District 4 Council Member Greg Casar speaks to residents about parks at a June 2 Town Hall meeting.[/caption]With the highest number of apartment dwellers and the highest percentage of children without health insurance in the city, District 4 needs more park space, said John Lawler, policy director for Council Member Greg Casar.
The lack of green space in North Austin was the subject of a June 2 town hall meeting Casar hosted where he also discussed existing parks being revamped.
“Our district is very parks-deficient,” Casar said. “I think that everybody can see that there is some inequity here.”
Lawler said improvements underway at area parks include a parking lot expansion and addition of a play field and a picnic pavilion at Gus Garcia District Park; trail improvements and pool heating upgrades at Bartholomew District Park; landscaping and infrastructure improvements at St. John’s Pocket Park; and the development of a master plan for the new Highland Neighborhood Park on West St. John’s Avenue, which was previously used only as a kickball field.
Casar said the Georgian Acres Neighborhood acquired new parkland last year.
“That’s also a very exciting step in the right direction,” he said.
Lawler said improvements to turn the Georgian Acres land into a park would begin in the next year.
The crowd of about 30 people split into three groups to discuss area parks. One group noted a lack of parking at some smaller parks; another group said residents do not feel safe in some of the parks in District 4.
Two of the groups suggested including more than one amenity on parkland, such as outdoor space and a library. All three groups said residents want more connectivity between parks in the city.
District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool also attended the June 2 meeting. Pool, who chairs City Council’s Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee, said in many cases the city owns land but lacks funding to build a park on the land.
“The parks department has been chronically underfunded,” she said.
Pool said she is pushing for more park funding in the city budget and encouraged residents to express their support.
“We really dig into the budget in August,” she said. “When it comes to budget time, speak up and have your voices be heard.”
Roy Waley, vice chair of Austin Sierra Club, suggested District 4 gather at least 10 residents to speak about the need for parks during the public comment portion of a City Council meeting. He said a group of speakers is more likely than an individual to gain the attention of council, the mayor and media.
Lawler pointed out the city’s annual budget only supports park maintenance and that money to buy land for new parks would have to come from a future bond.
