View of the pump house in Brackenridge Park.
Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express News/Staff Photographer
After last year’s proposal to remove trees in Brackenridge Park was delayed by backlash, the proposal goes back to a commission in San Antonio this week with some amendments. The proposal is back on the agenda of the San Antonio Historic and Design Review Commission this Wednesday, April 19, where voting stalled in February 2022.
The new proposal calls for the removal of 48 trees along the riverfront in Brackenridge Park near the Lambert Beach River Walls and the Brackenridge Pumphouse, according to agenda documents. This number of trees earmarked for removal represents a decrease from the 105 trees selected for removal in the original park improvement master plan.
Photos submitted as early as 2022 show the trees that have damaged the river walls over time.
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Government Hill Alliance President Rose Hill listens to a presentation on a proposal to remove 105 native trees in Brackenridge Park. Hill told the Historic and Design Review Commission in February 2022 that she opposes tree removal, which she says was never mentioned as an option for voters who supported the city’s 2017 bond issue.
Scott Huddleston
Six listed trees are still affected by the removal, requiring submission of the proposal to the HDRC for approval. However, the largest oak tree in the area – estimated to be 78 years old – will be preserved and relocated along with 20 other trees. The largest oak was among the five others that have been the subject of public concern at numerous meetings.
The agenda documents say staff recommend approving the felling of the tree, but HDRC members have yet to vote on the item on Wednesday. The sitting starts at 3 p.m., but the agenda specifically states that this item will be dealt with as the last item and not before 5 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Development and Business Service Center at 1901 S Alamo.
If you would like to speak personally on the topic, you must register before the meeting starts at 3:00 p.m. You can also send written comments to HistoricDesignReviewCommission@sanantonio.gov or leave a voice message at 210-206-4372. The last two must be submitted by Wednesday noon.
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