Garey Park a priceless gift to region
“There’s got to be a better way to get something done than dying.”
With those words, a smiling Jack Garey told the Georgetown City Council recently that the city would not have to wait until his death to receive the biggest gift ever bestowed by a single donor — his homestead ranch that spans 525 acres along the South San Gabriel River. That selfless gesture means Georgetown can speed development of Garey Park and open it to the public in about two years.
Garey, 85, said he and his wife, Doris — along with their five dogs — will move out of their 6,000 square-foot villa on the property by the end of the year. The villa also is being donated as part of the gift. Georgetown officials are thrilled about the gift and what it means to their community.
“This is a future-looking gift for Georgetown, and it fits so well with what we’ve seen in the past in the city’s tradition of preserving open space for parks,” said Mark Thomas, director of economic development for the city of Georgetown. “Georgetown now is a community of 50,000, but it is projected to grow to 200,000 in 25 years.”
Certainly Georgetown will benefit from Garey’s generosity. But when the park opens, it will be an amazing amenity for people across Central Texas — a region that needs more open spaces and recreational facilities to accommodate its fast-growing population. And its entrance price of $2 means everyone can enjoy the park that will have so much to offer.
There is the natural beauty of the land itself with its varying terrain that includes two hills, grasslands, a couple of man-made lakes and several springs. And there is the huge Tuscan-style villa with its 19th-century and modern paintings. It’s no wonder Georgetown officials have big plans for the ranch and villa.
The American-Statesman’s Claire Osborn reported that Garey Park will feature a covered arena for riding horses, a playground, a dog park, an amphitheater, a splash pad, 5 miles of equestrian trails, 4½ miles of hiking trails, nine cabins for retreats, eight cabins with bunks, a gatehouse and primitive camping sites. Few parks in Central Texas offer all of those amenities in one park. In all, the park will cost $13 million to develop, according to Baker-Aicklen & Associates, a landscape architecture firm hired by the city. Much of that will come from the $10 million in bond money residents approved in 2008 to develop the park. Though the city has known since 2004 it would inherit Garey’s beloved ranch, prior stipulations meant that would not happen until Garey died.
As for the villa — which Jack Garey and his late wife, Cammy Garey, bought for $700,000 to $800,000 — it will be used to host events such as weddings. The swimming pool outside will be filled in and turned into a dance floor. That will be a fabulous indoor-outdoor venue for events.
As we noted, Garey’s gift is hugely important to Georgetown. It doubles the city’s inventory of parkland, Kimberly Garrett, Georgetown’s parks and recreation director, told us. But it’s also strategic for Central Texas. According to recent Census data, the Austin-Round Rock area, with 1.9 million people, ranked as the third fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country. Hays is the fifth-fastest-growing U.S. county, while Williamson County remains one of the state’s fastest growing. There were a total of 5,074 housing starts in Williamson County in 2014, according to Dallas-based Residential Strategies Inc.
Garey Park will go a long way in meeting the recreational needs of Central Texans already living here and those relocating to the region in future years. In addition, the park will help fill a gap in Central Texas left by damage from the 2011 wildfire that affected more than 90 percent of Bastrop State Park. Though firefighters saved the historic cabins and facilities the Civilian Conservation Corps built in the 1930s, portions of the park remain closed to the public, including primitive camping areas.
The park gift is accompanied by an additional $5 million Garey is donating from the Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation, which Cammy Garey helped found. The city must use the money within five years after Garey dies, but it can’t be used for operating the park. Georgetown officials estimate annual operating costs for the park to be $963,596, which includes salaries for about 10 employees and maintenance expenses, Osborn reported.
Garey has said he and Cammy decided to donate the ranch out of love for the land. Neither wanted to see it developed as a subdivision. Garey’s combined donation to Georgetown is worth nearly $23 million. In our view, it’s priceless.