On Monday, January 27th, the City of Austin will close the portion of Sunset Lane behind Little Stacy Park. In accordance with the SRCC Neighborhood Plan, the city will restore the creekside area to a mulched nature trail and native vegetation. City staff estimate the work will take 2-3 months.
This portion of Sunset Lane (see map) has been impacted by and is contributing to stream erosion in Blunn Creek. Because this roadway is not needed for traffic connectivity and is located within a sensitive environmental area, the Watershed Protection Department will close the road, remove the pavement, restore the natural creekside area with native plants, and install a mulched walking path.
The Watershed Protection Department has coordinated with SRCC, Parks and Recreation Department, Austin Transportation Department, Austin Energy, and Public Works Department to close the roadway. Traffic on Sunset Lane on the south side of the park will become two-way.
Barricades closure will be erected on January 27th at either end of the road closure area. The asphalt from the street will be milled to be reused by the Public Works Department. Parks Forestry and Watershed staff investigate the conditions of the root systems of the many heritage trees along the roadway. Soil amendments and improvements will be made, as deemed necessary, within the root zones. An eight-foot mulched path with a timber border will be installed to connect to the south end of the park at Eastside Drive/Larry Monroe Bridge. The remainder of the area will be amended with fresh topsoil and native seeding. WPD will monitor the vegetation to manage invasive species and promote a healthy riparian area for Blunn Creek.
Access to the wading pool and park will be available from the nature trail as well as the ADA accessible paths through the park.
A special thanks to Jeff Kessel and David Todd of the SRCC Parks and Environment Committee for their work in coordinating with City staff and championing the project.
The project is anticipated to last 4 months or less. If you have any questions, you can contact the project engineer, Janna Renfro, at janna.renfro@austintexas.gov.
