Sadly, the Austin Public Facilities Corporation
voted in favor of the proposed boardwalk project. Next stop will be city council. Letter to the
Dear APFC Members,
We are writing to express concerns about the proposed TxDOT Boardwalk $25 million Advance Funding Agreement and the funding being considered for this project.
Before addressing costs or funding sources, a basic question needs to be answered: what problem is this project actually solving?
Publicly reported statements from parks leadership in March 2026 indicated that this section of trail could be improved more affordably on land, meaning a boardwalk in this location is a choice, not a necessity. Before public or mitigation funds are committed, the public deserves a clear explanation of why this project is needed and who will, in truth, benefit.
The proposal also appears to rely on connections across private property associated with the River South / Hyatt PUD development. Under the AFA, if the City does not own the property involved, public use is guaranteed for only ten years after completion. If those connection tracts are not conveyed to the City, what guarantees exist for public access after that period?
Given the developer’s substantial financial resources, why are public mitigation funds being used for a project that appears to benefit a private development with no guarantees for permanent public use?
Recent City communications indicate that APFC has been returned to the funding process.
The role of TTC in any such arrangement should be clearly explained on the record.
The APFC previously delayed this item because of unanswered questions. Many of which have yet to be addressed. Before moving forward, ownership of all aected parcels—including the City’s underwater parkland and the developer’s connection tracts—should be clearly confirmed on the record.
We respectfully urge the APFC to delay action on this item until these questions about necessity, funding, public benefit, and long-term public access have been fully addressed.
Respectfully,
Carol S. Stall & Phillip Thomas / Deep Holly Advocates
Elisa Montoya, Vice Chair ETCLNA
Karen Kreps, Dana Hegar, Free Zilker Coalition