Originally opened in 1955, Beverly S. Sheffield Park has become one of Austin’s most beloved and well-used spaces. The 31-acre park, named after former director of the Parks and Recreation Department, features baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, a pool, picnic areas, a duck pond, and trails along Shoal Creek. RVi has been working with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) to host public engagement workshops and gather community input in order to create a new Vision Plan for the park. The plan will not only include recommendations for phased implementation but also help guide future developments.
To better understand the wants and need of the community, RVi and PARD conducted four (4) community input surveys and held multiple small group discussions with different stakeholders and neighborhoods in the area. From these community outreach events, we were able to create a conscientious vision plan that is driven by four key planning values identified by the community. These values include:
- Enhance and preserve the park’s natural amenities;
- Enhance and increase the park’s recreational amenities (both active and passive);
- Increase park connectivity and park identity;
- Balance park amenities with other City infrastructure needs
In order to achieve these values, the team is coordinating with other site projects including the aquatic center design, the dam rehabilitation, and plans for a sewer line replacement. RVi is also proposing new active and passive recreation opportunities such as expanded native habitat, reduced parking footprint, new pickleball courts, and connections to active transportation routes in the area.
The final community engagement meeting wrapped on August, 22nd, paving the way for the finalized Park Vision Plan to be presented to the Parks Board and Commission this October. If you want to learn more and familiarize yourself the project site, explore the StoryMap here to take a deep dive and virtual tour or visit AustinTexas.gov for more info!