Zilker Parking Lot Needs Killing

DEFEND ZILKER PARK!! -- The disturbing scheme to pave over 7 acres of Zilker Park with a permanent, crushed stone parking lot is NOT dead, and we  need your help to kill it right away. The proposal is to convert and expand a temporary parking and staging area for ACL, located between the Zilker Botanical Garden and Lady Bird Lake, into a much larger, permanent parking area. Check out the Zilker N.A. website for details.  The deal has been cooked up behind the scenes by ACL, the Parks Foundation, and City Staff, with virtually zero public awareness or input. If you love Zilker Park, the Lake, and the Hike and Bike Trail, we need your help today, tomorrow night and next week.

Go here and send a single email to Mayor Adler and the entire City Council telling them to stop this nightmare right now! We need prompt restoration of temporary parking areas after major events, and more park land for people, not less. We need an access and parking plan for Zilker Park before a single square foot of park land is converted into parking. We need to care for and restore Zilker Park, not pave it.  Also, attend tomorrow night's Environmental Commission meeting to demand that this hostile takeover of Zilker Park bparked in the trash can.

Barton Springs Eternal Video Release Party Thursday

In April 1992 a group of Austin musicians, artists and activists recorded the song “Barton Springs Eternal”  in a colorful, fun-filled two day session at Cedar Creek Studios in South Austin.  The song was written by Bill Oliver and sung by many of Austin musicians, artists, and activists in a musical tribute to the historic Save Our Springs Ordinance. 

Musicians:  Bill Oliver, Bob Livingston, Jerry Jeff Walker, Marcia Ball,  Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Ponty Bone, Paul Pearcy, Steven Fromholz, Joe Ely, John Inmon, David Halley, Sarah Elizabeth Campbell, Doug Powell, Bobby Bridger, Tomas Ramirez, Riley Osbourn, Mitch Watkins, Chorus: all of the above plus:Aunt Pearl (Joe Sears), Didi Snavely (Jaston Williams), Susan Lindfors, Christine Albert, Connie Hancock, Tommy Pierce, Monty Montgomery, Jim Ellinger (Wheatsville), Jeri Arsenault, Cecelia Nasti & Bryan Beck (KGSR radio), Jenny Clark (ACTV), Helen Ballew (Hill Country Foundation), Jennie Hamilton (SOS Coalition)

The video version has now been edited (thanks to Jenny Clark and Fred Remmert) into a lively, all star Austin effort that retains the energy of the era and the importance of the movement.  At the time, a 17 minute video documentary, "I Sung for the Springs",  about the session was produced for ACTV by Jenny Clark. That program has been revived from the city archives, dusted off, and digitized! 

We’re hosting a “video launch and reunion party” on Thursday, June 21, 6–10 at Threadgill’s South on Riverside Dr. We’ll show the videos, and have a sound system in place for any “special guests” musicians to perform.  Bob Livingston and Bill Oliver will kick off the music. This will be a fun reunion, an update on current Barton Springs issues from SOS / SBCA and a great party!

Eco Tours

Sign up for the $10 Summer Membership Special and receive a 3 Springs Eco-Tour with Snorkeling!

Discover the underwater world of Barton Springs and learn about Old Mill Spring & the new Eliza Spring project.

All tours are from 9-11 AM on Friday and Saturday Morning from 5/26-8/11

Please indicate in the comments which tour date you would like to attend 

Eco-Tour Sign- Up

CodeNEXT Update

On Thursday May 24th a narrow City Council majority voted to refuse to place the citizen petitioned CodeNext review ordinance on the ballot.Those of us who circulated, signed, and support the initiated ordinance extend our thanks to Councilmembers Ora Houston, Leslie Pool, Alison Alter, and Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo for standing firm in support of our right to vote on the petitioned ordinance.

A law suit will be filed soon seeking an order that the Council call the election.

It’s unfortunate that it has come to this. But not unexpected. By definition, the initiative process is invoked when elected officials refuse to act. More often than not, city councils look for every possible excuse to keep citizen initiatives off the ballot. They hate it when citizens infringe on their powers. And they fear being on the losing end of a popular vote.

So it was when a similarly narrow majority of the Austin City Council sought to keep the Save Our Springs initiative ordinance off the ballot in 1992. Here’s a short version of the applicable law, which remains the same from that time.

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Help Stop Sneak Attack on Zilker Park

ACL, the Parks Department, and Austin Parks Foundation are trying to permanently pave over eight (8) acres of Zilker Park in order to convert temporary event parking into permanent parking. Please see the letter from Save Our Springs to the Mayor, Council, and the City Manager for the details. pdf Letter to Mayor, Council, City Manager, PARD to halt parking lot in Zilker (116 KB)  And please join us in asking that they stop this rush to pave our park land without City Council action, a parking plan for Zilker Park, and a meaningful public review process. Send your message to the Mayor and the entire council here. 

Will City Council Put the CodeNext Citizen Initiative on the Ballot?

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