01/29/2025
This letter was sent on 4-3-24
Ms. Kimberly McNeeley
Director
Austin Parks and Recreation Department 200 South Lamar Blvd
Austin, Texas 78704
RE: Norwood House
Dear Ms. McNeeley,
The South River City Citizens Neighborhood Association (SRCC) has long sought to restore the Norwood House. SRCC’s vision is to create a beautiful place for use and enjoyment by the citizens of Austin. However, we are concerned about the continued neglect of this city asset. In this letter, we state those concerns.
SHORTY HISTORY: The Norwood House has been on the deferred maintenance list for 38 years. Throughout those years, conscientious and diligent volunteers have maintained their objective to reconstruct the house and restore the surrounding area. The most recent effort by the Norwood Park Foundation (NPF) lasted ten years and resulted in the creation of a shovel-ready project. NPF volunteers worked directly with PARD staff to transform the property. They created the necessary designs, secured required City permits, and identified $2.9 million from a 2018 bond issue that could have been allocated to the Norwood Project. Then the pandemic shut everything down. Construction costs skyrocketed. Once construction resumed, the new bids for the project were significantly higher. At this point, the volunteers tried to find professionals to oversee the project. A successor was not found by the time NPF dissolved and terminated the Parkland Maintenance and Improvement Agreement in December 2022. PARD has reported that neither the Trail Conservancy nor the Austin Parks Foundation was able to add Norwood to its ongoing work.
A Norwood inquiry with CM Qadri’s office in August 2023 revealed that PARD decided to “reassign” the $2.9 million previously allocated to the Norwood Project to remodeling the Barton Springs bathhouse. That information set off red flags for a number of concerned neighbors and the seeds of the Revive Norwood Alliance (RNA) were planted. On January 22, 2024, RNA member Saira Rabbani used the public comment period of the monthly Parks and Recreation Board meeting to advise the Board of our intent to resume the NPF’s operations. The group made a connection with PARD Director McNeeley that resulted in a meeting between RNA and PARD management on January 30, 2024. At that meeting, PARD indicated that it was open to considering funding options for rehabilitating the house. At the same time, they left other options on the table, such as removing the house and creating a viewing platform.
CURRENT STATUS: SRCC restates its ongoing and official stance that the organization supports renovation of the house. We believe the house is ready for rehabilitation and has significant ties to the historic community. Therefore, we find that demolishing the house and replacing it with interpretive signage is not acceptable. Although Norwood is our direct neighbor, it is a citywide resource that has substantial appeal. It is the position of SRCC that house renovation best serves the citizens of Austin, the neighborhood, diverse user groups, and honors the many years of volunteer work invested in this project. Accordingly, we support the goal of the Revive Norwood Alliance to proceed with house renovation and eventual infrastructure improvements that will make the Norwood House a usable and self-sustaining public park facility.
Thank you for your attention to this public resource jewel.
Sincerely,
Noah Balch
President
South River City Citizens
