Engineers seek feedback on early proposed park upgrades
Renovating Greenwood County’s parks is no walk in the park, but on Thursday, the engineering firm that is drawing up plans for several park renovations took the first step in gathering community feedback and input on the proposed upgrades.
As part of the capital project sales tax approved in 2016, money has been earmarked for upgrades to existing parks and the construction of new parks. Improving the Grace Street Park, Magnolia Park and the Ninety Six town park, along with building new parks in Hodges, in Troy and at 1801 Foundry Road were among the 27 approved projects.
On Thursday, representatives from Davis and Floyd engineering firm invited the public to the Greenwood Arts Center to show off concept drawings of the proposed parks, featuring elements and fixtures that they included based on preliminary talks with residents from each community. The goal, said County CPST coordinator Josh Skinner, is to get feedback on these early mock-ups and get a better understanding of what residents want to prioritize at each park.
At Magnolia Park, for instance, replacing the pavilion that has a damaged foundation and is in need of a new roof will likely be a high priority. The drawing also showed an emphasis on ADA-accessible walking paths and a bathroom, along with replacing defunct playground equipment for children.
The Ninety Six town park would also likely see its pavilion and bathroom replaced, and moved to be close to a central splash pad that many in the community were enthusiastic about in initial talks.
“I know for me, those restrooms need to be replaced,” said Ninety Six Councilman Mickey Goodman. “And I don’t know how old that gazebo is out there, but I know it needs to go, too.”
There were no cost estimates with these initial drawings, as they’re supposed to be early concept art that will be steered toward a more concrete drafts based on the feedback received. Town parks, such as the ones in Troy and Hodges have signature pavilions are planned that fit specific interests in the communities, with the proposed one in Hodges having an outdoor fireplace and grilling area built in beside it.
Along with parking, signage, lighting and benches, most park mock-ups include walking trails that feature light exercise equipment in stations along the paths.
Billy Nicholson, president of the Greater Greenwood Parks and Trails Foundation, said these concepts and the feedback gathered are a good first step toward these renovations.
“It feels like we’re moving forward with getting something done here,” he said.
Two of the larger projects include the construction of Foundry Park, beside the John G. Lamb Community Center, and the continuation of the Grace Street Park project.
At Grace, improvements to the water quality and aesthetics of the pond would come with the building of a wetlands overlook area beside it that could serve as an outdoor nature classroom, complete with a treehouse-themed overlook tower. A trail network would connect the pond and dog park areas to a new northern park entrance that leads in from Grace Street and in toward the now derelict water treatment buildings. Those buildings would be removed to make way for the trailhead, Nicholson said.
Skinner said in the coming weeks, county officials hope to present these preliminary thoughts to Hodges, Troy and Ninety Six’s town councils to get feedback from people who weren’t able to attend Thursday’s event.
Originally Published by Index-Journal on: Jan 31, 2020
By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ ddominguez@indexjournal.com
Article Link: https://www.indexjournal.com/news/engineers-seek-feedback-on-early-proposed-park-upgrades/article_33d070fa-2459-59f0-94eb-39b2336546dc.html