AUSTIN, Texas — Several members of Austin City Council presented a draft resolution urging the city manager to remove public parkland as a possible location for a Major League Soccer stadium.

In the draft sponsored by council member Ann Kitchen and co-sponsored by members Leslie Pool, Jimmy Flannigan and Alison Alter, they note they've heard extensively from the community about a desire to remove Butler Shores Park and Guerrero Park. It also urges for a "deeper examination" of a McKalla Place site in North Austin near the Domain.

RELATED | Austin City Council approves MLS resolution

The draft comes on the heels of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department's December outline of eight potential sites for a stadium, including Butler Shores parkland north of Toomey Road. Precourt Sports Ventures, owner of Columbus Crew SC who is considering a move to Austin, expressed interest in the Butler Shores site, but the Zilker Neighborhood Association asked the city to be removed from consideration and that the city "should not provide public parkland for private for-profit ventures, especially in an area as environmentally sensitive as the confluence of Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake."

The draft, published on Wednesday, expresses the following concerns:

  • Traffic challenges due to location on a narrow side street with limited access
  • Addition of a stadium in close proximity to residences, nature, and Zilker Park add to an already existing heavy events schedule in an area that will further disrupt the perceived/actual peace and comfort of neighborhoods
  • "Undue burden” on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail along Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake
  • Displacement of longstanding (begun in 1950) youth sports activities at the ball fields
  • Undoing of existing planning efforts for relocation of the Daugherty Arts Center to the Butler Shores location

"We are taking this action because we believe as our city grows we must protect our parkland," Kitchen wrote on the message board. "Parks are a legacy for the people of Austin’s future and losing valuable parkland for private, for-profit uses is not appropriate for our city."

In a statement, Precourt Sports Ventures' Dave Greeley argued the following: 

Since city staff developed the list of potential sites for a proposed Major League Soccer stadium at the direction of Council, Precourt Sports Ventures has researched the merits of each, including Butler Shores, Roy Guerrero Park and McKalla Place. As we have stated from the onset of this process, finding the right site for a stadium will be of the utmost importance as we contemplate bringing MLS to Austin. With that in mind, we have done comprehensive work on the Butler Shores site, including independent studies on traffic, parking, lights and sound, among others, and that will be complete in the next few weeks.

The firm will present its findings to the Austin City Council on Feb. 15.