Austin Parks and Rec seeks community input for development of commercial use

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is asking for the community's input for the development of commercial use for Parkland dedication ordinance. 

Community members can visit SpeakUp Austin: Parkland Dedication for Commercial Development to respond to a community survey and provide insight through forum discussions on how they want to use parks near work and what to consider for the new ordinance. 

Public parks are necessary for the well-being of the city’s workforce and commerce, with commuting workforces adding to the demand for park services. 

In downtown Austin alone, there are 14,000 residents, but 96,000 employees that enjoy its parks for 2020. New commercial developments create a need for additional parkland in order to serve future users of the commercial spaces. 

Parkland dedication is a local government requirement imposed on subdivision and site plan applications mandating the dedication of land for a park and/or the payment of a fee to be used by the governmental entity to acquire land and/or develop park facilities.

More information can be found on the project webpage.