Whether it's "Austin's next Zilker Park," as it's being touted, remains to be seen, but the 700 acres of green space planned for an East Austin community certainly sounds like a contender for a designation we didn't know existed until reading its press release.
Whisper Valley Park, which will be located just off State Highway 130 from FM 973 and extend east of Taylor Lane, will have 600 acres of parkland for public use and reserve 100 acres for the exclusive use of residents of Whisper Valley — a landmark sustainable community that runs on geothermal energy and is touted to be Austin's first zero-energy-capable planned development.
The park will have nature trails, picnic areas, manicured open space, playgrounds, shade structures, restrooms, community gardens, a natural amphitheater for events, benches, landscaping, and signage.
Whisper Valley Park is part of a new master trail plan that will ultimately connect the the city's 4,000-acre Walter E. Long Park and Lake, Travis County's 14-mile trail system, and the East Metropolitan Park.
In addition, plans include a 4-mile, 12-foot-long concrete trail and a 3-mile, 8-foot-wide nature trail along Gilleland Creek, which runs the length of the park.
For the residents of its eventual 7,500 homes, Whisper Valley Park will also have two programed areas for numerous community activities — one adjacent to a community retail center at Braker Lane and FM 973, the other near Phase 6 and 7 of the development.
