Not much attention has been paid to the quiet park off of Orange Street that runs along Barons Creek. Dead trees and a bleak landscape will give way to 20 new trees and more landscaping, plus a crushed granite, 1,200-foot walking trail along the creek. — Standard-Radio Post/Ken Esten Cooke
An off-the-beaten path park that hasn’t received much attention lately is about to get a bunch of TLC.
Leadership Gillespie County’s Class of 2015 chose Frantzen Park revitalization as its class project. The park, three acres of outdoors located along a quiet block of Orange Street, is spacious, but has few amenities. Two picnic tables sit under large trees, or what is left of the large trees, and a basic swing set offers two spots. Barons Creek, which winds along the park’s eastern edge is choked with cane and small tree overgrowth.
Clinton Bailey, the City of Fredericksburg’s Director of Public Works, is president
of the leadership group which will take on the project.
“We want this to be a demonstration project for future park revitalization efforts,” Bailey said. “Parks are one of the quickest and most effective ways to build a sense of community and improve quality of life.”
Under Phase 1 of the project, organizers envision an improved park monument, replacing the leaning sign which now proclaims its name, a new stone entrance similar to the Cross Mountain Park, the planting of approximately 20 additional trees, intensive creek cleanup and dead tree removal and the construction of a six-to-eight-foot wide, 1,200-foot long granite trail along the creek.
Bailey said initial fund-raising goals for Phase 1 are $8,100. They will rely heavily on volunteer labor for assistance with creek work and tree removal and trail construction.
Additional features in Phase 2 include park benches, picnic tables, play equipment and swings, bringing the entire cost to around $30,000.