03 Oct Pease Park Conservancy Begins Pease Park Master Plan Process

Plan will guide restoration and preservation of historic green space.

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce that the Pease Park Conservancy has selected WRT (Wallace, Roberts & Todd, LLC) as landscape architects to prepare a Master Plan for Pease Park and an adjacent portion of the Shoal Creek Greenbelt north of the park. The Master Plan will provide a long-range vision to guide the further restoration and preservation of this historic green space located in central Austin. Since 2008, the Pease Park Conservancy has led efforts to improve the area’s landscape, including planting 500 new trees and restoring historic features in the park, such as the Tudor Cottage and Memorial Entry Gates constructed in the 1920s and the picnic tables installed by the Works Progress Administration.

Founded in 1963, WRT has established a national reputation for planning public spaces across the country. The firm’s headquarters are located in Philadelphia, with satellite offices in Dallas, San Francisco and Miami. Among its numerous projects, WRT has prepared a master plan for Houston’s Memorial Park and is currently working on the Trinity River Park project in Dallas. WRT also spearheaded the comprehensive “Imagine Austin” plan for the City in 2012.

WRT principal Eric Tamulonis, ASLA will lead the firm’s efforts to create a Master Plan for Austin’s oldest public park and the section of neighboring greenbelt.  A landscape architect with 30 years experience in the planning and design field, Mr. Tamulonis serves on the Board of Directors of the City Parks Alliance, a national association of park departments, park planners and advocates.

“WRT is pleased to assist the Pease Park Conservancy to develop a vision for stabilizing the parkland’s natural environment, improving its recreational use, and enhancing its aesthetic appeal,” he said. “The Conservancy has expressed a strong desire to make Pease Park and the Shoal Creek Greenbelt better public recreational areas, rather than radically remake them into something else.  We want to help the organization achieve this laudable objective.”

WRT and the Pease Park Conservancy will undertake the Master Plan process in close partnership with the City of Austin.  An integral part of the process will include a series of public stakeholder meetings and surveys designed to solicit input from various members of and stakeholders in the Austin community, including residents who use the park and the greenbelt. WRT will synthesize this public input to create a feasible and sustainable blueprint for the recreational development and ecological restoration of those areas in the future.  The first public stakeholder meeting in this process is tentatively scheduled to take place sometime in November.

“The Master Plan process will begin this fall and hopefully will be completed in less than a year,” said Richard Craig, the Pease Park Conservancy’s chairman. “We are very excited to work with WRT to ensure the future of this beloved natural refuge in the heart of our city.”

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Austin Parks and Recreation Board must review and approve the Master Plan before its presentation to the City of Council for final approval. Austin Parks and Recreation Department Director, Sara Hensley, expressed her appreciation for the Pease Park Conservancy’s efforts. “Partnerships and alliances are key to the success and future of our park system. We support the great work of the Pease Park Conservancy and look forward to the planning process,” said Hensley.

To learn more about the Pease Park Master Plan and the Conservancy, visit: www.peasepark.com or contact Richard Craig, 512-925-5306 or Steve Davis, 512-699-9971.