Buda council presses pause on Garlic Creek disc-golf plan after resident pushback

The Buda City Council heard a detailed workshop presentation and extensive public comment on a proposed disc-golf course in the Garlic Creek Greenbelt and did not adopt a location, instead directing staff to continue public outreach and return to the Parks and Recreation Commission for additional review.

The parks staff presentation said the disc-golf item came from the city’s parks master plan and is listed in the FY25 capital improvements program with $50,000 assigned for planning. Parks reported that it used SurveyMonkey (open April 25–May 9) and received 882 responses. Fifty percent of respondents selected Garlic Creek Greenbelt as their preferred location and 27% selected Stagecoach; 62–63% of respondents said they played disc golf regularly or frequently. The Parks and Recreation Commission voted 6–0 to recommend the Garlic Creek location and asked staff to hold additional outreach, including an open house and neighborhood contacts.

The survey analysis and open-house results, presented by Lindsay Baker and Tony Houst of Parks, showed a divided public. A May 13 open house at Elk Grove Elementary drew 21 attendees (13 said they supported the course, four opposed, two supported with caveats). Staff reported 659 open-ended comments were submitted for the survey and that an AI-assisted sentiment analysis classified roughly 55% positive, 30% negative and 15% neutral responses. Common priorities in the survey were challenging course design and signage; respondents rated restrooms and parking as the highest amenity needs (restrooms averaged 4.05/5 and parking 3.47/5 in priority scores). The conceptual layout shown was a consultant-produced schematic; staff said any final plan would go to a subject-matter expert for detailed design.

Residents who spoke at the meeting described neighborhood impacts they feared would accompany a course at Garlic Creek: inadequate parking on neighborhood streets; more pedestrian interactions where children and neighbors currently use trails; potential loss of trees and natural areas for fairway construction; trash, loud behavior and alcohol use; and difficulties maintaining restrooms in a floodplain. Sheridan Scott (156 Maribel Ave., Cullin Country) told council, “I am incredibly against building this disc golf course, at this time and at the Garlic Creek Park.” Cullin Country HOA president Kimberly Goodman (505 Cullen Blvd.) said she had collected neighborhood feedback and reported roughly 25 messages opposed and only a few in favor. Several commenters who favored a course said they supported it only “if it’s done correctly,” mentioning setbacks from homes, restroom access and volunteer maintenance plans.

Parks noted consultant input from Hop Design and Armadillo Disc Golf, and that consultants recommended Garlic Creek because its tree-lined terrain could provide the “challenging” layout many players prefer. Staff also summarized 11 emails received by deadline (a quick read by the mayor indicated roughly nine opposed and two neutral) and said the Parks Commission had asked staff to notify nearby homeowners directly and to run pop-up demonstrations so neighbors could see play in person.

Councilmembers repeatedly emphasized four practical concerns about any Garlic Creek location: parking, restroom access, pedestrian/park-user interaction, and tree preservation. Several councilmembers said the public process needs additional direct neighborhood outreach before any final decision on location. Councilmember Smith said he wanted Parks to review the survey results and “engage with Collin Country HOA” and other nearby neighborhoods before a final recommendation. Mayor Lee Urbanovsky and other councilmembers suggested staff consider alternative locations—Eastside Park and the Sportsplex were named specifically—and to return with more analysis, public engagement and subject-matter design work.

No formal motion to adopt a site was made during the workshop. Instead council direction was for staff to continue the public process with Parks and Recreation Commission involvement, to bring additional neighborhood outreach and feasibility analysis, and to evaluate alternative sites and mitigation measures (restrooms, parking, course routing to minimize tree removal) before returning to council.

Council and staff flagged practical next steps: additional mailers or direct homeowner contact in affected neighborhoods; pop-up demonstration events to show how disc golf is played; further coordination with subject-matter consultants for safety and layout; and initial volunteer maintenance planning. Staff said any final design would require consultant-led site design, additional cost estimates and consideration of floodplain and restroom constraints before construction could be scheduled.

The item remains a workshop topic; council did not direct staff to approve or construct a course at Garlic Creek at this meeting. Councilmembers emphasized they wanted more neighborhood-level outreach and clearer plans for parking and restroom facilities before a decision on site selection or budget commitment.