Pause Wastewater Pipeline Construction at Festival Beach Food Forest

I am writing as an Austin resident who cares about Festival Beach Food Forest to ask for an immediate pause on the planned wastewater pipeline construction through Festival Beach Food Forest (FBFF) that is expected to begin February 16. This food forest has been developed in partnership with the City of Austin over many years. Community stewards were notified of the planned excavation only weeks before construction is scheduled to begin (Jan. 6, 2026), seemingly in violation of Chapter 26 state regulations for reallocation of parkland. They should have been given 30-days notice of public hearings on this easement acquisition in October 2024-January 2025. This is egregious and deserves a coordinated response from the City to make things right. A pause would allow for a permaculture-based approach to this utility project and the impacted area, which would allow time for the FBFF team, City, and TxDOT stakeholders to: 1) Align utility needs with the existing City-approved Food Forest plans and formally address communication breakdowns, ensuring that legally binding community partnerships agreements are honored (such as construction schedule and scope clarity, identified site superintendent, and a single City point of accountability). 2) Ensure that any easement funds received by the city are directly reinvested into FBFF to repair damage and compensate for lost materials and community labor. 3) Mitigate the environmental impact by supporting the preservation of as many plants and materials, including soil, during the construction process, so they can remain a part of the Food Forest ecosystem, and specifically assess the feasibility of preserving the mature Mountain Laurel. Please help FBFF by ensuring there is a temporary pause to construction in this parkland so the City, Austin Water, TxDOT, and community stewards can work together on a permaculture-based approach that minimizes ecological damage and respects existing City-approved plans and public investment. We believe that this is not just about one food forest. It is about whether community-based organizations and volunteers can rely on City agreements, public processes, and good-faith collaboration—or whether those commitments can be bypassed during large infrastructure projects. Thank you for your time and for considering a more transparent, community-centered approach to the use of our public parkland.