With plans underway for a new park in Rough Hollow, tentatively named Butler Park, Lakeway city leaders and engineers from Dunaway & Associates hosted a meeting Oct. 28 to share artistic renderings and provide updates on the status of the park.
The overview
The 9.5-acre park is part of the recent voter-approved Lakeway Parks Bond, and will contain a multisports complex, amphitheater, ninja course and mountain bike course. The playscape at the park is intended to blend in with the environment while providing a space for children to play and explore, said Andra Bennett, Director of Parks and Recreation for Lakeway.
Civil engineering and architecture firm Dunaway & Associates will provide its services to Lakeway for the project.
About the project
In terms of time frame for development of the park, the city is hoping to have the project go out for bid over the summer and be presented to City Council as early as September, said Bennett. Ideally, construction would begin between October and November and last about a year.
In May, the Lakeway Parks Bond was approved in an effort to revamp the city’s public park system. Five projects are included in the bond; apart from Butler Park, projects include improvements to the activity center, city park, swim center, and tennis court.
The Parks Bond Budget totals about $22 million, with about $2 million set aside specifically for Butler Park, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
Tara Lindberg, Senior Discipline Lead of Dunaway, presented information on the park and solicited questions from residents, alongside Bennett. Resident questions pertained to a wide variety of concerns, including parking, safety, water usage, and lighting.
The discussion
Residents at the meeting questioned why there were over 70 parking spaces included in plans presented for the park, and whether this much space was needed for visitors.
“The idea is that the parents park in the parking lot and wait for their kids to come rather than queuing on the streets,” City Manager Joseph Molis said, referring to the long lines that occur near the park for pickup at Rough Hollow Elementary.
Lindberg mentioned during her presentation that the city had considered incorporating parts of Butler Park into the nearby Rough Hollow Elementary School for children to use during recess. However, several residents cited safety concerns and the idea was not pursued further.
Residents also voiced a need for play spaces for children with disabilities, drinking fountains, and overhead coverings or trees for shade. Lindberg said all of these issues were addressed in planning discussions.
Going forward
Lakeway continues to take resident input on proposed plans for the park.
Those interested can take a look at Lakeway’s website to view concept plans and imagery for Butler Park as well as other parks approved in the May parks bond.
