City crews work on the Adler Road park site last month. Officials say there are no funds in the budget to develop the park at this time other than mowing and keeping the site clean. Photo by Linda Byrne

Work on a new neighborhood park started in January, but Boerne officials say it may be a while before the first picnic baskets will be seen on the site.

The Boerne City Council approved the purchase of nine acres on Adler Road along Currey Creek in August, and the city closed on the property on Sept. 12, said Pam Bransford, communications director for the city.

The park is located at 1017 Adler Road, west of Oak Knoll and east of the Stone Creek subdivision.

“The park site was purchased with funds from the general obligation bond funds approved by the Boerne residents in the May 2007 election. Purchase of park land was part of proposition No. 4 on the ballot,” Bransford said.

Parks and Recreation Director Linda Donarski said work at the site has been focused on removing remnants of an old homestead and renovating a house.

“We have just been cleaning up the land to make it safe. The two trailers had to be abated due to some asbestos, but have now been demolished and removed from the site, as well as the greenhouses. We are renovating the house to serve as our park administrative office until a new City Hall building is built sometime in the future,” Donarski said.

The parks director, athletic and aquatic coordinator, programs and special event coordinator and an administrative assistant will have offices at the site.

According to Bransford, the tract “was once part of the Betty and Louis Bourgeois homestead of 100 acres. Betty Bourgeois received the land as a gift from her mother, Helen Adam. Helen had given the land to her daughter with a stipulation that the land could not be divided and/or sold while she was alive. When Betty passed away the land was divided up among her children; this particular tract was subsequently sold. “

This land recently was owned by George Dooley, who operated a plant nursery on the site.

Donarski said residents of nearby subdivisions, including Oak Knoll and Stone Creek, will have an opportunity to share their ideas for the site.

“We are asking citizens that live in the neighborhoods that surround the park site be patient and give city crews sufficient time to get the site cleared of undesirable structures and hazards,” Donarski said. “We will notify the general public and residents in the area as soon as the park site is safe and available for public use.”

Bransford said there are no funds in the city budget to develop the property, but the city has cleared brush and rubbish and plans to open it up for public use as a green space.

The park site also includes a section of Curry Creek and the park could eventually serve as a trailhead for the Curry Creek trail extension which is planned to link this park with the Old Number 9 Greenway and adjacent neighborhoods.

Bransford said that with the purchase of this new park land, the Boerne public park system now encompasses just over 311 acres. The Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for the operations and maintenance of a wide variety of park spaces which include River Road Park, City Park, Main Plaza, the Old No. 9 Greenway, Northrup Park, a new park at City Lake and Veteran’s, Roeder and Optimist parks.

For more information, contact Linda Donarski at (830) 249-9511.