The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Parks
Trail project moves to complete Oltorf-Riverside connection
The city’s Public Works Department is gearing up to finally complete a 3.5-mile urban trail that would connect Mabel Davis and Roy G. Guerrero Park in Southeast Austin. The new trail segment would bridge the existing gap between trails ending…
Parks • By Kali Bramble • Jul 7, 2022
Parks board agrees to honor lifetime resident with plaque
The Parks and Recreation Board heard strong opinions about the renaming of Pan American Neighborhood Park at its June 27 meeting. The board had previously received an application from family members to rename the park in honor of longtime resident…
Parks • By Veronica Apodaca • Jul 5, 2022
Austin struggled to hire summer employees. Then, it failed to pay some on time.
At least 34 employees with Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department, including some who care for children as part of city-run summer camps, went as long as a month without pay because of a clerical error. At least one employee’s paycheck…
Parks • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jun 30, 2022
Parks board continues debating alcohol sales in parks
The Austin Parks and Recreation Board debated Monday whether to approve a recommendation for City Council to create guidelines for the sale of alcohol in city parks in addition to those already found in city code. The draft recommendation notes…
Parks • By Veronica Apodaca • Jun 29, 2022
Parks board postpones vote on alcohol sales in Republic Square Park
The Parks and Recreation Department asked the parks board this week for its support of a conditional use permit that would allow for the sale of alcohol in Republic Square Park. Since the park is public property, it needs to have…
Parks • By Willow Higgins • May 26, 2022
ACL Fest announces $369M economic impact, $6.7M parks donation
Austin City Limits Music Festival released the results of its annual local economic impact study on Tuesday, the same day it announced the lineup for this year’s two-weekend event that takes place in Zilker Park each October. The study, conducted…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • May 11, 2022
Subscribe to our newsletter
City floats proposed structure for commercial parkland dedication
The framework for a new ordinance that would require public parkland for new commercial developments in Austin is coming together. In April, City Council approved a resolution that asked city staff to look at requiring parkland dedication for retail, office and…
Parks • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 5, 2022
Parks board homes in on outreach efforts as plans for Zilker march forward
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board tackled two separate presentations on the future of Zilker Park at its last meeting. Both presentations focused on outreach and questions of how to make moving forward with any plan a more equitable proposition. Currently,…
Parks • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 3, 2022
Waterloo Greenway gets $9M federal grant for second phase of parks system
The parks system that is expected to rehabilitate Waller Creek and create a series of parks through downtown Austin has received a $9 million federal grant to reconstruct and enhance a portion of parkland between Lady Bird Lake and Fourth…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 26, 2022
City still working on a fix for Austin’s lifeguard shortage
The Parks and Recreation Department has put together a plan that “will allow for the successful operation” of Barton Springs Pool and a return to normal hours as soon as staffing numbers can support it. But critics say the city’s…
Parks • By Elizabeth Pagano • Apr 15, 2022
Council pushes for plans to hire more lifeguards
The city of Austin, which operates 45 aquatic facilities, is desperately seeking lifeguards. Parks and Recreation Department spokeswoman Kanya Lyons told the Austin Monitor Thursday that her department still needs to hire 614 more lifeguards. Ideally, the city would like to have…
Parks • By Jo Clifton • Mar 25, 2022
City seeks solutions to Barton Springs lifeguard problem
Spurred by news that Barton Springs Pool will soon be closed two days a week, City Council Member Paige Ellis will be asking City Manager Spencer Cronk to come up with additional strategies to address the city’s lifeguard shortage. In…
