DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Peter Zanoni
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S) IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT: Calling May 9, 2015 Special Election
SUMMARY:
An ordinance ordering a special election to be held on May 9, 2015 in the City of San Antonio, Texas to renew the Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project at $100 million and the Parks Development Expansion Venue Project (Linear Creekway Parks Program) at $80 million in accordance with Chapter 334 of the Texas Local Government Code.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Edwards Aquifer Protection Venue Project encompasses the acquisition of land or conservation easements over sensitive lands of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge and Contributing Zones; and the Parks Development and Expansion Venue Project includes the acquisition of open space and development of linear parks along the Leon Creek, Salado Creek, Medina River, San Antonio River, and tributaries, such as the Apache, Alazan, Culebra, Huesta, Huebner, Lorence, Martinez, Olmos, and San Pedro. The programs were first approved by San Antonio voters in 2000, and subsequently renewed by voters in 2005 and 2010.
Since the initiation of the Edwards Protection Program 133,447 acres of sensitive lands over the Edwards Recharge and Contributing Zones have been protected either as part of the City's natural areas parks system or as conservation easements protecting the hydrogeologic headwaters to San Antonio's drinking water. This translates to almost 13% of the entire Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone or approximately 20.5% of the Recharge Zone that directly affects the City of San Antonio.
Since the inception of the Linear Creekways Parks System, over 1,250 acres of Creekway properties have been preserved as public park space including construction of over 46 miles of accessible multi-use paths already open to the public for recreation and an additional 40 miles of trails that is currently under design or construction.
On January 29, 20...
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