Deciding What’s Next for Holly Power Plant
The decommissioned Holly power plant will get some new uses. Photo by Caleb Bryant Miller/KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The former grounds of the Holly power plant in East Austin are slated for big change as the planning process gets under way to redesign the waterfront parcel of East Austin. In this week’s Changing Austin, Chris Yanez, principal planner with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, talks with KUT’s Wells Dunbar about the “Holly Shores/Edward Rendon Sr. Park at Festival Beach Master Plan Project Kick Off and Community Workshop” this Saturday and Monday to work out what may come next.
When you take all those components that are existing today and you want to talk about keeping them for future generations, and you want to talk about sustainability, but you also don’t want to create new amenities that may be in conflict with them in the future, you really have to sit down, look at all of that acreage, so that way everything fits nicely together, everybody’s quality of life is improved, and people really get out into the parks and enjoy themselves.
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The City of Austin has not done enough to get people in the direct affected area informed about what is going on. The preliminary meeting intended to only have CAG members in it. When the general public showed up they were told they could not attend and after some discussion city staff allowed them inside the meeting being held at Fiesta Gardens. the meeting was also being taped by Channel 6. Which gives more question as to why the public ws not easliy let in if the meeting was being broadcast to the public. At the meeting we were told that the people who who would be directly affected in the Holly area and the Johnston/ Govalle area would be the ones having input. Since then the area of input has been changed to city wide. They city has not done due diligence to reach out to people who do not have email access, or who can not read english. There are many people who may not be able to read at all.
It is very disturbing to show up to “platicas” and see that only 3 others have shown up. Platicas are small “focus groups” that were held this week. The city did not put notice of these out. The only way you leaned about them was thru an email referral. You had to know someone who knew and had sent you the invite. There is no excuse for the City to not do full outreach regarding this. a majority of people in the neighborhood have found out about the “goings on” thru contact with myself or other community activist.
We have a petition that has generated over 1200 signatures on paper and 177 online since the first meeting held. So the city sending mere flyers thru the mail is not adequate.Our petition demands the City of Austin do right by what is there before any proposed changes or Master plan is set. If you cant maintain what you have how can you ask us to allow something new.
If you truly want an all inclsive and transparent proccess you must go to the people. Go door to door. Go to the park itself. The past has shown that the City of Austin will do as they please when it comes to making changes. I hope they are ready for a battle because we will not give in, we will make our voices heard.