RPH-2015-09

Round Rock | Pflugerville | Hutto Edition • September 2015 17
PARKS AND AMENITIES
City addresses waves of summer lake visitors
Popularity of Lake Pflugerville leads to more police patrols, planned services
By Emilie Shaughnessy
Lake Pflugerville, the city’s 180-acre water reservoir,
usually draws large crowds for events such
as the annual Lake Pflugerville Triathlon, but city
officials say the lake has been especially busy as a
recreation spot this year, leading to some maintenance
and public safety challenges.
In response to the rising popularity of Lake
Pflugerville as a venue for recreational activities, as
well as a community survey stating the lake is the
location residents don’t feel safe walking at night,
Pflugerville police increased their patrols there this
summer, Pflugerville Assistant Police Chief Jim
McLean said.
The department added weekday and weeknight
lake patrol shifts, increased weekend patrols and is
requesting the hire of two additional officers whose
primary duty will be to police the lake during the
summer, he said.
“As things have continued to develop, [Lake
Pflugerville] has become even more popular, and it
has drawn bigger and bigger crowds,” McLean said.
“We decided it was in everyone’s best interest to
patrol it pretty heavily.”
According to police records, police responded to
about seven thefts and vehicle burglaries at the lake
in June and July. Pflugerville Police Chief Charles
Hooker said the department has seen a “massive
increase in calls for service” around the lake, but the
majority of the incidents have been minor and not
criminal in nature.
James Hemenes, director of the Pflugerville Parks
and Recreation Department, said the large number
of summer visitors is beginning to take a toll on the
lake’s amenities.
“The restrooms, the parking, really the beach
space is probably getting close to capacity on certain
days of the week,” he said. “We’ve been dealing with
the [challenges of] increased popularity in litter
control especially.”
Hemenes partly attributes the lake’s increased popularity
to the attention generated by an $8 million lake
improvement bond voters approved in November.
The bond funding will support projects proposed
in the new Lake Pflugerville Master Plan such as
an amphitheater, an expanded beach area and
additional parking, Hemenes said. Because of other
park projects underway, Hemenes said it could be a
year before the bond funds begin to be put to use.
Briana Roehling, owner of Pflugerville fitness
company Seigga Multisport, said she often exercises
at Lake Pflugerville. She said the area attracts runners
because it has a looped track about the same
length as a 5K and offers training opportunities for
triathlon participants.
“If you go there on a Saturday or Sunday early in
the morning there are a ton of people running or
cycling or swimming,” she said.
Hemenes said he expects Lake Pflugerville to
become even busier in the coming years, especially
as new residents move to the area around the lake
east of SH 130.
“I think more people are finding out about [the
lake],” he said. “People are finding there is a lot of
opportunity for recreation there. They’re seeing this
gem that used to be pretty hidden.”
Thousands gather at Lake Pflugerville every year for the
city’s Pfirecracker Pfestival Independence Day celebration.
Courtesy city of Pflugerville
Police presence at Lake Pflugerville
The Pflugerville Police Department added patrols at Lake
Pflugerville this summer. Service call logs show increased police
activity at the lake—including reactions to incidents and
police-initiated premises checks—each summer since 2013.
Approximate calls for services
June July August
77 76 79 85 89
64
2013 2014 2015 *
122 123
*August data not available at press time
Source: Pflugerville Police Department/Community Impact Newspaper
A focus on prevention
Most police presence at
Lake Pflugerville is preventive
in nature and call logs
show an increase in the
percentage of proactive
premises checks since
2013.
SUMMER 2013
36% other,
including animal
and traffic calls 64%
Proactive
SUMMER 2014
32%
other
68%
Proactive
SUMMER 2015
29%
other
71%
Proactive
Source: Pflugerville Police Department/Community Impact Newspaper
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