Program Update Spring 2020

Moving into its second year, the City’s Park Bond Program continues to make progress despite local and state closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Park Bond Oversight Committee met through February and reviewed numerous project plans with the Park Bond program team. They are planning to move to virtual meetings in the Spring. Finalizing project designs is one of the last steps before construction or other work can get underway. A few of these highlights include ongoing construction of the Briarwood Park pool, completed dredging of Murphey Candler Lake, and a revised master plan for Lynwood Park based on community input. Keep reading for the full Park Bond Program update.

ASHFORD PARK

The splashpad project is ready for bidding to contractors. Construction is expected to start early this Summer and continue through the Fall. The active work area will be enclosed with a 6-foot high chain link fence to keep the site secure.

There will be some dust and noise during construction, but the park will remain open with access to the parking lot, community center, tennis courts, and playground.

TIMELINE: Splashpad and pavilion construction expected to start Summer 2020 with opening in 2021

View Project Plans

BLACKBURN PARK

Bids for parking lot renovations were received by the City and the contract was awarded at the April 14 City Council meeting. Construction will start as soon possible. Improvements include repaving the park drive and all parking area and resetting the granite curb.

The south entry drive will be moved to save a 50-inch oak tree.

A new biorention pond will be added to the landscaping to help protect water quality to nearby waterways, such as Nancy Creek.

TIMELINE: Improvements to begin this Spring and be completed this Summer

View Project Plans

BRIARWOOD PARK POOL PROJECT

Construction on the new pool continues to make good progress – the concrete swimming pool shell is now complete. Next steps include tile installation inside the shell and site work to the decking around the pool.

Winter rains and poor soils have affected the construction schedule for the new poolhouse. Once the soil condition was addressed, the contractor placed the building’s foundation and slab and is moving forward with building up block walls.

TIMELINE: New pool facility slated to open late Summer 2020

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BRIARWOOD PARK

Design is ongoing for community garden garden club, as well as the trail with a boardwalk improvements.

The Parks Bond Program team met on member in February 2020 to discuss the Club’s insight into the use of the garden, many of the group’s ideas will be incorporated

TIMELINE: Construction to begin in late 2020

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BROOKHAVEN PARK

A portion of the park lies within County boundaries, but the City will move forward with key elements of the master plan within city limits as presented to the Park Bond Citizen Oversight Committee at late Fall and Winter meetings.

The current design includes replacement of the dog park restroom building with a new building featuring two single occupancy restrooms based on community input. The building will also include a new covered pavilion area and patio, similar to the existing building.

Improvements to the dog park itself include one or two shade structures along the trail, plus a dog splashpad.

The new playground will also feature two new single occupancy restrooms and a separate, pavilion based on community input. The small pavilion will be on the other side of the playground with sidewalk access.The design also includes a larger pavilion, which will be considered as an alternate at bid time.

Upgraded playground equipment with the latest safety features are part of the planned improvements as well, along with a natural mulch surface. Next to the playground, there will be a tricycle track with its own "gas station" encircling a turf area. The existing parking lot, located on County property, will be rebuilt to provide better access.

Detail design, permitting, bidding, and establishing a contract are the next steps to move improvements to construction.

TIMELINE: Construction expected to start Fall 2020

View Park Master Plan

LYNWOOD PARK

A Town Hall was held at the Park’s Rec Center on January 9, 2020. The public was receptive to the proposal but strongly expressed the need for additional parking. Based on the comments, two parking areas were added to the masterplan. The amended masterplan was discussed and affirmed at the January 28, 2020, City Council meeting.

Program design firm, CPL, is currently working on the design of the splashpad, pool, and poolhouse along with the artificial turf multi-purpose field and pavilion.

TIMELINE: Construction to begin in Fall 2020 for splashpad and pool opening in Summer 2021

View Revised Master Plan

MURPHEY CANDLER PARK

Park visitors can already see a revitalized Murphy Candler Lake now that dredging is complete. Crews wrapped up the effort at the end of March. Shoreline restoration, which is outside of the Parks Bond Program, was completed in conjunction with the dredging. Cleaning out the lake benefits local wildlife, the surrounding environment, and recreational activities (when they resume).

Design is progressing on many other areas that are also part of the Park Bond Program.

The south trail design is 90% complete. A stream buffer variance that will allow trail construction within the Nancy Creek stream buffer has been submitted to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). Because the permitting process can take several months, the City plans to start the bidding and construction process later in 2020 once the buffer variance is received.

The Natural Play Area (playground) design is complete and the City is moving forward with contracting. Installation of the new playground is expected to begin in early Summer.

The loop road and on-street parking along Candler Lake E NE is in the final stages of design. Based on Oversight Committee input, there was an extra effort to minimize tree removal and add parking in the area. Design completion, permitting, and bidding will allow construction to be planned for later this year.

Plans for the Community Green have been revised to reduce the loss of trees and cost. The revised construction documents are in process now.

The wetland boardwalk location has been set. The City is looking at companies that specialize in boardwalks constructed from the top down. This significantly reduces disturbance as the work can move across the lake, even at full pool. Construction is expected later this year.

The swimming pool parking lot improvements have gone through many concepts to balance and minimize tree removal and expansion of the lot for additional parking spaces. New sidewalk along Candler Lake W NW will connect the pool parking lot to the new playground parking lot allowing safer access to the ballfields. Improvements and construction of the new lots will be scheduled for later this year to work around different sports seasons.

The new Community Center is still in the planning stages. The program management and design teams had two successful pop-up events to collect ideas for the new building – first at Light Up Brookhaven on December 4 and then at the Cowart Family YMCA on February 29. Planned pop-ups at Murphey Candler baseball/softball fields and the Cherry Blossom Festival were cancelled due to the City’s Shelter in Place directive in response to COVID-19.

The City still wants feedback from citizens and park users on what they would like to see in this Bond funded facility, and more outreach is planned when the community reopens. This includes more pop-ups, stakeholder interviews, self facilitated toolkits for use by citizen/homeowner groups, and an open house.

Details on opportunities and schedules will be posted when groups are allowed to meet again.

TIMELINE: See individual projects above for anticipated timeline

View Draft Project Plans