Hundreds of Brackenridge Park trees may fall

Plans for expanding the Witte Museum call for removing a Brackenridge Park woodland to build a large parking garage. According to representatives of the River Road Neighborhood Association, the proposed site is home to a dense stand of significant and heritage elms and oaks.

Apart from converting valuable inner-city parkland for automotive use, the project will require removal of nearly 200 trees. City Council recently approved $400,000 for design of the garage.

Tree survey for Brackenridge Park parking garage project

Alternate sites would preserve natural park land

Although 4 acres of City-owned impervious cover are available nearby for the garage, the museum has no plans to build the structure there, instead opting to build over the woodland. While the City is offering to transplant many of the trees, that will not compensate for the loss of parkland.

Witte CEO Marise McDermott argues against locating the structure on treeless land across the street from the museum because of dangers to people in strollers and wheelchairs. However, handicapped parking could be maintained, as it is today, on the museum side of the street with a pedestrian bridge for others.

Furthermore, other nearby sites, such as the old Volkswagen dealership, would not require patrons to cross a street. There is existing, underutilized parking within the park that could be served by a shuttle.

Tree survey shows loss of valuable woodland

Experts at Texas A&M have determined the trees are part of a vestigial riparian forest. According to a tree survey, close to 200 trees would have to be destroyed or relocated, including dozens of large cedar elms, with trunks up to 19" diameter. In addition, at least 11 oaks with trunks up to 38" diameter may also be removed.

McDermott has stated that some of the trees would be transplanted. However, transplanting large old trees is a risky proposition involving substantial mortality rates.

More information is available at the River Road Neighborhood Association website.