Austin board may oppose park on stadium list

The parks and recreation board of Austin, Texas, is set to discuss during a meeting Tuesday whether to recommend removing Roy Guerrero Park from a list of potential sites for a Major League Soccer stadium.

The site is one being considered by Precourt Sports Ventures as it weighs whether to move Crew SC after this season.

A resolution discussed the community and natural benefits of parkland and said “the construction and management of any major league sports venue with the related destruction of the natural habitat, vehicular traffic and large number of people involved is not compatible with the nature of the Roy G. Guerrero Park’s unique natural resources.”

The board serves in an advisory role to Austin City Council and the city manager. The resolution ended with a recommendation that “future projects that propose the use of parkland for non-public parks purposes be reviewed by the Austin Parks and Recreation Board and, if appropriate, the Austin Environmental Board, prior to formal review and discussion at the city council to ensure that the council has all pertinent information at hand to make their decision.”

In December, acting Austin parks and recreation director Kimberly McNeeley released a report including eight sites that might be suitable for a stadium, practice facility, or both. Since then, one of the sites, Butler Shores Metropolitan Park, has been removed from consideration by Precourt Sports after local opposition.

Similar opposition has occurred with Guerrero Park.

Its removal would leave one location, McKalla Place, a non-parkland city-owned parcel in north Austin, as the most viable option remaining.

Representatives from the city of Austin and Precourt Sports declined to comment on the resolution.