The Price of Progress

I love Friedrich Park, it's where I hike and run nearly everyday. It's nestled in the far northwest reaches of San Antonio along the southeastern edge of the Texas Hill Country. The park is about 300 acres and is located in a heavily wooded rural and suburban area. The park was donated to the city by Norma Friedrich Ward in honor of her parents, Emilie and Albert Friedrich. Because of its rural location, the park is a hidden gem. Not a lot of San Antonians are even aware of its existence let alone its location, and that's how I like it! The properties surrounding the park are all heavily wooded and are either undeveloped or are small family ranches. For the most part, you wouldn't be aware of the existence of the mini family ranches because they blend into the surrounding landscape so well. Once I exit the highway each day, I take a winding country road to the park where I often see cattle and horses grazing as well as a peacock or a wild turkey along the road. Every so often an escaped cow grazes along the side of the road because the grass is tastier on that side of the fence! I consider it a successful day at the park if I pull into the parking lot and see no more than a half-dozen cars. This means the chances of me seeing another soul during my hike are slim, and I'll have a good chance of seeing the park's wildlife, too. I know all this sounds very selfish of me, but I don't care. Do you know how rare the availablity of this kind of natural solitude is? Quite rare indeed especially in the country's eighth largest city. In fact, the country's eighth largest city has a shortage of nature trails and parks.

It seems my hidden gem will not remain hidden much longer. I received my Friends of Friedrich Park newsletter which had some disturbing news to me and quite frankly has me a bit bummed out. It seems that suburban sprawl has caught up to Friedrich which is located near I-10. Development has been progressing to the north and west in San Antonio like wildfire, and the gap between the bedroom community of Boerne and San Antonio is about to be closed. My beloved park is located in this narrowing gap. The unobstructed views that I have been enjoying are soon to change. Approximately 1,400 acres bordering the south of the park will be developed into houses. And the property located northeast of the park will be developed into a combination of commercial properties and multi-unit residential housing. The Friedrich Foundation fought both developments, but was unsucessful. The Foundation was able to get some development restrictions as well as an agreement that the developers provide a mini-wilderness preserve on the development located to the northeast and that a spring is preserved on the 1,400 acre residential property. Additionally, with the density of this new development, the Friedrich Foundation is concerned about the future impact and strain to the park. Yeah, me too. I fear vandalism and destruction. I fear the unknowledgeable and ignorant visitors who won't stay on the designated trails which will wreak havoc and cause erosion. I need to enjoy the solitude of the park as much as I can in the coming months because soon it will be no more.

I realize that life is in constant flux and change, but here's s reminder to me that what some people deem as positive growth there will be others that view it as negative change. What is the price of progress? Will there eventually only be postage stamp-sized areas of wilderness and natural areas located within cities and suburbs?

So I'm mourning the loss of the current character of Friedrich Park. However, I am ever so grateful to Norma Friedrich Ward for her foresight and generosity. And I'm grateful to other generous people like her who donate and preserve land for the rest of us to enjoy. Now I'm off to write another check to the Friends of Friedrich Park...it's the least I can do to say thank you.

And check out below one of the unobstructed Hill Country Views which will be changing.