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Parks

Audit says PARD needs more data, money

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department may not be able to continue to provide services that citizens expect, and it faces the prospect of either cutting back on services or finding more funding in order to ensure the department’s long-term…

City begins work on new urban trails

Two new urban trails are set to begin construction next March, providing more options for Austinites who prefer to go carless. Teams should complete work on the Upper Boggy Creek Trail, serving neighborhoods on the east side, in November 2017.…

Why don't Austin parks have recycling bins?

All commercial properties in Austin will be required by October of next year to have on-site recycling containers, but the same is not true of all properties owned by the government that put the requirement in place. The Parks and…

Commissioners talk history

Austin’s boards and commissions continue to inspect the details of a plan for a $5.8 million face-lift for downtown’s Republic Square. At the Historic Landmark Commission, that means taking a look at how the area’s history is — and isn’t…

Parks and Rec budget bogged down by golf

The Parks and Recreation Board is concerned that expenses from Austin’s city golf courses will overshadow the other needs in its already tight budget. At their meeting on June 29, board members looked over a budget forecast that predicts an…

Group pushing toward $220 million chain of parks downtown

For once, a discussion of Waller Creek at City Hall was almost entirely upbeat. City Council members were delighted during a work session Tuesday to hear an update on an ambitious $220 million project to create a long, narrow public…

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With another lifeguard shortage, some city pools to open late

At a city-run job fair back in March, 15-year-old Jake Santema awaited an interview with staff as part of the process to become a summer lifeguard. “I’m a little nervous of the feeling of having someone’s life on my hands,”…

Parks board weighs in on Shoal Creek PUD

After more than three hours of presentations and testimony, the Parks and Recreation Board decided to send the message that the amount and quality of open space planned for The Grove at Shoal Creek Planned Unit Development is not to…

County approves double-dip fees at Hamilton Pool

Crushing demand at Hamilton Pool Preserve has prompted a big change in policy, courtesy of the Travis County Commissioners Court. Starting in May, visitors to the park and its iconic pool will first have to go online to make a…

New study envisions major changes around Barton Springs Pool

Austin’s rapid population growth and development, along with Zilker Park’s aging facilities, are threatening Barton Springs, the pool and its bathhouse. In a presentation to the Parks and Recreation Board on Tuesday, city staff and members of the Barton Spring…

As splash season nears, city begins to write future of Austin pools

As the temperature in Austin climbs, kids and adults flock to the city’s several dozen pools. But while the industry puts a pool’s lifespan at 30 years, many of Austin’s pools are 50 years or older. So in 2012, the…

Parking meters? In Zilker Park?

Austinites who frequent Zilker Park are used to kites, lights and fences going up. But this week, a wholly unfamiliar sight within the park grounds caught some residents off guard. Last week, the Parks and Recreation Department sent out notice…

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