Voelcker Park consultants to unveil master design plan on April 30

Citizens will soon have the opportunity to view the proposed Voelcker Park master plan design developed with extensive public input over the past several months. At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, at the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community Center, Holzman Auditorium, 12500 N.W. Military Drive, consultants will unveil their work at a community meeting.

Stephen Stimson Associates and D.I.R.T. studio are proposing the design for the new 311-acre park located on either side of Wurzbach Parkway between N.W. Military Highway and Blanco Road. The plan is scheduled to go to City Council for approval in May.

“The proposed plan incorporates a tremendous amount of input from citizens and stakeholders gathered over the past several months,” says Mayor Phil Hardberger. “Now citizens have the opportunity to see the fruits of their labor.”

Common themes that emerged from community meetings included preservation, sustainability and education. Voelcker Park will be an urban park, providing educational opportunities and serving as a national model for innovative, sustainable practices emphasizing urban ecology.

The two consultant firms were selected to design the park in July of last year following a national juried design competition headed by Mayor Hardberger.

In the meantime, nature lovers are invited to learn more about the park on Saturday, May 3, when native plant expert and park naturalist Janis Meritt will lead a series of guided nature hikes focused on past and present uses of native plants found in the park for landscaping.

The hikes will begin at 9:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. The guided hikes are limited to 15 people per tour. However, guests may also choose to take self-guided tours from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The Parks and Recreation Department will also be providing free one gallon trees to the first 100 visitors.

For more information, call 207-2879.