Georgetown city council talks new trails, pool, fire station

By MEDHA SARIN

Georgetown City council discussed capital improvement projects to update city parks, trails and recreational areas, facilities such as the library and animal shelter, and emergency services during their May 12 workshop.

Park changes 

Improvements to Blue Hole Park are outlined in a master plan that was completed in October, and the design process started in February. The park’s finalized concept preserves the cemetery and includes more parking availability, more picnic spaces and terraced lawns, emergency vehicle access through a roundabout behind the restaurant Encantada, and more restroom facilities – among them a single-user, vandal resistant restroom off Scenic Drive. 

In a resident survey conducted by consulting group Halff, residents described concerns about changing existing park features rather than adding new amenities. Council members’ have also expressed a desire to prioritize changes to the park itself over roads and parking, and to make improvements all at once rather than phasing it out. 

City staff also shared plans to replace aging items, such as playground equipment, at Berry Creek Park, Rabbit Hill, San Gabriel Park and other city parks over the next few years. 

“It allows us to keep our equipment safe and parks looking good,” Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly Garrett said.

The design process is underway on a way to connect Bluffview Trail to the regional trail in Lyndoch Park in Wolf Ranch. This would increase pedestrian accessibility. Funding for the project, totaling will come from Parkland Dedication money rather than taxpayer dollars, and will total $600,000 for the 2027 fiscal year. 

“This will be a really cool access point,” Ms. Garrett said. “I used to live in that area. We never had access.”

In the past, the city tried and failed to open a pool in the River Ridge neighborhood. Now, they will spend the spring season soliciting input from the neighborhood before holding a $100,000 pool demonstration sometime in summer or fall. They have also allotted money for renovations.

“It’s a really challenging site: the pool is built on a cliff,” Ms. Garrett said. “We’ll see what the neighborhood wants.”

Coming out of a 2025 analysis of 15 parks and four trails, she said the parks and recreation department will install more than $200,000 worth of disability accommodations. The effort will utilize the city’s 2016 ADA transition plan, then updated in 2026. The accommodations will mainly focus on areas related to park projects. 

Library updates 

Beyond parks, residents can expect renovations to the Georgetown Public Library’s children’s and teens’ areas. 

Teenage years are a “critical time,” Capital Improvement Program Manager Jennifer Bettiol said, highlighting the need for a more “engaging” and “dynamic” teen space. 

The library’s staff area and the circulation desk will also be updated. Ms. Bettiol said the area is underutilized compared to when the desk was first created. 

Additional projects 

The city continues to work with Williamson County to renovate the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, using $15 million in funds approved through Georgetown’s 2023 bond program. The design phase is underway, and permitting could be complete by the fall. 

The city’s future YMCA — also approved through the 2023 bond — is going through final plat reviews. A Texas Commission on Environmental Quality letter of approval was received and building permit issued. City bond funding for the project is about $10 million. 

The city plans to extensively renovate its recreation center, using about $49 million in bond funding to add new gym space, rooms, a children's area and updates to the pool. 

Other notable goals are building a new fire station at Westinghouse Road and Farm to Market 1460 in Southeast Georgetown, and renovating two current ones, which Assistant City Manager Nick Woolery described as requiring “rehabilitation.” 

There are additional plans to lay artificial turf at McMaster Athletic Complex, increasing how often people can use the fields by reducing time spent on irrigation and maintenance.