Friends of park talk barn repairs, new board structure
When meeting Thursday, March 12, members of the Harrison Park Advisory Board and Friends of Harrison Park reviewed a 10-year concept plan that details how the 26-acre park site could change over the next decade.
“This is the third spin. We’ve got one more and the fourth (draft) is our final plan,” said advisory board member Mike Lancaster in advance of a finalized version of the plan being issued last week by architectural firm CPL.
The plan features such park amenities as an amphitheater and stage area, natural play areas, expanded parking, a river put-in for kayaks and a dog park. Rest rooms, one of the most requested amenities not yet in place at the largely undeveloped walking park, are also included in the document.
Just because something is shown on the plan map doesn’t mean it will take shape anytime soon, emphasized Linda Lancaster, a member of Friends of Harrison Park.
“I don’t want to make it look like we’re ready to do something and then it doesn’t happen. There are so many parts to this. What I understand is this is kind of (our) last bite of the apple as to what we want to put in the park and where we (want to) put it,” she added.
Receipt of this plan comes after years of research, which included a team of students and faculty from the University of Georgia visiting Ellijay to compile an early working plan that incorporated some of the features that now appear in the final document.
At this stage, everything is preliminary, but having the master plan in hand will allow the group to explore fundraising and other steps toward getting some of the projects started.
“The drawing is the foundation and the fundamental thing, but they’re also going to be giving us the layout for structure of power and water. They’re going to give us an idea of the phase processes because you can’t implement everything at once, as well as cost estimates (like) what would it take (to put an) amphitheater in,” Linda noted.
Barn repairs explored
Mike Lancaster said he is talking with a lead remediation company in hopes of to make needed repairs to the site’s historic Bob Pinson Barn.
The barn, believed to have been built in 1923, has lead paint and cannot currently not be used for any of the Harrison Park supporters’ previous ideas, which have included a gathering place, an event site and a concession area.
“There’s a certified lead remediation contractor that’s actually based here in Ellijay. Most of their business is in Atlanta, but the (owner) lives here,” said Mike. “They have all the right certification for full blown lead remediation (and) he thinks the barn would qualify for what the EPA calls RRP — Repair Renovate and Paint.”
The Friends of Harrison Park are applying for a community improvement grant that, if received, will allow them to move forward with the work. The grant application had to be submitted by March 24, Mike said.
Lead remediation is an expensive process and the work is expected to cost upward of $20,000, he added.
“One of the target places they’re looking for is community parks,” Mike said. “It looks like RRP would be our best and least expensive course of action. It would be in three phases (including) clean out of the barn, (which requires) protective clothing and respirators, (as well as) scraping, sealing, repairing and painting it.”
Advisory board disbanded
This month’s meeting ended up being the final meeting of the Harrison Park Advisory Board, but not the last input advisory board members will have in future park business.
The park advisory board, which existed under the supervision of the City of Ellijay and included input from a member of the city council, Al Fuller, was created before the nonprofit Friends of Harrison Park group formed with similar goals.
“There’s a very thin line between what the (two groups) do. To me it’s almost a seamless transition. I’ve checked with all the board members and no one had a real objection to it, as long as we maintain a very close and committed relationship with the city (and) we’re going to have the kind of direction and conversations we’ve had as the advisory board,” said Mike.
The advisory board’s services will be wrapped into the Friends of Harrison Park as a capital improvements committee.
“You’ve done a great job. Not many people have that set up with the city because they aren’t as persistent as you are (and) I’m not saying that in a negative way. We have a lot of people who come to us wanting us to stay on top of their agenda. We don’t do that. It has to be the other way around,” Fuller said.