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City plans fix for muddy Zilker lot

Monday, April 30, 2018 by Katy McElroy

The Austin Parks Foundation has announced major improvements to the west end of Zilker Park near Stratford Drive. The decision to work on the lot came after an exhaustive site study by the city in collaboration with the Atkins engineering firm and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Scott Smiley, division manager and vice president at Atkins, explained the issues with the lot’s current state in the Parks and Recreation Department’s press release. “Many years ago, this area was a quarry which was then filled with city trash and covered over in the 1960s,” he said. “Though additional material was added to the landfill cap in the early 2000s to prevent water from infiltrating into the trash below, use of this area has often been a muddy mess.” To keep this muddiness in check, the planned construction will improve drainage and add an “all-weather surface.” New entrances to the lot will also be created. In addition, the plans include enhancements to the portion of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail that borders the park. The booking company C3 Presents, which runs the Austin City Limits Festival in the park two weekends every year, will be contributing a large portion of the funding for the project.

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