Mahncke Park Neighborhood

Big Changes Coming to Brack, by Marcia Dahlman

May 31, 2004

The bond issue of several years ago approved several million dollars for park improvements. George Grimes and I serve on the master plan committee from our neighborhood.
Some of those improvements in phase 1 have been completed, including a new hike path, new picnic areas, new plantings, new restrooms, etc. They were written about in past newsletters, I believe. They are worth visiting. New paths circle the baseball diamonds and proceed near water?’s edge to Hildebrand.

Phase 2 will include closing several of the park roads in the center of the park, realigning a few roads, creating new wider hike/bike trails, new parking, new picnic areas, and a new entrance at Broadway where Colonel Brackenridge sets now.

The Brackenridge statue will be moved closer to Broadway near Acorn School to allow for a much nicer entrance, with stone walls and columns at Broadway. A small corner of Mahncke Park at Funston will be cut off to better align the Brackenridge entrance to Funston Place. This will make a direct conduit through the Mahncke Park green space from the Botanical Gardens to Brackenridge Park. The rock walls and columns at the entrance to the park on the west side of Broadway will reflect the historical walls within older parts of the park. The drawings appear quite handsome.

Art works are planned for the park entrance: sculptures in niches of the columns, as well as several colorful clay sculptures along the drive into the park. Susan Budge, professor of art at SAC was commissioned by the planners to do these. Another project involves using a huge fallen pecan tree that lies in the trail area of the park. It will be sawn in thick rings and mounted in the position in which it lays now, with cast bronze ?“tree?” rings randomly positioned between the wooden rings. Over time, the wood rings will decompose, leaving only the bronze castings of the tree remaining. This installation will be placed near a confluence of several trails near the center of the forested area, with special plantings and a ?“reflecting pool?” of polished granite in the center. Since there is no water at the site, the highly reflective granite will reflect the trees, clouds and sky as would water.

There has been some initial planning to make the concrete drainage ditch along Avenue B into a more natural area with native plantings on the west side of the channel, and walkways at the water?’s edge on the east side, with removal of the steep concrete sides. This would be an initial step in revitalizing Avenue B, possibly with shops, restaurants, and possibly apartments/condos. Unfortunately, at this writing there are no funds appropriated for this phase.

Anyone wishing to see the plans may contact Parks Department landscape architect Rodney Dziuk at: rdziuk@sanatonio.gov or by calling him at 207-2876. He will put you in contact with the planning consultants.