Landa Park Master Plan

LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN JULY 2017

CLIENT City of New Braunfels Parks & Recreation Department

Stacey Laird Dicke Director City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department 830.221.4350 (o) sdicke@nbtexas.org

PROJECT TEAM Asakura Robinson (Project Lead)

Margaret Robinson Principal-in-Charge 512.351.9601 (o) margaret@asakurarobinson.

McCann Adams Studio (Architectural subconsultant) Jana McCann 512.731.0001 janam@mccannadamsstudio.com Altura Solutions, L.P. (Accessibility subconsultant) Jesús Lardizábal 512.410.7059 jel@alturalp.com

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CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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1 PROJECT BACKGROUND

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Master Plan Vision & Goals

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Landa Park 14 Schumann Arboretum

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Panther Canyon 17

Park Timeline

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Area Context 20 + New Braunfels + Park System + Hydrology

+ Habitat + Regional Connectivity Relevant Plans/Studies

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2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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Engagement Strategy

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Steering Committee

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Community Forums

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Community Survey

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Website 47

3 SITE ANALYSIS

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Scope of Analysis 50

Recent Park Improvements

Site Conditions 54 + Program Spaces + Circulation + Landscape & Ecology + Amenities

Facilities Survey

Accessibility Survey Summary

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4 MASTER PLAN 105 5 IMPLEMENTATION 177

Site Plan 106 Phasing Strategy 178 Goals 108 Opinion of Probable Cost 182 Master Plan Organization 109 Funding Recommendations 184

CIRCULATION 110 RECOMMENDATIONS

Landa Park Drive

Fredericksburg Road Bypass

Picnic & Playground Promenades

Gazebo Loop Restoration

Consolidated Parking

Connectivity

112 116 118 120 122 126

LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY RECOMMENDATIONS 130

Conservation

Riparian Zones Stormwater Infrastructure

Schumann Arboretum

Landscape Management

Planting Pallettes

134 136 138 142 144 145

PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS 148

South Gateway Area 150

Landa Haus Area 152 Playground Area 156 Picnic Area 158

Dance Slab Area 160

North Gateway Area 164

AMENITIES RECOMMENDATIONS 166

Signage 168

Site Furnishings 172 Lighting 175

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Landa Park & Arboretum recently celebrated its 80th anniversary as a public park but the landscape that makes this park so special represents a far greater history of geological and ecological formation in central Texas. Situated at the foot of the Balcones Escarpment and home to the Comal Springs-- the largest in Texas-the park is today both the jewel of the New Braunfels’ parks system, home to the Schumann Arboretum, and a true regional destination drawing visitors from San Antonio, Austin, Houston and beyond. The park is arguably one of the most visited small town parks in Texas, and yet this document represents the first master plan in its history.

This Master Plan comes at a critical time, as the park grapples with years of land use decisions which have both greatly facilitated public use while also leading to ongoing degradation of the park’s landscape. Beginning as a leisure grounds in the 19th century for nearby millpowered industries established by the Landa Family, the park has grown and adapted organically to changing public values and interests. While visitors to Landa Park first arrived by train, the mid-20th century saw a dramatic change in the park’s layout and impervious cover as it responded to the rise of the automobile. Today, 90% of current park visitors arrive by car, based on a community survey conducted as part of this master planning effort, despite many of these regular visitors living just a short walk or bike ride away. The negative impacts of this automobile dependency are fundamentally twofold: facilities for pedestrians are insufficient, and the natural landscape of the park degrades more rapidly as it receives higher volumes of both traffic and stormwater runoff from adjacent paved areas.

At the core of the Master Plan is an effort to reverse these trends of a park that suffers from an overwhelming amount of vehicular traffic, limited connectivity within the park and to surrounding neighborhoods, unsafe conditions 6

Renderings of proposed recommendations for Landa Park: redesign of Landa Park Drive (top); trail connection to Panther Canyon (bottom) for pedestrians and cyclists, and in turn reassert the importance of protecting and enhancing the natural landscape as a guiding principle of the park’s design.

Ultimately, the Master Plan represents a consensus among many of the most passionate advocates and regular users of the park, as well as city staff and elected officials, for how to best improve and manage the park for future generations.

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PROPOSED SITE PLAN

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LEGEND

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20 18 22

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Landa Street Shared Lane Bikeway

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New Gateway Signage

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New Decorative Fencing

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Redesigned Parking and Pocket Green

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Refurbished Mini-Golf Facility

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New Off-Street Trail

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Redesigned Parking

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New Staff Parking

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Redesigned Train Depot and Plaza

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Restored Landa Haus

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New Staff Parking and Trash Enclosure

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Landa Lake Esplanade

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New Pavilion

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Redesigned Landa Park Drive

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New Stormwater Planting Feature

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Revegetated Slope Grow Zone

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Refurbished Boat House and New Dock

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New Promenade

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Refurbished Dance Slab

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Repaved Dropoff Area

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New Limited Access Drive

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New Traffic Circle and Bypass Drive

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New Consolidated Parking and Trailhead

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Reforestation

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New Trail under California Blvd.

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New Buffered Bikeway

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New Trailhead

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New Off-Street Trail

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New Playground Loop Promenade

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New Crosswalk

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New Parking

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New Train Hall

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New Nature Play Area

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600’

LANDA STREET

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KEY RECOMMENDATIONS The recommendations of the Master Plan are organized within four core focus areas-- Circulation, Program Spaces, Landscape & Ecology, and Amenities-- which constitute the essential components defining the Landa Park experience. While each focus area is by nature complementary of the others, the recommendations for Circulation and Landscape & Ecology, represent a more foundational need within the park. Without significant improvement in these areas, many other improvements in the Program Spaces and Amenities areas will not be sustainable. The recommendations within each focus area range in scale and complexity, and are part of a phased implementation strategy organized by short-term, intermediate, and long-term projects.

The plan also recognizes that there will be challenges to realizing almost any of the projects outlined in the recommendations-- funding, feasibility, and changing city needs and priorities, to name a few of the typical challenges. To mitigate the inevitable obstacles to implementation, the plan provides a great breadth and variety of proposed improvements, many of which can be implemented as part of regular park management and without significantly impacting other city priorities.

CIRCULATION The Circulation recommendations focus on ways of better coordinating the need for both vehicles and people to move through and around Landa Park more safely and comfortably. Parking management, redesigned roadways, and a dramatically expanded pedestrian network are key components.

LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY The Landscape & Ecology recommendations focus on ways of protecting, restoring and enhancing the park’s natural features as well as proposing new areas of planting to fulfill multiply goals including beautification, drainage, bank stabilization and longterm maintenance.

PROGRAM SPACES The Program Spaces recommendations focus on ways of improving and enhancing existing program areas as well as proposing new program areas that will complement the current offerings of the park.

AMENITIES The Amenities recommendations focus on many of the park features that are critical to insuring an accessible, inviting and comfortable experience for visitors but are often overlooked. Key amenities include site furnishings such as benches and picnic tables, lighting, and signage for regulatory, wayfinding, and education goals.

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KEY PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS

Picnic Area New pedestrian promenades, stormwater planting features, and new site furnishings, will help to enhance the look, use and sustainability of this intensely used park area.

Dance Slab To improve the functionality of this iconic space, a trellis shade structure and intregral bench seating will wrap the existing slab and a redesigned dropoff area will improve accessibility.

Floating Dock At the existing boat house, a floating dock will expand the potential for boat rentals, special events, and science classes for kids which require better access to the lake.

Landa Lake Esplanade To maximize the value of the lakefront at the Train Depot and Landa Haus, this area will be redesigned to offer an esplanade that follows the lake edge and provides terraced access to the water.

Train Shed As a means of prolonging the life of the park’s iconic miniature train, and providing long needed storage capacity, the open-air Train Shed would serve as both a functional and cultural facility in the vicinity of the existing playground area.

Nature Play Area In the vicinity of the popular existing playground, a nature play area will complement the existing space with new activity features, activate under-utilized parkland, and help to educate the park’s youngest visitors about the ecology of the park.

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

PROJECT BACKGROUND

MASTER PLAN VISION & GOALS Landa Park & Arboretum has experienced almost continuous change over its nearly 100year history, and yet until now has never been master planned. The consequence of this is both extraordinarily positive and negative. Through years of ad hoc improvements, volunteer efforts, contributions by singular individuals, environmental change, and waves upon waves of diverse visitors, the park’s unique character has been shaped in ways that are extremely difficult to plan, while at the same time, the park has experienced tremendous strain, degradation, and inconsistent improvements which have diminished the overall potential of the park.

This Master Plan cannot come at a more critical time. According to the 2016 U.S. Census, New Braunfels ranked as the second fastest growing city in the country, with a population increase of 6.6% between 2014 and 2015, while nearby San Antonio, from where many of Landa Park’s visitors come, gained more people than all but three other U.S. cities. To accommodate this popularity, the City of New Braunfels has made significant investments in its park system, trails and other amenities, including long awaited major improvements at Landa Park completed in 2015.

As the centerpiece of the New Braunfels parks system, its most popular park, its most historic park, its most ecologically sensitive park, and the location of numerous festivities throughout the year which draw thousands of visitors to the banks of the Comal, Landa Park demands a master plan vision which can place appropriate emphasis on those elements of the park which are crucial to the park’s sustainability and prioritize the improvements to those elements for the future.

The park shows all the signs of land use

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GOALS IMPROVE CIRCULATION WITHIN AND AROUND THE PARK TO PROMOTE SAFETY CONNECTIVITY AND USE. PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE SPRINGS, ARBORETUM AND BROADER ECOLOGY OF THE PARK. LEVERAGE LANDSCAPE DESIGN TO IMPROVE DRAINAGE, MAINTENANCE AND STEWARDSHIP. SIMPLIFY SIGNAGE FOR WAYFINDING AND EDUCATION. INTEGRATE PARK HISTORY INTO PARK PROGRAM AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE. ENHANCE KEY PROGRAM AREAS STRATEGICALLY TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE USE. PRESERVE THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE PARK THROUGH SENSITIVE DESIGN INTERVENTIONS decisions over time aimed at accommodating as many visitors as possible. This culture in turn has contributed to the charm of the park and its steady popularity, at the expenses of the health of the landscape features from which the park originally grew.

At its heart, the Master Plan vision is aimed at reversing the land use trends which are

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

devastating the park’s resources by reasserting the core assets of the park and determining how to best balance their needed care while maintaining high accessibility to the park. The vision provides the park’s primary stewards, namely the New Braunfels Parks & Recreation staff and numerous volunteers, with both an unvarnished assessment of the park’s condition today and a set of strategic recommendations that will enable the stewards to more effectively restore and enhance the park for future generations.

A vision for a park that is as beloved by its users as Landa Park cannot be created without significant participation from this community.

As such, the master planning process has been grounded in a rigorous community engagement process to effectively solicit insight, feedback and support from those individuals who have the most to gain from the improvement of the park. The vision and goals therefore have emerged through significant and honest dialogue about the core values of the park and how to best ensure they are preserved.

Landa Park’s iconic miniature train along Landa Lake ‘ CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

PROJECT BACKGROUND

LANDA PARK While Landa Park recently celebrated its 80th birthday as a formalized city park, its significance as a cultural and ecological place within the city of New Braunfels and the surrounding region begins far earlier. Indeed, the principal reasons for the park’s location-- the Comal Springs, the Comal River, and the nearby Guadalupe River-- were not only consequential to the original founding of New Braunfels by Prince Carl Solms of Germany, but also provided refuge to Native American tribes and briefly, a Spanish mission.

The Philippine Gazebo was built when Harry Landa opened the park in 1898 and continues to be an icon of Landa Park.

From its naturally bucolic setting, the park evolved into a more deliberately crafted leisure grounds during an industrial period beginning soon after the founding of New Braunfels in 1845. Through the vision and stewardship of its owner Harry Landa, the properties now identified as Landa Park gained many of their most enduring man-made elements, in some form or another-- Landa Haus, the Mill Race, the picnic grounds, the spring-fed pool, the Phillipine Pavilion, and the Dance Slab.

Since 1936, the park has been stewarded by the City of New Braunfels with the support of numerous citizen-led organizations. Widely considered the civic jewel of New Braunfels’ park system, due to its age and enduring charms, the park has continued to evolve over recent decades with the addition of amenities including playgrounds, mini-train, mini-golf, volleyball courts, picnic pavilions, the boathouse, and an aquatic center. These more recent amenities by now already figure as prominently in the popular image of the park as its native ecology.

Although a train no longer transports visitors to the park as it once did, the park remains a hugely popular regional destination. On almost every weekend throughout the year, the park receives throngs of visitors who come to take in

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Wading Pool

Playground

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

any number of the park’s many offerings. Indeed, the sheer diversity of activities squeezed into the 50 acres of Landa Park remains one of the most enduring qualities of the place.

A typical year at Landa Park is also marked by a series of major festivities and events most notably Wurstfest in early November, and the celebrations of Easter and the 4th of July in which the park is inundated with thousands of visitors from across the region over multiple consecutive days. Although photographs of these mass gatherings in the park are some of the most iconic images of the park, it is the more tranquil everyday experience of the park which is perhaps its most endearing quality and most in need of support.

Even as a regional destination, the park resides close to downtown New Braunfels and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods which insures that it is very close to many of its most ardent visitors and supporters.

Cypress Trees along Landa Lake

Ultimately, the park’s most challenging qualities are its most endearing: a unique and highly sensitive ecology combined with an unparalleled mix of highly programmed areas, and an assortment of places that provide both solitude and refuge as well as fine locations for boisterous celebrations throughout the year.

Visitors along the banks of Landa Lake awaiting the 4th of July fireworks

Piicnic gatherings on a typical weekend

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

Tree Species represented in the Schumann Arboretum: 1. Ginkgo

33. Jerusalem thorn

2. Goldenrain tree

34. Catalpa

3. Possum-haw

35. Texas persimmon

4. Canary Island date palm 36. Chitalpa

One of the arboretum’s many tree identification placards throughout the park.

5. Texas red oak

37. Mexican white oak

6. Deodar cedar

38. Arroyo sweetwood

7. Cedar elm

39. Honey mesquite

8. Sugar hackberry

40. Eve’s Necklace

9. Gum bumelia

41. Flameleaf sumac

10. American elm

42. Lacey oak

11. Texas live oak

43. Bigtooth maple

12. Chinese tallow

44. Mexican plum

13. Chaste tree

45. Desert willow

14. Chinese pistache

46. Crape myrtle

15. Anaqua

47. Pomegranite

16. Ashe juniper

48. Mexican olive

17. Berlandier ash

49. Mexican bird of paradise

18. Pecan

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SCHUMANN ARBORETUM

19. Cottonwood

One of the most diverse arboretums in the state, the Dolores and Bill Schumann Arboretum contains over 50 species of trees interspersed throughout Landa Park. The Guada Coma Garden Club dedicated countless hours to ensuring that Landa Park become officially designated as an arboretum in 1982. In 2007, the arboretum was named after William and Dolores Schumann, in honor of their endless devotion to the park’s diverse collection of trees. With the passing of Ms. Schumann in 2017, the arboretum lost one of its most tireless advocates but the central importance of the arboretum to the overall park experience remains high.

21. Windmill palm

20. Ligustrum spps.

22. Sabal palm 23. Southern magnolia 24. Mexican buckeye 25. Texas redbud 26. Yaupon holly 27. Weeping willow 28. Bur oak 29. American sycamore 30. Arizona walnut 31. Bald cypress 32. Huisache

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

50. Mustang grape 51. Black willow 52. Texas mountain laurel 53. Chinkapin oak 54. Torrey yucca 55. Anacho orchid

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The main trail through Panther Canyon

PANTHER CANYON Tucked away in the Northwest corner of Landa Park, Panther Canyon serves a vital role as the park’s most preserved contiguous forested area. The protected wilderness provides wildlife habitat, recreational trails, and intact ecosystems important to regional hydrologies. A trail extends 0.8 miles from Landa Park Drive to Ohio Avenue through Balcones Escarpment - a journey that can take up to an hour and a half round-trip.

A trailhead for Panther Canyon along Ohio Avenue

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

1898

1898

1908

1925

1845 German Settlers

found New Braunfels Landa Park is called La Fontanas

Pre-Settlement

Native American Campsite (Tonkawa Tribe)

1930

1898 Harry Landa opens Landa's Park - International and Great Northern Railroad (IGN) builds a spur to the park

1863 Saltpeter Kiln

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1840

1860

built for civil war

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1845

Pre-Settlement

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1890 Landa's Pasture is a prominent picnic spot

1756 Early Spanish Mission - Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

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1847 William Merriweather bought comal tract and made a grist mill and cotton gin on site - had slaves dig millrun

1860 Joseph Landa purchases property

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

1898 Philippine Gazebo built

PROJECT BACKGROUND

built as resort with hotel and bathhouse, later - 2nd story with sleeping rooms overlooking spring-fed pool

1958

1968

1927 Harry Landa sells park 1930 Decade of Roosevelt's 1964 Available at boat houseWPA building paddle boats, row boats and retaining walls, large glass bottom boat pillars, etc. throughout the park

1910

Covered Dance Pavilion Built

pavilion with glazed floor centered by a large Live Oak with a stage for the orchestra built in its colored-light-adorned branches

1908 Spring fed pool constructed

designated State of Texas Archeological Landmarks

1986 Modular Playground equipment installed

1940 New

Braunfels "super" golf course completed

1938 Boathouse completed

1938

1984 30 more acres added to the park purchased from LCRA

2015 Riverfront rehbailitation project completed

Landa Park designated as Lone Star Legacy Park Legendary Landa Park Dolphins coach E.E. Bud Dallmann dies

1980 Arboretum officially designated

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1940

1920 1925 Open-air dance

Panther Canyon acquired 1945 2nd portion of Panther Canyon acquired

2015

1987 Six sites were

1961 First Annual 1933 Park Wurstfest is held closed called "Sausage during great Week" depression - fenced in 1950 3rd with barbed portion of wire Panther 1938 German Canyon Pioneer Monument acquired dedicated 1939 1st part of

1909 baseball field and grandstand in the park serves the NB Tigers and multiple spring training fields

1980

1958 A steam

1981

Recreation engine called Center the Texas created from Special #411 repurposed MKT, first warehouse miniature train in the park 1970 Founding Family Memorial dedicated

Landa Haus overlooking lake and pool 1936 Bond election to save the park 1968 Coach wins with a 3 E.E. "Bud" to 1 vote; city Dallman purchases park Olympic Pool for $80,000; completed and, more than 1950 1,000 citizens Mini Golf volunteer to constructed clean up the park 1956 Comal Springs stops flowing 1930 Original completely playgrounds built

2000

1908 Camp Placid

1950

1980

1938

1986 Founders'

Oak officially designated as "Living Memorial" during the Texas Sequicentential

2007 Arboretum officially named the William and Delores Schumann

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

AREA CONTEXT THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS Visitors to Landa Park will find a civic space that is in many respects a reflection of its larger context, the City of New Braunfels. The park has evolved in parallel with the city as the population has grown and diversified, as popular culture has changed, and as the environmental features of the area have become more impacted. The cues for these transformations are all evident in the design of the current park, from the expansion of parking to the regulations on use around the springs, to the incredible variety of programs options that exist in the park today. And yet, despite its changes through the years, Landa Park’s charms endure because the park has valued its historic character and sensitive ecological context above all else in precisely the same way as the City of New Braunfels.

Although New Braunfels boasts a proud and extensive settlement history, its culture today can be summarized in three prevailing features: the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers, multiple historic architectural districts, and an enduring set of German cultural institutions. Indeed, all of these features play a role in the identity of Landa Park. From the popularity of the springfed pool, paddle boats and wading pool, to the assortment of historic architectural features, to the oversized presence of Wurstfest as a defining influence on the park, Landa Park exudes the culture of New Braunfels.

Tubing on the Comal River

Comal County Courthouse

Such is the influence of a strong culture. Despite not having benefitted from a master plan in its 80-year history, Landa Park has, through numerous citizen-led and governmental efforts, long made a priority of holding its history closely just as the larger City beyond.

Wurstfest

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

Torrey Park

River Acres Park Hinman Island Park Cypress Bend Park Landa Park

Prince Solms Park

Dry Comal Nature Trail

Haymarket Park

Ernest Eikel Field Hoffmann Park

Jesse Garcia Park

Boat; Kayak Water Recreation Picnic Tables

Fischer Park

Fishing

Kraft Park

Performance Mini-Golf Sport Amenities Playscapes Hiking

Morningside Park

Train

The New Braunfels Park system includes a variety of other parks in close proximity to Landa Park but none offer a comparable mix of program diversity.

PARK SYSTEM Landa Park is part of a diverse city park system in New Braunfels that offers residents and visitors an assortment of recreation options spread out across the city with many parks sited alongside the picturesque Guadalupe and Comal Rivers. Moreover, the city is also home to the enormously popular Schlitterbahn water park and numerous other for-profit tubing outfitters.

A typical weekend in New Braunfels will include thousands of visitors appreciating the city’s impressive parks and natural resources.

destination and a cherished local amenity.

Few other parks in New Braunfels can make this claim. While Fischer Park was developed in recent years partly to offset the visitor impact on Landa Park, it appears to have had only limited consequence thus far.

Indeed, a program study of the city parks in close proximity to Landa Park reveals that while there are many parks to visit, there are none which offer the same incredible variety of program options in such an accessible space.

However, Landa Park is unique among the city’s parks in that it is both a hugley popular regional

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

CALIF ORNIA BLV

LEGEND Trees included in the Arboretum Tour Tree * Spring Natural Bank

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Recently constructed bulkhead

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PANTHER CANYON

Natural Water Feature Pavement edge Train track Project boundary

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WADING POOL

* does not include Panther Canyon, Golf Course or other surrounding areas

DANCE SLAB

LANDA LAKE

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BOAT HOUSE

SPRING-FED POOL

LANDA HAUS TRAIN DEPOT VOLLEYBALL

AQUATICS CENTER

OLD

PICNIC AREA VOLLEYBALL

C HAN NEL

PARKS OFFICE

FREDERICKSBURG FIELDS

PLAYGROUND AREA

MINI GOLF MAINTENANCE FACILITY

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LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM EXISTING CONDITIONS |

NATURAL LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY

Existing conditions map showing major environmental features

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125'

250'

500'

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Spring-fed stream flowing into Landa Lake

HYDROLOGY

CRITICAL HABITAT

The largest springs in Texas and the American Southwest lie within Landa Park. Comal Springs, which feeds into Landa Lake and the Comal River, is comprised of seven major springs and dozens of smaller ones, occur at the base of a limestone bluff in the northern sections of the park. The largest of the springs can be found just south of the Panther Canyon Trailhead on the west side of Landa Park Drive. Historically, Comal Springs has experienced some concerning reductions in flow - the Springs were almost dry from June to November of 1956 and the river was reduced to isolated pools of water.

The continuous flow of spring water within the park flanked by extensive native vegetation is not only a big draw for visitors but also supports several endangered species.

Comal Springs is fed by the Edward’s Aquifer.

The Edward’s Aquifer is compiled of 500 to 700 foot think underground honeycombed rock that holds and filters water over sometimes extended periods of time. The aquifer is divided into three zones: contributing, recharge, and artesian zones. Each has varying degrees of vulnerability to damaging the overall aquifer if pollution infiltrates. The contributing zone covers of 5,400 square miles and is known as the Edwards Plateau - or more commonly, the Texas Hill Country. The recharge zone takes up over 1,250 square miles and is where much of the water enters the aquifer system. The artesian zone extends 160 miles from Kinney County to the lower parts of Travis County.

This area lies directly above the aquifer and water is held in place by various impermeable formations.

The Comal Springs Riffle Beetle (Heterelmis comalensis), a flightless, surface aquatic beetle about one-eighth of an inch long also depends heavily on the constant water flow of the springs for survival.

The 1956 low flow event at Comal Springs caused the disappearance of the Fountain Darter (Etheostoma fonticola), a small freshwater fish found almost exclusively at the headwaters of the Comal and San Marcos Rivers. The Darter was later reintroduced in the Comal in 1975 from a population in of 457 individuals from the San Marcos River.

The third endangered species found at Landa Park and actively monitored is the Comal Springs Dryopid Beetle (Stygoparnus comalensis), the only known subterranean aquatic species from the family Dryopidae.

Ongoing invasive vegetation removal and native plantings along the riparian edges of the spring runs, the Old Channel of the Comal River and elsewhere along Landa Lake is helping to restore the habitats of each of these species but they remain at risk.

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Walnut Avenue reconstruction includes a significant improvement to pedestrian facilities

Fredericksburg Road is remarkable for its lack of pedestrian facilities

CONNECTIVITY Local and regional connectivity is important to circulation at Landa Park, as its interior roadways serve more than just park users. New Braunfels is home to just over 70,000 residents, and like the rest of the region, is experiencing rapid growth. According to the most recent U.S. Census, New Braunfels’ population increased 22% between 2010 and 2015, and almost 60% between 2000 and 2010, making the city the second fastest growing city in the country.

New Braunfels’ top employers include Comal Independent School District, Schlitterbahn, Walmart Distribution Center and New Braunfels Independent School District. Many residents commute to employment centers in the region, and benefit from access to State Highway 46, State Loop 337, and Interstate Highway 35.

Landa Park has played a role in residents’ daily travel patterns. According to 2010 TxDOT traffic counts, Landa Park Drive sees an average of 5,000 - 6,000 vehicles per day, which serves both the park and provides through access to adjacent neighborhoods. Indeed, 90% of current park visitors arrive by car, based on a community survey conducted as part of this master planning effort, despite many of these regular visitors living just a short walk or bike ride away.

expanded from a 2-lane roadway to a 4-lane divided roadway. Westbound access to State Loop 337 from California Boulevard will no longer be possible after this roadway expansion, which will likely deter some thru-traffic on Landa Park Drive. An alternative route would be from State Spur 453 to the west of Landa Park.

Other planned improvements include pedestrian and bicycle enhancements on State Highway 46C-Business (North Walnut Avenue) and Landa Street to the south of Landa Park.

This could improve access for park users who would like to walk or bike to the park, and reduce the need for surface parking at the park.

Both the most recent New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan from 2010 and the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning Study from 2016 include numerous proposed trail connections to Landa Park, many of which will be realized in the near future.

Landa Park Drive turns into California Boulevard in the residential neighborhood to the north of the park, which provides access to State Loop 337. However, State Loop 337 is planned to be

24

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

PROJECT BACKGROUND POPULATION DENSITY

JOB DENSITY

New Braunfels

New Braunfels

San Antonio

People / Acre

1

San Antonio

Jobs / Acre

Source: 2014 American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates

0-2 2 - 5 ROADWAY ANALYSIS 5 - 10 Population Density

!

Source: 2014 U.S. Census, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)

0-1 1-4 Job 4Density -9 0

Source: 2014 American Community Survey, 5-year Estimates

5

10

20 Miles

! !

!

!

N

0

!

Source: 2014 U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)

5

10

!

20 Miles

!

! !

2010 TxDOT Traffic Counts: Daily Average

!

!

10 - 3,000

! !

3,001 - 9,000 9,001 - 15,000

! !

! ! !

15,001 - 30,000

!

! !

30,000 - 84,030

! !

!

! !

!

!

Metropolitan Transportation Plan

!

! !

!

2

!

!

1. Expand from 2 to 4 lane divided

!

!

!

! ! !

!

!

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!

!

!

4 !

3

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1

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Transportation Improvement Program

!

! !! !

!

2. Expand to 4 lane divided highway

!

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5

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3. Landa Street Pedestrian and bicycle facility enhancements

!

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1. Expand from 2 to 4 lane divided

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Se !! ! g!ui ! n ! ! ! ! A ve ! ! ! ! !! ! !

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4. Construct a transit center 1

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5. Major corridor operational improvements

!

!

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3. Landa Street Pedestrian and bicycle facility enhancements

!

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2

!

!

2. Expand to 4 lane divided highway

!

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N

0

0.75

1.5

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3 miles

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!

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!

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

25

!

! ! ! !

1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Edwards Aquifer Authority’s Habitat Conservation Plan is one of the many existing plans that guides change in Landa Park.

RELEVANT PLANS AND STUDIES

26

While this document serves as the first ever master plan for Landa Park, there has been no shortage of other plans and studies in recent years focusing on specific features in and around the park. Indeed, virtually every aspect of the park has been studied to some degree, with recommendations spanning nearly a dozen different documents. The master plan is therefore an opportunity to consolidate the recommendations from these other efforts into a single plan.

Landa Park. Indeed, the best measure of this is the Landa Park Design Principles document, a very comprehensive and volunteer-led effort to develop recommendations for future design changes within the park.

Recent plans have ranged from focusing on mobility and pedestrian safety (Walkable Community Workshop: Seele Elementary) to historic preservation (Landa Haus Condition Assessment) and stormwater management (Panther Canyon Erosion Control Preliminary Engineering Report). Other studies have focused on Landa Park as part of broader planning efforts such as the City of New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan (2010), the Alamo Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Recommendations for the City of New Braunfels and the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s Habitat Conservation Plan. While the majority of these studies have been conducted by professional consultants, it’s important to note that several have been authored or significantly aided by community volunteers with a strong desire to protect, restore and enhance

• Protect, restore, and enhance the natural features of the park.

• Preserve, restore and reinforce the historical features of the park.

• Ensure that the park is safe and accessible for pedestrians young and old.

Despite their variety of focus, there is a consistent set of themes running throughout all of the relevant plans and studies which can be best summarized in three basic directives which have in turn helped to guide the master plan:

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Our Parks Our Heritage, Our Future The 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program Habitat Conservation Plan

VOLUME 5 PEDESTRIAN & BICYCLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS

November 2012

Prepared For

Dr. Robert L. Gulley Program Manager Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program

Prepared By

RECON Environmental, Inc. Hicks & Company Zara Environmental LLC BIO-WEST

Halff Associates, Inc. Raymond Turco & Associates CEHP / LLC. Inc.

The 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Page I.1

2015 PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Panther Canyon Erosion Control Preliminary Engineering Report

Moeller & Associates 1040 N. Walnut Ave, Ste B New Braunfels, TX 78130 TBPE Firm # F-13351

Landa Park Tree Maintenance Plan

Prepared for : This document is released for the purposes of interim review under the authority of Jeffrey D. Moeller, P.E. #88588, dated March 13, 2015. It is not to be used for construction.

1

City of New Braunfels c/o Adam Michie, Project Manager 3/13/2015

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

27

1

1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Our Parks Our Heritage, Our Future The 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Halff Associates, Inc. Raymond Turco & Associates CEHP / LLC. Inc.

The 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan

28

Page I.1

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

PROJECT BACKGROUND

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

29

1

1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Our Parks Our Heritage, Our Future The 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Halff Associates, Inc. Raymond Turco & Associates CEHP / LLC. Inc.

The 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks and Recreation Master Plan

30

Page I.1

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

PROJECT BACKGROUND

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

31

1

1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

VOLUME 5 PEDESTRIAN & BICYCLE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS

ON-STREET BICYCLE FACILITIES

Source: Alamo Area MPO Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning Study

N

0

0.25

0.5 miles

There are 6.7 miles of bike lanes in New Braunfels and 1.2 miles of off-street paths, and almost 23 miles of bike lanes and 80 miles of off-street paths proposed. Based on recommendations from the Alamo Area MPO Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning Study, first priority bike lanes connecting to Landa Park should be installed on Fredericksburg Road, California Boulevard, and Landa Street. Other important second priority connections include Landa Street, Bell Street, Lockener Avenue, Landa Park Drive and N Academy Avenue.

Additional facilities should be considered through Landa Park to connect to surrounding neighborhoods, including areas to the east of the Landa Golf Course.

32

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

PROJECT BACKGROUND

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

33

1

1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

OF GENERAL INTEREST: Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program Habitat Conservation Plan November 2012

Prepared For

Dr. Robert L. Gulley Program Manager Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program

Prepared By

RECON Environmental, Inc. Hicks & Company Zara Environmental LLC BIO-WEST

Background: “This Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is intended to support the issuance of an ITP which would allow the “incidental take” of threatened or endangered species resulting from the otherwise lawful activities involving regulating and pumping of groundwater from the Edwards Aquifer (Aquifer) within the boundaries of the EAA for beneficial use for irrigation, industrial, municipal and domestic and livestock uses, and the use of the Comal and San Marcos spring and river systems for recreational and other activities.”

Endangered Species Act Implications:

include:

“Eight species that depend directly on water in or discharged from the Aquifer are federally-listed as threatened or endangered. These species

•

Fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola),

•

San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana),

•

San Marcos gambusia (Gambusia georgei),

•

Texas blind salamander (Eurycea [formerly Typhlomolge] rathbuni),

•

Peck’s cave amphipod (Stygobromus pecki),

•

Comal Springs dryopid beetle (Stygoparnus comalensis),

•

Comal Springs riffle beetle (Heterelmis comalensis), and

•

Texas wild rice (Zizania texana).

The primary threat to these Aquifer-dependent species is the intermittent loss of habitat from reduced springflows. Springflow loss is the combined result of naturally fluctuating rainfall patterns, natural discharges at other springs, and regional pumping and drawdown of the Aquifer.”

34

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program Habitat Conservation Plan November 2012

OF INTEREST TO THE CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS: Use: •

“The City seeks incidental take coverage for the recreational activities within its jurisdiction, the management of the ecosystems of the Comal Springs, Landa Lake, and Comal River and the diversion of water from the Comal River. Finally, the City of New Braunfels seeks coverage for the minimization and mitigation measures that it will either implement or have responsibility for having implemented.”

•

“Public recreational use of the Comal Springs and River ecosystems includes, but is not limited to, swimming, wading, tubing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing.”

Prepared For

Dr. Robert L. Gulley Program Manager Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program

Prepared By

RECON Environmental, Inc. Hicks & Company Zara Environmental LLC BIO-WEST

Water Flow: •

“The City of New Braunfels operates gates, culverts, and dam structures from Landa Lake to the Old Channel (three culverts), New Channel U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Weir, Springfed Pool Inlet, Wading Pool Weir, Clemens Dam, USGS Weir (known as “Stinky Falls”), Golf Course Weir, and Mill Pond Dam (joint New Braunfels Utility and City of New Braunfels operation) to maintain constant flow in the Comal River, maintain constant elevations of large pools, and regulate flow regimes in the Old and New Channels during high and low flow events.”

•

“The City of New Braunfels also has a permit from TCEQ for 40 acre-feet of impounded water at Clemens Dam (City of New Braunfels Tube Chute).”

•

“Irrigation water for the golf course is obtained via a single diversion from the Old Channel permitted by TCEQ.”

Planned Mitigation and Minimization of effects: •

Flow-split Management in the Old and New Channel (Section 5.2.1)

•

Native Aquatic Vegetation Restoration and Maintenance (Section 5.2.2)

•

Management of Public Recreational Use of Comal Springs and River Ecosystem (Section 5.2.3)

•

Decaying Vegetation Removal and Dissolved Oxygen Management (Section 5.2.4)

•

Control of Harmful Non-Native and Predator Species (Section 5.2.5)

•

Non-Native Snail Removal Program and Gill Parasite Monitoring (Section 5.2.6)

•

Prohibition of Hazardous Materials Transport Across the Comal River and Its Tributaries (Section 5.2.7)

•

Native Riparian Habitat Restoration (Section 5.2.8)

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

35

1

1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program Habitat Conservation Plan November 2012

• Reduction of Non-Native Species Introduction and Live Bait Prohibition (Section 5.2.9) • Litter Collection and Floating Vegetation Management (Section 5.2.10) • Management of Golf Course Diversions and Operations (5.2.11) • Management of Household Hazardous Wastes (Section 5.7.5)

Prepared For

Dr. Robert L. Gulley Program Manager Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program

• Impervious Cover/Water Quality Protection (Section 5.7.6)

Prepared By

RECON Environmental, Inc. Hicks & Company Zara Environmental LLC BIO-WEST

Springs: “Spring runs #1 and #2 stop flowing at Landa Park well water elevation of 622 feet above median sea level (ft-MSL), when total Comal Springs flow is about 130 cfs. Spring run #3 stops flowing at Landa Park well water level of 620 feet MSL, which is also the current lake level, as controlled by the dam. Total Comal Springs flow at this point is about 50 cfs.”

Species of Concern: •

Fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola)

- Extirpated between 1954 and 1973

- Reintroduced in 1975 with 457 individuals from San Marcos

•

•

Comal Springs Riffle Beetle (Heterelmis comalensis)

- The Comal Springs riffle beetle is a flightless, surface aquatic beetle about one- eighth of an inch long - Water flow vital to survival Comal Springs Dryopid Beetle (Stygoparnus comalensis) - Only known subterranean aquatic species from the family Dryopidae

Protection/Management: •

36

Fountain Darter:

- Active native vegetation restoration and protection will be implemented in Landa Lake and the Old Channel

- Surface water quality within the Comal River should not exceed a 10 percent deviation (daily average) from historically recorded water quality conditions (long- term average) as measured at the fifteen EAA Variable Flow Study water quality monitoring locations (Figure 4-1).

- Increased turbidity and physical habitat destruction caused by recreation are concerns

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

PROJECT BACKGROUND

• Riffle Beetle Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program Habitat Conservation Plan

- Aquifer water quality should not exceed a 10 percent deviation (daily average from historically recorded water quality conditions (long-term average) within the Edwards Aquifer as measured issuing from the spring openings at Comal Springs.

November 2012

Prepared For

Dr. Robert L. Gulley Program Manager Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program

Prepared By

RECON Environmental, Inc. Hicks & Company Zara Environmental LLC BIO-WEST

- Active restoration of riparian habitat adjacent to spring openings (Spring Run 3 and Western Shoreline) will be implemented to limit the sedimentation that is experienced following rainfall events.

• Dryopid Beetle - To not exceed a 10 percent deviation (daily average) from historically recorded water quality conditions (long-term average) within the Edwards Aquifer as measured issuing from the spring openings at Comal Springs.

Invasive Concerns: •

Giant rams-horn snail (aquarium species) discovered in Landa Lake in 1984

•

Eats too much vegetation - limits veg growth

•

Under control for now

•

Does better under low-flow conditions (drought conditions)

•

Tilapia and suckermouth catfish are non-native and increase competition

•

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)

•

West Indian hygrophila (Hygrophila polysperma)

•

Elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta)

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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1

1

PROJECT BACKGROUND

38

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

2 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

39

2

2

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY The Master Plan benefited tremendously from a deliberate, multi-faceted and thorough engagement with hundreds of park goers throughout the entirety of the planning process.

Starting from the belief that community involvement needed to be at the center of the planning effort for a park that is at the center of the New Braunfels community, the planning process was very much structured around four town hall style community forum events held at Landa Haus over the 12-month duration of the project. To reach as many park goers as possible, the project kicked off with a community survey distributed both online and in print, and the launch of a dedicated website which documented the planning process for those who could not attend the community forums and welcomed comments throughout the process.

STEERING COMMITTEE The Master Plan also benefited from a dedicated Steering Committee comprised of community members representing Landa Park’s most important constituencies: the Friends for the Preservation of Historic Landa Park, City of New Braunfels Parks Board, the New Braunfels Parks Foundation, Landa Park Design Principles committee, New Braunfels running club, and longtime park rental customers. The Steering Committee met on six occasions throughout the project to review presentations and draft recommendations from the planning team and offer constructive feedback.

a question and answer period, followed by a more informal hour-long open house in which progress work was shared by the planning team through large printed sheets and boards and input from the community was solicited through various interactive exercises.

Members of the Steering Committe: • Becky Wiggins Landa Park Design Principles Committee and garden club member • Cameron Bradfute former Parks Board member, longtime rental customer • Tim Barker President, Friend for the Preservation of Historic Landa Park •

Linda Dietert Landa Park Design Principles Committee, former Director Sophienberg Museum

• Jerry Millership Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee • Joyce Culbertson New Braunfels Parks Foundation • Scott Wood New Braunfels running club

COMMUNITY FORUMS Scheduled at key junctures in the planning process, the four town hall style community forums allowed for the general public to hear updates from the planning team, ask direct questions of the planning team, and provide written input to the planning team’s site analysis and draft recommendations. Each event featured an approximately 45-minute formal presentation by the planning team with

40

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The four community forum events provided opportunities for the planning team to share Master Plan progress, engage with community members, and collect public input. At top, postcards were designed to promote the project website and online survey.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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2

2

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Sign posted in Landa Park to encourage visitors to participate in the Master Plan survey

The community survey was distributed at the Parks office, at the community forums and available online

COMMUNITY SURVEY The community survey was created by the planning team early in the project as key method of gathering input from as many park goers as possible over an approximately one month period. Designed to be submitted both online and in printed format, the survey was disseminated extensively beginning with the first community forum event, and subsequently through social media efforts, the distribution of postcards throughout New Braunfels, at a dedicated Master Plan booth within the park

42

on a busy weekend in May, and for the last week of the survey period, signs promoting the survey were installed in Landa Park. The survey ultimately received over 500 responses, the majority through the online form, and provided invaluable perspective for the planning team.

Charts of the survey results are on the following pages.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

COMMUNITY SURVEY QUESTION #2: WHEN YOU THINK OF LANDA PARK, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF?

“The train rides I took every summer, over and over, as a child.”

“New Braunfels’ Central Park.”

WORDS MOST USED IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY Train - 102 Family - 80 Playground(s) - 71

“an environmental gem; a very pleasant place to walk and observe nature.”

“Too many out of town users pushing out local users. User fees for non resident users..”

“Lush grass, the train, the pool, the playground.”

“Over crowded, over populated with

Trees - 70 Beautiful - 67 Ducks - 66 Fun - 55 Pool- 48 Water - 46 Nature - 44 Kids- 43

“Family time. Nature. Panther canyon and hiking. Ducks. Trains. Playground.”

Place - 36

“History of New Braunfels.”

Great - 29 River - 28

“natural, historic, beauty, classic,family-friendly, accessible.”

“History, Clean Water, Families.”

“Best family park in Texas. Headwaters of the Comal River. Environmentally sensitive..”

Walking - 27 Swimming - 27 Play - 26 Beauty - 25 Spring - 22

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

43

2

2

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Charts of the community survey results 44

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

#2

#1 #3

#4

#5

Charts of the community survey results

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

45

2

2

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The planning team staffing an engagement booth to promote the master plan and distribute the survey on May 21, 2016 when Landa Park hosted the Texas Tree Climbing Championships, the annual Cops for Kids event, and a swim meet.

46

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Screenshots of the project website

WEBSITE Throughout the planning process, a dedicated website, www.landaparkmasterplan.com, was used as an integral component of the community engagement work. The website tracked the ongoing progress of the planning team by providing links to presentations from the community forums with areas to provide comments. Beyond providing announcements of upcoming community forums, the website

provided a resource to community members unable to attend the community forums and desiring to add their comments to the process, or for those simply wishing to further study the information shared at the meetings.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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2

2

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

48

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

3 SITE ANALYSIS

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

49

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

SITE ANALYSIS SCOPE OF ANALYSIS The first three months of the master planning process included an extensive site analysis of Landa Park which helped to ultimately frame the structure of the recommendations. The core focus areas of the Master Plan -- Circulation, Landscape & Ecology, Program Spaces, and Amenities-- were first established during this stage of the process. The planning team approached each focus area in a similar way through a combination of field documentation, GIS and CAD mapping analysis, and interviews with key staff from the City of New Braunfels involved with management, design, and engineering of the park. An accessibility review was also conducted for the entire study area of the park, as an integral component of the site analysis.

In general, the analysis focused on recording and assessing the existing conditions of the four core focus areas, with particular attention to substandard conditions, hazards, nuisances, potential problem areas, or simply areas ripe for improvement and enhancement.

Circulation

Landscape & Ecology

The Circulation analysis included documentation of all existing circulation infrastructure including roadways, parking areas, and the pedestrian network.

The Landscape & Ecology analysis included documentation of existing predominant landscape conditions including riparian areas and areas of poor drainage, as well as ecological features such as the springs, heritage trees and the arboretum.

Program Spaces

The Program Spaces analysis included both broad documentation of activities in the park, including areas of varying degrees of active and passive use, as well as specific condition analysis of key program facilities in need of upgrades.

The Amenities analysis included documentation of all existing site furnishings, lighting and signage in regard to location and general character.

50

Amenities

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

Aerial image of Landa Park highlighting the study area for the site analysis

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

RECENT PARK IMPROVEMENTS By far the most impactful recent improvement to Landa Park has been the river front rehabilitation project, more commonly known as simply the ‘walls project’, an extensive bank reconstruction initiative completed in 2015 which added new retaining walls along 5,280 linear feet of waterfront area throughout the park. The new walls, a combination of precast concrete and limestone block, have given the park a clean and refined look, and dramatically improved access to the waters’ edge for visitors.

While in many cases the walls have stemmed the most significant erosion concerns, in other circumstances they have only provided a stop gap measure to continued erosion on the upper banks.

As part of the walls project, other scope included two new steel truss-style pedestrian bridges installed near the Wading Pool, artisan-made sculpted ‘cedar’ handrails along an existing bridge to honor an historic design detail, restoration of the Phillipine Gazebo, armoring of the Landa Lake dam, and construction of the Old Comal River Channel spillway.

The recent addition of wayfinding and identity signage consistent with the City of New Braunfels’ standard signage have added to the effort toward visual cohesiveness but in a less impactful way. The panel signs, mounted on a limestone base or standard sign post, are scattered throughout the park but are often lost within a range of other signs identifying park features, commemorating events, or clarifying regulations.

New bulkheads along banks throughout the park have regularized the waterfront conditions, mitigated erosion and improved access to the water.

The recent improvements to program spaces, aside from those areas improved by the walls project, have been less visible but no less important. Pavilion #16, the newest of the covered picnic pavilions, as well as upgrades to the playgound areas and bathhouse have all improved use of the park, but remain set amidst many other areas still in need of refurbishment.

Recent improvements to identity and wayfinding signage within the park are part of new citywide wayfinding signage standards.

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CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

Pavilion along the Mill Race with foot bridge has been highly utilized for events.

The recent refurbishment of the the Mini-Golf Facility was completed in July, 2017, and funded by the New Braunfels Parks Foundation to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of Landa Park.

Steps, ramps, railings and bridges have improved accessibility and connectivity within the park.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

SITE CONDITIONS PROGAM SPACES There are many reasons why Landa Park has long been one of the most visited parks in central Texas, but not the least of them is the sheer variety of program offerings provided in close proximity to each other within the park’s 51 acres. Between swimming, paddling, fishing, volleyball, mini-golf, mini-train, playgrounds, walking, barbecuing, or just relaxing, there is literally something for everyone on a typical visit at the park. And all of these program spaces are within a short walking radius.

Given that many of the physical aspects of these program spaces are documented within the other focus areas or within the facilities survey of this document, the program spaces analysis looked at patterns of program use across the park. The value of this type of study is that it reveals trends in how the park is used that may not be planned or intended, which allows for future designs to adapt to the current condition.

A couple key themes emerged: •

Program Type Framework: All areas of the park can be identified generally by one of three types of activity: playing, gathering, or observing.

•

Program Use Framework: All areas of the park can be identified generally by one of three types of use: active, semi-active, or passive

For the purposes of the Master Plan, the Program Use Framework was determined to be a more helpful means of organizing existing and proposed program spaces in an effort to create a more legible gradient of use from active to passive as visitors move through the park.

Program uses at Landa Park are diverse but organized. The diagrams above offer two ways of understanding how program is situated within the park.

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CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

Playing

Sitting

Swimming

Gathering

Walking

Fishing

Train-riding

Recreation Classes

Volleyball

Golfing

Events

Paddling

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

Missing crosswalks are prevalent in and around the park such as at this location where Elizabeth Avenue meets Landa Park Drive

CIRCULATION

By far the most pressing focus area to confront at Landa Park is Circulation, as it impacts virtually every other aspect of the park, including the three other focus areas of this analysis. The park’s current circulation system is organized around a set of roadways which play an oversized role in the life of the park. Landa Park Drive serves as the central artery of the park as it stretches from the southern gateway at Landa Street to the northern gateway at California Boulevard, and it connects almost every program space of the park. While the roadway suffers from a design which excludes adequate space for pedestrians or cyclists, it is very much a critical feature of the park and should be a signature feature of the park.

The secondary roadways of the park-Playground Drive, Monument Drive, E.P. Nowotny Drive, and Gazebo Loop-- are far less critical to the functioning of the park and arguably detract from the park experience by dividing program spaces, increasing impervious cover, and adding

56

Diagram of Landa Park Drive illustrating how it functions as a critical central artery through the park.

significantly to the potential hazards for pedestrians. With the roadways dominating the park experience, the pedestrian network has suffered, leading to numerous improvised walkway alterations and additions but with little coordination overall.

There is significant room for improvement in this area.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

Insufficient pedestrian infrastructure

Insufficient crosswalk striping

Heavily worn hardscape area

The existing pedestrian network

Insufficient traffic signaling

Poorly designed parking areas

Informal pedestrian route

Lack of Shade or stormwater management

Wide street with no facilities for bikes or pedestrians

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57

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

58

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SITE ANALYSIS

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59

3

SITE ANALYSIS

BLVD

LEGEND

ORNIA

Primary Roadway Secondary Roadway

CALIF

3

Tertiary Roadway Foot Bridge GAZEBO

Paved Walkway Unpaved Walkway #

P

PANTHER CANYON

Directional Signage Parking Area

FISHING PIER

Park Entry Pavement Edge

9

Train Track

WADING POOL

O N

M

Project Boundary

DANCE SLAB

8

#

LANDA LAKE

L

Design Comments Missing Walkway

BOAT HOUSE

SPRING-FED POOL

K

7 J

LANDA HAUS TRAIN DEPOT AQUATICS CENTER

VOLLEYBALL I

H

OLD

PICNIC AREA VOLLEYBALL

C HAN NEL

Q

G

FREDERICKSBURG FIELDS

PLAYGROUND AREA

6

5

PARKS OFFICE

F

MINI GOLF MAINTENANCE FACILITY 4

MI

LL

RECREATION CENTER

RA

CE ND LA

DER

K AR AP

FRE

E

DR

ICK

D

RG

IVE

SBU

3

ROA D C

2

B A

1

LANDA STREET

LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM EXISTING CONDITIONS |

60

CIRCULATION & PARKING

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

0'

125'

250'

500'

SITE ANALYSIS

Wayfinding

1

2

Directional signage is placed throughout the park to direct drivers to their destination, which is necessary in a park like Landa that has so much to offer its visitors. In 2015, the City of New Braunfels installed wayfinding signage through the park, which is consistent with other signs in the City. Soon after entering the City of New Branfels, one may see directional signage leading them to Landa Park.

The directional signage throughout the park, however, is only directed towards drivers, and there is a missed opportunity to carefully guide people from arrival to the various programmed spaces they may choose to visit. The following are existing wayfinding signs in Landa Park.

1. Monumental entry sign at the south edge of Landa Park Drive at Landa Street, built on private property.

2. Directional signage informs drivers to turn onto Landa Park Drive to reach Landa Park, Wursthalle, and the Arboretum.

3. Soon after crossing the Comal River, heading north on Landa Park Drive from Landa Street, there is a identification sign on the west side of the roadway announcing Landa Park and the William & Dolores Schumann Arboretum.

3

4. Directional signage on the east side of Landa Park Drive directs visitors to the Recreation Center, which is also the general location for miniture golf course and maintenance facility.

5. An identification sign for the Parks and Recreation Administrative Offices is located just outside the building along the east side of Landa Park Drive. The building is tucked away among vegetation and may not be easily recognizable to visitors.

6. Directional signage leads visiors to the Parks Office, Golf Course, and Pavlock’s Fairway Grill.

7. Directional signage leads visitors to the Founders Oak, Dance Slab, Walking Trails, and Paddleboats.

4

8. An identification sign on the northern end of Landa Park Drive announcing Landa Park and the William & Dolores Schumann Arboretum 9. An information kiosk at the southern tip of the Panther Canyon Trail is a useful marking of the trailhead, but lacks useful and updated information available for hikers.

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61

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

5

6

8

9

There are no directional signs on the west edge of Landa Park, where many visitors enter from Fredericksburg Road. In addition to the predominently driver-oriented wayfinding signage throughout the park, pedestrian signage is needed to help people navigate safely through the park on foot, such as maps that show the entire park, pavilion and picnic label locations.

Circulation and wayfinding at Landa Park need to be considered from all users’ perspectives to make it easier to navigate through the park, and learn of all the amenities that are available.

62

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7

SITE ANALYSIS

Design Challenges There are several areas in the park where infrastructure design could be improved to create a more user- and people-friendly environment to improve safety and comfort. Common issues include a misalignment with pedestrian walkways and crossings, and wide roadways that need traffic calming methods. Several of the following observations reside on private property but have siginificant consequences for the the visitor experience at Landa Park and should be addressed.

Entry sign on the southeast corner of the Landa Park Drive / Landa Street entrance has potential to be a useable plaza space.

A

B

D

Lacking crosswalk and sidewalk across southern edge of Landa Park Drive.

Chainlink fence along the sidewalk does not create an attractive gateway.

C

E

Sidewalk ends, and dropping off into the roadway without a safe crossing.

Sidewalk should continue across bridge.

The necessity of the turn lane should be evaluated.

It may not be necessary, and redesign could improve pedestrian conditions.

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63

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

The roadway design on the Elizabeth Ave / Landa Park Drive intersection is not designed for pedestrian safety.

F

G

I

K

64

Pedestrian crossing lacks clear crosswalk.

Once painted, a stop sign or other traffic calming would improve safety.

Intersection is too wide, creating unpredictable movement by all users, particularly with the lack of sidewalk.

G

J

There is no stop sign at this crossing. Cars should be required to yield to pedestrians. Nearby stop signs aren’t aligned with corssings, which is a missed opportunity to create a safer crossing when automobile traffic is at a stop.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

The sidewalk ends abruptly.

There is no crosswalk, despite being an important crossing point.

SITE ANALYSIS

L

N

P

The bridge connection is not linked to other walkways.

Generally, circulation near the dance slab and pavilions is disjointed.

A crossing with traffic calming is needed between the Spring and the Wading Pool.

The current design of California Blvd is dangerous and discourages walking or biking.

M

O

Q

The very narrow historic bridge is a dangerous point, where cars drive too fast and people can not cross safely.

Trailhead with amenities is needed at Panther Canyon Trail. Walkway ends just shy of the entrance.

There are no sidewalks along Playground Drive.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

65

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

PARKING There are currently 759 vehicle parking spaces available for Landa Park visitors, located in various areas of the park, the largest being adjacent to the Parks and Recreation Administration Offices, Landa Haus and the Aquatics Center. Various other locations serve adjacent programming, such as the picnic areas and the playground area. In popular seasons, parking accommodations are in high demand. At these times, parallel parking along Fredericksburg Road and at Fredericksburg Field become necessary alternatives. Many of the existing parking lots are also not designed efficiently to accommodate as many vehicles as possible, or with planting features to provide much needed shade and stormwater accommodation.

The impact of having so many parking options scattered throughout the park is a doubleedged sword. On the one hand, visitors have a perceived high level of accessibility to all park features. On the other hand, this wide distribution of lots has created a significant amount of impervious cover throughout the park, has insured that visitors spend more time driving throughout the park looking for a parking spot, creating more conflicts with pedestrians and other vehicles, and emitting more pollutants into the park environment.

It is hard to overstate the negative impacts that the current parking layout has had on the park experience.

Parking at the Frederickburg Road park entrance is a rare instance of of parking along the edges of the park where conflicts with other park uses can be more easily avoided.

Parking along Landa Park Drive near the Wading Pool is situated to serve multiple program areas but merges awkwardly with the roadway.

A more comprehensive parking strategy will need to look beyond the park boundaries, and connect visitors from other surface lots to the park with high quality pedestrian infrastructure.

Improvements in connectivity to adjacent neighborhoods will also help to offset parking demand and insure that all visitors who would prefer to walk or bike to the park have a means to do so.

The parking lot at the Recreation Center includes several conflicts with trees and could benefit from a redesign.

66

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SITE ANALYSIS

LEGEND XX

Existing Parking

Total Parking 759 Count: Total Parking Count: 786

BICYCLE FACILITIES Landa Park Drive is approximately 27-feet wide, which isn’t large enough to incorporate bike lanes without redesigning the roadway to include less parking. Traffic calming measures to reduce speeds and create a street that is safe for bicyclists and drivers to share are more straightforward and more immediate ways of improving circulation along the roadways.

Bicycle access to Landa Park is desperately needed to provide safe routes from adjacent neighborhoods where a large percentage of Landa Park’s most regular visitors live. While bike access via California Blvd. along a protected on-street trail will have the most immediate impact, dedicated off-street trails along Fredericksburg Road and Elizabeth Avenue, and a shared lane on Landa Street would all provide significant value to the park. Indeed, many of these projects were identified in the 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

Secure bike parking facilities must be added to the all programmed spaces of the park in tandem with new bike routes.

Existing parking within Landa Park.

Bike locked to tree at Panther Canyon trailhead.

Sharing the road along Landa Park Drive.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

67

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY The dual-nature of Landa Park as an environmentally sensitive ecosystem and as an over-loved city park drives most of the issues with existing landscape and ecological conditions. It is clear that as designed, Landa Park is surpassing a sustainable carrying capacity of users. Without intervention, erosion of vegetation throughout the park, erosion of banks, root compaction of the beloved trees, increased pollution inputs to waterways, and a general lack of awareness by users of the park’s sensitive ecosystems will eventually lead to irreversible environmental consequences.

Multiple areas of the park suffer from regular drainage problems and pooling of water both exacerbates the aforementioned erosion concerns and can become a health hazard to park-goers.

Park users are unaware of or indifferent to several sensitive areas including Comal springs and areas being restored for endangered species protection as well as the scientific research and monitoring happening throughout the park. Park landscapes can facilitate better user connections with sensitive ecologies and important scientific work being done in Landa. The lack of user connection to park ecosystems will certainly influence landscape recommendations but will be discussed in more detail within the Administration recommendations of this plan regarding park identity and stewardship.

Native and non-native wildlife as well as dogs contribute to excesses in nutrients in Landa Park’s waterways - especially without a critical mass of riparian buffers in place to filter runoff.

This promotes algal growth in the water and fertilizes vegetation in Landa Lake speeding up growth of already tough to control invasive species. Trees in the park, especially the more remarkable specimens in the William and Dolores Schumann Arboretum, are at risk from repeat foot traffic and picnicking compacting root structures. Finally, areas of the park adjacent to higher traffic roadways are not properly buffered and presumably suffer from heightened air and noise pollution - the former of which could negatively impact the health of park users; the latter of which certainly impacts a user’s experience of the park.

68

All images above: various examples of erosion throughout Landa Park

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

Underutilized planting bed

Ponding

Excessive impervious cover

Heritage trees and eroding banks

Informal pedestrian paths

Root zone compaction

Stormwater channel

Access to the springs

Bank management

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69

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

70

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SITE ANALYSIS

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71

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY Some areas of Landa Park are more sensitive to environmental impacts than others. The figure on the facing page shows areas of the park considered to have very high, and intermediate environmental vulnerability. The largest areas of very high vulnerability were designated based on a combination of existing needs for habitat protection, specifically for endangered species; their placement in the park in more “naturally” managed open space; and, the scale of potential negative impact if those areas are degraded. For instance, Panther Canyon is the largest contiguous forested natural area in the park and serves a vital role in providing wildlife habitat. As water flows through Panther Canyon, stormwater is filtered before entering Landa Park, helping to maintain water quality in all of Landa Park’s waterways.

compound environmental impact of use. For instance, a low-lying area southeast of the heritage oak and southwest of the boathouse is regularly used for picnicking but foot traffic is exponentially increasing the amount of vegetative erosion in that space.

DRAINAGE CONCERNS As mentioned above, areas with poor drainage are designated as intermediate to high vulnerability because of the exacerbated environmental impact caused by use of these spaces when the ground is saturated.

Almost all areas immediately adjacent to waterways are designated as very high vulnerability because of the risk of erosion leading to long-term bank stabilization concerns and decreased water quality from potentially reduced riparian function. Additionally, we know waterways in Landa are home to endangered species, which means protective measures are of paramount importance.

Aside from water edges, level of vulnerability increases from south to north in the park. There is significantly less vulnerable space in southern spaces of the park because the existing condition of these areas tend more toward high capacity use such as picnic or playground amenities rather than as more sensitive park landscape typologies that exist near Comal Springs. Said differently, these spaces are not managed to provide the same types of ecosystem services as landscapes in other areas of the park; and, based on the desired use and resulting landscape condition, are less vulnerable to environmental impact.

Finally, some areas central to the park are highlighted as high or intermediate vulnerability areas because of drainage issues that

72

Areas with poor drainage

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SITE ANALYSIS

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73

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

RIPARIAN ZONES There are very few areas along water edges in Landa Park with intact riparian buffers. The graphic to the right shows the minimum and maximum widths of riparian buffer necessary to provide certain ecosystem services. Twenty-five feet of healthy riparian buffer is necessary to properly stabilize banks; sixty feet is necessary for minimal flood control benefit; and, at least 100 feet is necessary to see wildlife habitat benefits.

While some of these criteria are unable to be met in many locations in Landa Park, perhaps the most important criteria in the park is water quality which only requires thirty feet of buffer to see low-level benefits. Currently, the lack of this type of buffer is promoting overgrowth of vegetation in waterways - sometimes specifically of invasive species - and can have negative effects for native species and overall water flow. If this problem is not remedied, increased nutrient-loading could lead to events that can drive decreased dissolved oxygen levels, called eutrophication, and result in fish kills. Beyond minimum buffer requirements, all ecosystem services increase exponentially with larger buffer widths up to the maximum width where benefits are no longer additive.

Source: City of Austin Watershed Protection

The graphic on the facing page shows areas within or adjacent to Landa Park with intact riparian buffers; areas without substantial riparian buffer within twenty-five feet of water edges; and, the location of existing bulkheads along water edges. Intact riparian areas were designated based on the existence of substantial cover of vegetation undisturbed by regular mowing or ongoing pedestrian traffic. Areas in red, reflecting a lack of substantial vegetative buffer in the riparian zone within 25 feet of the water edge, are producing minimal if any water quality, bank stabilization (other than what is offered by a bulkhead), flood control, or habitat benefits.

While areas with bulkheads usually have reduced benefits as compared to vegetated and undisturbed riparian areas, vegetated areas adjacent to bulkhead walls can still provide many of the same riparian buffer benefits to a lesser degree. This concept is reflected on pages 76-77, illustrating the change in riparian benefit among a gradient of different water edge conditions.

74

Examples of water edge conditions without intact riparian buffer

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SITE ANALYSIS

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

75

3

SITE ANALYSIS

WITHOUT BULKHEADS

LOW FUNCTION (DISTURBED RIPARIAN BUFFER)

WITH BULKHEADS

3

76

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

HIGH FUNCTION (INTACT RIPARIAN BUFFER)

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

77

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

INVASIVE SPECIES Numerous programs exist in Landa Park to keep invasive plant and wildlife species at a manageable level. Tilapia, armored catfish, tetras, ramshorn snail, and nutria are the most dominant non-native invasive species in Landa Parks waterways and place pressure on endangered species by increasing competition for food and habitat.

Native aquatic vegetation such as Ludwigia and Cabomba, is being restored within the Comal River system. Efforts involve removal of invasive vegetation and replacement with native vegetation necessary to the preservation of habitat for the endangered fountain darter. Restoration activities are being conducted in both Landa Lake and the Old Channel of the Comal River. Numerous terrestrial vegetative invasives exist within the park, including Chinese tallow - though it is unclear whether efforts have been made to eliminate this and other species.

Invasive species (from left to right): Armored catfish, Tilapia, Ramshorn Snail

ENDANGERED SPECIES Sustained by the Edwards Aquifer, the largest springs in the southwestern United States-- the Comal Springs-- feeds into an ecosystem that serves as habitat to rare and endangered aquatic species found nowhere else in the world. These species include the fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola), Comal Springs dryopid beetle (Stygoparnus comalensis), Comal Springs riffle beetle (Heterelmis comalensis), and Peck’s Cave amphipod (Stygobromus pecki). The Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan includes specific projects to be implemented in New Braunfels to protect these endangered aquatic species that live in the Comal River system.

Endangered species (from left to right): Fountain darter, Comal Springs dryopid beetle, and Comal Springs riffle beetle 78

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

ROAD BUFFERS Most areas of the park adjacent to frequently traveled roads are buffered already with trees.

There have also been recent successful action to increase the number of trees in these buffer areas. As Fredricksburg Rd. continues to act as an important and busy route for cars, it is important to maintain healthy vegetative buffers between the roadway and park spaces especially in areas adjacent to playgrounds. Buffers are able to both minimize noise pollution from traffic as well as air pollution from car exhaust.

TREE HEALTH Trees in Landa Park, including many in the Arboretum, suffer from multiple issues caused by the number of users Landa Park experiences, the park wildlife, and at times, climatic extremes. Of primary concern is the extensive root damage and compaction seen on a super-majority of trees in the park. Trees with root compaction have a more difficult time extracting water, air (CO2), and other nutrients from compacted soil - all of which are necessary to photosynthesize, survive, and provide key ecosystem services. Root damage is caused regularly by foot traffic, mowers used by maintenance staff, placement of picnic tables and barbeque grills, and disposal of hot coals from barbeques at the bases of trees. Attempts to aerate soils within the critical root zones of trees have had limited success in the past due to the shear number of people visiting the park who quickly re-compact soils. Picnic tables are often placed within 10 feet of tree bases, well within the critical root zone.

Wildlife has also been problematic for Landa’s trees. Squirrel girdling is a regular issue with no clear management strategy in place. Squirrels will chew the bark on trunks and roots of trees, weakening and sometimes eventually killing the tree. This is especially problematic for young or already weakened trees.

Over the last decade we have experienced one of Central Texas’ worst droughts. The lack of water combined with heat stress and other factors listed above which negatively impact

Heavily worn groundcover is a common sign of root compaction

Squirrels represent a signifcant challenge to Landa park’s tree health. tree health have lead to regional tree die-offs.

Many trees have been lost in Landa due to these climate extremes. Alternatively, excessive watering also weakens trees and trees with poor drainage in the surrounding soils have also been affected.

The combination of compaction, root, forest bark damage, drought, and occasional flood conditions work together to weaken trees in Landa and increase the risk of trees dying-off.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

79

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

AMENITIES Landa Park has no shortge of amenities-namely, site furnishings, signage, and lighting-but in most cases they are heavily weathered, not coordinated or consistent in terms of style, and generally not sited as part of any clear plan strategy. As with so much of Landa Park, its history as a public space which has grown organically over time is apparent in the regard to the amenities which seem to have simply multiplied over time to accomodate more visitors.

From observations made on multiple busy weekend days, there is no question that the amenities do currently serve an enormously high volume of park visitors. The analysis looked at the larger impact of having many amenity features spread across most of the park. The natural landscape of the park has clearly taken a significant toll from the heavy use and it is not clear that either wayfinding or intepretive information have become more readily accessible with more signs of varying styles and sizes.

The following sections share specific documention of the various components of the Amenities. Although the assessments vary in terms of how the various features are measured qualitatively and quantitatively, there is a consistent finding that the expansion of more Amenities has generally not produced an improved park experience, and certainly not a more sustainable park experience. More visitors are served with more Amenities, but at a great cost to the overall park features which ultimately draw the visitors.

Site Furnishings

Signage

Lighting

80

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

Poorly placed dumpster

Weathered interpretive signage

Regulatory Signage

Inaccessible site Furnishings

Weathered Site Furnishings

Kiosk Signage

Outdated restroom

Inefficient lighting

Unused historic light fixture

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

81

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

82

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SITE ANALYSIS

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83

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

SITE FURNISHINGS Site furnishings at Landa Park include a great variety of amenities and constitute an oversized aspect of the park experience because so much of the activity in the park relies on these furnishings. From benches to picnic tables to barbecue grills to restrooms, picnic pavilions and trash receptacles, people use these furnishings to sit and take in a view of the lake, to enjoy a family gathering, or to watch a performance. So many furnishings have the effect of encouraging visitors to spend long periods of time appreciating the park which is a positive effect.

Of more consequence however, are the negative impacts on the park of having so many furnishings in so many places. Although the few covered pavilions and the majority of the restrooms are in excellent condition, the smaller furnishings range in style and condition with many of the individual elements showing heavy use and weathering. The collateral consequence is a park which in turn also feels weathered and aging ungracefully. The site furnishings need to function well and endure an incredibly high amount of use. In aggregate, when the furnishings are of many different styles and conditions, they appear makeshift and not managed which diminishes the overall park experience.

With so many furnishings in so many places, a high volume of foot traffic has also left its mark on a large percentage of the park’s natural landscape. The consequence is extreme soil compaction, erosion, ponding, impacts to tree roots, and a ground cover landscape that is very difficult to maintain.

The park experience can be dramatically enhanced through a systematic replacing of the existing furnishings with a new standard family of coordinated furnishings. At the same time, the locations of these furnishings should be consolidated to take pressure off the landscape, without discouraging picnics on the grass.

Finally, standard guidelines for how furnishings should be located in close proximity to trees would help tremendously to improve tree

84

Bench Seating

Picnic Pavilions

Picnic furnishings

Restrooms

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

12 0 0 15 0

17 40 18 35 3 8 22 7 0 1

12 26 9 4 0 25 135 21 5 0

Trash Cans

Picnic Tables

Grills

Benches

25 82 33 18 2

Pavilions

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

85

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

SIGNAGE Similar to the site furnishings, current signage at Landa park includes a dizzying array of types from conventional wayfinding signage to regulatory signage to memorial signage to interpretive signage, as well as temporary signage on occasion. Among these, the wayfinding signs along Landa Park Drive-- which match the New Braunfels city standard-- and the regulatory signs in the Gazebo Loop area-which match the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s Habitat Conservation Plan standard-- appear to be the only signs coordinated by an overarching plan.

The effect of so many signs layered upon the park experience is essentially threefold. On the one hand, it reinforces the historic evolution of the park by presenting different types of information on various types of signage media which have clearly weathered at different rates.

Of more consequence however, are the other effects of so many different types of signs. This condition leaves visitors confused and it does little to reinforce the overall identity of the park which are important metrics of a successful park experience.

Finding ways to consolidate the information provided by many of these signs is a critical next step. While many of these signs memorialize significant events and locations in the park and should not be altered, there are many signs which can be replaced by a more standardized and consolidated system of signage which might combine wayfinding, interpretive and regulatory information more clearly and key locations which receive high volumes of visitors.

Memorial Signage

Educational / Interpretive Signage

Wayfinding Signage

Regulatory Signage

86

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SITE ANALYSIS

Map of the many monuments and memorial signs in Landa Park, adapted from the book ‘Landa Park: Its Springs and Its People’ published in 2016.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

87

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

SITE LIGHTING In general, lighting at Landa Park is functional and serves to illuminate roadways, parking areas, and program spaces including the covered pavilions, volleyball courts and Aquatic Center. However, the system leaves much to be desired in the way that it responds to overall site conditions and the desired character of the park.

Remnants of Landa Park’s earlier, and now historic, light fixtures are still scattered throughout the park and recall an era when the park’s lighting was designed and calibrated with the the park’s features and tailored to specific nuances of park activities. Today, the lighting does not achieve the same degree of coordination and in many cases appears to be an afterthought.

The quality and amount of the light emitted by the current fixtures throughout the park is typically not a consideration but should be given the variety of critical habitat, variety of park users, and appreciation of the landscape.

Fixtures with more focused light, warmer lamps, and with cutoff screens would all satisfy this goal. Landa Park is an ideal candidate to be certified under the International Dark-Sky Assocation guidelines. The certification would help the park develop a formalized standard to minimize light pollution.

Developing a standard family of light fixtures for the park could also address the light quality and help to reinforce the identity of the park.

Not only do the current fixtures not match each other stylistically, there is currently a significant lack in pedestrian-scale fixtures such as bollards and low pole lamps. The charcter of the remaining historic fixtures could also help to define the style of this new standard.

Lighting is also critical for safety, and the current fixtures are providing only the minimal contribution toward that. With any expansion of the pedestrian network, decisions will need to be made regarding how much of the system to illuminate to insure safety as well as to clarify how the park should be used at night.

88

Pole-Mounted Down Lights

Pole-Mounted Flood Lights

Remnant Historic Lights

Supplementary Lights (inground, tree, or architectural lighting)

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

SITE ANALYSIS

Map of Landa Park’s existing light fixtures CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

89

3

3

SITE ANALYSIS

FACILITIES SURVEY As part of the site analysis for the Master Plan, a limited facilities survey was conducted by Architectural Consultant McCann Adams Studio.

The survey focused on facilities that have not been renovated in the recent past and complete findings of this survey are presented below.

This survey provides a master planning-level assessment of certain facilities located within the City of New Braunfels’ Landa Park. These include: • Boathouse • Dance Slab • Administration Building • Mini-Golf Concession, Parks Maintenance Building and Recreation Center Context: These and the many other facilities in Landa Park have been built at different times, and each specific site, orientation and use does not appear to have followed any sort of master plan. In fact, no overall park plan has been located that could have acted as a guide for facilities, landscape and hardscape improvements. This report, along with other existing conditions report, will help inform such a master plan for the both the Park and its Arboretum.

BOATHOUSE The Boathouse consists of a wood-frame, open-air pavilion and concrete structure located along the western shoreline of Landa Lake. The composition-shingled, pavilion roof shelters several, ganged picnic tables on a somewhat cramped and sloping paving area. The roof also extends over a small, concrete block building at its north end, where tickets are sold for the seasonal paddleboat rental concession. Due to

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Boathouse viewed from the east side of Landa Lake

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its location well below the grade of the adjacent facilities (the Founders Oak, the German Pioneer Monument, the Dance Slab, etc.), the Boathouse is not highly visible in the Park, except from the view shown above.

This primarily summertime, paddle-boat rental concession does not seem to be the best use for such a charming, shaded spot right on the water’s edge. The structure could be renovated and re-roofed to become a more attractive and inviting structure more in keeping with other historic pavilions in the park. It is in need of renovations, ADA improvements, better lighting and signage, and possibly more support space, all of which could render this place a unique meeting spot for locals, as well as a rental events venue.

The Landa Park Boathouse houses a paddleboat rental concession that operates during Summer.

Recommendations: •

The Boathouse could be converted to a unique, casual food and beverage concession, that could become a great meeting place for locals and visitors, year-round.

•

Remove the chain-link fencing around this concession, and integrate it better into the parkland, creating a more gracious entry and shoreline edge.

Example of public park boathouse as restaurant (The Loeb Boathouse, Central Park, New York City)

• A pier or floating dock could be extended into the water to create a spectacular setting for refreshments, informal dining, events, and new educational programs. The pavilion structure could be equipped with heaters and removeable plastic fabric wall panels that clip into place during colder months.

•

The paddleboat concession should be evaluated and other water-related concessions, such as kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, canoeing, fishing, etc., should be considered.

View from dining room interior of the Loeb Boathouse (Central Park, New York City)

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• Parking for the Boathouse should be clearly signed from connecting roadways, and way-finding signage must be provided from this parking area to the Boathouse and other facilities that the parking lot is serving.

DANCE SLAB The Dance Slab is a large, concrete-paved gathering and performance space, located to the west and south of the bend in Landa Lake. It is sited on a breezy promontory, overlooking the Lake and the springs which feed it on two sides with long vistas toward the east, across the Lake toward the spring-fed swimming pool. A nearby gravel service drive offers a service dropoff at the Dance Slab’s entry zone for special events.

A primary pedestrian approach to the Dance Slab from the south is paved with various hardscape materials (exposed aggregate, pavers, asphalt) and is awkwardly inconsistent.

Historically this is a place for community dancing and music and is a rentable facility. There is an adjacent men’s and women’s restroom building clad in natural limestone. Also nearby are two large, group picnic pavilions and wood-decked structures that overlook the springs feeding Landa Lake. A large Live Oak tree growing off-center in the Dance Slab is an unusual and welcome feature providing shade for the variety of activities that take place on the Slab.

The Dance Slab has an elevated stage area and wooden backdrop or screen wall that was designed and built by the Evening Lions Club in 1990. The wooden surround focuses attention to the stage, and while functional, seems somewhat provisional and not particularly compatible with the historic buildings of the Park. However, not unlike some of the original Works Progress Administration (WPA) era buildings, it is a modest, volunteer-built structure that is a needed amenity to the Dance Slab, and has become a part of the fabric of the park for the last quarter century.

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The Dance Slab, looking toward the Stage and adjacent Restroom Building

The approach to the Dance Slab from Landa Park Drive

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Recommendations: • Repave the existing gravel service drive/ turnaround to include a more clear drop- off zone.

• Consider constructing a perimeter shade structure that will not intrude on the existing Live Oak canopy, possibly using the existing battered stone columns as base for the new structure. Integrate festive lighting overhead and in the central Live Oak and other trees, surrounding the Dance Slab. Consider incorporating new designed benches that integrate better with the park language - as part of the new shade structure.

• Explore the potential to bury overhead powerlines in the vicinty of the Dance Slab in conjunction with the shade structure project.

• Introduce new shade trees and landscaping around the perimeter of the Dance Slab.

•

Provide upgraded furnishings, such as trash and recycling bins, bicycle racks, drinking fountains, signage with reservation information, etc.

Back corners/edges of Dance Slab, with stone light fixture bases at the entry edge

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING The Administration Building, a small, one-story, gable-roofed, residential structure, at the corner of Golf Course Road and Landa Park Drive. It houses offices for the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of New Braunfels. The building is located what could be considered a gateway to the park but does not function effectively as such, due to its diminutive appearance in the broader park landscape and the adjacent parking lots.

Recommendations: • Pedestrian access and road crossings to the Administration Building from the other parts

An example of a planted shade structure integrated with existing columns and seating

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of Landa Park should be constructed, and a more park-related and public-oriented use for this building should be considered.

•

Create a more civic landscape treatment and entry for the Administration Building, and clearer signage about its use, once this is determined.

• To transition from using a temporary building to house some parks staff, continue to develop a more long term solution to the shortage of office space in the existing Park Administration Building. Ultimately, work to remove the temporary building from the rear of this lot and develop this area as parkland: currently, it feels like the leftover, backyard space of a converted house.

• Install public sidewalks along both Golf Course drive and Landa Park Drive, to serve the Administration Building.

•

Construct a pedestrian beacon crossing Landa Park Drive to facilitate crossing this roadway where the park bridge crossing of the Comal River is located.

The Parks Administration Building from Golf Course Drive

MINI-GOLF, RESTROOMS, PARKS MAINTENANCE BUILDING, AND RECREATION CENTER The Mini-Golf Course, Restrooms, the Parks Maintenance Building and the Recreation Center occupy the southern most tip of Landa Park which is the block bounded by Elizabeth Avenue and Landa Park Drive. It does not feel like a part of Landa Park at all, but rather like part of the surrounding urban fabric.

The Mini-Golf Course, located at this prominent corner at what could be the southern entrance to the park, is an unwelcoming, chain-link-fenced facility. The small Mini-Golf concessions building is located on this corner and faces it with a relatively blank façade consisting of what appears to be a back door.

View from Elizabeth Avenue of the temporary parks administration building located behind the original building.

The Parks Maintenance Building, by contrast, is

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a large two-story height building with a strong architectural presence on the block. It is a sturdy, limestone-clad shed building dating from the Landa Industries period building that was originally a grain storage shed that has been renovated for use as a maintenance and equipment shed. Interestingly, this building has a detached grain silo which has been closed off to dissuade people from climbing up inside this tower. This is the architectural gem of the southern end of Landa Park, and its reuse as a public space – or even as a part of a new Recreation Center complex- could be interesting to consider.

The Recreation Center is a modest, two-story masonry building that is used for a variety of classes and recreational activities, and includes a small, but two-story high, indoor multi-purpose court. The building it outdated and unwelcoming from the street except for its large mural facing the surface parking lot. The Recreation Center has no clear connection to the Mini-Golf or to the rest of Landa Park, and its current use as a primary recreation facility will soon be superseded by a new, multi-million dollar recreation center nearby.

The refurbished Mini-Golf facility

Recommendations: •

Reevaluate Recreation Center program to insure that it complements other park activities and those at the City’s new recreation facility.

• With the successful refurbishment of the Mini-Golf site recently completed, develop a second phase scope to remodel or rebuild a more attractive clubhouse building that also provides refreshments, and presents a more public-oriented façade to the streets it fronts. Integrate new public restrooms as a part of this building.

• Create a more park-like setting for the Mini-Golf, in terms of landscape and architectural expression.

•

The Mini-Golf clubhouse building

Develop master plan alternatives for this southern tip of Landa Park that better integrates and relates the above facilities in terms of their uses, their

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architectural and landscape expression, vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle circulation, etc., in order to tie them into the whole of Landa Park.

• Consider adapting the use of the Parks Maintenance Building to provide a public- serving retail concession that could dramatically enhance the Mini-Golf experience and increase revenue for the park.

Park Restroom

View of the Recreation Center and its parking lot from Landa Park Drive

The Park Maintenance Building

Example of modest building refurbishment and additional shaded spaces for casual dining and beer garden (Contigo, Austin) 96

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A long term vision could involve opening up a portion of the existing Maintenance Building through the wall shown above to serve as a retail concession for the Mini-Golf facility.

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ACCESSIBILITY SURVEY As part of the site analysis for the Master Plan, an accessibility survey was conducted for Landa Park by Accessibility Consultant Altura Solutions on March 28, 2016 to study compliance with the 1994 Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS).

Following the refurbishment of the Mini-Golf facility in July, 2017, another accessibility survey was conducted exclusively for that facility based on the 2012 Texas Accessibility Standards.

A summary of the elements found to be out of compliance with both surveys is provided below. If the element was not scoped in the 1994 standards, the code section provided is from the current 2012 standards as those are now the applicable standards. Specific details regarding the cause for non-compliance can be found in the full accessibility survey.

Please note, while the majority of the elements included in this report were inspected under the 1994 TAS standards due to their age, it is possible there have been renovations that were constructed under the current 2012 standards that were unknown to Altura Solutions at the time of the assessment.

However, it is extremely unlikely that any features that did not comply with the 1994 standards would have complied with the 2012 standards.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATION All areas of non-compliance are currently in violation of federal law and standards, and efforts should be made to upgrade these areas as soon as possible. However, if funding is not available to fix all elements, the below priorities should be considered as a way of phasing the improvements.

Phase 1 Priorities: parking areas and accessible routes between site features and points of arrival.

Phase 2 Priorities: restrooms, facilities, and other program spaces.

Phase 3 Priorities: picnic tables and grills.

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SITE - PARKING •

The large parking lot between the Parks and Recreation Building and the Aquatics Center is not compliant.

•

The parking lot between the wading pool and gazebo where the ramp connects is not compliant.

•

The row of parking spaces near the volleyball court is not compliant.

•

The two parking areas serving the restroom building on the west side of the park just east of the train tracks are not compliant.

•

The parking in front of the playscapes is not compliant.

•

The two parking areas west of the playscapes at the edge of the park have a total of 26 parking space with 2 accessible spaces that are compliant, however, there is no van accessible parking space provided.

SITE - THROUGHOUT •

There are several reservable picnic facilities within the park. A minimum of 5% of the dining spaces are to be accessible. Grills, trash receptacles, and pet waste dispenser are also required to be accessible. There were also several of these elements throughout the park.

•

Throughout the site, there are several crossings. If the curb ramps are located at crossings within the public R.O.W. detectable warnings must be provided. Many curb ramps do not have detectable warnings.

•

The accessible route to the Boat House is not compliant.

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•

The ramp connecting the Boat House to the walk near the dance slab is not compliant.

•

Along the accessible route behind the dance slab to access the bridge, the route is not compliant.

•

The ramp from the dance slab to the bridge is not compliant.

•

The drinking fountain along the accessible route between Area No. 4 and Area No. 5 is not compliant.

•

The accessible route connecting the dance slab to the memorial area is not compliant.

•

The accessible route to the memorial is not compliant.

•

The accessible route to the monument is not compliant.

•

The 2 volleyball court sites in the park are not compliant.

•

The horseshoe pit is not compliant.

•

The elevated platform adjacent to Area No. 11 is not accessible.

•

The gazebo is not compliant.

•

The wading pool within the site is not compliant.

•

There are two drinking fountains within the playscapes that are not compliant.

•

The bridge across from the Parks Admin Building is not compliant.

•

The curb ramp in front of the entrance to the Parks Admin Building is not compliant.

•

The memorial at the intersection of Landa Drive and Elizabeth Avenue is not compliant.

•

The sidewalk from Landa Drive along Elizabeth Avenue is not compliant.

•

The Rec Center entrance is not compliant.

•

The maintenance building on site was not evaluated.

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AQUATICS COMPLEX •

There are four accessible spaces at the entrance, 2 of which are not compliant.

•

Entrance is not compliant.

•

Family Changing/Shower Room is not compliant.

•

Women’s Dressing Room is not compliant.

•

Men’s Dressing Room is not compliant.

•

Accessible Routes throughout Aquatics Complex are not compliant.

•

Wading Pool is not compliant.

•

Large Pool is not compliant.

•

Spring-fed pool and associated features are not compliant.

•

Playscapes are not compliant.

•

Public restrooms are not compliant.

LANDA HAUS •

Parking is not compliant.

•

Entrances/exits are not compliant.

•

Dining area is not compliant.

•

Columns throughout are not compliant.

•

Bar/kitchen area is not compliant.

•

Exterior patio is not compliant.

•

Women’s restroom is not compliant.

•

Men’s restroom is not compliant.

•

Employee work area door is not compliant.

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TRAIN DEPOT •

Employee work area door is not compliant.

•

Ticket counter is not compliant.

•

Train car is not compliant.

BOAT HOUSE •

The ramp on the route to the dock and entrance to the boat house that is not accessible.

•

There is 1 grill that is not compliant.

•

The columns throughout are not compliant.

•

The door to the employee work area is not compliant.

•

The accessible route within the boat house is not compliant.

DANCE SLAB •

The dance slab performance area is not compliant.

RESTROOMS AT DANCE SLAB •

The Women’s restroom is not compliant.

•

The Men’s restroom is not compliant.

RESTROOMS AT MONUMENT DRIVE AND EP NOWOTNEY

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•

The Women’s restroom is not compliant.

•

The Men’s restroom is not compliant.

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RESTROOMS AT PLAYGROUND •

The Women’s restroom is not compliant.

•

The Men’s restroom is not compliant.

MINI-GOLF •

The interior of the Mini-Golf clubhouse building is not compliant.

•

The dedicated parking spaces are not compliant

•

A portion of the walking surface is not compliant

RESTROOMS •

The accessible route into both the Men’s and Women’s restrooms is not compliant.

•

The Women’s restroom is not compliant.

•

The Men’s restroom is not compliant.

RECREATION CENTER •

Parking is not compliant.

•

Entrance is not compliant

•

The Girl’s restroom is not compliant.

•

The Boy’s restroom is not compliant.

•

The drinking fountain is not compliant.

•

There are nine doors throughout the building that are not compliant.

•

The accessible route within the building is not compliant.

•

There is a kitchen on the second floor that is not compliant.

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MASTER PLAN

SITE PLAN The Site Plan represents the culmination of the master planning process, a graphic distillation of the many ideas advanced during that process, and most importantly a consensus on how to best preserve, enhance, and sustain what makes Landa Park such a unique asset to both New Braunfels and the larger region. Embodied in the Site Plan are the many recommendations that follow in this chapter of the Master Plan, and organized along the five thematic areas of Circulation, Program, Landscape & Ecology, Amenties and Administration.

The Site Plan has evolved over approximately 12 months through a rigorous schedule of community meetings, steering committee meetings, stakeholder interviews and conversations, dozens of site visits during all seasons of the year and at all times of day, and time spent by the planning team to process all of this input and identify common interests.

The planning process took very seriously the principal goal of developing a plan for the park that would allow it to be sustained for future generations and implemented over time.

Ultimately, the plan marries the community input received with professional best practices and design concepts intended to give form to ideas presented by the community.

all other aspects of the park can more easily thrive.

Improved circulation, parking, and environmental restoration and enhancement are thus the predominant design features which give form to the Site Plan. The result is a greater balance between the need to move through and around the park by foot or car, with the preservation of the sacred activities of the park and the landscape itself. All of the signature program areas of the park are still here but now safer, better connected, buffered by new planting areas and enhanced with new features.

The underlying intent of the Site Plan is to reinforce the experiences that make Landa Park what it is, and what has made it memorable to so many generations of visitors. To do this, the aspects of the park which undermine these experiences and threaten to make them unsustainable needed to be addressed head-on, namely traffic conflicts, execessive impervious surfaces, and environmental degradation. By developing signature strategies to improve these three core challenges to the park experience, virtually

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LEGEND

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26

24 18 18

2

25

23

27

16 19

16

20 18 22

21

17

7 16

18

24

15

11

29

13 14

28

12

10

9

15 18

18 7

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1

Landa Street Shared Lane Bikeway

2

New Gateway Signage

3

New Decorative Fencing

4

Redesigned Parking and Pocket Green

5

Refurbished Mini-Golf Facility

6

New Off-Street Trail

7

Redesigned Parking

8

New Staff Parking

9

Redesigned Train Depot and Plaza

10

Restored Landa Haus

11

New Staff Parking and Trash Enclosure

12

Landa Lake Esplanade

13

New Pavilion

14

Redesigned Landa Park Drive

15

New Stormwater Planting Feature

16

Revegetated Slope Grow Zone

17

Refurbished Boat House and New Dock

18

New Promenade

19

Refurbished Dance Slab

20

Repaved Dropoff Area

21

New Limited Access Drive

22

New Traffic Circle and Bypass Drive

23

New Consolidated Parking and Trailhead

24

Reforestation

25

New Trail under California Blvd.

26

New Buffered Bikeway

27

New Trailhead

28

New Off-Street Trail

29

New Playground Loop Promenade

30

New Crosswalk

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New Parking

32

New Train Hall

33

New Nature Play Area

15 7 32 24

31

30

5

2 6

33

31 4

KSB

IC DER

FRE 3

URG D

ROA

0’

150’ 300’

600’

LANDA STREET

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GOALS The project goals distill insights gained from the community input, discussions with City staff and park stakeholders, site analysis of the park’s existing conditions by the planning team, and a review of recommendations made for the park from earlier plans and studies. All of the recommendations which follow in this chapter of the plan documents reinforce these goals.

1 2

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IMPROVE CIRCULATION

WITHIN AND AROUND THE PARK TO PROMOTE SAFETY CONNECTIVITY AND USE.

PROMOTE AWARENESS

OF THE SPRINGS, ARBORETUM AND BROADER ECOLOGY.

3

LEVERAGE LANDSCAPE DESIGN

4

SIMPLIFY AND CONSOLIDATE SIGNAGE

5

INTEGRATE PARK HISTORY

6

ENHANCE KEY PROGRAM AREAS

7

PRESERVE THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE PARK

TO ACHIEVE AESTHETIC AND FUNCTIONAL GOALS

FOR WAYFINDING AND EDUCATION.

INTO PARK PROGRAM AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE.

STRATEGICALLY TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE USE.

THROUGH SENSITIVE DESIGN INTERVENTIONS

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MASTER PLAN ORGANIZATION The structure of the Master Plan recommendations follows the same core focus areas identified during the site analysis work. Key features of each focus area are identified below.

CIRCULATION The Circulation recommendations focus on ways of better coordinating the need for both vehicles and people to move through and around Landa Park more safely and comfortably. Parking management is a key component.

LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY The Landscape & Ecology recommendations focus on ways protecting, restoring and enhancing the park’s natural features as well as proposing new areas of planting to fulfill multiply goals including beautification, drainage, bank stabilization and longterm maintenance.

PROGRAM The Program recommendations focus on ways improving and enhancing existing program areas as well as proposing new programs areas that will complement the current offerings of the park.

AMENITIES The Amenities recommendations focus on many of the park features that are critical to insuring an accessible, inviting and comfortable experience for visitors but often overlooked. Key amenities include site furnishings such as benches and picnic tables, lighting, and signage for regulatory, wayfinding, and education.

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CIRCULATION OVERVIEW The overarching intent of the Circulation recommendations is to better manage the movement of cars and people through and around the park to improve safety, accessibility, connectivity and comfort. To achieve this, the recommendations address roadway design, an expanded pedestrian walkway network, parking management and connections between the park and adjacent areas. Several of the recommendations rely on the removal or redesign of secondary roadways in the park into dedicated pedestrian promenades and trails, namely Playground Drive, Memorial Drive, E.P. Nowotny Drive, and Gazebo Loop.

These recommendations represent an effort to reverse years of declining environmental health in the park and reassert the most fundamental qualities of the park experience. Changes to these roadways will result in a dramatically expanded pedestrian network, fewer traffic conflicts, significant increase in green space, improvement in air and water quality, and the loss of parking along these roadways will be more than compensated in the creation of additional parking within the Consildated Parking strategy.

LANDA PARK DRIVE

The Master Plan identifies Landa Park Drive as not only a critical artery through the park but a feature which should be treated as a signature park experience. The roadway connects virtually all program areas, links the park to adjacent communities and for many who pass through the park, it provides a first impression. The recommendations for Landa Park Drive aim to insure the roadway reflects these values.

FREDERICKSBURG ROAD BYPASS

The idea of connecting Landa Park Drive to Fredericksburg Road via a new bypass road is not a new concept in New Braunfels but the Master Plan proposes to revisit this idea in the 110

context of a resdesigned Landa Park Drive.

The bypass provides a means of reducing traffic volume through the park by providing a more expedient connection to several nearby destinations including Seele Elementary.

PICNIC & PLAYGROUND PROMENADES

New pedestrian promenades are proposed in the existing picnic and playground areas that would transform Playground and Monument Drives into dedicated pedestrian promenades and introduce a new signature promenade that connects the existing park entrance at Fredericksburg Road to Landa Park Drive through the picnic area.

GAZEBO LOOP RESTORATION

Within the most sensitive area of Landa Park, the Master Plan proposes to replace the existing loop roadway, and its 3 small parking areas, with a significantly enhanced trail loop, new parking area that consolidates the spaces from the three smaller areas and a new trail connection to Panther Canyon through the historic archway below California Boulevard.

CONSOLIDATED PARKING

The Master Plan proposes to consolidate parking for Landa Park into three gateway areas that would effectively mitigate current traffic conflicts in the park, allow for an expanded pedestrian network, and expand the park’s greenspace. The three parking nodes would still insure that all park destinations are no more than a 5 minute walk from a parking area.

CONNECTIVITY

The Master Plan proposes improved trail connections at each of the four access points to the park: Landa Street, Fredericksburg Road, California Boulevard, and Elizabeth Avenue. At each location, a new trail is proposed that would enable park visitors to arrive more safely and easily by foot or bike.

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MAJOR CIRCULATION RECOMMENDATIONS LEGEND New or Redesigned Major Roadway New Service Drive Existing Roadway Redesigned as Dedicated Pedestrian Promenade New Pedestrian/Bike Connections Existing Roadway to be Removed Existing Pedestrian Trail to be Removed New or Consolidated Major Parking

0’

150’ 300’

600’

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LANDA PARK DRIVE INTENT The Master Plan proposes a major redesign of Landa Park Drive that will use the existing right-of-way more effectively to accomodate pedestrians and cyclists, new planting, stormwater management, and provide a more pleasant experience for motorists. The proposed design replaces the existing angled parking with an extra-wide path for pedestrians and cyclists seperated from the driving lane by new tree wells. An off-street trail is also provided on the west side of the roadway. Dropoff lanes with ADA parallel parking spaces are also provided to facilitate dropoffs for picnic events.

Proposed key sections through the resdesigned Landa Park Drive 112

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Proposed redesign of Landa Park Drive in context of the expanded pedestrian network CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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Proposed redesign of Landa Park Drive

WHAT IS A FESTIVAL STREET?

Existing condition of Landa Park Drive

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The resdesign of Landa Park Drive is best described as a Festival Street, a streetsccape concept in which vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists are given equal precedence but provided with clear and well-defined rightof-ways to insure safe and comfortable passage. Intermittent planting beds help to create the this boundary between the driving lane and the pedestrian lane, and will help to manage stormwater as well. Traffic calming measures such as a paver roadway surface and well-marked pedestrian crossings are integral to the design to make for a more seamless driving experience while mitigating conflicts with pedestrians.

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LANDA PARK DRIVE RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Work with a qualified landscape architect to develop the redesign of Landa Park Drive as a single project based on the following recommendations:

Gazebo Loop + Proposed Panther Canyon Trailhead Panther Canyon Trail Wading Pool Springs

• Preserve Landa Park Drive as a two-way vehicular thrustreet but treat it as an iconic feature of the park that if redesigned will dramatically improve the broader park experience.

Boathouse, Dance Slab + Founder’s Oak

Casual Picnic Areas Proposed Pavilion

Casual Picnic Areas

Train Depot/ Landa Haus/ Aquatics Center

Formal Picnic Areas Pavilion

Playground Areas

Landa Park Drive serves as a critical artery through the park and should be redesigned to be a signature feature

• Remove the existing angled parking but provide limited drop-off lanes and ADA parking.

• Provide both on-street and off-street trails to accommodate a high volume of activity.

• Utilize planting beds as means of separating the drive lanes from the onstreet trail.

• Design the planting beds as rain gardens or bioswales to detain and filter stormwater and convey it to a proposed swale connecting to an existing outfall at Landa Lake. See Landscape & Ecology recommendations

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Proposed bypass road with roundabout in context of the redesigned Landa Park Drive and an expanded pedestrian network.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

A bypass road is proposed to connect Landa Park Drive to Fredericksburg Road with the primary goal of reducing traffic volume on Landa Park Drive while providing a convenient shortcut for motorists headed to Seele Elementary, the new Recreation Center, and or generally in the direction of Walnut Avenue. Where the bypass road meets Landa Park Drive, a small roundabout is proposed to coordinate traffic.

Alignment of the bypass road has been sited in a location deemed to be generally practical and feasible, yet this will need to be studied further before this concept can be implemented.

1. Work with a qualified civil engineering consultant to conduct a feasibility assessment of potential alignments for the proposed bypass road.

2. A mini-roundabout is proposed to minimize intersection conflicts at Landa Park Drive.

3. Potential alignments should avoid any negative impacts to nearby heritage trees and the Spring Run. 4. Potential alignments must be coordinated with the proposed pedestrian network and with traffic on Fredericksburg Road to minimize conflicts.

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Proposed mini-roundabout on Landa Park Drive looking south from the stone bridge.

MINI-ROUNDABOUT The mini-roundabout proposed for the connection between Landa Park Drive and the bypass road is a traffic design that has proven to significantly reduce intersection crashes.

Though not yet widely used in the United States, it is becoming more popular, and has been implemented successfully in numerous neighborhood locations in Austin. With its small footprint, the mini-roundabout can adapt to tight locations while still providing space for planting. Typical designs often include a raised curb or rumble strip at the edge of the roundabout.

Typical mini-roundabout in a neighborhood context

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Proposed Picnic Promenade in the context of the the expanded pedestrian network

PICNIC AND PLAYGROUND PROMENADES INTENT

New pedestrian promenades are proposed in the existing picnic and playground areas as a means of providing an improved pedestrian connection from the major park gateway at Fredericksburg Road to Landa Park Drive, an improved pedestrian connection between the picnic and playground areas, and as a major expansion of the broader pedestrian network.

To create these new features, Playground Drive is converted from a dedicated vehicular

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roadway to a dedicated pedestrian promenade able to continue supporting vehicles for events and regular maintenance. The existing parking along Playground Drive would be more than compensated with newly designed parking areas just south of the playground area. See the Parking recommendations below for additional information.

Complementing the transformation of Playground Drive is a new signature promenade that would more directly connect the park entrance at Fredericksburg Road to Landa Park Drive, the likes of which currently does not exist at Landa Park but is widely found in parks of a similar character. The proposed is alignment

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PICNIC & PLAYGROUND PROMENADE RECOMMENDATIONS

Existing conditions where Playground Drive meets Fredericksburg Road

1. Work with a qualified landscape architecture consultant to study potential alignments for the new picnic promenade and tranformation of Playground Drive with minimal disruption to surrounding features.

Study should also include the coordinated placement of new picnic area site furnishings between the new promenades (see Amenities recommendations) as well as the placement of proposed swale feature (see Landscape & Ecology recommendations).

2. Consider phasing the construction of the promenades to allow for uninterrupted access for park visitors.

3. Tree protection should take precedence in determining optimal route of picnic promenade.

Precedent for the proposed Picnic Promenade requires further study to minimize conflicts with existing heritage trees but the intent is to bisect the existing picnic area in an effort to create more defined gathering areas within this space of the park.

4. As a preliminary phase to prepare park visitors for the changes to Playground and Monument Drives, close the roadways to vehicular traffic with moveable bollards, retractable bollards, or large planters, accompanied by education signage to explain the project.

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Proposed Gazebo Loop Restoration plan

GAZEBO LOOP RESTORATION INTENT

The recommendations for this ecologically and historically sensitive area of the park are designed to insure the long-term sustainability of this area. To this end, the current Gazebo Loop roadway is replaced with a dramatically improved trail network that fills in missing links in the current network and provides a new connection to Panther Canyon through the historic stone archway below California Boulevard. The three small parking areas that existed along the Gazebo Loop are now consolidated into a single large parking area with more total spaces and still situated in close

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proximity to the Gazebo, the Wildlife Pier, the bridges, and the Wading Pool. A new trailhead is also proposed at this enhanced parking area to better orient visitors to the Panther Canyon Trail.

GAZEBO LOOP RESTORATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1. If possible, treat all improvements to the Gazebo Loop area as a single design and construction project to insure coordination and sensitivity to existing context.

2. Prepare a landscape plan for public review prior to removing the Gazebo Loop roadway.

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Perspective of proposed trail connection through the historic archway below California Boulevard to better connect Panther Canyon to Landa Park.

3. As a preliminary phase to prepare park visitors for the changes to the Gazebo Loop, close the roadway to vehicular traffic with moveable bollards, retractable bollards, or large planters, accompanied by education signage to explain the project.

4. Study trail alignments further to to avoid conflicts with existing heritage trees.

5. Design all trail and parking enhancements in coordination with the recommendations of the Habitat Conservation Plan.

6. Treat the consildated parking area as a demonstation project for highly sensitive ecological areas within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone as well as elsewhere. The design should include significant water quality features in the form of swales, vegetated strips, permeable paving, or other green stormwater infrastructure best management practices.

7. Engage with the Comal Trails Alliance on the trail connection to Panther Canyon and refer to the 2010 New Braunfels Strategic Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

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CONSOLIDATED PARKING INTENT

The Consolidated Parking strategy relies on a recognition that there are many parking areas throughout the core of the park which are having a highly detrimental affect on the park experience: regular conflicts with pedestrians, motorists circling for long periods looking for a parking space and adding to traffic, conflicts over parking spaces, excessive impervious surfaces which contribute to drainage and water quality problems, and perhaps most importantly the park’s green space is significantly divided by roadways and parking that visitors need to traverse to access different areas of the park.

To address this situation, the Consolidated Parking strategy proposes three parking hubs at three centers of park activity: A Main Parking Hub at the Landa Haus/Train Depot/Aquatic Center, a Fredericksburg Road Parking Hub at the Playground area, and a Springs Parking Hub at the Wading Pool/Dance Slab/Pavilions area.

Beyond the hubs, in the Gazebo Loop area, the plan proposes to group the three current small parking areas into one larger parking area in close proximity to the Gazebo, Wildlife Pier, and bridges, and at the Recreation Center/Mini-Golf Area, a redesign is proposed for the current parking lot to improve circulation and create a small pocket green space along the main park entry drive.

At each of the parking hubs, existing lots are redesigned for more efficient parking layouts and enhanced with new shade and stormwater plantings. At the Playground hub, additional parking is added on recently acquired park acreage at the edge of the park. Ultimately, all destinations of the park are only a five minute walk from a parking hub, visitors will have a much easier experience navigating the park, and there will be far fewer traffic conflicts.

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Wading Pool/ Dance Slab/ Pavilions

Landa Haus/ Train Depot/ Aquatic Center Playground

Consolidated Parking strategy CONSOLIDATED PARKING RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Prioritize improvements to the lots at the Landa Haus/Train Depot/Aquatic Center area as this is the most significant and visible gateway to the park and has the potential to positively impact water quality in Landa Lake.

2. The new parking lots at the Playground area hub should be another priority as they have few impacts on adjacent areas, could offset parking shortages dramatically, and could demonstate new standards for parking lot design at Landa Park. Work with qualified civil engineering and landscape architecture consultants to prepare designs and construction documents for these lots.

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3. Resdesign of the parking areas along Landa Park Drive near the Wading Pool should be done in conjunction with the redesign of Landa Park Drive.

4. Treat the consildated parking lot at the Gazebo Loop as a demonstation project for highly sensitive ecological areas, within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone as well as elsewhere. The design should include significant water quality features in the form of swales, vegetated strips, permeable paving, or other green stormwater infrastructure best management practices 5. Explore parking fee structures including pay lots, metered parking, and a parking district. In all cases, local residents should be exempt.

Parking lot precedent showing a rain garden

6. Coordinate streetscape and trail improvements adjacent to new or redesigned parking lots concurrently or shortly before/after the parking lot construction to insure that visitors have safe pedestrain connections from the lots.

7. Coordinate all parking lot improvements with the Habitat Conservation Plan recommendations as all lots have impacts on nearby waterways and parking lot retrofits could have a positive impact on water quality.

8. For all parking area plantings, refer to Landscape Management and Plant Pallette recommendations in the Landscape & Ecology section of this chapter.

Parking lot precedent showing a bioswale

Parking lot precedent with extensive planting for shade and stormwater management..

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CONNECTIVITY

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For all of its civic importance to New Braunfels and surrounding communities, Landa Park remains a very difficult public space to access by any means other than a car. Indeed, nearly all respondents to the Master Plan’s community survey indicated that they typcially arrive to the park by car, and many respondents indicated a strong desire for safer means of accessing the park by foot or bike. Improved bike and pedestrian connections to the park are critical to not only ensuring that the park is highly accessible but has potential to greatly reduce traffic and the demand for parking. Each of the four gateways to the park offers specific opportunities and challenges for connectivity, and therfore specific recommendations for how to best improve connectivity.

CONNECTIVITY RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Prioritize installing an on-street protected trail along California Boulevard, with as much width as feasible within the existing public right-of-way.

Buffered bike and pedestrian lane

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2. Engage the landowner on the north side of California Boulevard about the potential for an off-street trail easement, and if a willingness exists to facilitate this, study the feasibility.

3. Work with NBU to grant approval for an off-street trail through its easement along the East side of Fredericksburg Road.

Pending approval, prioritize the design and construction of this trail. Coordinate trail with new pedestrian crossings and parking areas along Fredericksburg Road.

Off-Street trail within street r.o.w.

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4. Prioritize the design and construction of an off-street trail along Elizabeth Avenue within the existing public right-of-way to better connect Landa Park to Hinman Island and Prince Solms Parks.

5. Restripe Landa Street to provide a sharrow that will better connect the park to downtown for cyclists.

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Planned On-Street Hike and Bike Trail Plan based currentand plansBike from City of New Braunfels and AAMPO Bicycle and Hike and Bike T AreaonHike Trails, Pedestrian Recommendations.

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LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY OVERVIEW In addition to beautifying the park, Landscape & Ecology perform a much greater service.

Like Circulation, the park’s Landscape & Ecology should be seen as a vital set of organs -- if it’s not functioning well, the park is not functioning well either. Indeed, many of the most significant problems plaguing the long term sustainability of Landa Park can be traced to how well the features of the park’s Landscape & Ecology are functioning. The symptoms are fairly clear: continued bank erosion, recurrent flooding and drainage problems, invasive species, degraded habitat, water quality concerns, compacted soils and heavily impacted root zones of trees, barren or excessively worn ground cover, and insufficient shade over many of the parking areas. The Landscape & Ecology recommendations address these concerns and their effective implementation is vital to the long-term sustainability of Landa Park.

A broad goal of the Master Plan is to ensure landscape and ecology treatments communicate a clear transition from the high use and high impact active recreation areas focused in the southern portions of the park, to the most environmentally sensitive passive use areas of the park’s northern reaches by utilizing a gradient of landscape and paving treatments as the program areas transition through the park.

CONSERVATION

An understated but critical feature of Landa Park is the significant amount of conservation land that brackets the park. In the context of the Master Plan, the Conservation areas are those places where program use is limited and vegetation can thrive. The vegetation in these areas is either already heavily protected from direct human impacts or should be, and the recommendations are aimed insuring the Conservation areas are robust and continue to serve the park.

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RIPARIAN ZONES

The Riparian Zones can be found along all edges of the park’s waterways, and just as the waterways vary tremendously, so too do the conditions of the Riparian Zones. In recent years, the walls project has helped to stabilize bank conditions throughout the park. In these cases, the immediate erosion concerns have been addressed but other erosion concerns have now moved farther up the slope of the bank.

In other cases, the Riparian Zones retain their native bank conditions but are eroding much faster. The recommendations for the Riparian Zones are aimed at stabilization through green infrastructure and and in turn enhancement of the park planting areas.

GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Areas of the park which suffer recurrent flooding are also areas where Green Stormwater Infrastructure is an effective strategy for mitigating the drainage problem.

The recommendations for Green Stormwater Infrastructure focus on marrying many of the well documented best management practices to strategic locations throughout the park.

LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT

With Landa Park’s popularity has come extremely heavy use and in turn significant maintenance challenges. Recommendations for Landscape Management focus on strategies for implementing best practices in targeted heavy use areas and managing public expectations.

PLANTING PALLETTES

The Conservation, Riparian Zones and Green Stormwater Infrastructure area all rely on well chosen plant types and species to perform specific ecological functions as well as to help beautify these environments. The recommendations for Planting Pallettes identify key species for each area.

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Within the park, site-specific recommendations include conservation, restoration, and implementation of functional landscapes. These landscape treatments are all part of a green infrastructure framework to ensure Landa Park is optimizing environmental function through thoughtful landscape design and management, while simultaneously facilitating a connection between park users and those landscapes.

Riparian buffer with passive conservation area

Riparian buffer with active conservation area

Green infrastructure can be best understood as a series of sustainability practices that allow landscapes to effectively capture, detain, and filter stormwater. The recommendations encapsulated in this plan expand on that definition and include a suite of ecosystem service benefits provided by Landa Park’s landscapes. Each Landscape & Ecology recommendation provides multi-functional benefits to park users, park ecosystems, and larger hydrologies.

While some parts of the plan envision more designed green infrastructure projects such as bioswales, others focus on protecting Panther Canyon and other forested areas to serve hydrological roles, but also to provide a number of other ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, filtration of air particulate matter, local cooling through shade and evapotranspiration, and habitat protection.

While there is functional and spatial overlap among the recommendations, the chart and key plan on the following two pages describe the focus of each recommendation, corresponding landscape typology, and specific locations for landscape treatments:

Riparian buffer with designed bank stabilization

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Panther Canyon and adjacent passive use areas; areas in need of road buffers

Air and noise pollution mitigation

RIPARIAN ZONES

Along all water edges

Erosion protection and water quality

Areas where flood mitigation is necessary; areas where water pools regularly

Stormwater retention/ detention and water quality

GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

SECONDARY BENEFITS

Carbon sequestration; stormwater retention and detention; water quality; local cooling; shading; habitat; passive recreation; environmental education Carbon sequestration; stormwater retention; habitat; environmental education; pedestrian boundary Carbon sequestration; water quality; erosion protection; habitat; passive recreation; environmental education

MANAGEMENT NEEDS

MINIMAL

Invasive species control; erosion control; protection from root compaction and damage

INTERMEDIATE Management of pedestrian traffic during growth phases; invasive species control HIGH Green stormwater features require varying degrees of regular monitoring to ensure systems are functioning as designed to collect and filter water; invasive species control; management of park user interaction

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CONSERVATION AREAS INTENT

Conservation areas in Landa Park are intended to protect and improve existing forested areas, buffer park users from high-frequency roadways, and serve as important habitat for wildlife. From heavily forested areas of Panther Canyon to sparsely forested spaces along Fredricksburg Road, recommendations vary from tree planting to long-term vegetation protections.

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RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Enhance minimally forested areas along Fredericksburg Road with tree planting to provide shade trees no less than 20 feet apart with a mix of low and mid-height understory plantings. Refer to the Landa Park Tree Maintenance Plan for planting specifications.

2. Protect existing shade trees and allow understory growth to reforest areas adjacent to recommended trails throughout the area 3. Protect existing forest from erosion by altering trail paths to curve along steeper slopes; by installing grade breaks to divert water off of trail sections into adjacent vegetation; by installing low-impact pedestrian bridges where trails cross the canyon; and through revegetation campaigns in overused areas or areas negatively impacted by flood events

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4. Throughout the park’s conservation areas, invasive species should be controlled with regular physical removal efforts, preferrably with the least use of chemical controls for the sake of sensitve surrounding waterways

Conservation Area Plan 134

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RIPARIAN ZONES INTENT

As outlined in previous sections, much of Landa Park’s waterways lack a riparian buffer. This means all pollutants from car leaks to the beloved ducks’ excrement is washed from surfaces directly into Landa’s waterways without the benefit of an intact natural filter to remove those pollutants.

In addition to water quality benefits, intact riparian areas reduce erosion of sediments, which is a structural concern for banks as well as a water quality concern, including along banks where retaining walls are present.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Implement a “Grow Zone” program whereby riparian areas are allowed to grow uninhibited • Mowing should only occur in areas with necessary lake views • Where mowing is necessary, mowing should only occur 1-2 times per year, once in the winter and once in the summer (mid-growing season) • Where mowing is necessary, mowing should leave 6-9 inches of base material 2. In shaded water edge areas with steeper slopes or higher use needs, terraces should be installed to minimize erosion

GROW ZONES

3. Throughout the park’s riparian areas, invasive species should be controlled with regular physical removal efforts, preferrably with the least use of chemical controls for the sake of sensitve surrounding waterways

Source: City of Austin Watershed Protection

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GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE INTENT

While green spaces throughout the park provide stormwater filtration and retention benefits, areas highlighted in this section are targeted specifically to provide increased stormwater retention benefit through low-impact development technologies such as bioswales and permeable pavers.

One long bioswale is recommended for a low section of the park through the existing large picnic area, and extends under Landa Park Drive to include informal picnic areas closer to Landa Lake.

This bioswale is intended to mitigate regular pooling of water in this area of the park as well as provide a landscape feature that is both aesthetically pleasing and educational. Because standing water can also be found often within the playground area, a second small bioswale is shown central to the playground structure to draw pooling water away from playscapes. Permeable pavers are envisioned on Landa Park Drive’s Festival Street section to both aid in capturing and retaining stormwater and as an aesthetic feature.

BIOSWALES

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Design and install a linear bioswale through both the informal and formal picnic area bisecting Landa Park Drive, including multiple pedestrian bridges 2. Design and install a bioswale central to the playground structures 3. Utilize permeable pavers upon installation of Landa Park Drive’s Festival Street

PERMEABLE PAVERS

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Perspectve of the proposed planted swale through the Picnic Area 140

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SCHUMANN ARBORETUM INTENT

Schumann Arboretum is a tremendous asset for Landa Park but is nearly invisible to the average park visitor. While nearly every tree in the park is considered to be within the Arboretum, the vast majority of the trees lack the basic protection to mitigate negative impacts from regular park activities and they lack a coherent framework that would allow visitors to truly appreciate the Arboretum. The recommendations address these issues by focusing on strategies that will allow the Arboretum to better coexist amidst all of the other activities that happen in Landa Park. Enhanced tree protections and integrated public information are essentially the two primary means of achieving this and the recommendations identify some methods for doing this that will not only improve the chances for the Arboretum’s long term health but the larger park as well.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Develop a consistent and maintainable means of providing edging around the root zones of trees which are highly vulnerable to impacts from surrounding activities.

The edging can take the form of a subtle physical barrier such as inlaid stone, steel edging, or a small chain connected to stakes surrounding the tree. The edging can also take the form of a change in vegetation in which a specific groundcover signifies the root zone.

2. Improve the standards for picnic furnishing placement to insure that tables, grills and trash receptacles are not over the root zone and mitigate the potential for dumping charcoal ash on the root zone. See the Amenities recommendations in this chapter for additional information.

3. Retrofit or replace the existing tree identification placards with signage that is more designed to be noticed and appreciated by visitors. This could take the form of sculptural stem posts or other

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Precedent for improved edging around root zones (top); Precedent for improved tree identification signage (bottom left); and precedent for general information kiosk. creative means of drawing attention to the information. Efforts should be made to strike a balance between subtlety and providing more presence for the signage while still deferring to the tree itself.

4. Integrate information about the Arboretum into all general park information kiosks as proposed in the Amenities recommendations of this chapter.

5. Redesign and expand the Arboretum tour to start from any of the proposed general information kiosks and include only trees sited along the formalized pedestrian network.

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Arboretum Plan showing locations of trees along the existing tour route, proposed expanded tour routes, and the locations of the proposed general information kiosks from where the tour routes would start.

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LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT INTENT

The popularity of Landa Park has led to the ongoing challenges of maintaining a landscape that weathers extremely high usage. Compacted soils, erosion, invasive species, and ponding are just some of the challenges mentioned earlier in this section. The means for addressing these challenges require both technical and administrative resources many of which already exist but need to be prioritized. Specific goals of landscape maintenance at Landa Park include: • Assure erosion control, especially in environmentally sensitive areas.

• Minimize potable water use and conserve water resources.

• Provide high-quality habitat and ecosystem services by planting context appropriate species and by removing invasive species.

• Assure healthful forest conditions and longterm viability of tree cover for shade, erosion control, water infiltration and carbon sequestration.

• Assure accessibility of park amenities by monitoring sidewalks and trails for concerns such as large cracks and upheavals in concrete, and de-compaction and washout of decomposed granite and repair as needed.

• Assure play safety by monitoring play structures, nature play elements and fall surfaces for any defects and excessive wear and replace as needed.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Monitor erosion by identifying station points along sensitive banks with erosion concerns and photographically document conditions annually. Set thresholds for slope conditions that trigger action bank stabilization.

2. Prioritize the recommendations of the recent reuse water irrigation preliminary engineering report and connect the park to its closest source of reclaimed water to support irrigation needs.

3. Install drip and bubbler irrigation systems

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The natural bank along the Mill Race is a location that needs to be closely monitored for erosion control. that conserve water. Avoid spray and rotor systems that allow overspray and are more subject to vandalism.

4. Continue to utilize smart irrigation systems that react to local weather and soil conditions to avoid watering unnecessarily.

5. Rotate focus areas for invasive species removal and replacement with context appropriate native alternatives.

6. Inspect mature trees for decay and limb death and prune to prevent structural failure and limb as areas are allowed to naturalize, mow the edges near sidewalks, trails and paved areas to present a maintained, deliberate appearance. Install small signs noting areas of native wildflowers, habitats and conservation areas to manage public expectations.

7. Remove large weeds that are outcompeting native species, as needed.

8. Rotate focus areas for arborist inspection of signature trees and prune/maintain as recommended.

9. Inspect all paving areas every six months to assess accessibility concerns and repair.

10. Continue to inspect all site furnishings, play structures and future nature play elements monthly to assess defects and repair/ replace as needed.

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PLANTING PALLETTES

RECOMMENDATIONS

INTENT

Planting pallettes should respond to their specific context within the park: shade versus sun, wet versus dry, natural versus manicured, heavily trafficked versus seldom used. The Master Plan recommends augmenting plantings in the three distinct and critical contexts identified in this section: Conservation Areas Conservation areas are areas that currently provide mature, natural vegetative habitat and erosion control.

These areas warrant ardent preservation and protection, removal of invasive species and attention forest health.

Riparian Zones Riparian Zones are vegetated areas adjacent to water bodies. Riparian vegetation species reflect the ample water available through stormwater runoff, moisture saturated soils and shallow water tables. These areas provide specific habitats that warrant preservation and augmentation.

Riparian species rooting systems are especially adapted for controlling erosion near water sources.

Stormwater Infrastructure Stormwater infrastructure candidate areas are generally low areas and swales adjacent to paving that are planted with species adept at increasing stormwater infiltration. filtering pollutants and can tolerate both wet and dry conditions. Many native species tolerate these conditions so are preferred selections for raingardens and bioswales.

1. See example species for each context on the following pages.

2. Periodically remove invasive species within all contexts and replace with context appropriate native species. Removal alone allows new invasive species to re-inhabit the space.

3. Assess tree health and replenish tree counts periodically to assure long term forest health in accordance with the City of New Braunfels Forestry Guidelines.

4. Schedule plantings in cool, fall and winter months to maximize survival rates and allow root establishment before summer heat and stress arrives.

5. Provide supplemental watering for 6-12 months after installing plantings, as dictated by weather conditions. Supplemental watering and planting viability can be built into construction contracts as a requirement for a specified time period (6-12 months).

6. Augment watering for 1-2 summers for tree species through permanent or temporary irrigation systems until trees are well established.

7. In general, plant smaller container trees in greater numbers to ensure greater survival rates. Smaller trees require less care and catch up quickly in size.

8. Allow additional maintenance resources to remove invasive weeds from planting areas for 1-2 years after establishment to allow natives time to dominate and cover.

9. Allow additional maintenance resources for floatable trash removal from low areas including rain gardens and bioswales. Part of their function is to keep these floatables out of sensitive water bodies so it is important to collect these items and dispose of them properly on a regular basis.

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Cedar Elm

Bald Cypress

Sweet Bay Magnolia

Mexican Buckeye

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Black-eyed Susan

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American Beautyberry

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PROGRAM PROGRAM OVERVIEW

A significant appeal of Landa Park is the incredible diversity of program offerings situated in close proximity to each other.

With this in mind, the Master Plan proposes recommendations aimed at preserving and sustaining existing program areas, enhancing these areas, and introducing new program options designed to complement the park’s current offerings. The following recommendations are organized around the park’s major program areas.

SOUTH GATEWAY AREA

Along the most significant approach to Landa Park, the Master Plan proposes enhancements of Recreation Center parking area and the MiniGolf clubhouse in the intermediate-term, and in the long-term a conversion of the Maintenance Building to provide a retail food service amenity for the Mini-Golf.

PICNIC AREA

There is perhaps nothing more timeless and quintessential to the Landa Park experience than a picnic gathering. As ground zero for this activity, the Picnic Area sees the most consistently heavily use of any park area throughout the course of the year. With this in mind, the recommendations for this area focus on ways or formalizing and organizing this area for long term sustainability, providing an expanded pedestrian network that better connects to adjacent areas, and solving nagging drainage problems.

DANCE SLAB AREA

Reccommendations for this area focus primarily on the Dance Slab and the Boat House as the two major program anchors, as well as the pedestrian network that connects the two spaces to each other and the broader park network.

LANDA HAUS AREA

The Landa Haus Area is a catchall for a few of the park’s most popular attractions: Landa Haus, the Train Depot, and the Aquatic Center.

Recommendations are focused on the Train Depot, Landa Haus, and Lakefront as these are the areas needing most attention.

PLAYGROUND AREA

Although the Playground Area has seen improvements in recent years, it still suffers from recurrent flooding and offers underutilized acreage to the south. The Master Plan proposes several new features for this area to make use of the acreage, mitigate the drainage problems, and complement the existing play features.

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NORTH GATEWAY AREA

Although less prominent than the South Gateway, this approach to the park connects directly to/from adjacent neighborhoods and holds significant consequence to the park as the area from which the springs originate and the most ecologically and historically sensitive area of the park. The recommedations focus on ways of restoring the program of this area to be more consistent with its sensitive character.

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SOUTH GATEWAY INTENT

While this area of the park is fairly limited in program scope, it constitutes the most significant approach to the park and a key component of Wurst Fest, and as such demands careful improvements to the park entry sequence. The key program anchors, the Mini-Golf facility and the Recreation Center, are both showing significant signs of age and in need of refurbishment, with the Mini-Golf being a priority. Both facilities should be more closely linked programatically, Enhancements to the Mini-Golf facility should also be envisioned as both short-term and long-term with straightforward refurbishments now and potential expansion of retail and food service options later if feasible with the adaptive reuse of the Maintenance Building.

Enhanced mini-golf

SOUTH GATEWAY RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Refurbish the Mini-Golf Clubhouse to the standard of the recent refurbishment of the greens.

2. Consider removing traffic island north of mini-golf and reclaim public r.o.w. for expanded Mini-Golf area.

3. Study concept of adapting Maintenance Building into partial retail and food service concession connected to Mini-Golf facility.

4. Work with NBU and Wurstfest to replace existing chainlink fence along Landa Park Drive with a more ornamental metal fencing option. Refer to the Landa Park Design Principles document for guidance.

Outdoor cafe concession 5. As part of the Recreation Center parking improvements, create pocket green space along street edge for new outdoor programming and improved park entry sequence. Remove the existing low wall as part of this project. Work with a qualified landscape architect to design and construct this feature as part of the parking area project.

6. Integrate new drop-off lane for Recreation Center with parking redesign.

Section through a transformed Park Maintenance Building and Mini-Golf Facility showing the aspirational vision 150

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Redesigned Parking Area New Off-Street Trail Refurbished Mini-Golf Facility

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7. Formalize status of linear green space along the Mill Run through a legal agreement with Landmark properties.

8. Coordinate all improvements in this area with the management of Wurst Fest.

New Decorative Fencing

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Landa Haus Area INTENT

The Landa Haus area is not only the most popular starting point for park visitors, it is also one of the most historic and memorable locations due to the presence of the Train Depot and Spring-fed pool, two of the parks most visited attractions. Landa Haus itself is rented every weekend of the year for private events.

However the land around these attractions is severely underutilized given its impressive proximity to the confluence of Mill Run and Landa Lake. The recommendations therefore focus on leveraging this location to provide a far better first impression to new and returning visitors, dramatically expanded access to the lakefront, an enhanced Landa Haus for special events, and a redesigned and reconstructed Train Depot that to help sustain this iconic feature of the park.

LANDA HOUSE AREA RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Redesign the Train Depot plaza to achieve multiple park goals including improved waiting area for train, more expansive lakefront plaza, and improved access to lake.

Work with a qualified landscape architect to design and construct this feature.

2. Redesign train depot structure to accommodate staffing needs, additional seating, additional storage, and improved concession counter. New depot design should include architectural references to the existing structure. Work with a qualified architect to design and construct this feature.

3. Restore Landa Haus to its historic footprint as recommended by the earlier restoration study and utilize new space as extension of Train Depot plaza.

4. Redesign lakefront of Landa Haus to serve as both an improved rental facility and a new public promenade that can be closed for private events. Promenade should connect seamlessly to Train Depot plaza.

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Precedent for the lakefront promenade

Precedent for the redesigned Train Depot plaza

5. As part of parking area redesign, create new staff parking area between Landa Haus and Aquatic Center, and relocate dumpster from Train Depot to this location with a new enclosure. Create another small staff parking area next to parks office.

6. Replace all chain link fencing around Aquatic Center with decorative metal fencing. Refer to the Landa Park Design Principles document for guidance.

7. Add a new covered picnic pavilion to replace the current Area #2. Pavilion should be iconic and have strong references to other historic structures at the park. Work with a qualified architect to design and construct this feature.

8. Locate a general information kiosk at the Train Depot plaza. See the Amenities recommendations this chapter for additional information on the kiosk concept.

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New Covered Pavilion New Parking Area New Dumpster Enclosure Restored Landa Haus New Esplanade Redesigned Parking Area Redesigned Train Depot New Plaza Redesigned Landa Park Drive

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Perspective of redesigned Landa Haus plaza, Train Depot, and new promenade 154

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PLAYGROUND AREA INTENT

Though it may not be an historic or iconic feature of the park, the Playground Area has its own loyal following and is heavily used.

Nevertheless, it suffers from some of the worst recurrent flooding in the park, has a large area of underutilized parkland immediately to the south, and endures the busy Playground Drive as a regular hazard to small children.

The recommendations focus on addressing all of these issues by implementing stormwater planting features in the area of worst flooding, by enhancing the existing playground with a new nature play area and train hall, and by transformating Playground Drive into a dedicated pedestrian promenade.

PLAYGROUND AREA RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Integrate one or more stormwater planting features such as rain gardens in areas of recurrent ponding and include drainage outfall to nearby piping. strategically locate additional area drains as well if needed.

Work with a qualified landscape architect as needed to design and construct these features.

Precedent for the nature play area with stormwater feature

2. Develop a new nature play area on the underutilized parkland south of the existing playground. Work with a qualified landscape architect to design and construct this feature with significant community involvement.

3. Redesign Playground Drive as a paved pedestrian promenade to improve safety and provide easier connection to the Picnic Area. Work with a qualified civil engineer and landscape architect on this project as part of the other circulation improvements in this area of the park.

4. Locate a linear train shed between the existing playground area and the new nature play area that can serve as a both a storage facility for the miniature train and an exhibit space along the route to showcase one of

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Precedent for the nature play area

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Playground Area Plan the park’s most memorable features. Work with a qualified architectural consultant to design and construct this feature in close collaboration with the train operator.

5. Design and construct an extended network of pedestrian walkways to connect the existing playground to the new nature play area and new parking area. Include this scope with the nature play area and/or new parking area.

6. Locate a general information kiosk near approach to playground from new parking area. See the Amenities recommendations in this chapter for additional information on the kiosk concept.

Precedent for the train shed

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PICNIC AREA INTENT

Shaded by large heritage trees and with ample picnic tables, this area accomodates hundreds of visitors every weekend practicing the most time-honored tradition at Landa Park: the picnic. The heavy use has taken its toll on both the site furnishings and the landscape, and the roadways which encircle the area require visitors to cross traffic from every direction to get to this area, often creating traffic conflicts along the way. To address these issues, the recommendations for this area focus on major circulation improvements, planting features to better manage flooding, and the replacement of nearly all site furnishings with more distinctive and durable products.

Precedent for the picnic area with more distinctive and durable furnishings.

PICNIC AREA RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Based on Circulation recommendations in this chapter, redesign the walkways through and around this area to dramtically expand the pedestrian network, improve safety, and create more clearly identified picnic areas.

2. Replace all site furnishings-- tables, trash receptacles, grills and benches-- with products from a new site furnishing “family” for greater durability and to reinforce the park identity. Relocate current site furnishings in good condition to other parks as new furnishings are installed.

Rely on guidelines from the Landa Park Design Principles document for appropriate furnishing designs. Refer to Amenities recommendations in this chapter for more information on furnishings concept.

3. Add new planted swale feature to mitigate flooding, filter stormwater before entering Landa Lake and create more clearly identified picnic areas. Work with a quaified landscape architect and civil engineer to design and construct this feature.

4. Based on new circulation, re-organize table arrangements to create more clearly identified picnic areas for rental.

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Precedent for the planted swale through the picnic area.

5. Remove picnic tables and grills from isolated areas to reduce overall number of picnic furnishings, consolidate picnic area maintenance, and improve groundcover conditions.

6. Refurbish concrete stage with a more decorative metal railing based on guidelines from Landa Park Design Principles document.

7. Refurbish all horseshoe pits.

8. Replace all wayfinding and interpretive signage with new Landa Park branded signage and consolidate interpretive content to new centralized information kiosks. Refer to the Amenities recommendations in this chapter for more information on kiosk concept.

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New Pedestrian Connection New Trail Connection

New Bio-Swale

New Covered Pavilion

Redesigned Landa Park Drive E.P. Nowotney Drive redesigned as Trail Connection

New Trail Connection

New Pedestrian Connection

New Bio-Swale

New Trail Connection Monument Drive redesigned as Pedestrian Promenade

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Playground Drive redesigned as Playground Promenade New Trail Connection Existing Mini-Train Line

Existing Trail

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Picnic Area Plan

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DANCE SLAB AREA INTENT

In the vicinity of the the Dance Slab is a set of other park features-- the Boat House, two picnic pavilions, restrooms, the Founders Oak, and the German Pioneer Monument-- which are poorly connected by existing walkways but form a discrete subarea of the park. The recommendations for this area focus on specific improvements to the Dance Slab and the Boat House as the two major program anchors of this area but also the pedestrian network that links them to each other and the other nearby features.

Precedent for the planted trellis over historic columns proposed for the Dance Slab.

DANCE SLAB AREA RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Add a shade trellis and continuous seat wall-to replace the existing benches-- around the eastern edge of the Dance Slab to improve the look and comfort of the space. Work with a qualified landscape architect to design and construct these features.

2. Redesign the trails, sidewalks, and dropoff drive leading to Dance Slab based on the proposed alignments in the Master Plan to provide improved access for events and connect slab to adjacent features. Work with a qualified landscape architect to design and construct these walkways.

3. Restore Dance Slab historic lighting and complement with new lighting design to promote nightime events and improve night-time safety.

4. Refurbish existing boat house structure to improve usability.

5. Add new floating dock space at the Boat House for improved boat rental area, outdoor education programs, and special events, 6. Redesign walkways leading to Boat House to improve access from adjacent trails and integrate with adjacent site features. Include

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Precedent for the floating dock proposed for the Boat House to better accomodate boat rentals, outddoor educational programs, and special events. this scope with the redesign of the other walkways in this area.

7. Coordinate access improvements with adjacent green infrastructure enhancements.

8. Remove all interpretive and wayfinding signage in this area and consolidate content into a more centralized information kiosk.

Historical markers and plaques to remain.

See the Amenities recommendations in this chapter for more information on kiosk concept.

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Perspective rendering of the enhanced Dance Slab showing the planted trellis over the existing stone columns, new stone seating, and improved dropoff drive.

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Perspective of enhanced Boat House with native grasses along slope 162

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NORTH GATEWAY AREA INTENT

Although this area is a less prominent entry to Landa Park than from the south, it contains the most ecologically and historically sensitive resources of the park. The area has long been identified for its Gazebo Loop and Wading Pool, but there is far greater identity to this area that is not well articuated within the park experience: this is the gateway to Panther Canyon from where the park’s most notable springs emerge.

Yet the current program of this area does not properly reflect its value to the park. Although the area offers both great opportunities to view the springs or take a dip in them, the springs are framed by impervious roadways, a regular flow of traffic, and several prominent missing trail connections. The recommendations address these issues by reinforcing pedestrian connections and limiting vehicular access to the area, which will dramatically enhance the everyday experience of the landscape and insure that more visitors will leave the park more informed of the park’s ecology and history than when they arrived.

Precedent for gateway arch at California Boulevard entry to Landa Park that could reuse the historic gate posts.

NORTH GATEWAY AREA RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Following the Circulation recommendations, remove the existing roadway and revegetate to expand pervious area.

2. Following the Circulation recommendations, combine the three existing small parking areas into a single ADA-accessible parking area close to wading pool and bridge.

3. Following the Circulation recommendations, add and realign trail routes to create a new pedestrian loop with a new Panther Canyon trailhead at new parking area.

4. Where the new trail connection follows the Spring Run, add new riparian native plantings along a biofiltration strip between the trail and the water, as well as intermittent viewing areas with new seating and interpretive signage regarding the ecology.

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Precedent for parking lot featuring stormwater best management practices

5. Add a new trail connection to Panther Canyon through the historic archway below California Boulevard.

6. Use new parking area as a green infrastructure demonstration project for the Habitat Conservation Plan.

7. Add a prominent gateway monument signage on California Boulevard to better define the park entry.

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Existing Phillipine Gazebo Native Planting Restoration

New On-Street Protected Bike Trail New Trails

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NewTrail connection to Panther Canyon under California Blvd.

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North Gateway Area & Gazebo Loop Plan 8. Provide wayfinding signage to Landa Park-- in a style consistent with other signage in the park-- at north end of the Panther Canyon trail.

9. Insure short-term implementation of stormwater mitigation efforts along Ohio Ave, at street ends abutting Panther Canyou and at the High School as recommended in the Panther Canyon study (2015).

Precedent for new trails within Gazebo Loop Area

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AMENITIES OVERVIEW

Various forms of signage, site furnishings, and lighting are all elements that comprise the Amenities for Landa Park. This is a broad focus area but one which can truly shape the nuances of the park experience: clear and consistent signage can determine whether park visitors are able to navigate the park smoothly and safely, and whether they are aware of the park’s sensitive ecology and history; durable and wellplaced site furnishings can improve the look of the park, accomodate gatherings efficiently, and minimize negative impacts to the landscape; and lighting which is distributed strategically and appropriate to adjacent program areas can insure a safe experience for park visitors and minimal impacts to habitat areas.

Landa Park is currently falling short in almost all of these areas and the recommendations are aimed at improving the signage, furnishings, and lighting within the park in strategic ways that can be implemented over time as funding is available. While the park’s amenities may seem small in comparison to the circulation or program areas of the park, in aggregate the amenities can have an enormous impact on the park experience.

for all signage types and consolidating information to minimize the number of signs while still insuring an informed public.

SITE FURNISHINGS

The site furnishings range in scale from the covered picnic pavilions and restrooms to the smaller elements such as picnic tables, grills, as well as trash and recycling receptacles, that comprise the uncovered picnic areas, as well as the individual benches scattered throughout the park. The recommendations generally focus on standardizing these features and how they are placed, as well as improving their longterm durability.

LIGHTING

Lighting in Landa Park is currently providing only the most minimal service to the park experience by illuminating roadways, covered picnic pavilions and some select program areas. The recommendations are aimed at providing ways for lighting to truly enhance the park experience by standardizing the fixtures to be Dark Skies compliant, identifying areas for restored fixtures and developing an overall park lighting strategy.

SIGNAGE

The recommendations focus on three primary signage types: Wayfinding, Interpretive, and Regulatory. Each of these is used in a particular way to achieve a particular goal. The Wayfinding signage is intended to help park visitors navigate the park smoothly and safely; the Intepretive signage is intended to educate park visitors on the ecology and history of the park to promote stewardship and a greater appreciation for the park’s unique features; and the Regulatory signage is intended to clarify park rules and regulations in a way that is intuitive and helpful to park visitors. In general the recommendations are aimed at improving the clarity of message

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Precedent for new kiosk signage that can incorporate wayfinding, intepretive and regulatory information at key nodes throughout the park.

Precedent for new picnic furnishings which are attractive, durable, functional, and culturally specific.

Precedent for new pedestrian scale pole lighting that is attractive and compliant with Dark-Skies Association principles.

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SIGNAGE WAYFINDING SIGNAGE INTENT

Wayfinding signage currently exists within the park but is not a true system of coordinated signs. Currently, signs are of multiple styles, they are generally oriented only to vehicles and not pedestrians, they are missing from many locations, and not serving park visitors as effectively as possible. The recommendations for Wayfinding signage are aimed at developing a more cohesive wayfinding system that can in turn reinforce the identity of the park.

Precedent for gateway signage could reuse Landa Park’s historic gate posts.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Develop a set of wayfinding standards as part of an overal park branding initiative.

Work with a qualified environmental graphics consultant on design and install of the signage.

2. Commission the design of a set of new kiosks to be located at strategic nodes throughout the park which will reinforce the identity of the park and will consolidate key information related wayfinding as well as park history, ecology, and the Arbouretum.

3. Coordinate all new signage with existing citywide signage, existing memorials, plaques and markers and required regulatory signage.

Precedent for pedestrian wayfinding signage

Precedent for kiosk wayfinding signage

4. Work with City Engineer to improve traffic signage for both vhicles, pedestrians, and cyclists at all new pedestrian crossings, bikeways and shared lane conditions as they are developed.

5. Commission new gateway designs for major park entries at Landa Park Drive, Fredericksburg Road, Elizabeth Ave. and California Blvd. to create a greater sense of arrival at Landa Park; gateway design should study potential to restore, reuse or otherwise adapt historic park gates currently in storage.

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Precedent for pedestrian wayfinding system

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SIGNAGE INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE INTENT

Several of the Master Plan’s goals including promoting awareness of the springs, arboretum and broader ecology, and integrating park history into the park program and overall experience, can be addressed significantly through well-intentioned interpretive signage.

In general, the intent of the this type of signage is to educate park visitors and insure that they are more informed of the park’s unique features when they depart than when they arrived. Ultimately, the park’s sustainabiility will depend on a greater percentage of park visitors becoming stewards of the park. Clear and welllocated interpretive signage that improves the park experience is one of the best ways to help facilitate this.

Precedent for kiosk interpretive signage that would also include wayfinding information

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Develop a set of interpretive signage standards as part of an overall park branding initiative. Work with a qualified environmental graphics consultant on design and install of the signage.

2. Explore ways of integrating donor naming opportunities into the standard interpretive signage.

3. Commission the design of a set of new kiosks to be located at strategic nodes throughout the park which will reinforce the identity of the park and will consolidate key intepretive information related to park history, ecology, and the Arboretum, as well as wayfinding.

Precedent for interpretive signage to help explain new plantings

Precedent for Arboretum identity signage that functions as interpretive signage as well

4. As part of the kiosk design, craft an inclusive park narrative to guide historical and ecological interpretive content keyed to specific areas of the park where visitors will encounter the information kiosks.

5. Explore opportunities to reinforce the goals and principles of the Habitat Conservation Plan through the interpretive signage.

Precedent for interpretive signage to help explain specific ecological features

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SIGNAGE REGULATORY SIGNAGE INTENT

Regulatory signage is critical in places where park visitors, when left to their own devices, will at best unwittingly or at worst deliberately harm the park’s most sensitive features. The signage can vary in tone and tenor, with some projecting a more cautionary tone that warns park visitors against doing something, and others projecting a more nurturing tone intended to educate the public.

The majority of the Regulatory signage currently in the park can be found in the Gazebo Loop area given its sensitive nature. Yet even in this relatively confined zone there is very little consistency to the existing signs. Some are clearly mandated by the Edwards Aquifer Authority but with others, it is less clear from where the regulations derive. There are numerous other locations throughout the park where, if regulations were made more clear, the park’s most sensitive natural features might be less impacted by regular park use.

Add to this the fact that many of the planting recommendations proposed by this Master Plan will require some education of the public as the plantings are being established, and there is a great need for improved standards related to regulatory signage in Landa Park.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Develop standards for regulatory signage to be used throughout the park and in coordination with wayfinding and interpretive signage. The standards shall guide all aspects of the signage including but not limited to size, material, frequency of placement, graphics, and perhaps most importantly the message content for typical situations including no-mow zones, limited access, no access, no swimming, and no picnicking.

Precedents for regulatory signage

2. Avoid placing regulatory signage that does not conform to the developed standards.

3. Wherever and whenever possible, use the regulatory signage as an opportunity to educate the public about the underlying need for the regulation and the benefit to the park gained from the regulation.

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SITE FURNISHINGS UNCOVERED PICNIC AREAS

COVERED PICNIC PAVILIONS

INTENT

INTENT

There is perhaps no activity more quintessential to Landa Park than a picnic gathering. Even on quieter days, the site furnishings that enable the picnics-- the tables, the grills, the trash receptacles-- are nearly everywhere throughout the park save for the Gazebo Loop area where picnicing is not permitted. While the number and distribution of picnic furnishings has insured a high volume of use, there is no question that the negative impacts to the landscape have been severe. Soil compaction, root damage, erosion, barren groundcover, and informal trails, are just some of the major consequences of such an extensive network of picnic furnishings. The recommendations are aimed at restoring and managing the health of the landscape without diminishing the importance of picnicing in Landa Park.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Using the key plan on the facing page as a guide, reduce the overall number of picnic furnishings by consolidating them from isolated locations and places where significant environmental degradation is occurring, to other existing locations where high volume activity can be concentrated.

2. Using the typical picnic area plan on the facing page as a guide, institute standards for picnic furnishing placement to minimize harm to adjacent trees. These standards would include required distances fom the root zone and signage educating the public about the hazard of dumping spent charcoal on the tree roots.

3. Re-orient all remaining picnic furnishings based on the typical picnic furnishing layout on the following page.

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With such a high volume of picnicing at Landa Park, the covered picnic pavilions scattered throughout the park serve numerous benefits. At the most basic level, they provide concentrated and attractive space for groups to gather and avoid harsh weather during all seasons, which in turn means that they are very rentable throughout the year and provide consistent revenue to the park. By concentrating groups to designated hardscape areas, the pavilions also indirectly help to maintain the park’s landscape which suffers from extreme over use and compaction.

Finally, the pavilions are important beacons throughout the park which aid in wayfinding and placemaking. Given these benefits and the generally very good condition of the pavilions, recommendations are focused on maximizing the benefits of these iconic amenities.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Locate a new covered pavilion in the vicinity of Area #2 that will help to formalize an existing picnic area that receives heavy use and is strategically well located on Landa Lake and facing Landa Haus. Work with a qualified architectural consultant to design and construct an iconic pavilion in a style that defers to existing park architecture and refers to guidelines in the Landa Park Design Principles document.

2. Insure that all pavilions are accessible by formalized hardscape trails.

3. Insure that the useable space of all pavilions is well lit and the fixtures are standardized.

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MASTER PLAN

Picnic Furnishings Key Plan Legend

Proposed Picnic Zones Proposed Covered Pavilion

.

IN ’-0 ”M

Existing Picnic Tables

N.

MI

10

Existing Covered Pavilion

-0”

25’

Proposed typical picnic furnishing layout

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SITE FURNISHINGS SITE FURNISHINGS FAMILY INTENT

Landa Park has no shortage of site furnishings.

Beyond the picnic furnishings, the park offers a plethora of bench seating options scattered throughout nearly every program space.

Site furnishings are critical to facilitating the ideal park experience and ensuring that the park is sufficiently used. Well designed and located site furnishings can also reinforce the identity of a park by providing a reliable and recognizable feature. However, there is a point at which having so much site furniture can have a detrimental effect on the park experience.

Landa Park has reached this point. The current site furnishings are scattered in so many places, and often not accessible by walkway, that the natural landscape of the park receives heavier foot traffic and by consequence, more compaction than it should. Add to this the fact that the current site furnishings are not standardized and are generally very worn and weathered. The net result has negatively impacted the overall park experience. The recommendations focus on ways of strategically upgrading the park’s site furnishings in ways that will have a positive, collateral and lasting impact on the park experience.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Identify all benches currently not accessible by formalized walkway and either remove them or connect to an an existing or new walkway.

2. Insure that all benches are anchored to a hardscape surface.

3. Select a new family of coordinated site furnishings to be used in all existing and future furnishing locations. The family should include at minimum picnic table with seating, bench, trash and recycling receptacles, grill, bicycle rack, and water fountain. All selections would become the

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These four common furnishing elements-- the picnic table, the park bench, the trash receptacle, and the bbq grill-- represent the vast majority of site furnishings currently in Landa Park, and the core of the proposed family of coordinated site furnishings.

‘Landa Park standard’. Refer to the Landa Park Design Principles document for guidance on furnishings selection.

4. Develop a phasing plan to replace all furnishings and identify alternate locations in New Braunfels for any site furnishings in good condition.

5. Explore the potential for a design competition to commission a custom line of furnishings specific to Landa Park. Key determining factors of a commissioned line of furnishings beyond its cost and design qualities should be ease of reproduction.

6. To avoid redundancy, coordinate the site furnishings placement with program spaces that may be better served by the installation of integral seating such as the Dance Slab.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

LIGHTING LANDA PARK LIGHTING FAMILY INTENT

The current site lighting within Landa Park is limited to roadways and parking, covered picnic pavilions, and some specific program areas such as the volleyball courts. In general, lighting has not been well integrated into the park experience and has not been well-utilized as a feature that can dramatically enhance the park experience. However, it has not always been this way at Landa Park. Remnant, and often nonfunctioning, historic light fixtures are scattered throughout the park at key locations that hint at earlier park lighting designs. While the park should not be overly illuminated, and it should make efforts to comply with International DarkSky Association principles, there is a huge need and opportunity to implement a new lighting plan for the park that will enhance the the look and use of the park, make it safer, and reinforce the park’s identity.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Work with the City Engineer and New Braunfels Utilities to identify any opportunities to move overhead powerlines underground as part of broader public works initiatives.

2. Using the lighting standards provided in the Landa Park Design Principles document, select a new family of coordinated light fixtures to be used throughout the park.

These fixtures should include at minumum, street pole fixtures for roadways and parking, pedestrian scale walkway/trail fixtures, bollards, signage lighting, buildingmounted lighting and accent lights for significant moments within the park.

3. Review all existing historic light fixtures and identify opportunities for reuse.

Dark Sky-compliant street lamp, pedestrian lamp and bollard fixtures (top left, top right, and bottom left); The unused historic light fixture on the bridge crossing the spring run is just one of mnay historic fixtures within Landa Park that should be reactivated.

4. Formally adopt the principles of the International Dark-Sky Association and seek designation for Landa Park as an International Dark Sky Park.

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IMPLEMENTATION

5 IMPLEMENTATION

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IMPLEMENTATION OVERVIEW

The Landa Park & Arboretum Master Plan articulates a vision for the park that is comprehensive and intended to guide improvements to the park for the at least the next 20 years. Given the cost and complexity of many of the proposed improvements, implementation of the Master Plan relies on a phasing strategy that prioritizes those projects easier to implement. As with any master planning effort, there is a need to maintain interest and momentum over time, and the implementation of short-term goals is critical to enabling the intermediate and long-term goals to be realized.

The Master Plan is designed to be implemented.

It represents a consensus among many of the most passionate advocates and regular users of the park, as well as city staff and elected officials, for how to best improve and manage the park for future generations. The plan also recognizes that there will be challenges to realizing almost any of the projects outlined in the recommendations-- funding, feasibility, and changing city needs and priorities, to name a few of the typical challenges. To mitigate the inevitable obstacles to implementation, the plan provides a great breadth and variety of proposed improvements, many of which can be implemented as part of regular park management and without significantly impacting other city priorities.

PHASING STRATEGY INTENT

Implementation of the Master Plan hinges significantly on a Phasing Strategy for the proposed recommendations that aims to prioritize those projects which are seen to be the most straightforward to implement; those projects which need to be implemented before other projects for feasibility; and those projects which need to be implemented soonest due to funding obligations, opportunities, or

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other constraints. While short-term projects are intended to be tackled sooner than the intermediate phase projects, and intermediate phase projects prior to the long-term projects, the Phasing Strategy does not anticipate that all of the short-term phase projects will be complete before certain intermediate phase projects begin, or that all of the intermediate phase projects before the long-term projects.

Circumstances will often change and funding opportunities may arise, and this is acknowledged in the plan’s understanding of how implementation works. Ultimately, the Phasing Strategy is conceived as a means of insuring that the Master Plan is sufficiently implemented, that the promise and goals of the master plan are fulfilled, and that public support for the plan’s vision is maintained over time.

SHORT-TERM PROJECTS

The most immediate projects to be implemented range in character and location across the park, but are generally those projects which involve minimal mobilization of resources to realize.

These are projects which might align with routine park maintenance schedules, projects with funding already in place, or design phase projects that can be executed either by City staff or consultant.

INTERMEDIATE-TERM PROJECTS

Intermediate-term projects are no less important than short-term projects-- and in many cases of much more consequence to the park-- but for various reasons will be less straightforward to implement. These may be costlier projects involving more complicated funding strategies, projects that will disrupt other sites during construction, or construction phase projects contingent upon a successful design phase.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Rounding out the Phasing Strategy are the longterm projects. These are projects which combine significant challenges to implementation with limited immediate consequence to the park experience. Many of these projects could dramatically enhance park activity if realized but their value is tied to significant tradeoffs in other areas.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

IMPLEMENTATION

PHASING STRATEGY PHASING CHART #

TYPE

PROJECT NAME

PHASE

C1

Design

Fredericksburg Road Bypass Drive Feasibility

Short-term

C2

Design

Picnic Promenades Preliminary Design and Feasibility

Short-term

C3

Design

Playground Promenade

Short-term

C4

Design

Dance Slab/ Boat House area pedestrian network and service drive improvements

Short-term

C5

Design

Landa Park Drive / Springs Parking redesign

Short-term

C6

Design

Gazebo Loop Landscape/Parking/Trail Alignment

Short-term

C7

Design

Fredericksburg Road Parking (3 Lots) with new trail connections

Short-term

C8

Design

Landa Haus Parking redesign

Short-term

C9

Design

Elizabeth Ave Parking redesign

Short-term

C10

Design

Recreation Center Parking Design Documents

Short-term

C11

Design/Const

Panther Canyon Trail Connection Design/Build

Short-term

C12

Design/Constr

Landa Park Drive Ped Crossings

Short-term

C13

Design/Constr

Fredericksburg Road Ped Crossings

Short-term

C14

Design

California Blvd Bike Trail PER/Design Documents

Short-term

C15

Design

Fredericksburg Rd Bike Trail PER/Design Documents

Short-term

C16

Design

Elizabeth Ave Bike Trail PER/Design Documents

Short-term

C17

Construction

Landa Street Shared Lane Striping

Short-term

C18

Construction

Gazebo Loop closure with bollards or planters

Short-term

C19

Construction

Playground Dr. closure with bollards or planters

Short-term

C20

Construction

Monument Dr. closure with bollards or planters

Short-term

C21

Construction

Picnic Promenades Construction

Intermediate

C22

Construction

Playground Promenade Construction

Intermediate

C23

Construction

Dance Slab/ Boat House area pedestrian network and service drive improvements

Intermediate

C24

Construction

Gazebo Loop Landscape/Trail Construction

Intermediate

C25

Construction

Gazebo Loop Parking Construction

Intermediate

CIRCULATION

AMENITIES

LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY

ADMINISTRATION

PROGRAM Short-Term = 0-3 years

Intermediate = 3-7 years

HCP*

*Potentially eligible for funding through the Edwards Aquifer Authority Habitat Conservation Plan Long-Term = 7-10 years

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#

TYPE

PROJECT NAME

PHASE

C26

Construction

Fredericksburg Road Parking Construction (3 Lots) with new trail connections

Intermediate

C27

Construction

Landa Haus Parking Construction

Intermediate

C28

Construction

Elizabeth Ave Parking Construction

Intermediate

C29

Construction

Recreation Center Parking Construction

Intermediate

C30

Construction

California Blvd. Bike Trail Construction

Intermediate

C31

Construction

Fredericksburg Road Bike Trail Construction

Intermediate

C32

Construction

Elizabeth Ave Bike Trail Construction

Intermediate

C33

Construction

Landa Park Drive/Springs Parking Construction

Intermediate

L1

Design/Constr

Conservation Planting on Fredericksburg Road

Short-term

L2

Design/Constr

Conservation Planting along Springs

Short-term

L3

Design/Constr

Conservation Planting at Gazebo Loop

Short-term

L4

Design

Develop standard for Riparian planting / grow zone

Short-term

L5

Design/Constr

Riparian Planting along Spring Run

Short-term

L6

Design/Constr

Riparian Planting/Terracing on north side of Dance Slab Short-term

L7

Design/Constr

Riparian Planting on west bank of Landa Lake

Short-term

L8

Design/Constr

Riparian Planting on Comal River - Old Channel

Short-term

L9

Design/Constr

Riparian Planting on Mill Race

Short-term

L10

Design/Constr

Schumann Arboretum tree edging standard

Short-term

L11

Design

Fredericksburg Road Stormwater Vault*

Short-term

L12

Design

Rain Garden at Playground

Short-term

L13

Design

Bioswale at Picnic Area

Short-term

L14

Design

Reclaimed Water Conveyance Infrastructure**

Short-term

L15

Construction

Rain Garden at Playground

Short-term

L16

Construction

Bioswale at Picnic Area

Intermediate

L17

Construction

Fredericksburg Road Stormwater Vault*

Intermedate

L18

Construction

Reclaimed Water Conveyance Infrastructure**

Intermediate

P1

Design/Constr

Area #2 Covered Pavilion

Short-term

P2

Design/Const

Nature Play Area

Short-term

P3

Design/Const

Aquatic Center Decorative Fencing

Short-term

P4

Design/Constr

NBU Site (Landa Park Drive) Decorative Fencing

Short-term

P1

Design/Const

Mini-Golf Clubhouse Refurbishment Design/Build

Intermediate

P5

Design

Train Depot and Plaza

Intermediate

P6

Design / Constr Train Shed

Intermediate

P7

Design

Landa Haus Lakefront Esplanade

Intermediate

P8

Design

Landa Haus Restoration***

Intermediate

* Refer to Water Quality Retrofit Report (2017) ** Refer to Parks Reclaimed Water Irrigation Feasibility Study (2011) *** Refer to the Landa Haus Condition Assessment

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CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

HCP*

IMPLEMENTATION

#

TYPE

PROJECT NAME

PHASE

P11

Design/Constr

Dance Slab Improvements

Intermediate

P12

Design/Constr

Boat House Refurbishment and Floating Dock

Intermediate

P13

Construction

Train Shed

Intermediate

P14

Construction

Train Depot and Plaza

Intermediate

P15

Construction

Landa Haus Lakefront Esplanade

Intermediate

P16

Construction

Landa Haus Restoration

Intermediate

A1

Design

Park Branding and General Signage Standards

Short-term

A2

Design/Constr

Regulatory signage standards and needs

Short-term

A3

Design/Constr

Wayfinding Signage standards and needs

Short-term

A4

Design/Constr

Interpretive Signage standards and needs

Short-term

A5

Design/Constr

Kiosk Signage

Short-term

A6

Design/Constr

Gateway Signage

Short-term

A7

Design

Traffic Signage Improvements

Short-term

A8

Design

Develop comprehensive narrative content for inclusion on interpretive signage and kiosks

Short-term

A9

Design/Constr

Consolidate and reorient existing picnic furnishings

Short-term

A10

Design/Constr

Add paved trail connections to all covered pavilions, benches, and picnic areas

Short-term

A11

Design

Select a new family of coordinated park furnishings

Short-term

A12

Design

Develop a phasing plan for replacing all park furnishings including destinations for discarded furnishings, with emphasis on replacing picnic furnishings first

Short-term

A13

Design

Overhead powerline removal feasibility study

Short-term

A14

Design

Lighting Plan and Standards

Short-term

A15

Design

Evaluate functionality and feasibility of activating historic light fixtures

Short-term

A16

Construction

Anchor all benches to a hardscape surface

Short-term

A17

Design/Constr

Add lighting to all covered pavilions based on new lighting standard

Intermediate

A18

Construction

Replace all picnic furnishings with new park standard

Intermediate

A19

Construction

Replace all park benches and stand-alone trash receptacles with new park standard

Intermediate

HCP*

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OPINION OF PROBABLE COST - CAPITAL PROJECTS The cost estimates on the following pages are provided as a companion to the phasing chart, to assist with ongoing fundraising and site planning. This is based on the understanding that these projects will be implemented incrementally and funded seperately or combined with other projects when practical. The estimates represent ranges of probable cost based on the understanding that more precise costing will require further design development on each of the projects. The actual cost of construction is based on numerous factors including complexity of the project and existing site constraints, market demand, material cost and labor costs, and can fluctuate dramatically from year to year, season to season, or even month to month. The budgets of many projects will ultimately be determined through the input of multiple stakeholders who will help to set expectations and standards. This being said, an implementable master plan relies on a basic understanding of the scale of cost for recommended improvements to facilitate prioritization, incrementalization, and overall sound decision-making.

Disclaimer on the Opinion of Probable Cost This opinion of probable construction cost is made on the basis of Asakura Robinson’s experience and qualifications and represents Asakura Robinson’s best judgment as an experienced and qualified professional generally familiar with the industry. However, since Asakura Robinson has no control over the cost of labor, materials, equipment, or services furnished by others, or over the Contractor’s methods of determining prices, or over competitive bidding or market conditions, Asakura Robinson cannot and does not guarantee that proposals, bids, or actual construction cost will not vary from opinions of probable construction cost as prepared by Asakura Robinson.

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IMPLEMENTATION

CIRCULATION PHASE

PROJECT

APPROX. UNITS

COST RANGE

NOTES

Panther Canyon Trail Connection

3,000 sqft

$30k - 60k

incl. elevated walk

Landa Park Drive Pedestrian Crossings

n/a

$5k - $6k

7 striped crossings

Fredericksburg Road Ped Crossings

n/a

$20k- $24k

2 striped crossings incl. timed signals and flashing beacons

ST

Landa Street Shared Lane Striping

2,259 lf

$5k - $10k

1 marking/100’

ST

Monument Drive Closure w/ Bollards

n/a

$9k - $15k

12 bollards

ST

Playground Loop Closure w/ Bollards

n/a

$9k - $15k

12 bollards

E.P. Nowotney Drive Closure w/ Bollards

n/a

$4.5k - $7.2k

6 bollards

Gazebo Loop Road Closure w/ Bollards

n/a

$4.5k - $7.2k

6 bollards

Landa Park Drive (Landa Haus to spring run)

46,000 sqft

$1.5m - $2m

incl. permeable paving, adj. trail and bioswales

Picnic Promenades

26,000 sqft

$200k - $300k

variable width, incl. removal of roadway

Playground Promenades

9,000 sqft

$75k - $150k

variable width, incl. removal of roadway

Dance Slab / Boat House Area ped network & service drive

16,000 sqft

$100k - $150k

variable width

Gazebo Loop Trails

3,700 sqft

$75k - $150k

6’ width, incl. removal of roadway

$50k - $100k

ST ST

ST

ST INT

INT

INT INT INT INT

Gazebo Loop Parking Area

7,500 sqft

Fredericksburg Road Parking - Girl Scout Site

115,000 sqft $1.15m $1.72m

New Build

INT

Fredericksburg Road Parking - Landmark Site

77,000 sqft

$770k - $1.15m

New Build

INT

Fredericksburg Field Parking

34,500 sqft

$345k - $520k

Retrofit

INT

Landa Park Drive / Springs Parking

18,500 sqft

$185k - $280k

Retrofit

INT

Landa Haus Parking

87,000 sqft

$870k - $1.3m

Retrofit

INT

Elizabeth Avenue Parking

96,000 sqft

$960k - $1.4m

Retrofit

INT

Recreation Center Parking

28,500 sqft

$300k - $500k

Retrofit

INT

California Blvd. On-Street Trail

9,000 sqft

$40k - $60k

6’ width

INT

Fredericksburg Road Off-Street Trail

15,000 sqft

$75k - $100k

6’ width

INT

Elizabeth Ave Off-Street Trail

24,000 sqft

$120k - $175k

6’ width

INT

SUBTOTAL

Retrofit

$6.9m - $10.2m

* Refer to Water Quality Retrofit Report (2017) ** Refer to Parks Reclaimed Water Irrigation Feasibility Study (2011) *** Refer to the Landa Haus Condition Assessment CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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IMPLEMENTATION

LANDSCAPE & ECOLOGY ST

Riparian Planting / Terracing - north side Dance Slab

7,000 sqft

$20k - $30k

ST

Fredericksburg Road Stormwater Vault*

n/a

$86,250

See Report

INT

Reclaimed Water Conveyance Infrastructure**

n/a

$4 M - $7M

See Study

ST INT

Rain Garden at Playground

3,000 sqft

$15k - $30k

1’ depth

Bioswale at Picnic Area

12,000 sqft

$30k - $60k

20’ wide avg., 1’ depth

$151,250 $206,250

does not include reclaimed water project

600 sqft (Bldg only)

$75,000

renovation of clubhouse building

SUBTOTAL

PROGRAM SPACES ST

Mini-Golf Phase II Refurbishment

ST

Nature Play Area

18,000 sqft

$200k - $400k

ST

Aquantic Center Decorative Fencing

2000 lf

$40k - $60k

6’ height

ST

NBU Site Decorative Fencing

400 lf

$8k - $12k

6’ height

INT

Train Depot and Plaza

7,500 sqft

$200k - $400k

INT

Train Shed

2500 sqft

$75k - $150k

INT

Landa Haus Lakefront Esplanade

8,500 sqft

$150k - $300k

INT

Landa Haus Restoration - Building Only

5887 sqft

$1M - $1.5M

See Report

Dance Slab Improvements

8,000 sqft

$75k - $150k

Incl. shade structure seating and lighting

Boat House Refurbishment and Floating Dock

4,500 sqft

$50k - $100k

INT INT

SUBTOTAL

$1,873,000 $3,147,000

AMENITIES Picnic Furnishing Replacements

n/a

$300k - $500k

250 tables, 50 trash receptacles

ST

Park Bench and stand-alone trash receptacles replacements

n/a

$50k - $100k

50 benches, 20 trash receptacles

ST

Gateway Signage

n/a

$20k - $40k

4 gateway signs

ST

Kiosk Signage

n/a

$35k - $70k

7 kiosks

ST

Covered Pavilion at Area #2

1250 sqft

$50k - $100k

ST

SUBTOTAL * Refer to Water Quality Retrofit Report (2017) ** Refer to Parks Reclaimed Water Irrigation Feasibility Study (2011) *** Refer to the Landa Haus Condition Assessment

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$455k - $810k

IMPLEMENTATION

FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS INTENT

While the improvements to Landa Park proposed by the Master Plan are extensive, they are also part of a vision that will extend for the next ten to twenty years and beyond. For this reason, the projects have been prioritized and almost every project requires an design or planning phase that can be accomplished in the near term as means of leveraging support for funding and/or studying feasibility issues. Funding for these projects will be an ongoing challenge but there are numerous ongoing opportunities for diversified support.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Work with the City of New Braunfels Capital Programs Manager to design a bond initiative that will address the most foundational need at Landa Park-improvements to circulation. Given the importance of Landa Park and the Comal Springs to New Braunfels, the bond should articulate that improvements to circulation within Landa Park are in essence improvements to the City, namely its unique environmental assets which drive its tourism-based economy.

2. Work with the City Engineer to prioritize trail connection projects to and through Landa Park that may be eligible for TXDoT funding and/or federal funding distributed through the AAMPO such as the Surface Transportation Program – Metropolitan Mobility (STP-MM) and Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).

3. Work with City of New Braunfels Watershed Coordinator to identify Landscape & Ecology projects for annual funding through the EAA Habitat Conservation Plan. There are numerous projects identified in the Master Plan that would qualify for funding. Funded projects typically include riparian plantings, green stormwater infrastructure best practices, and interpretive signage.

4. Prepare to submit for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) funding by organizing the projects in the above phasing chart

based on the criteria of TPWD’s five park funding programs, which all have October deadlines. Other applicable grant programs through TPWD include the Recreational Trails program and the Community Outdoor Outreach program, both with February deadlines. All TPWD grants require matching funds at the time of application.

5. Continue to work closely with New Braunfels Utilities on projects within properties managed by NBU adjacent to Landa Park such as the proposed off-street trail on Fredericksburg Road and fence improvements along Landa Park Drive.

6. Prioritize the development of park features designed to generate increased revenue such as the boat house, Landa Haus and new covered pavilion.

7. Explore the creation of a parking district for Landa Park with a mandate for parking revenue dedicated to parks and recreation.

8. Identify projects for funding through the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) which supports over 70 different grant programs focused on conservation, habitat restoration, and ecological resiliency.

9. Continue to partner with local nonprofit organizations focused on improving Landa Park such as Friends for the Preservation of Historic Landa Park and the Comal Trails Alliance. Partnership opportunities include funding initiatives, program creation, volunteer site projects, and general advocacy.

10. Explore funding a fulltime director for the New Braunfels Parks Foundation to amplify the organization’s valuable fundraising and community organizing work.

11. Work with the organizers of Wurstfest to help implement improvements to Landa Park that benefit Wurstfest’s programming.

12. Explore a privately-led capital campaign, directed by the New Braunfels Parks Foundation or other organization, focused on implementing the Landa Park & Arboretum Master Plan.

CITY OF NEW BRAUNFELS • LANDA PARK & ARBORETUM MASTER PLAN

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