The overview
Parkland conversions are taking place at five undeveloped properties currently managed by the Watershed Protection Department, which were selected after a department-wide review of suitable locations.
The land was previously acquired for environmental protection or water-related initiatives and will continue to be used for those purposes, according to the city. After a City Council vote Oct. 10, bond dollars and other parks funding can now be used to improve the sites with new amenities and fully open them to the public.
The land is located in or near parts of Austin deemed to be parks-deficient—places where there's no accessible parkland within walking distance, or a quarter- to half-mile. The city projects the future parks will now serve thousands more residents overall.
The properties include:
- 1.14 acres in Northwest Austin that will receive pocket park amenities, in a space estimated to serve 3,500 new residents
- 1.3 acres in East Austin that will add to the Walnut Creek Greenbelt system, serving 2,400 residents
- 3.18 acres expanding the Tannehill Branch Greenbelt, and serving 1,000 new residents
- 1 acre nearby expanding access to Springdale Neighborhood Park and allowing for trailhead upgrades, serving 500 more residents
- The 0.13-acre Blackshear Community Garden in East Austin, adding the space to the parks department's Community Gardens Program and serving 850 residents
The context
The update also comes as Austin's traditional process for adding parkland alongside new development in the city has been limited, likely reducing the amount of new acquisitions in the next few years.
“Though these properties are already city-owned, parkland dedication is an important step so that we can allow parks-related dollars to be used to make improvements to these sites," said council member Alison Alter, who sponsored the update. "After this action the parks department would be able to, with the community, plan their next steps regarding how these properties can be improved and opened to public use.”
The Parks and Recreation Department doesn't currently have a timeline for upgrading the new parks, a process that'll include formal planning with resident input. Robynne Heymans and Scott Grantham, two principal planners with the department, said "informal development" of trails and access points could happen in the next year. Spaces that may have already been unofficially used by community members can still be accessed as well.
The department will notify Austinites when parks planning begins. Anyone with ideas for new features at the properties, or others, can submit proposals through the city's Community Activated Park Projects program.
In other news
Separate from that recent dedication update, council member Mackenzie Kelly also announced in October that she'll be contributing to more parkland upgrades in Northwest Austin.
Kelly is donating $150,000 of her office's budget for improvements to the city-owned 8020 Spicewood Springs Road property at the corner of Old Lampasas Trail. The undeveloped land will be enhanced to serve as a new, "inviting" public park space, interim parks Director Angela Means said.
