Our park offers lots of opportunities to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather and we ❤️ seeing so many people enjoying it. Let’s remember to keep the recommended six feet of social distancing to stay healthy during Austin’s stay-at-home orders. The playground and picnic areas are closed, but trails, open spaces, and the community garden are open so there are lots of ways to get your Vitamin N(ature). Take care of yourselves neighbors!
Please join Friends of Patterson Park at the pavilion on Monday, June 17 at 6pm for a community meeting to discuss next steps on our Neighborhood Park Plan. We will have pizza delivered, please feel free to bring a side dish to share.
1. Updates
Please join Friends of Patterson Park at the pavilion on Saturday, January 20 for a community meeting to discuss projects planned for 2018. We can order pizza for dinner afterward!
Guest speakers: Bill Stout, Austin Parks Foundation and Suzannah DesRoches, TreeFolks
Finalize project plans, including location of new grove, selection of tree species, and watering commitment. Planting is scheduled for March 10, and planting prep will take place on It’s My Park Day, March 3.
Guest speaker: Paige Oliverio Hill, Urban Patchwork
Review plans for installation of circular monkey bars, spinners, and seating,
Speaker: Jennifer Potter-Miller, FoPP
In search of neighbors to fundraise for Friends of Patterson Park during the Austin Marathon races (Feb. 18) and Amplify Austin (Mar. 1-2). Also, should we consider a small project this spring as playground addition would not be implemented until fall?
Friends of Patterson Park voted by a strong majority to support the proposed Patterson Neighborhood Park Plan. The poll was held online September 29–October 2, and 63 members participated. The final tally was 61 in favor and 2 against.
The next steps will be to submit the plan to the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department for approval, and to present it for a vote at the Cherrywood, Delwood 2, Mueller, Schieffer Willowbrook and Wilshire Wood/Delwood 1 Neighborhood Associations at their fall meetings. The plan will also be presented to the Upper Boggy Creek Neighborhood Contact Team at their Oct. 23 meeting.
Many thanks to everyone who participated! We look forward to implementing our plans for our neighborhood park.
Part of the Neighborhood Park Plan series of posts.
Austin Parks Foundation and TreeFolks, in partnership with the Urban Forestry Division at PARD, have proposed a partnership with Friends of Patterson Park in order to plant two small groves of trees at the park this October. The objective is to increase the diversity of tree species and add more beauty and health to the park. Urban Forestry will approve this project if FoPP members can commit to watering and maintaining the trees for two years while they get established.
All materials costs, education and information resources, tool supply and organizing the tree planting will be provided by Austin Parks Foundation and TreeFolks; supplemental watering for two years (commitment to establish the trees), tree mulching and other maintenance will be the responsibility of the Friends of Patterson Park.
Tree Species List. May be modified.
Groves 1 and 2 north of restrooms, west of pool.
Grove of post oaks at Patterson Park near volleyball court
Thank you to everyone who attended our community meeting on the Patterson Neighborhood Park Plan on Sept. 13. We had a productive discussion of the various projects that could meet the community priorities identified in the 2016 survey. You can see the survey results here: http://bit.ly/pattersonsurveyresultshttp://bit.ly/pattersonsurveyresults. The draft Patterson Neighborhood Park Plan is forthcoming.
Patterson Park Community Priorities and Potential Projects with Comments
9/13/17 FoPP Community Meeting
COMMENTS:
Monkey bars would be GREAT for older kids! Everyone would benefit from more shaded seating. Some simple boulders for natural play might fit well under oaks by community garden.
Good idea but make sure of the hanging apparatus at height adult 5 ½ to 6 ½ ft tall can use it.
Check!
Love the circle monkey bars & spinners.
Tree climbing playground equipment (aka Dove Springs park)
COMMENTS:
Love the shade additions!
Water park features like Peace Park might be cheaper & fun.
More shade at the pool. Changing rooms, lockers.
COMMENTS:
When rebuild move so not in the middle of oaks and playground, merge with pool bathrooms.
My favorite bathrooms in Austin! (Johnston Creek example)
Integrate with pool
It would be AMAZING to have clean, simple, modern bathrooms like these (Johnston Creek example) at our park
We need new bathrooms with soap dispensers and perhaps closer to the pool
COMMENTS:
Benches near volleyball court (but be strategic where it doesn’t inhibit future desires to expand the volleyball courts)
Thing through grouping of benches and/or picnic tables to allow for smaller + larger groups of family + friends at various spots.
Natural limestone benches.
I like the limestone bench idea.
Add more grills; add some picnic tables at East end of the park – it is now more of a destination; add seating by Dance of the Cosmos.
Consider crushed granite pad for new picnic tables.
Strategic planning for where to put new trash cans.
Add bike racks near destinations, not randomly.
Super simple amphitheatre at Ramsey is used for everything from kids musical performances to Shakespeare in the Park!
COMMENTS:
Large limestone barriers to provide perimeter seating along trails & prevent vehicle entry. This might happen with future Airport Blvd. redesign.
Some lighting along trail would be great, also trail markers, a park and trail map, and lots of seating.
Careful of cluttering with too many benches and signage – dual/multi purpose?
Trail to volleyball, skate park, community garden.
Need continuous loop of trails.
Connect with Mueller; consider merging trail with Gordon Bennet Way.
Not too much lighting.
Just walked to Mueller last night and was too too dark on walk home at Patterson.
Something more natural, not so George Orwell 1984 [as in example photo].
Check, check, check.
COMMENTS:
“If you plant them, they will grow”
Shade is always a benefit in Texas.
Yes!
Yes! If not post oak, live oak, lacey oak, & burr oaks.
Shade trees, some flowering natives & fruit/pecan trees.
APF/TreeFolks planting project would require two-year commitment by FoPP to watering new tree groves.
COMMENTS:
Shaded and lit basketball court would be a huge “game” changer. Now it gets very little use daytime or night.
Shade over basketball court would maximize use in daytime and evening.
Shade over basketball court!
COMMENTS:
There are TOO MANY sticker burrs! The volleyball court is covered in sticker burrs that are hidden in the sand and stab your feet. The volleyball court was completely unplayable last time the grass was mowed because the burrs spread out. The volleyball court is my sanctuary and it breaks my heart & kills my feet trying to play there.
A bench/picnic table would be nice too; & a water hose to spray down the court in summer; & a light!
I’ve suggested to many people to play vball at Patterson, everybody says it’s the worst place in city to play because of sticker burrs. Suggest a mulch or sand barrier around the courts (Zilker has a barrier).
Desperately need to surface/resurface courts! Lighting and shade would be great to maximize use and health benefits to community.
Field: yard markers for ultimate frisbee/football; open spaces for free play!
Add soccer goals
COMMENTS:
Seating & viewing area around skate ramp would encourage congregating. Be sure to ask skater community on plants and mulch, which could change aesthetic of what they prefer.
Teenagers need places too!
Maybe some tree plantings to create shade.
COMMENTS:
It’s hot in Texas, people like to play ball at night. Light this baby up!
Yes!!!
Yes, basketball court.
Volleyball courts.
Be careful about light pollution and fireflies.
Low trail lights are a good idea to consider.
Solar lights along the most busy parts of the trail would be very useful, and lighting of the athletic courts would bring a lot more people to the park.
Lighting needed on trail along Wilshire Pkwy.
COMMENTS:
The athletic equipment along east side of Lady Bird trail is phenomenal. Please reproduce as much as possible.
Resistance training using body weight for upper body – check out what Camp Mabry uses.
I would love a sit up bench & maybe a pull up bar (for other people who seem to want them).
Please remove the dangerous old pull up bars near playground ASAP!
Consider stations around the trail.
COMMENTS:
Use same stone marker system as at Gordon Bennett Way in Mueller
Agree.
I would love trail signs and also really liked the Patterson Park map designed by Chris Levack.
Trail markers would be great addition (maybe more natural wood ones instead of more formal stone signs at Mueller), as would directional signage and a map of the park.
Patterson Park illustration by Caitlin B. Alexander, commissioned by Friends of Patterson Park. Use only with permission.
The Upper Boggy Creek Neighborhood Plan was adopted in August of 2002 by the City Council. The section on Parks, Open Space & the Environment (see p. 67) deals with Patterson Park.
The plan states that one of the neighborhood’s objectives is to “raise the quality of Patterson Park to the level of other major parks in Austin. People of all backgrounds and ages should enjoy the park. Members of the community should form a “Friends of Patterson Park” organization to help implement suggested improvements. Ensure that there is continued maintenance and care for the post oaks and other trees throughout the park.” This is broken down into 16 proposed action items.
Learn more about the Upper Boggy Creek Neighborhood Contact Team at https://upperboggycreek.com.
Work on the Patterson Neighborhood Park Plan will be guided by the community priorities identified in the 2016 survey we conducted. The results of the survey are reported in full here: Patterson Community Survey Results (download the PDF). priorities are listed below, with potential projects. Please join us at the September 13 community meeting to discuss what we want to include in the park plan!
1. Playground improvements
2. Pool improvements
3. Bathroom improvements
4. Amenities
5. Trail improvements
6. Landscaping
7. Dog park
8. Shade covers
9. Athletic field/court improvements
10. Splash Pad
11. Skatepark improvements
12, Lighting
13. Recycling bins
14. Trash
15. Fitness equipment
16. Other
Part of the Neighborhood Park Plan series of posts.
FoPP held the first Community Meeting on the Patterson Neighborhood Park Plan at Servant Church on June 21, 2017. Participants discussed their vision of the park and goals for the next 5, 10 and 20 years.
We want a multi-use, multi-generational space for exercise, play, and community events.
We want to preserve open spaces and heritage post oaks.
We want to continue to draw visitors from beyond the neighborhood.
We treasure our trees, community garden, pool, art, and sense of place at the intersection of five neighborhoods.
Activate the park with more use
Exaggerate small/big spaces to make them feel more intimate/expansive
Maintain tree canopy, plant replacements
Integrate trails better and add shade
Reclaim storm runoff with a rain garden
Add educational/historical component through programming & signage
Use space to bring five neighborhoods together
Expand sculptural area
Connect better to context
Make improvements while keeping in mind preserving open space & intimate spaces.
Amplify Austin Day is coming up March 2-3, and Friends of Patterson Park is planning to participate in the city-wide fundraiser for the second time. FoPP has been working to improve and beautify our neighborhood park since 2002, and we have big dreams for 2017. Our Amplify goal is to raise $3,000 to purchase and install a new spinner (a small piece of playground equipment) and support community events at the park throughout the year. #AmplifyATX starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, but you can schedule your donation today!
We are so grateful for the support of our Amplify Business Sponsors: Cynthia Soliz Law, Erin Tassoulas Design + Build, Nicole Cooper with Horizon Realty, Thunderbird Coffee and Franklin Barbecue! They will each be matching $250 in donations during Amplify Austin Day 2017.
Friends of Patterson Park 