City Council Presented Consultants' March 2023 Plan to Alter and Develop Zilker Park -- How to Express Your Opinion

 

Local consultancy DesignWorkshop delivered to Austin CIty Council a March 2023 Vision Plan that advocates sweeping changes to management of Zilker Park and irrevocable alterations of its infrastructure. Click HERE to view the plan.

The organization www.savezilker is appealing for Austin residents to oppose the proposed changes.

From KXAN, May 11:

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Social media posts and a website claiming Zilker Park and Barton Springs could move into private ownership are causing quite the stir.

Councilmember Paige Ellis says her office has received dozens of emails from constituents over the misinformation regarding management of Zilker Park.

One social media post states that Zilker Park and Barton Springs are being moved into the hands of Live Nation.

“We don’t have a scenario like that in the plan,” said Ricardo Soliz, Division Manager for City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. “This park will continue to be operated and managed by the parks department.”

On May 22, the final plan for the Zilker Park Vision Plan will be presented in a public meeting to the PARD board.

SaveZilker.org states that management could be given to an umbrella non-profit and away from public input and accountability.

 

(www.savezilker.org

 

SaveZilker.org has circulated their appeal via Facebook. Here's an example;

 

Hey Austin,

Did you know that currently Zilker Park / Barton Springs is being moved out of the hands of the public, and essentially into the hands of LIVE NATION? If there is any chance we can stop this, we really must.
I mean, do you really want to the money-hungry corporation who brought the world Ticketmaster to have control over our city's most beloved park?
Some things included in their proposal:
- An unprecedented privatization of the park (will be run by the nonprofit Zilker351, which receives funding from Live Nation.)
- 5,000 seat amphitheater on the Great Lawn
- Underground parking garage next to Barton Springs
- 3 parking garage structures
- Turning Barton Springs Road into single-lane traffic
- Allowing parallel parking on Barton Springs Road
- Removing free parking
- Paving along the Free Side
- Removing Lou Neff Road
- Giving management to an umbrella non-profit and away from public input and accountability
City Council will be voting on this issue soon. Here are some things you can do to help save (one of the last remaining good things) in our city:
- Click HERE to go to the City of Austin webform to contact ALL City Council members; express your opinion. (Note: works best with Firefox or Chrome)
- Email Parks & Rec Board **
* Say no to Umbrella Non-Profit (Zilker351 is already formed but not yet in control of the park)
* No to parking garages
* No to the amphitheater (especially on the great lawn)
* No to more concrete
** Parks and Rec Board emails: [you can copy the entire list and paste it into the address field of your email]
Nina.Rinaldi@austintexas.gov, pedro.villalobos@austintexas.gov, nicole.merritt@austintexas.gov, kathryn.flowers@austintexas.gov, Lisa.Hugman@austintexas.gov, Nancy.Barnard@austintexas.gov, Kim.Taylor@austintexas.gov, holly.reed@austintexas.gov, stephanie@stephaniebazon.com
- Learn more at SaveZilker.Org