DO NOT MISS: It’s Time to Save Zilker Park and Barton Springs (Again)

​This Monday night, May 22nd, at City Hall, the Austin Parks Board will hear public testimony and make a recommendation to City Council on the proposed Zilker Park Vision Plan (aka Zilker Entertainment District Construction Plan). Please sign up to speak in advance here and be there with us to tell the Parks Board to Save Zilker Park and Barton Springs from this terrible “vision” for our public park. 

If you cannot be there, or you sign up to speak remotely, you can watch the Parks Board meeting live here.  It’s much better to be there in person: it's more fun and the Parks Board will see us all there in force. Walk, ride your bike, take a bus, or carpool.  There’s free public parking under City Hall (enter the garage from the west side, on southbound Guadalupe). Bring friends and family too!! 

See more details by viewing presentation HERE. 

You don’t want to miss this special night of local democracy in action!! 

Please know the overwhelming public opinion is against the City consultant's recommended plan and in favor of our Rewild Zilker Vision Plan. We have an amazing citywide poll that shows this beyond any dispute. Watch this KXAN news report about the key points from the poll. 
While you are at it, tell Mayor Watson and the Austin City Council that you oppose the City consultant’s draft plan and that you support the Rewild Zilker coalition plan.  You can copy and paste into the “to” line the City Council and key council staff email addresses here. 
TO:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
CC:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Brodie Oaks PUD too big, too little open space – Please consider also telling Mayor Watson and the City Council that the proposed redevelopment of the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center at South Lamar and Ben White should be scaled back to better protect Barton Creek and to comply with the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. 
City Council should also require the developer to acquire offsite, undeveloped mitigation land upstream in the Barton Creek watershed to mitigate the much higher redevelopment impervious cover (56%) that would be allowed above the SOS ordinance standard of 15% impervious cover. 
SOS supports the proposal to reduce existing impervious cover, add over 10 acres to the Barton Creek Greenbelt, and treat the runoff from the proposed redevelopment.  We also support a major increase in density at Brodie Oaks.  Currently the site holds 360,000 square feet of commercial development. However, the proposed redevelopment calls for almost ten times more development – 3.2 million square feet of commercial, multifamily, office, and hotel space.  This would include skyscrapers over 250 feet tall.  Our City’s comprehensive plan contemplates mid-rise development at this site – a level of density that supports public transit while protecting this unique site above Barton Creek. 
​
Council is set to vote on “second reading” on this project (Items 62 and 63 on the agenda). 

---