Friends of Comanche Lookout Organization

If you haven't already read about it, the City is conducting public comment meetings this week to discuss plans for the new Voelcker Park on the near northside.  It's a beautiful area, and it will be a great new park.  If you can attend one of the meetings and share your experiences from Comanche Lookout, please do so--lots of folks don't know what it takes to keep up a good park!  Here is our input to the public comments:

...some observations to share from the Friends of Comanche Lookout.

    The people in the neighborhood will ultimately determine the services and uses of the park by the facilities they use and support, and it's not our intention to influence that discussion.  Instead, we offer some observations on those things that have made Comanche Lookout a very successful suburban park.

    Make the park an attractive place for the local community.  The addition of the Julia Yates Semmes Branch Library transformed Comanche Lookout from a little-known, little-used park to a busy, well-maintained community resource.

    Make access to the park easy.  Comanche Lookout has only 4 "official" entry points, but people from the neighborhoods have worn dozens of informal trails into the park.  These trails pose a safety hazard for park users and erosion hazards which will require ongoing maintenance.  This can be avoided by recognizing that a city park should be accessible all around its perimeter. 

    On the other hand, don't make park access TOO easy.  Confine parking areas to the perimeter of the park, near playgrounds and picnic areas.  It should be OK to picnic in the park interior for those willing to pack their stuff in.  But larger groups will be more prone to require maintenance and emergency services, both of which need service roads.

    Make it comfortable to be in the park.  Put benches and picnic tables at intervals along trails so walkers and joggers can take a break.  These need to be in shady areas, especially benches near playgrounds.  Grandma shouldn't get a sunburn while the kids are playing on the jungle gym! Make sure there are sufficient restrooms and drinking fountains--ideally at every major entry point to the park.  Don't forget those wonderful new dog fountains, either!

    Make it easy for park patrons to keep the park clean.  Make sure there are trash cans at every picnic or gathering area, and at all trail entrances.  Be sure to put doggie bag dispensers at every trail entrance, as well.

    Finally, plan to keep park patrons informed.  Think about signage ahead of time, so the rules and regulations for the park can be posted in a way that's easy to see and read, and is still visually attractive.  And provide a series of bulletin boards for park patrons and the Friends of Voelcker Park to keep each other informed of events in the Park and in the neighborhood.

    Best of luck with the new park,

The long-discussed picnic area is under construction!  Thanks to former District 10 Councilman Chip Haas for his support.

The Friends of the Julia Yates Semmes Branch Library will hold a book sale on Saturday, September 15, at the library.  Proceeds  support the library.

From one of our Friends:

I ... called KSAT 12 news yesterday to get them to do a story on the break-ins at the park (at least one on Saturday and
one on Sunday just before we pulled in).  If ... you haven't seen the story you can log on to the KSAT
web site at www.ksat.com and see it here.

It's been suggested that a surveillance camera be installed in the library parking lot.  We need to discuss alternatives
with the Park Police.

Meanwhile, don't come to the park with valuables in your car!  And keep an eye out for folks tampering with cars.

The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department has posted the 2006-2016 Strategic Plan on their website.  Of most interest to us are plans in 2012 and 2013 to make erosion control improvements at Comanche Lookout.  Also of interest are the Strategic Initiatives and Objectives and the Citywide Recommendations:  some of the things the city wants to do fit nicely with ideas proposed by various Friends.

It looks like one of the new doggie drinking fountains made the cover of the plan--it's not clear if it's at Comanche Lookout, or one of the dog parks.