Revamp of Athens' parks and trails underway or planned as sales tax pennies roll in

Athens' parks and trails are among the beneficiaries of funding set aside in the latest SPLOST. The sales tax dollars will allow for upgrades to include a renovations to recreational water features, a new sewer line, more shade a dog parks, water fountains, renovated playgrounds, a boat launch and a reconstructed Murmur T

Here is a breakdown of some of the projects already underway and planned for the future:

Bishop Park

The schematic designs for Bishop Park improvements recently were approved by Athens-Clarke County commissioners. About $3.8 million was set aside for those upgrades.

The schematic designs looks at the pool at Bishop Park, the largest and most heavily used pool in Athens, as well as the only pool available for swim-team activities.

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At the government's request, a group of local residents who used the pool came up with a list of “must haves” for the new design, which included replacing the current pool, remodeling the pool house and addressing use of the pool for competition swim, recreational swim and aquatic programs.

The design being sent to the commission shows an eight-lane competition pool, a leisure pool and bleachers. In a meeting this month, commissioners approved changes to the initial plans to include more pool lanes, diving boards and a splash pad.

A tentative schedule was laid out for how long the project will take:

• Award of Construction Services for Designer – August 2022

• Schematic Design Approval – August 2022

• Bidding and Award Project Contractor – November 2022 to January 2023

• Final Design and Permitting – December 2022

• Construction Notice to Proceed – February 2023

• Pool Closure – Summer of 2023

• Project Completion – February 2024

Memorial Park

At Memorial Park, Athens residents will see active construction, including a new sewer line project and upgrades to the dog park, according to Kent Kilpatrick, director of Athens-Clarke Leisure Services.

He said the dog park is closed due to the construction and it could be spring before it reopens.

As far as the sewer project, Kilpatrick explained that the current system is old and  catches stormwater runoff from the Five Points neighborhood.

Athens officials recently proposed finding a means to add shade to the dog park, and to install water fountains at Memorial and Bishop parks.

Sandy Creek Park

Kilpatrick said Sandy Creek Park is under the “conceptual design” phase for its improvement project. The project is for an all inclusive playground.

“Sandy Creek Park has ... two of our oldest playgrounds in our entire park system,” said Kilpatrick.

The goal is to replace the playground beside the beach, which Kilpatrick said is perhaps the most popular playground.

Sandy Creek Nature Center is also being revamped. Kilpatrick said that some of the older exhibits are being refurbished through SPLOST funding.

While that project is currently under way, it is in the design and planning stages. Kilpatrick said that the work will be scheduled either late this year or early next year.

Trails: Firefly, Oconee Waterway, and Greenway

Several trail projects are under way, with the Firefly trail in phase three involving land acquisition. Also, the reconstruction of the Murmur Trestle is a particular focus at this time.

Demolition of the old Murmur Trestle, as it is called due to the inclusion of its image on the album cover of R.E.M.'s debut album "Murmur", took place last year due to the poor condition of the wood. In its place is a new steel and wood structure currently under construction.

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This new trestle will house part of the Firefly Trail, a 39-mile “rail-trail” that will run through Clarke, Oglethorpe and Greene counties, following an abandoned rail bed between Athens and Union Point.

Kilpatrick called the construction of the new trestle “fascinating” and “spectacular” to watch.

“[We’re] trying to recapture the whole historic railroad bridge that was there before. And it's modernizing it a little bit, but also trying to capture some of that same look,” said Kilpatrick. “So they can actually see that bridge and construction which is quite a fascinating project going on currently.”

Meanwhile, a full water trail for the Oconee River is in the conceptual stage. A "Macon Highway Boat Launch Project" that would provide access to the Middle Oconee River for canoes and kayaks and would complete the first segment of the Middle Oconee Water Trail.

An extension to the Greenway trail is also under construction in Oconee Hill Cemetery.

“You could go into that beautiful historic cemetery and see how the Greenway trail is going to be following the river through the cemetery,” said Kilpatrick

2020 SPLOST projects

The newest iteration of the SPLOST has several approved projects for Athens parks, including a future Athens West Park on the west side of Athens. Not all projects, however, are under way.

Kilpatrick explained that as SPLOST money comes in, funding will be directed to various projects, and noted that some projects may not be funded for several years.

There is a current general park improvement project with a $6.7 million fund that can go toward any park for repairs and maintenance.

"We are fortunate in this community that we've got parks that are just loved to death and to that point, some of these parks are 30- to 40-years-old or older," said Kilpatrick. "So those funds help repave some parking lots where they're cracked or broken, or replace some pieces of playgrounds."

Kilpatrick said that the next project to be kicked off is at Beech Haven. This is a $4.5 million project to improve the park.

The first stage of the improvements would be creating a  master plan for that site, with Kilpatrick saying that he hopes that master planning process begins in 2023. Following that, development of the first phase could take place in 2025.

Some of the ideas for Beech Haven, if funds allow them, include:

• A multi-use paved bridge over the Middle Oconee River

• Multi-use trails

• Restoration of the historic house

• Picnic pavilion(s)

• Restrooms

• Play areas

• Signage

• Hiking trails and trail bridges

• Boardwalks

• Neighborhood access points

• ADA accessibility

• Additional land

• Park office

• Other general infrastructure improvements

Other parks slated to have improvement projects funded by SPLOST include Tallassee Forest Nature Preserve, Bear Hollow Zoo and Holland Park.

“But those are all several years down the road because the money's got to be spread out,” said Kilpatrick.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens parks: Bishop, Memorial and Firefly Trail construction starting