B-11 (Citizen Comments).pdf — original pdf

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*** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Please share with the planning commission. This is a dangerous choice and will ruin the vibe of a public healing space. The majority do NOT want alcohol at the springs . Do you really want drunk people who have been in the sun all day to possibly drown, get killed in a car wreck, putting stress on our city services, lifeguards, etc? There is plenty of alcohol available in this city Keep Barton springs safe and peaceful. Marsha Fatino *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Please send to all the parks commissioners: I urge you to take a final vote against alcohol sales at Zilker Park Cafe. Protect our park goers young and old, our pool visitors and our lifeguards. Ed Crowell Sent from my iPhone This is a very bad idea to have alcohol service at Barton Springs. It will be smuggled in! This is a “family value” park. The high temperatures in summer promote drinking of all kinds, but the idea of having drunken individuals in and near the park is NOT a good idea. Kill this idea! We are again covered up with twaddle from the vocal minority regarding beer and wine sales at Zilker Park. This isn’t an issue about beer and wine sales in the new Zilker Snack Bar … it’s an issue of getting rid of ACL Fest. They will soon oppose all beer and wine sales in all of Zilker Park...in hopes of removing ACL Fest from the park. The vocal minority is opposed to ACL Fest in Zilker Park... I guess they are opposed to the over $40 million that ACL has contributed directly to Austin Parks...thanks to Austin Parks Foundation...a sizable percentage of that $40 million has gone to help parks east of IH35. Also, this isn’t an issue about beer and wine … it’s an issue of change. The vocal minority is opposed to change. Planning Commission Laura would have Council dictating what women are allowed to wear to Barton Springs pool. Her remarks of the possibility of men getting drunk at the cafe and making rude comments to women in swim-wear are just as irrational as her scare tactics. Do not turn this into some moral responsibility. Policy should be based on facts not proverbial scare tactics. Sincerely, Elizabeth Blankenship “A young woman who doesn’t know better that she shouldn’t wear a bikini in the presence of college aged men.” – Laura Cottam Sajbel June 22, 2021 Austin Parks Board We went through this same issue 10 years ago with the original Barton Springs master plan.... The Grounds Improvement Project was something that was opposed, but ultimately appreciated in making Barton Springs Pool a more generous and welcoming place. Fortunately change prevailed... We have to learn to manage change, not oppose it. We have to learn to make change benefit Zilker Park. The vocal minority doesn’t want change. Zilker Park needs to be full of nothing but first class, best destinations...each judged on it's own merit. Zilker Park needs to have the best playground in Austin, the best great lawn in Austin, the best little train in Austin and the best frisbee golf course in Austin. It already has the best swimming pool in the world and it needs to have the best snack bar in Austin. The Zilker Park snack bar needs to be a stand alone great destination...maybe a place to meet friends after work or a place to take the kids on Saturday afternoon for lunch. Just sit out under the shade of those big, beautiful pecan trees after an evening swim at Barton Springs and drink a couple of beers and enjoy a plate of nachos with friends. Enjoy Zilker Park... the best park in Austin! Beer and wine sales are a very important part of the revenue picture for on-premise food vendors. Beer and wine sales are an important revenue boost that the snack bar needs to be successful... It might also be the revenue booster that the snack bar needs to make financial contributions back to Zilker Park. Making money on beer and wine sales might allow a snack bar to sell $1 ice cream cones to kids on Sat afternoon. If I want to get drunk and go swimming I can always ice-down a 12-pak from HEB. The snack bar has the ability to manage beer and wine consumption. They can limit sales to 2 servings per customer or alcohol served with food only. Just because the snack bar sells beer and wine does not mean that people will get drunk and go swimming in the pool...that's twaddle. The vocal minority wants to paint that picture. Let's grow up... Dear Planning Commissioners, Please vote "NO" on B-11 which would permit alcohol to be sold at the Barton Springs concession stand. Barton Springs should be safe, accessible and welcoming to people of all ages. Many people do not feel safe or welcome around where alcohol is served and consumed and where there are intoxicated people. This includes vulnerable people, families with children, people struggling to overcome addiction, the elderly and frail, etc.. Serving alcohol at Barton Springs will not only endanger swimmers (including sober swimmers), but will make it impossible for many people to continue to enjoy the peaceful natural beauty of the place which is what makes it so special. Many people enjoy the water at the springs for spiritual and therapeutic purposes, which will be impossible if the area is full of rowdy drunks. There is no shortage of locations where alcohol can be consumed or served in Austin and in proximity to Zilker Park, but there is only one Barton Springs. Please do not contradict or ignore the recommendation of the Parks Board and the will of the community to keep the Barton Springs concession stand family-friendly and alcohol-free. All the best, Cynthia Wilcox Thanks, David Boikess 2105 Goodrich Ave #1 78704 David Boikess Ralph Webster Barton Springs and Zilker Park Advocate Daily swimmer at Barton Springs As a long time resident of Zilker I would ask a resounding NO to provide a permit for alcohol on the premises. I'm all for a cold beer, but plenty of opportunities to drink one somewhere else. Please, do NOT agree to this! Please vote to protect the sanctity of our parks by limiting the opportunities for people to get drunk. Disgusting. The Planning Commission should ACCEPT the 8-to-1 recommendation of the Parks Board against a special permit authorizing alcohol sales at the new Barton Springs concession stand. Please vote NO ALCOHOL permits! Thank you. Gerry Schwartz 512-453-7775 Austin TX 78759 My subject says it all. Thank you! Sharon Gillespie 1103 Enfield Rd Austin 78703 Andrew, Please forward this to all the Planning Commission members. ------------------- Dear Commissioners: Please oppose authorizing an alcohol sales permit for the food concession just outside the Barton Springs entrance. Alcohol consumption is incompatible with recreation at the pool and the child- friendly family atmosphere in the area. It also introduces safety issues in the pool and pool area that the lifeguards should not have to worry about. The heart of this park should not be a drinking destination. Goodness knows, Barton Springs Road is lined with those. The City of Austin should not become yet another provider. After much consideration, the Parks Board got it right by voting to deny. Please deny this application for alcohol sales in Zilker Park. Thank you. Larry Akers Please provide my concern to Austin Planning Commission. My name is Laura Fairbanks and have been swimming regularly at Barton Springs, since I moved to Austin to attend UT in 1979. Barton Springs is a special place of calm and nature in Austin. It’s the quiet spirit in a busy city that makes Barton Springs so wonderful! There are plenty of places to drink in Austin without having the concession stand which is yards away from the entrance to the pool. People can get rowdy on alcohol. People can go swimming on alcohol. Seems obvious that swimming and alcohol don’t mix. It is certainly a liability and unfair to young lifeguards to have to deal with drinking situations that get out of hand. Please keep alcohol out of the pool area of Barton Springs!!! Let’s protect this area we call the Jewel of Austin! Sent from my iPhone, Laura I support the Zilker Rewilding Plan. Sharon Gillespie 1103 Enfield Rd Austin 78703 Dear City of Austin Planning Commission- Thank you all for your service to the City of Austin and the Austin community, it is greatly acknowledged and appreciated. I'm writing today to go on the record and have my voice heard in opposition to case number (SPC- 2021-0131A) and permit number (2021-058117 SP) for the Zilker Cafe that would allow for alcohol to be sold just outside of Barton Springs Pool. According to the CDC website, alcohol is involved in 70% of drowning deaths.  I am the Executive Director of the local water safety and drowning prevention organization, Colin's Hope. I am also the Co-Chair of the Central Texas Drowning Prevention Action Team, the Vice President of the Safe Kids Austin Board, a Board Member for the Texas Drowning Prevention Alliance and the Co- Chair for the National Drowning Prevention Alliance Advisory Board. All of that to say that I do drowning prevention 365 days a year and often what feels like 24 hours a day. We work around the clock to educate adults and children about things they can do to be safer around water. One of those very simple steps we give is to NOT mix alcohol with swimming. This proposal would undo our work by literally encouraging people to consume alcohol and then go swim in (cold) water while being intoxicated. It is unfathomable and very risky for the swimmers, the lifeguards and the City of Austin. I would also like to highlight the additional burdens that will be placed upon our incredible City of Austin Aquatics team of life guards and aquatic professionals. These individuals would be asked to act as security guards/bouncers, law enforcers WHILE also trying to remain vigilant, undistracted and attentive to their roles as water safety and drowning prevention professionals. This is unacceptable and again will increase risk for all. I have trained thousands of life guards and aquatic professionals locally and around the country and I have heard testimonies from them about the incredible stress and challenges when dealing with swimmers who are drinking alcohol. They have shared stories of having to remove an intoxicated person from the facility. AND I have heard and seen and witnessed lifeguards who have made rescues of intoxicated swimmers and have seen the trauma and emotional hardship that results when a lifeguard is unable to save a drowning victim. These are all things that can be prevented. Drowning is FAST, SILENT AND PREVENTABLE. The last drowning that occurred at Barton Springs involved alcohol. Please do your part as leaders in the Austin community to deny this permit so that we can keep our citizens safer around one of the city's crown jewel- Barton Springs. Thank you for your time and consideration and thank you for doing all that you can to keep our community as safe as possible. Alissa Magrum -- Alissa Magrum (she/her/hers) Executive Director, Colin's Hope 512-294-3910 (cell) Follow us on Twitter: @colinshope Find, Friend and Like us on Facebook Volunteer to Support our Mission Hello Andrew, I hope you are well today :) Many thanks! Richard Lawson I ask that you would provide this below message to all of the council members before tomorrow’s meeting. On Mon, Oct 25, 2021 at 2:54 PM R <richardwlawson@gmail.com> wrote: Hello Council Members, As a decade+ long swimmer at BSP, and yearly season pass holder, I can provide a qualified opinion on ItemB-11 on tonight’s agenda. I implore you to not allow any alcohol sales at the Park. This would bring an unneeded unsafe and unsavory element to the Most Beautiful Park in America. Those who wish to consume alcohol can visit any of the restaurants or bars, which are within walking distance, and certainly driving distance, at <1 mile from the BSP main entrance.  I appreciate your attention on this important matter. Most Sincerely, Richard Lawson 2616 Goodrich Ave Austin Tx, 78704 As a longtime, (since the 70s), almost daily swimmer at Barton Springs I am writing to oppose alcohol sales in the park. Heaven knows this town has bars aplenty and our park, populated by children and families at the playground as well as at the pool, is not one of them! I often see drivers going the wrong way up the one way driveway leaving the park, and the wrong way in the parking lot posing danger to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers. Adding alcohol to the mix is just asking for the inevitable accident. The lifeguards’ work is hard enough without adding alcohol into the mix. Seriously, alcohol in the park? NO!! Gioconda Bellonci Dear Planning Commission, Thank you for your service on the Planning Commission. Please know you are appreciated. I'm writing today to oppose alcohol sales just outside of Barton Springs Pool. I spoke against the CUP at both the Community Meeting on June 17th, 2021, the PARD board meeting on June 22, 2021, (where the board voted 4-2 to NOT RECOMMEND the CUP), and then again a the PARD board meeting on September 28, 2021 (where the board again voted--this time 8-1 to NOT RECOMMEND the CUP). Not a single Barton Springs staff member or swimmer spoke in favor of this CUP. More importantly, the PARD board voted twice to not recommend the sale of alcohol at the Zilker Cafe 30 steps from the entrance to Barton Springs. The public has spoken and been heard by the PARD board. Why is this dangerous proposal being discussed yet again? The city is proposing a galactically bad idea to sell alcohol 30 steps from the pool entrance. (Not to mention 35 feet from the train, and 200 feet from the playground). Barton Springs is a three-acre pool. On any given summer day there are potentially 3,000 people for the lifeguards to look after and, all too often, rescue. That's without alcohol sales 30 steps from the pool entrance. Drownings happen fast and require split second decision-making from lifeguards. Imagine delays in their responses if they were mentally worn down by playing bouncer to drunk people all day? I was actually part of a rescue myself when a drowning swimmer pulled me underwater as I was swimming laps. I had to invoke my lifeguard training to not drown myself and then hold the victim's head above water so he could breathe until a Barton Springs lifeguard could reach him. This guy had been drinking. The last death at Barton Springs Pool in 2016 was attributed to alcohol. This horrifying proposal adds untold burden to already overworked (and understaffed) lifeguards. I spoke with several lifeguards, and, despite not being able to specifically publicly oppose this proposal, they made their feelings crystal clear. They were angry, stunned, and aghast.  Why would the city make an abhorrent decision to create a new burden on these lifeguards? Is the city going to pay attention to a KVUE Twitter poll or scientific data and how the lifeguards feel about this decision? Twitter polls and surveys are, to put it mildly, a poor basis for public health policy. Yes, the alcohol will be sold in Zilker Park, outside the pool gates. That does not stop alcohol from entering the pool in the bodies of people who have access to alcohol 30 steps from the entrance to the pool. “Hey – let’s go for a swim” “Wait a sec while I finish my drink” “Well – hurry up, we’re going!” Below my main points of opposition, you’ll find references (below the bold line) for the following: • Statements from Kim McNeeley. Why are we pursuing a CUP based on the survey requests of 16 out of 450 people? • Transcript of my questions from the Community Meeting on June 17, 2021, followed by Parks staffs’ inadequate answers • False interpretation of lifeguard training from the Community meeting on June 17, 2021 • Parks staff justifying the CUP based on results from a Twitter poll • Journal articles about how alcohol consumption contributes to drowning MAIN POINTS • According to the CDC website, alcohol is involved in 70% of drowning deaths. o There are scientific data that conclude alcohol consumption contributes to drowning. (See links to a sample of journal articles below) • Τηε [µοστλψ τεεναγε] λιφεγυαρδσ δο νοτ ηαϖε αδεθυατε τραινινγ το δεαλ ωιτη ιντοξιχα τεδ πατρονσ, νορ ηαϖε τηεψ βεεν χονσυλτεδ αβουτ τηισ προποσαλ. Ωηατ ωιλλ βε ασκεδ οφ τηεµ ισ υνσαφε ανδ υνφαιρ. o I have obtained the City of Austin lifeguard training manual and confirmed lifeguards receive no training to identify or deal with intoxicated people. o Pool patrons already scream and yell at lifeguards for enforcing rules. Imagine how much worse that would be with more intoxicated patrons? o Drownings happen fast and require split second decision-making from lifeguards. Imagine delays in their responses if they were mentally worn down by playing bouncer to intoxicated people all day? • Παρκσ ∆ιρεχτορ Κιµ ΜχΝεελεψ, αλονγ ωιτη σταφφ Χηριστινα Βιεσ ανδ ϑυστιν Σχηνειδ ερ, ηαϖε αλλ στατεδ (θυοτεσ βελοω) τηε προποσαλ το σελλ αλχοηολ 30 στεπσ φροµ τηε Βα ρτον Σπρινγσ Ποολ εντρανχε ισ α διρεχτ ρεσπονσε το α πυβλιχ ινπυτ ιν α συρϖεψ. Ιν φαχτ, τηε πυβλιχ ινπυτ ωασ α µερε 16 ουτ οφ 450 ρεσπονδεντσ ωηο ινδιχατεδ τηεψ ωουλδ λικε αλ χοηολ σερϖεδ ατ τηε χαφ. o I have obtained this survey. Parks is proposing selling alcohol 30 steps from the entrance to Barton Springs Pool based on 3% of people surveyed.  I question Kim McNeeley’s justification for pushing a proposal forward where 97% of 450 people did not indicate they would purchase alcohol from the cafe.  Ask yourself: Why are we pursuing something that 16 out of 450 people requested? • Listen to the two meetings linked above from start to finish. Not a single Barton Springs swimmer is in favor of this CUP. o Barton Springs is a city and national natural treasure, not an amusement park. It is a unique public and ecological resource. Is selling alcohol consistent with the message we want to send our children about the delicate and rare nature of the Springs? • There are other concessions that sell alcohol within PARD property, specifically Alta's Cafe at the Waller Creek Boathouse. The Waller Creek boathouse is for boating, which inherently involves riding on a giant flotation device. That is a very different activity than swimming in Barton Springs. Swimming has been banned in Lady Bird Lake since 1964. • Πεοπλε ωαντ το ηαϖε α δρινκ ωηιλε τηειρ κιδσ αρε ατ τηε πλαψγρουνδ. Ψου χουλδ ιν ν ο ωαψ σαφελψ ωατχη χηιλδρεν φροµ τηε χαφε ον τηε πλαψγρουνδ. Τηερε ισ νοτ α λινε οφ σι γητ τηατ ωουλδ βε συφφιχιεντ το ωατχη ανψονε βυτ α τεεναγερ ωηο ισ τοο ολδ φορ τηε πλα ψγρουνδ. • Other laws in Zilker Park are routinely unenforced, for example leash laws, glass, alcohol, and parking. • Councilwoman Ann Kitchen has opposed the CUP in writing. Dear Mr. Rivera - I am writing in hopes that the Planning Commission will reject the proposal that alcoholic beverages be sold in Zilker Park. The park does not need the "enhancement" of alcohol to be a special place. The proposed location for the sale of alcohol is much too close to the children's playground. Also, the lifeguards, do not need to have the added burden of keeping an eye out for both drunken individuals and swimmers. Austin has become much too dependent on alcohol for fun. Please let us have an alcohol free zone where families and others can gather without alcohol impaired individuals distracting from the pleasure of Zilker Park. If alcohol is a necessity for some, they can walk two blocks and find many restaurants where alcohol is served. Please share my message with the members of the Austin Planning Commission. Thank you for your consideration. Donna Ramsey in Zilker *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Mr. Rivera, Would you please share this message with the Planning Commission prior to the Tuesday night meeting? As recommended by the Parks Board (in an 8-1 vote), the Barton Springs lifeguards, SOS Alliance, and Zilker Neighborhood Association, alcohol sales should not be permitted at the Zilker Cafe. Barton Springs and the Zilker Train are family-friendly activities that are fun without the need for alcohol. Historically, fresh-squeezed lemonade and snow cones were the special treats offered at the Barton Springs snack bar. These are appropriate for this family-friendly venue. Austin has a plethora of bars and restaurants that provide plenty of opportunities for drinking and partying. Please honor the requests of those who would be most affected by the sale of alcohol at Barton Springs by voting against this agenda item. Thank you, Anne Miller Please provide my comments to the Planning Commission. Dear Members, I am writing in opposition to Item B-11 “Zilker Cafe” site permit to authorize beer and wine sales in Zilker Park. For more than 30 years I have been a daily, year round swimmer at Barton Springs. As the city around us has transformed, Barton Springs has remained relatively unchanged (just don’t get me started about water quality and the actual condition of the pool (filled with sediment), however!). Barton Springs is a gathering place for Austinites, it is a place where we join together with friends and families, where we bring out of town guests for a glimpse of a truly unique and uplifting place. It is not and has never been a destination for dining or drinking—we have ABUNDANT options in Austin for those activities—many just a short distance from the pool. Barton Springs offers an accessible, affordable place to cool off in spring-fed waters, interact with others in a natural setting, and observe nature. Pool patrons include folks of all ages — from infants and young children to teens and the elderly. They are at the pool to enjoy an outing in an environment that isn’t dominated by commercialization, where technology is optional, and where relaxation is the purpose. Alcohol sales would undermine this atmosphere; complicate the workplace for pool staff; introduce conditions for swimmers and visitors that are potentially unsafe; and diminish the natural park setting by converting it into an outdoor cafe setting. I am astounded that this application has proceeded to this level, as over months of discussion I have yet to hear even a single person voice support for its passage. What is the compelling case FOR introducing alcohol sales in this location that has brought consideration to this level? It is not in the public interest; it is not in the interest of city staff, including lifeguards, register operators, pool managers, and grounds keepers; and it is not in the interest of regular pool patrons who are likely to encounter new levels of noise, trash, and congestion during their daily use of the pool. Please reject the requested permit and help us retain Barton Springs as a natural setting where physical activity and the opportunity to be in a peaceful, natural setting are the clear priorities. Thank you, Lori McClure 512.454.4331 Hi there, I'm writing to share my lack of support for the PARD Conditional Use Permit for Zilker Cafe to sell beer and wine. As a past swim coach, a life-long swimmer, a resident of Austin for over 20 years, a user of Zilker Park with my family, a swimmer at Barton Springs Pool, and an advocate for drowning prevention with Colin's Hope, I see the sale of beer and wine in such close proximity to both the pool and the family amenities as a bad idea. I don't think selling alcohol will enhance anyone's experience of the area in a meaningful way, in fact it's more likely to detract from the attractions of the area. I know many others have emailed you about all the many negative impacts this proposal could have, so I don't plan to reiterate their arguments, merely show my support for them. Please hear the voice of the community on this issue and do not grant the Zilker Cafe the ability to sell alcohol. Sincerely, Elli Overton 512 660 1070 7908 Via Verde Dr Austin TX 78739 Karen Kreps Net Ingenuity 1741 Spyglass Dr. #229 Austin, TX 78746 Dear Members of the Planning Commission: As someone who swims daily at Barton Springs and who cares deeply about our parks and our environment, I ask that you vote AGAINST the proposed Conditional Use Permit that would allow the sale and consumption of alcohol next to Barton Springs Pool. Barton Springs should remain a safe space for families and children to swim and to learn about and connect with nature. Thank you! Dear Austin Parks and Recreation Board Members and Planning Commissioners I oppose the sale of alcohol at Barton Springs Pool. Let's keep everyone safe, including our precious land and water resources and not mix alcohol and water use. Let's keep Barton Springs pool the safe, alcohol-free zone that it has been for decades. thank you Peggy Lamb Hello All, Hope your day is full of blue skies! I am writing AGAIN in opposition to selling alcohol at the hot dog stand at Barton Springs Pool. This is a colossally bad idea. Even though most hot dog patrons will feed their hungry kids and move on, a few will linger for multiple drinks. Just one person who drinks too much can cause injury to another or experience injury him/herself. Consider these: 1. Drowning. Alcohol is involved in many drownings. My T-shirt that says "Mothers Against Drunk Diving" brought forth a comment the first time I wore it. A woman told me that her high school class field trip ended in disaster when a teenager who had drunk a beer or two jumped into shallow water and crushed his skull. Alcohol and swimming pools are a dangerous, if not deadly, combination. 2. Vehicle accident in parking lot, running over an excited child who gets separated from parents near the pool or train. Small child, not visible in rear view mirror, driver doesn't see him/her. Years of regret. 3. Carrying alcohol off hot dog stand property into pool. Current rules do not permit alcohol in the pool, but there's no breathalyzer at the pool entrance. Lifeguards have to deny entrance to people who appear drunk or people with alcohol. These individuals often threaten lifeguards or on occasion lay down and block entrance (as happened recently). We must protect lifeguards from belligerent public. 4. Throwing beer and wine receptacles over the fence into the pool, hitting a swimmer on the head, littering bottom of pool with trash. Why would we want that? 5. Gunfight or mass shooting, now that guns are legal, and people can get belligerent when they drink. 6. Molestation of women. When I wear my "No Perverts at BSP" T-shirt, women approach me with stories about men masturbating while watching them exercise or similar behavior. Alcohol shakes off inhibitions and will make this problem worse. Back in 2017, at 7:40 am, a young man in wetsuit (probably not drunk) assaulted me, a senior citizen, while I was swimming, so I know of what I speak. 7. Who will keep order? It takes police a while to respond, especially now that they feel defunded. Who will call the police? How will the hot dog stand keep its patrons on hot dog stand property? 8. Alcohol will encourage cigarette smoking, in spite of the pool being a “smoke-free” area. This is a problem for those of us with compromised lungs, because smoke settles like a blanket on the water surface. 9. Where will people pee and poop? Hot dog stand has no restrooms, Barton Springs bathhouse has fragile old toilets. TACB rules forbid alcohol sales within 300 feet of residences, churches, schools, hospitals, day care centers and social service facilities. A family swimming pool, a place for exercise and relaxation, fits logically into the preceding list. The hot dog stand is separated from Barton Springs by ZERO distance and no fence separates it from the pool entrance. Please protect us swimmers, senior citizens, and our families and children from alcohol sales at the pool entrance. This is our park. Andrew Jackson Zilker gave it to us, we pay taxes to support it. We have a right to enjoy it with minimal danger. Thank you, Patricia Bobeck Dear Planning Commission, Thank you for your service. I'm writing in opposition to the CUP for alcohol sales near Barton Springs Pool. My understanding is that there will be a rule that alcohol must stay within a designated area. However, off leash dog rules and other rules are routinely ignored at Zilker Park. We all know that. We heard at the PARD community engagement meeting that the vendor has "primary responsibility" to enforce the designated alcohol area rule (minute 25:45 of recording). How is that going to be enforced? Who is empowered to report violations and who do they report them to? If the vendor doesn’t enforce the rule, what is the penalty against the vendor? Despite several public meetings on this issue, we've heard nothing about how all this will be enforced, other than relying on pool cashiers to turn away obvious drunks (and get loudly berated in the process). There are lots of private venues - and even some public venues - that serve alcohol near water. But those are generally venues for which similar options, without alcohol, exist and people have the freedom to choose where to go. Needless to say, there is only one Barton Springs. Don't ruin it for the majority of people who want to enjoy a safe, family-friendly environment. Thank you for your time, Daniel Opdyke, PhD, PE 2403 Forest Ave 78704 Dear Planning Commission, I am truly disappointed to think that the city Council is even considering putting alcohol sales in the proximity of this special place where safety and peaceful tranquility should come first. There are so many places in Austin to drink alcohol, surely there is no need to add yet another watering hole that would no doubt change the atmosphere of this family friendly and special place. I implore you to use your power for good. Please be stewards of Barton Springs for hundreds of thousands of Austinites who consider it the soul of Austin, and all the countless tourists who fall in love with Austin the moment they take a dip in our springs and feel the joy at the pool. Thank you, Your tax-paying citizen, Darcy Bontempo 1308 Juliet St Austin, TX Please do not allow alcohol sales by the new business immediately adjacent to Barton Springs. The staff and regular patrons of Barton Springs view this possibility with horror. Barton Springs is a family friendly environment that would be forever spoiled by the introduction of alcohol. Please preserve the generations old treasure of Barton Springs by voting against alcohol sales. I am an Austin citizen and registered voting urging you to vote against alcohol sales at Barton Springs. The lifeguards’ jobs are already demanding enough without the added burden of inebriated swimmers. Alcohol sales would likely also increase the demand on those who keep Zilker Park clean and free of refuse. Thank you for your consideration. Yours truly, Robert M. Gilliland Dear Planning Committee Members, Please do not allow alcohol to be served at the concession stand at Barton Springs pool. Serving alcohol is wrong at so many levels, especially that it opens the door to more concession stands with alcohol around the park turning the great park into a carnival. It is not needed. Thank you. Randy McNair 5909 Republic of Texas Blvd Austin, TX Thank you Lin Mallardi Hello, I am writing to you in order to convey my opposition to the APC Agenda Item B-11. If you would pass my comments along to the Planning Commission members, I would appreciate it. There is no reason why there should be alcohol sales in Zilker Park. Mixing alcohol and water activity can so easily result in disaster, especially in a pool like Barton Springs which is cold and deep. I can't understand why this would be permitted if the Barton Springs Pool lifeguards are opposed to it. Their job is difficult enough without adding even slightly buzzed people to the pool. Dell Children's Hospital is opposed to this for obvious reasons. How can anyone possibly override these concerns? I understand that a city budget is always tight, but selling alcohol to raise money is short-sighted and unimaginative. Please do not allow this site permit to go forward. Thank you, everyone, for your time and attention. Ann Wheeler This message is from Susan Rankinb. [ I am opposed to the proposal to allow the Barton Springs Cafe to sell alcohol. Drinking and swimming are not a good mix. We should not expect the outstanding Barton Springs lifeguards to add managing impaired swimmers to the challenges of safety at the pool. The City should prioritize safety over any increased profitability of the cafe and concession fees to the City. (There are plenty of other places to have drink with one's food.) Mr. Rivera, Please share my comments here with all Planning Commission members at tonight’s meeting. Thank You. To all Planning Commission members, Regarding the request, in Item B-11, to reject the Parks Board’s recommendation against a special permit authorizing alcohol sales at the new Barton Springs concession stand, I urge you to uphold The previous Parks Board recommendation ! I STRONGLY AGREE with the Parks Board’s previously overwhelming 8-to-1 recommendation against the permit as I too, strongly oppose the sale of alcohol anywhere at Barton Springs. As a former (3 years) lifeguard working for the Parks and Recreation Department in San Antonio, TX, I am appalled that anyone would want to sell alcohol in or near any area where swimming is possible and children are playing; it’s dangerous and irresponsible!  Barton Springs and Zilker Park have been known as great family venues in Austin, Texas for many, many years. I feel the permit to allow alcohol sales would cause overcrowding of the park in an effort to attract a part of the population who, I feel, has no place drinking in family oriented and swimming areas. I grow very weary of those that try to force alcohol consumption onto others in totally inappropriate places such as Barton Springs. Thank you for reading and considering my comments. As sincere as possible, Randall Haines Proud Austin resident in 78750 since 1985. Sent from Randall's iPhone *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Please, please don’t vote for this!!! It’s the antithesis of Barton Springs! *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Please send to all the parks commissioners: I urge you to take a final vote against alcohol sales at Zilker Park Cafe. Protect our park goers young and old, our pool visitors and our lifeguards. Ed Crowell Sent from my iPhone CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.