Austin parks department says there’s confusion about Zilker Park vision plan after criticism

Save Zilker Park signs have been popping up all over Austin.

“No development. No Monetization. No construction. No privatization. No non-profit. No garages. No Greed,” some of the signs read – a growing response to the discussions of a Zilker Park and Barton Springs vision plan that is set to hit the City Council docket in late August.

The vision plan sparked outrage among many community members regarding some of the elements included in what could be a $200 million-plus project, many fearing the city wants to "convert Zilker Park into an outdoor entertainment district,” Bill Bunch, executive director of Save Our Springs Alliance, told the American-Statesman.

Mayor Kirk Watson also weighed in on the plan, sharing concerns over funding and “unnecessary” changes.

“There’s no money to pay for the proposed vision plan – and it would be very expensive at a time when Austin has several parks all over town that need significant improvements,” Watson wrote in an email newsletter in June.

But the Austin Parks and Recreation Department says there is some confusion over the proposed vision plan for Zilker Park that could include building new parking garages and restoring the old Zilker Hillside Theatre.

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Though the department's recommendations for the park have not changed, the plan could use "some clarifications," said Ricardo Soliz, a division manager for the city parks planning department.

The vision plan is set to be discussed by the City Council during an Aug. 29 work session, according to Watson’s newsletter, and the council will “consider taking action” on Aug. 31, he wrote.

“There are some parts of this plan that are really good improvements, but I understand the unhappiness and fear some people have,” Watson wrote.

What exactly is the Zilker Park Vision Plan?

The Zilker Park Metropolitan Vision Plan is a comprehensive outline of changes the Parks and Recreation Department would like to implement in the 350-acre park.

"We've been slowly chipping away at developing these vision plans with community engagement and, you know, multiple stakeholders," including other agencies and authorities, Soliz said.

The plan includes some smaller, short-term changes like the mitigation of erosion issues, and some larger, long-term changes like the construction of parking garages, the restoration of the Zilker Hillside Theatre and the creation of a welcome center.

"We don't have a pot of money that is going to be used immediately for implementation," Soliz said.

The city approved a $600,000 contract with a design firm in 2020 to draft the initial vision plan. To complete all the changes outlined in the vision plan, Soliz estimated that it would cost a minimum of $200 million.

Some of the larger projects, like parking garages, would likely require both council and voter approval.

“Some of these big-ticket items are bond-related items,” Soliz said. “So, we’re going to need the public to vote on them.”

General obligation bonds are approved by voters and the money is usually used for “capital improvement projects,” according to the city’s website.

“Last bond cycle, we got $20 million,” Soliz said. “Generally speaking, we assign anywhere from $5-8 million to a metro park.”

In 2012, a nearly $80 million bond was approved by voters for parks and recreation projects.

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Vision plan sparks outrage among many, support from others

Loads of concerns about the vision plan have recently been voiced by parkgoers and advocacy groups.

“Elements of it were first laid out during the public engagement process – we were immediately outraged,” Bunch, with the SOS Alliance, said. “(It) became rather clear that the city’s consultant’s idea of the future of Zilker Park was very different from our vision.”

The SOS Alliance has prominently opposed the plan and many supporters made an appearance at a May Parks Board meeting about the vision plan, which Bunch estimates drew a few hundred Austin residents.

“The vast majority of them, you know, equally as opposed to the draft plan as we are,” Bunch said.

Bobby Levinski, the staff attorney with the SOS Alliance, told park board members at the May meeting: “We’re supporting a plan that supports the city’s adopted goals for climate change and for mobility. Building parking garages in Zilker Park is counter to both of those goals.”

"What people need here is natural spaces," another Austin resident said. “They do not need anything with more concrete.”

A third speaker wrote a poem about the plan, saying, "This vision plan isn't making her more beautiful, it's like giving her a set of breast implants that are completely unnecessary and will be toxic in the end."

Many at the May meeting also shared their support for the plan, including some longtime Austinites and architects.

One Austin resident and landscape architect said, "Due to Austin's rapid growth, without proper action and management, damage will occur to Zilker Park as a recreational amenity."

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Public officials respond to frustrations

About a month after the contentious parks board meeting, Watson publicly shared his own unease about the potential developments.

“I don’t support a big amphitheater on the Great Lawn. We’ve proven you don’t need such a thing to have amazing shows there,” Watson wrote in his June newsletter.

Soliz said the department’s thinking behind renovating the theater, and possibly moving the theater to the Great Lawn, was to aid the nonprofit who uses the space.

“The nonprofit partner that runs the theater now is overwhelmed with the popularity and the necessary upgrades we need,” Soliz said. Such improvements include electric updates, dressing rooms for actors and “adequate” restroom facilities, he said.

Soliz also added that studies would be conducted to see if the Great Lawn is the best place for a new theater.

Additionally, Watson offered an alternate parking plan – a partnership with Austin schools.

"We could partner with Austin ISD to utilize the area around Austin High in a way that serves the school district and the city. We could put parking there for park visitors and, done right, we could work with AISD to get housing for teachers and school district staff," Watson wrote.

The Council will discuss the vision plan during the work session on Aug. 29, though a time has not yet been announced.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin Parks Department comments on Zilker Park vision plan criticism