SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Historical Commission on Tuesday voted to approve permits related to the Brackenridge Park Bond Project to remove 48 trees and relocate 19 others.
Opponents of a bond project to make improvements at Brackenridge Park hoped the state commission would force the city to change course.
“There’s a passion to keep the cultural integrity of our park intact, and that includes the trees,” said Grace Rose Gonzales of the “Stop The Chop” coalition.
The 2017 bond project for Brackenridge Park is broken up into two phases. Phase one of the project, which is being considered by the Texas Historical Commission’s executive committee, is focused on restoring and repairing the area around the pump house and Lambert Beach, including the limestone walls.
Part of those plans includes the removal of 48 trees and relocation of 19 others, largely because of their “proximity” to the walls and other “cultural resources. The trees slated for removal include some larger than two feet thick, known as “heritage trees.”
Opponents who hoped to save the trees say there are other options for repairing the limestone walls that wouldn’t necessitate the trees’ removal.
Watch previous story below: Opponents of a bond project to fix up Brackenridge Park hope a state commission could force the city to change course