerns about safety and unruly behavior at nearby Barton Springs Pool. The decision throws into doubt beer and wine sales at the recently renovated concession stand. While the Parks and Recreation Department – the applicant for the conditional use permit […]
Posted inParks
Environmental, neighborhood groups call for ‘rewilding’ Zilker Park
One of the city’s main environmental groups hopes to increase biodiversity and reduce the impact of visitors to Zilker Park by pushing for more natural growth of trees and other plant life in the popular central city park. The Save Our Springs Alliance recently released a report from restoration ecologist and park planner Elizabeth McGreevy that […]