Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get more info about what's going on?
http://www.todayinzilkerpark.com — BSP swim instructor and local restaurateur Diana Prechter maintains a site and calendar filled with news about Zilker Park
https://www.sosalliance.org — The SOS Alliance has been protecting Barton Creek and the Edwards Aquifer for decades
https://youtu.be/5NwJLvfPsYE — Steve Mim’s brilliant documentary about the Zilker Vision Plan that the Design Firm tried to censor
https://www.rewildzilker.org — Rewild Zilker Park is a joint project funded by Zilker Neighborhood Association (ZNA), Barton Hills Neighborhood Association, and Save our Springs Alliance. Members come from the Sierra Club Conservation Committee, Austin Master Naturalists, and has been endorsed by the Austin Neighborhood Council. ZNA maintains an archive going back several years on plans for Zilker Park.
Is the park being sold to Live Nation?
No, many more organizations want to make money off of this ZPVP deal. Live Nation is working through non-profits.
Why is the park in "crisis" ?
Due to the deferred maintenance of Park leadership, also known as “demolition by neglect,” some people think the park needs total renovation. Others feel it just needs to be cleaned up and maintained well.
What does Mayor Kirk Watson Say about the Zilker Park Vision Plan?
The Watson Wire, June 2023:
Liz and I moved to Austin 42 years ago, and people constantly told us, “You’ll never want to leave”. It was so frequent that we laughed about it — until, of course, we decided we never wanted to leave. That took all of about 3 months.
Zilker Park was one of the places everyone told us we just had to go. I still remember a bunch of firsts: the first time I was in the park on the Great Lawn, the first time I saw something at the Hillside Theatre, ate ice cream near the entrance of Barton Springs Pool and the first time I literally chilled in the pool. I remember taking my boys to that park. I’ve listened to music in the park so many times. Heck, for 13 years, I even hosted a concert there that was quite an event, if I do say so myself.
Zilker ain’t just any park. It’s sort of foundational to Austin. Historically, it was first started in 1917 when Andrew Zilker gave about 35 acres around Barton Springs to the city. That area had been a place that people gathered for centuries. The last gift by Zilker was in 1940, when the park was named after him. The park is now 351 acres.
In a city growing and changing as fast as Austin, it’s okay for some places — especially places that are foundational — to maintain some original qualities and remain open space that’s more organic and basic. That’s really true for spots that mean so many different things to so many different people.
The Vision Plan
The Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan has been in the works for years, starting with planning money approved by voters as part of the 2012 bond package. The draft plan, which was released last fall and is set to come to the City Council soon, has become a flash point. There are some parts of this plan that are really good improvements, but I understand the unhappiness and fear some people have.
It’s important to note that there’s no money to pay for the proposed vision plan – and it would be very expensive at a time when Austin has several parks all over town that need significant improvements. Serious consideration needs to be given to the equity of paying for this proposal before making changes and improvements elsewhere.
Additionally, there are aspects of the proposal that, in my view, are either unnecessary or will greatly disrupt the special place. For example, I don’t support a big amphitheater on the Great Lawn. We’ve proven you don’t need such a thing to have amazing shows there. And we just opened a pretty cool amphitheater in downtown at Waterloo Park. Plus, we can, and should, upgrade and make improvements at the current Hillside Theatre.
I also don’t support putting garages in the park. There are options for parking that wouldn’t impact the park so negatively as garages. For example, we could partner with Austin ISD to utilize the area around Austin High in a way that serves the school district and the city. We could put parking there for park visitors and, done right, we could work with AISD to get housing for teachers and school district staff. We can get additional benefits without damaging Zilker.
Finally, I favor taking parts of the park back to nature—what some call “re-wilding”. It preserves Zilker and helps us achieve our climate goals.
Governance
I will never support turning the park over to an independent, private corporate entity to govern or control it, as some have worried this plan may do. I ran for mayor saying that City Hall should do better at taking care of the basics. One part of that is making sure our governance or oversight of things like Zilker is done well. If there is some need to have a person (or two or three) coordinating communication and activity with the various and many groups that enjoy Zilker, then the city can hire such people. Make that their job and make sure it’s done well. That’s pretty basic.
This special place belongs to Austinites. It’s a deep part of the city’s foundation and soul. I thank all of those who have given so much time to bring a proposal forward. However, I think there are parts of the proposal that need to be improved and removed.
What’s Next?
The word has been that Council will take up this item on July 20th. That isn’t what we’ll be doing. Instead, the Council will focus on the budget until mid-August. The Zilker plan will be part of a work session on August 29th. The Council will then consider taking action on August 31st. We’ll hear from the public on the 31st.