[LCN Newscast] Olmsted Linear Park Update

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Olmsted Linear Park Update

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Lake Claire is fortunate to have as its neighbor six of the most
beautiful parks in the City.  Strung out along Ponce de Leon
Avenue, Springdale, Virgilee, Oak Grove, Shadyside, Dellwood, and
Deepdene parks make up the Olmsted Linear Park.  These parks were
designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American
landscape architecture, who also designed many of our most
beloved outdoor spaces including New York City's Central Park,
Asheville's Biltmore Estate, and the nation's Capitol Grounds.
In 1890 Olmsted brought his talents to Atlanta, working with
developer Joel Hurt to create Druid Hills, an "ideal residential
suburb."  The centerpiece of this proud neighborhood is this
series of six graceful parks along Ponce de Leon Avenue.

Over the years, the Olmsted Linear Park has remained one of
Atlanta's most visible parks.  The nonstop usage combined with
inadequate maintenance resulted in its gradual decline.
Addressing the problem, concerned citizens launched a grassroots
effort to save the park.  In 1997, the Olmsted Linear Park
Alliance (OLPA), a public-private partnership, was established to
ensure the preservation of the park for future generations.

With four of the six Olmsted Linear Parks now complete OLPA is
now turning its attention to the rehabilitation of the two final
parks, Springdale and Deepdene.  The scope of the work includes:
-  Additional plantings and turf restoration
-  Restoration of Deepdene's urban forest environment
-  Rehabilitation of Springdale playground
-  Continuation of pedestrian paths
-  Installation of interpretive signage
-  Storm drainage repairs in Deepdene
-  Curbing along Ponce de Leon and North Ponce de Leon
-  Burial of utility lines
-  Installation of historically appropriate lights
-  Installation of trees along Ponce de Leon Avenue

Construction at Springdale Park, at the corner of Ponce de Leon
and Moreland/Briarcliff, is currently scheduled to begin this
winter.  Included in its design is a small playscape in the
southeast corner of the park.

Now, you may ask, why is a playscape being put back into
Springdale Park?  A good question.  The Master Plan for the
rehabilitation of the linear park that was drafted in the mid-
1990s called for the removal of the playgscape in Springdale
Park, which was constructed beginning in the 1940s.  The
playscape was not part of Olmsted's original design.  Prior to
the plan's approval by City Council, NPUs-N and F made it clear
that a playscape must remain a part of the park and requested
that the language of the master plan be modified to read:
"Determine, if possible, an alternate location for the existing
play structures--currently located within the Springdale Park
segment to a location within the Linear Park that is less
visually intrusive..."  It also required that any new equipment
be ADA accessible.  This new language was adopted and became part
of the Master Plan that was approved in 1997.

A lot has changed since then.  In addition to the new playscapes
in Candler Park and at Mary Lin, there are playscapes in Lake
Claire Park, Iverson Park and in Inman Park.  In November of last
year OLPA hosted a public forum to determine if a playscape in
Springdale was still desirable.  Several locations were discussed
including two locations within Springdale, three outside of the
Linear Park but within NPU-N (Iverson Park, Jackson Hill Baptist
Church, and Poncey-Highland), and one outside the City limits
(along Peavine Creek near Emory).  In a vote on the six
alternative playscape locations discussed at the meeting, the
Freedom Park site adjacent to Jackson Hill Baptist Church, and
the site in the southeast corner of Springdale tied as first
choice.  The results of the public forum, plus further
discussions with our partner, the City of Atlanta, and with
members of the DH neighborhood, has led OLPA to support a small
playscape in the SE corner of Springdale--a playscape that is less
visually intrusive on the landscape and that meets at least some
of the needs of the neighborhoods.  Subsequent meetings with the
Druid Hills Civic Association and at the NPU-N meeting have shown
that support within the neighborhoods is evenly divided between
those who would like to see a playscape remain in Springdale Park
and those who would like to restore the park without the
playscape.  At this point, the City is requiring OLPA to replace
the existing Springdale playscape.  The proposed design meets
this requirement.

OLPA has begun the final construction documents for the complete
rehabilitation of the Springdale Park segment of the Linear Park.
During this step in the process, the details of the proposed
design will be fleshed out.  Concerns raised at the Urban Design
Commission on July 28th are being addressed and ADA code
requirements, verified.  The project will come before the Urban
Design Commission again at their August 25th meeting, at which
time OLPA hopes to receive a Certificate of Appropriateness for
the project--including the playscape.

At the June meeting of the OLPA Board of Directors, the Board
voted to proceed onto the next steps in the design process.  Also
at the Board meeting, OLPA voted to conduct due diligence to
determine the feasibility of placing a Boundless(TM) playscape
at the Jackson Hill site as an alternative to the location in
Springdale.  A Boundless playscape is a playscape with
provisions for individuals with disabilities.  A group of
interested citizens, headed by Joanna Stroud, is looking at the
viability of the Jackson Hill site for a Boundless playscape and
OLPA is supporting these efforts.  A Boundless playscape so
close to Lake Claire would be an incredible asset to our
community and to the City as a whole.

The proposed playground in Springdale, while not a Boundless
playscape, will provide a variety of ADA accessible play
experiences for both children and parents with disabilities.
Playgrounds do not have to be "Boundless" to be ADA accessible.
In fact, only one playground in the metropolitan area is a
certified Boundless playscape and that is the Children's Play
Garden at the Clinton Estate Natural Preserve, west of
Douglasville.  All others, including the new playscapes in Inman
Park and at Mary Lin, Candler Park and John Howell Park, are ADA
accessible, but they are not "Boundless."

Although the Jackson Hill site is being looked at as an
alternative location to the Springdale site the two are not
necessarily tied to each other.   The construction of one does
not preclude the construction of the other.  We can have both!
The city has been asked if they would permit a Boundless
playscape at Jackson Hill without a playscape at Springdale.  In
response, the City has issued a Statement From The City Of
Atlanta On The Playscape For The Olmsted Linear Park, in which
they state they "would need unanimous support from all civic
associations and NPU's in the area to approve that.  If there is
a division of thought in the community then the playscape in
Springdale would have to be implemented."

Plans for Deepdene, the eastern-most park--and a vastly different
park than any of the others, are currently in the design
development stage.  Deepdene is part of the urban forest system
that includes the Frazer Center Forest and Fernbank Forest.  The
movement of storm water through the park and nonnative invasive
plant species are two of the most difficult issues facing the
rehabilitation of this park.

Come to the August LCN meeting to learn more about the plans for
Springdale Park.  For more information on the Olmsted Linear
Parks, contact Beth Grashof at olmstedparks@lakeclaire.org or
visit the OLPA website at: http://www.atlantaolmstedpark.org/