PLACES TO GO Around the Neighborhood
WEST SIDE STORIES Olga Campos Benz
Page 2-3
Page 4
VOLUME 37 ISSUE 6 - SINCE 1986
INSIDE Graduation 2024 Pages 15-24
W E S TA U S T I N N E W S . C O M
JUNE 20, 2024
RESCUE REED PARK
Can Austin Watershed keep its promises about the Reed Park playfield? By Meg Rein, Friends of Reed Park You may have seen the green signs popping up around the neighborhood this month, encouraging passersby to “Rescue Reed Park.” Reed Park is a beloved local park with a large recreational field, a treelined trail that connects to Scenic Drive, and the historic remnants of Taylor Lime Kiln, a structure dating back to 1871. The 6.37-acre park is also home to Taylor Slough South, a creek that winds its way through en route to Lake Austin. Since 2021, dedicated park-lovers have revived “Friends of Reed Park” (FORP), a group that existed before, but whose activities had waned until recent years. The new generation of volunteers came together with a mission to preserve and beautify Reed Park, and to coordinate with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) to advocate for needed grants and improvements. Slowly but surely, improvements have come. A new playscape was installed in March 2022, new tables and benches have appeared, Reed Pool was re-filled and re-opened (and even has a swim team again this summer, after four long years without). Reed Park now has its own website with park information and a calendar of events (reed-park.org), volunteer work days are happening with increasing regularity, and red Adirondack chairs are giving park goers shady spots to sit all over the park.
WHAT IS THE WATERSHED PROJECT?
! " ! # $
% # & !
al play. Watershed’s project would put the largest biofiltration basin in the middle of the playfield, ringed with a raised concrete path. The basin would be a water retention pond in wet weather, holding water “for no more than 48 hours” after a rain, according to Watershed. Watershed says the basin would double as a playfield in dry weather but, even so, its size would be reduced to an area just slightly larger than a standard basketball court (about 100 feet by 60 feet). Under the plan, the backstop at the edge of the playfield would no longer be usable, nor would any of the picnic tables, benches or chairs set around the shady edges of the field. These would all be in no-mow basins, not usable for seating or play. The plan requires concrete retaining walls for basins in the hillside at the left of Reed Park’s entrance, and to the right of the entrance, where the current backstop sits. Retaining walls would also be required along the pathway
acres of land upstream from Reed Park. They estimate some 30,000 pounds of sedimentation will be deposited annually in the basins, and will have to be removed by maintenance trucks (likely requiring a large truck access ramp off Pecos Street into Reed Park). The basins will also trap litter that will have to be removed by maintenance workers. On a neighborhood call on May 11, 2023, and during a walk-through at Reed Park a few days later, interested neighbors expressed repeated concerns about changing the look and feel of Reed Park, and about the drastic reduction in the size of the playfield. Watershed representatives pledged to take neighborhood input into account. Yet, over a year later, Watershed has not yet revealed any changes or revisions to its plan.
Recently, however, FORP CONCERNS ABOUT has been in the spotlight raisPRECEDENT PROJECTS ing concerns about a project FORP has been raising the City’s Watershed Protecquestions and concerns about tion Department is planning the Watershed project, along at Reed Park. The Watershed with West project is the Austin reason you may Neighhave seen those borhood “Rescue Reed Group, who Park” signs. Its has supplan, made pubported its lic in May 2023, efforts. The is to construct concerns four “biofiltrathey raise tion basins” and about one “sedimenWatershed’s tation basin” project on and around are of vital the Reed Park interest— playfield—the not just for large recreationReed Park, al field at the but for the front entrance of City as a Reed Park, along whole, and Pecos Drive. The ' % # ( ( ) for other & $ ! field now is a parks that sprawling 240 by may be targeted for Watershed 130 feet, with long areas to run that meanders down to the projects. creek crossing, currently home or throw a football. It hosts to picturesque, split wooden everything from Soccer Shots WATERSHED FAILURES fences. Watershed has said classes to t-ball practices and the excavation of these basins football games, and it is comAT BATTLEBEND PARK will require heavy equipment mon to see neighbors relaxing One concern is Waterand take about a year from the in the chairs and picnic tables shed’s faulty execution of start of construction, planned around the edge of the field. other, similar projects. In early to begin in 2025. The playfield was marked out 2023, Watershed representaWatershed says these and set aside in the earliest tives said their project at Battle biofiltration basins will treat plans for Reed Park, in the Bend Park off South Lamar was 1950s, as a place for recreation- stormwater runoff from 127 a successful example of what
Watershed promised and what they plan at Reed Park. The and “we were promised this original renderings for Wait delivered there really scares whole area would be regularly tershed’s Battle Bend project us in terms of what could hapmowed and that unstructured are similar to renderings for pen at Reed Park.” recreation could continue Reed Park, both featuring a there as it had since the 1920s. “multifunctional water quality We would have strongly obBROKEN PROMISES BY pond/playing field,” such as is jected to taking this huge area WATERSHED AT PEASE envisioned for Reed Park. out of public use if they had PARK FORP members visitsuggested that.” Battle Bend does not seem ed Battle Bend Park in May However, according to Craig to be a one-off problem for 2023. James Page, who has led and Ted Eubanks, a neighbor Watershed. FORP members FORP’s efforts, dewhose home borders scribed the scene: the park, the promise “The basin that to mow was broken was supposed to after the swales were double as a playinstalled. Now, acres field was overgrown of impenetrable weeds and muddy, full of cover the area. Euweeds. There was banks pointed out huge no proper grass at growths of ragweed, all; it was full of hedge parsley, prickly sediment deposlettuce, and bastard ited in the lawn cabbage—all invasive area. There was a plants that will quickly concrete entrance take over any disturbed ramp for trucks to piece of ground, he % ) access the basin, said, unless the land & ) * surrounded by ! ) ) * * +, -,-. scape is maintained. signs that advised On the east side you not to enter the of the park, along Lamar, is toured Pease Park in June 2024 water. It was an eyesore, and another example. The Pease to view completed Watershed we became very worried about Park Master Plan called for a projects there. Richard Craig, something similar happening “seasonally mowed wildflower founder of at Reed Park.” the Pease Page raised Battle Bend Park ConPark’s poor condition with servancy, Watershed on the May 2023 described community engagement call. Watershed Watershed representatives as “an blamed problems at Battle unreliable Bend on poor communication with PARD about maintenance partner” that has and unexpected issues with abandoned groundwater seeping into the large areas park. Watershed’s Lee Sherit originally man said Watershed was “very pledged to committed to getting [the maintain project] in the condition that / ) 0 & ! * &$ for the we promised the community,” ! public’s he said, “and…very aware it’s % $ ) ) ) use at not there right now.” ) ) & ! Pease Park. ! ) & ) $ & & * * However, when FORP reCraig cites ) % ! checked the condition of Watershed’s Battle Bend project copious ex- & almost a year later, in March of amples: on 2024, conditions were worse, if the west side of the park, along meadow” doubling as a basin, possible. Landscape architect Parkway, Watershed proposed open for park goers to walk Cameron Campbell, who has “swales”—areas where water through and enjoy. Rather than donated his time and profescould collect during significant following the Park’s Master sional expertise in support of rain events—that would be Plan, adopted by the City FORP’s efforts, was there for mowed and available for multi- Council, Watershed allowed that visit. “There was a signifuse, unstructured recreation thick vegetation to take over icant amount of mud, cones such as throwing a football the basin; today, it is impassmarking off areas, and signage or sunbathing. Craig says the able, choked with weeds and and gates telling the commuConservancy had “extensive invasive plants. Any wildnity to ‘stay out.’ Someone discussions” with Watershed flowers have long since been walking by could never tell this about its proposal in 2016-17, crowded out. was intended to be a playfield. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 The difference between what
O u r PAT RO N S P O N S O R S / S U B S C R I B E R S ! "
# $ $ % & ' ( )*