We need about 20 volunteers to help finish the pool landscaping and restore the newly repaired Creekside Trail (see details below).
Here is a link to sign up: https://austinparks.givepulse.com/event/73493-Balcones-District-Park-Friends-of-Balcones-Work-Day%21
Thanks to the grant obtained by the Friends of Balcones through the City’s NPP Program, the City-hired Contractor has completed* repairs to the “Creekside Trail” in Balcones Park. This is a great win for the neighborhood and park supporters. We started out with the goal to repair the dangerous chuckhole by the waterfall and were able to get a much larger section repaired. The trail is now open again. The completion is very timely as this section will allow for continued access from the Park to the Northern Walnut Creek Trail (NWCT) during construction of the NWCT extension to Amherst. This extension will start construction next month and be substantially complete in October. When complete, the two trails will provide a nice walking, running/biking loop and offer two different points of access to the NWCT which extends all the way to Walnut Creek Metro Park (with future extensions planned to I-35 and beyond).
In return for the grant, the neighborhoods have agreed to do volunteer projects to improve the Park and Greenbelt. We have a good start on the required volunteer hours with a great turnout for It’s My Park Day events in 2017 and 2018. We also cleared rocks and gravel from about 100 yards of the trail by the spring over the last year however there are some projects we need to do soon:
Pool Landscaping: we need about 6 volunteers to finish the pool entry landscaping – this project will completely transform the pool entrance!
Trail Restoration*
There is some restoration work needed along the newly repaired trail. The contractor hired by the city doesn’t have the expertise to properly restore the side slope of the trail and since we still need to contribute volunteer hours, we have agreed to finish this task. We need about 12 volunteers to roll rocks, rake soil, place seed, and mulch this area.
Wildflower restoration: the City’s contractor disturbed the eastern portion of a wildflower area because they had to use that area for equipment access. Unfortunately they seeded the area with bermuda grass which will compete with wildflowers. We need 3-4 volunteers to rake the seed/mulch mixture to expose the seed to drying. Then we will plant new native grass and wildflower seed.
Northern Walnut Creek Trail Phase 1A – Meet the Contractor
Date: March 6, 2018
Covenant United Methodist Church
4410 Duval Road, 6:30 p.m.
Austin, Texas 78727
Project Description
This project is the final piece of the Northern Walnut Creek Trail Project that extends from Balcones District Park to Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. The project will construct approximately 2,030 feet of ten-foot-wide concrete trail with two-foot shoulders from Amherst Drive through Balcones District Park to the existing segment on the south side of the baseball field in the park. It will also include 200 feet of sidewalk, retaining walls to maintain an acceptable slope, storm water facilities to accommodate existing drainage patterns, and will have environmental protections to safeguard existing protected species and sensitive areas.
Project Schedule –The project is anticipated to begin in mid-March and will take about 6 months to complete.
What to expect during construction
–The project staging area will be in Balcones District park off Scribe Lane.
–There are two construction entrances on this project to expedite construction. –The first is off Amherst Drive and the second will be located off Scribe Drive.
–Temporary access to baseball field will temporarily be off Stoney Drive.
–The trail will be closed once construction begins until further notice.
Communication Plan
–Monthly Status Updates via email & Public Works Department website https://www.austintexas.gov/page/walnut-creek-trail-system
–Social media, updates posted as needed on NextDoor and City of Austin Public Works Facebook page
Donate to Balcones Park on or before Fri, March 2nd at 6pm!
And Grow Your Donation!
APF will match 25% of every donation to our park up to the first $2,500! AND Many Big Austin Employers will also match their employee’s donations by 100% so it is a great time to donate and help us reach the needed $9,302!
Click HERE to donate or read more.
Please consider joining us and your neighbors to help us make improvements to our beloved Balcones Park! All ages and abilities welcome!
Saturday, March 3rd from 10am-2pm
Sign-up HERE so we will get credit for your volunteer hours towards our Creekside Trail Repair Grant! If spots are full or you forget to sign-up that’s ok come anyway and just check in at the event!
Thanks, Neighbors!!
Friendly reminder: Bulk Collection starts for Milwood next Monday, Feb 12!
Please remember to hold back the recyclable items (plastic bins/ridged plastic, etc) and place them in/near your blue bins the following week because everything picked up by the bulk item trucks go directly to the LANDFILL. The only thing that is picked up separately is tires because it is illegal to bury a tire in Texas. According to the Austin Resource Recovery official that we just spoke to the city used to pull out appliances or large metal items and recycle them however the “pickers” have taken over that job so the city no longer finds it cost effective to send out additional trucks for that.
If you have useable furniture, clothes, household items, misc, books, etc – Salvation Army will pick it up for free: https://satruck.org/Donate/Choose.
The sooner your items reach the curb the more chance they have of being repurposed/recycled by someone which brings forward the point of…. Lots of trucks/trailers will be going through the neighborhood this weekend so secure your front yard belongings and lock your doors!
The city won’t pick up any batteries, paints, oil, antifreeze so keep an eye out for our Milwood neighborhood event in the spring that will get those for you!
Also for you compost users out there – Remember to place your bins a little further into your yard than normal on Tuesday!
Details HERE
