Amid a groundswell of controversy surrounding a proposal to transform Zilker Park, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said this week that the plan will not be moving forward.
“The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan will not be on the August 31st City Council agenda, and there is no plan to bring it before the Austin Mayor and Council in the future,” Watson said in a newsletter.
As proposed, the plan would have included new parking garages, a pedestrian bridge, hike and bike trails, and potentially even a new amphitheater.
“As the plan is shelved, we should recognize that really good people can often disagree,” Watson said. “A lot of people and groups worked hard to do something big and positive for our community. And our city staffers have put a lot into this process, as well. I truly appreciate and respect their efforts.”
Three members of the Austin City Council, including Paige Ellis, Ryan Alter, and Zo Qadri, issued the following joint statement:
As City Council Members, we play a critical role as stewards of Zilker Park, and it is incumbent upon us to come together to protect and nurture this treasure for our entire community, not just for today or tomorrow, but for the many generations to come. We know Austinites can unify around making the park an accessible, sustainable space that embraces the natural elements that have existed long before we were here and that must exist long after.
We know that the Zilker Park Vision Plan proposes many improvements that have community consensus, such as additional green space, shade trees, erosion control, and bathrooms. Other elements, however, seem to be flash points of irreconcilable differences. We know the challenges Zilker Park is facing will not go away on their own, but we do not see a path forward for the Zilker Vision Plan and therefore cannot support it.
You can read Watson’s entire newsletter HERE.
