The overview
Presented by Gary Merritt, the GSP chief executive officer, and Sara Villarreal, the GSP director of program strategy, the presentation outlined the early stages of the proposed trail system that will connect springs in Bexar, Comal, Hays and Travis counties. The trail system would also protect valuable land along the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.
“We have two things in our mission, which is to do land conservation over the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer between San Antonio and Austin, and then to connect both those anchor cities as well as all of the communities and community assets along the way with a trail network,” Merritt said.
Guiding principles of the GSP Trail Plan include:
- The trail network should be economically viable
- Trails should connect to places people want to go
- The trail network should help protect the springs while enhancing community livability
- Trails should be built for longevity
Merritt also noted that though the project’s scope is large and stretches through multiple communities, the GSP’s methods are designed to work with local officials and the staff is composed of community members throughout the four counties.
“Our team, our board of directors [and] our advisory board represents the geography as well as the constituency,” Merritt said.
According to GSP documents, GSP’s role in the project includes convening stakeholders, project coordination, providing technical expertise and seeking funding.
If developed, the GSP trail network will pass through San Antonio, Selma, Schertz, Cibolo, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Austin.
The details
As part of the presentation, Villarreal requested the commissioners court to formalize GSP’s involvement in the exploration and planning efforts to build a proposed eastside greenway that would connect county and city trail systems.
“We ask for the courts blessing for GSP to engage in conversations that pertain to realizing a long standing desire for safe, multi-modal and Greenway infrastructure through the potential development of a trail that connects downtown to the Salado Creek Greenway,” Villarreal said.
Formalizing GSP’s involvement would signal the county’s desire to:
- Deliver the first east-west connector between Salado Creek Greenway and the Riverwalk/Mission Reach
- Create an enduring, inclusive community benefit with extensive reach
- Increase connectivity and accessibility
- Expand trails, recreation and health benefits to all communities
- Unlock a greater value for existing and future investments
The Commissioners Court voted unanimously to support the GSP’s continued efforts to connect county assets to the proposed trail network.
Quotes of note
“It is obviously going to have to require a city and county joint initiative, but I'm excited by the possibilities that this project brings,” Judge Peter Sakai said.
“I think this is a great project, and I think not just for recreation, but for conservation. These are also opportunities to preserve areas that are over the aquifer, and continue the preservation, conservation efforts of our community,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez said.
