The day before Christmas Eve report – we’re close but we’re delaying a walk through / punch list meeting until next Tuesday. Here’s a view from the south with more mulch, the relaid granite gravel path and grass sod installed and another from the north with more soil to spread, but showing that the deck is complete (next step, power wash and sealing). More updates in the new year.
The last pieces of the deck around the future tree grate are being installed as well as the set of limestone facing pieces along the flush (ADA) portion of the deck.
Much of the mulch has been spread under the auction oaks and the Decomposed Granite walkway is beginning to get formed with steel edging going in. All lights are installed and have passed inspection.
Large pallets of sod are awaiting the completion of final grading work. We hope to do a punch list walk-through Wednesday afternoon. So, so close!
Should have most of the work completed by early next week, then we’ll start working through the punch list – An army of folks out working there today….
Thanks to Richard Craig and Trees for Pease, as well as help from Walter Passmore and PARD Forestry Staff, plus our helpful consultants Jill Nokes and Will Pickens, we have over 200 new trees planted at Pease Park with irrigation to each. 40 more went in this week thanks to PARD Forestry staff. We still a number left, but a great job by all, we’ve collectively learned a lot. Here’s a few pictures from earlier today.
Thanks to Greg Anderson for organizing a very successful Waller Creek clean-up on an otherwise gloomy day. Thanks to our many volunteers to came out including Council member Chris Riley, Asst Director of Watershed Protection Joe Pantalion, a number of downtown residents, many members of the Austin Rowing Club, Austin Dragon Boat Racing, and a few folks from Texas Rowing. Thanks too to Chuck, owner of Moonshine, for feeding us lunch out at Palm Park!
Our contractors have had two days without rain this week (Wed and Thu) allowing us to make good progress on laying down the IPE wood deck. It’s heavy, dense material, all holes are pre-drilled, 3 inch long screws and all boards must be 1/4 inch apart to maintain ADA (Americans With Disability) access. A slow process, but it is looking great!
Announcing the 2010 Texas Trails & Active Transportation Conference Feb 3-6, 2010 at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center in Austin TX. This should be a great conference for Trails & Active Transportation Advocates – hikers, bikers, walkers, horseback riders, motorized trail advocates and more. Only $300 for all the days, it includes a number of meals and some great speakers as well. Complete Conference and Session information here. Register here!
On Saturday, 12/5, the Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Parks committee began the first in services of invasive (non-native) tree and plant removal from the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt. This is one of a series of recommendations from a recently completed LBJ Wildflower Center Study for improving and restoring the greenbelt. Here’s a photo along S. 6th of the big pile of invasives removed (a number of large chinaberry trees along with ligustrum and nandina) awaiting pickup by solid waste services. They will be turned into mulch and/or dillo dirt. Congrats to Ingrid and the Bouldin Creek Parks committee!
The Friends of the O Henry and Susanna Dickinson Houses, together with the Austin Parks Dept, have been working over the past seven years to restore the Susanna Dickinson House and the final phase is nearly complete.
The House is expected to open as a city museum on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 2010. We’ve posted a few photos of the exterior of the house here. The Austin Parks Foundation funded the Root Zone RX treatment of the big Oak Tree between the two houses which will be a courtyard funded through a City Art in Public Places grant of $30,000, with $10,000 coming from the Austin Parks Foundation.
View of the O Henry Museum
Slowly and steadly, 4.5 foot sections of IPE wood are being installed, along with the remaining substructure (two C channel steel beams and attached together with a IPE wood Nailer between them. We’re inching closer!
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