3,000-foot nature trail at South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center to be resurfaced
Kathryn CargoA 3,000-foot nature trail at South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center is planned to be resurfaced in a few months and become Americans with Disabilities Act accessible.
During its regular meeting Tuesday, City Council unanimously approved a first reading ordinance proposing to give a nearly $90,000 grant to the nonprofit to redo their nature trail.
The second reading will be Tuesday.
The funding comes from the Type B Economic Development Fund, which is supplemented by sales tax dollars.
The South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center requested $89,000 for installation of new trails to increase resident and visitor access to more remote natural areas adjacent to Oso Creek, referred to as Oso Creek Ridge, according to city documents.
The trail would replace existing grass and mulch trails that are not accessible after rain. The new 10-foot-wide trail would be made of with a 4-inch caliche base and 1-inch decomposed granite top.
Establishing new pathways on Oso Creek Ridge would provide stability for wheelchair and mobility scooter access to explore natural areas, increasing access to brushland regions at the site by more than 400 percent, according to city documents.
The Mary Hope Brennecke Nature Trail provides native habitat access to about 4.5 acres. The paving of Oso Creek Ridge Trail would provide access to another 21 acres of brushland and grassland and make an adjacent 52-acre open shallow wetland and Oso Creek more visible.
The new pathway would also allow emergency vehicle access to this 21-acres.
Kathryn Cargo follows business openings and developments while reporting on impacts of the city government’s decisions.See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe.
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