Products, Vendors, CAD Files, Spec Sheets and More...
Sign up for LAWeekly newsletter
This 525-acre park is a treasure trove for nature lovers by Brian Binkowski, PLA, ASLA ???,??EURoe Senior Landscape Architect/Project Manager at Halff Associates, Inc.
A visit to Garey Park marvels you with sprawling hilltop views, pops of colorful wildflowers, and magnificent live oak and cedar trees. This Georgetown, Texas, gem is home to stunning natural landscapes that will leave you enthralled in the scenery. Whether it be the refreshing San Gabriel River, or the sprawling fields of native grasses, this 525-acre park is a treasure trove for nature lovers. Longtime rancher, racehorse owner, and philanthropist Jack Garey and his wife Camille donated their land and house to the City of Georgetown in 2004 along with $5 million for park development. The ranch was then developed exclusively as a public park and recreational facility for the benefit of Georgetown residents and its neighboring cities. The city matched the Garey's initial donation so the land could be developed into Georgetown's largest municipal park. In 2008, voters approved a bond for an additional $10 million for park construction and hired Halff Associates, Inc. of Richardson, Texas, to develop the landscape design. This former ranch now features passive hiking trails, dedicated picnic spaces, active play areas, a four-acre dog park, wilderness exploration zones, an iconic playground, and a splash pad. The massive park also offers unique equestrian amenities such as trails, an obstacle course, and water troughs through the Equestrian Center. Because of its diverse and ecologically significant landscape, the design of Garey Park blends many activities into an immersive nature experience. Detailed design for the project began after an extensive master-planning process involving environmental clearances that spanned nearly five years. The long-awaited park opened in June 2018, and the residents of Georgetown enjoyed an impressive and unique grand opening. The signature play and day-use area named Garey Play Ranch pays homage to the Garey ranch land and its champion thoroughbred horse Heritage of Gold. The family had no idea what a winner she would become, and the multi-time grade one winner accumulated $2.4 million in lifetime winnings, placing in 22 of 28 races. In honor of the Garey family's love for her, one of the park's pavilions is named after Heritage of Gold. The design team used feedback from the Garey family, the City of Georgetown, the parks advisory board, and vendor consultants when creating the vision for the park. The group proposed an environment that supported a free spirit of running and playing throughout the ranch. The thought of people climbing trees, walking past golden hay bales, and running through luscious meadows captured the Landscape Architects' desire for the project. From cooling off in the babbling river to enjoying sunsets in fields of native Texas flowers, the team was determined to turn this idea into reality. "Mr. Garey's passion and desire to tell the story of "a day at the ranch" is evident when you visit the Play Ranch," said Halff Project Manager, Brian Binkowski, PLA, ASLA. "There is something special and inviting about this space that tells the Garey story and provides something for all generations to experience and enjoy." The Play Ranch consists of five unique play areas or zones: The Heritage of Gold Pavilion and Paddock, the River, the Toddler Treehouse, the Adventure Treehouse, and the Meadow. The Heritage of Gold Pavilion and Paddock includes a custom Icon Shelter Systems pavilion designed to resemble a horse track grandstand with a complementary cupola and weathervane. Laser-cut numbers on a custom truss represent the starting gate of a horse track, and play horses are placed outside the pavilion as if they left through the gate. Complete with a circular landscape entry to the pavilion, the structure is reminiscent of a horse track paddock. The River includes a splash pad equipped with a windmill and horse-themed sprinklers that add a whimsical touch to the interactive water activity. Underneath the splashpad, the mounded spray features exemplify the local aquifer springs system on the park site. A depressed rock-lined channel on the perimeter of the pad resembles the border river to the north of the park. The addition of flowing bubblers provides a steady stream of water in the channel. River rocks from the San Gabriel River were used to line the bottom of the channel. The splash pad components and design were provided by Vortex Aquatics. The Toddler Treehouse is a small play structure designed for children ages 2-5 of all abilities. In this area, children may journey up the glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) live oak tree climber. The structure posts are clad with faux wood, and the shake roof is made from recycled lumber, all resembling a tree house.
From the American South to the Southern Hemisphere
H.R.1 Released Funds
An Inclusive Play Environment
Accessibility and Imagination
Sign up to receive Landscape Architect and Specifier News Magazine, LA Weekly and More...
Invalid Verification Code
Please enter the Verification Code below
You are now subcribed to LASN. You can also search and download CAD files and spec sheets from LADetails.