Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. and six county commissioners took a May 19 bus tour to see parks currently owned or maintained by the city that are being recommended for divestiture.
The city currently owns and operates 62 parks and community centers. Commissioners had rejected a proposal to close the nine parks.
The public opposed the plan to close Doughty Park, Boykin Road Park, Sue Reynolds Park, Bedford Heights Park, West Vineland Park, Alexander Barrett Park, Hickman Park and Heard Avenue Park.
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Pendleton King Park is also on the list. Although privately owned by the PKP Board, the city provides maintenance and upkeep.
Malcolm McDowell, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, arranged the bus tour to show commissioners each individual park and the reason it should be closed. Commissioners John Clarke, Sean Frantom, Catherine Smith-McKnight, Francine Scott, Dennis Williams and Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Williams were on the tour.
“It’s always important to go and visualize it as an elected official. I think that it was good for us, I think to hear the pros, the cons, the Master Plan of 2016 that we need to update, how much we’re spending annually on each one of these properties as well as we had citizens show up and voiced their concerns about the parks as well,” said Frantom.
McDowell gave commissioners a booklet listing each of the parks, their proximity to another city-owned park or recreation facility, how much the park is used and the cost of annual maintenance.
At Doughty Park on Nellieville Road, McDowell pointed out the basketball and tennis courts and a softball field. There is also a community center that he said hasn’t been used in years.
“All of those courts need to be resurfaced. The lights aren’t operable. The softball fields need some attention as well,” he said. “To bring this part back up to where it needs to be up to par, we can spend anywhere from a half a million to a million dollars just with the courts alone. That’s not even taking in consideration what needs to happen as it relates to the facility itself. This facility is in dire need.”
Some of the parks are primarily just greenspace in a neighborhood with few or no recreation facilities. One had a few benches and a grill, but the city is responsible for maintaining the property.
One of the stops was at a so-called “pocket park” on West Vineland Road. It has greenspace, tennis courts and basic playground equipment for children.
Resident Gene Salet said the small park was vital to the neighborhood, particularly for the children.
“This park is used continuously. It’s the only park we have in this neighborhood,” he said. “This is very low maintenance. All they got to do is cut the grass, empty the trash can. When we use it, I say when the neighborhood uses it, we clean up our own mess.”
About half a dozen Vineland residents waited for the bus; however, it was one of several locations where it was just a brief stop.
Resident Ginger Carrington said the neighbors were very disappointed none of the elected officials got off the bus to talk to their constituents.
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One park, although on the list, is not in and of itself recommended for closure. McDowell said Sue Reynolds Park has the potential for development and has no other community center in close proximity. The recommendation there is to turn operation of the soccer fields over to Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club while retaining the park and discuss future use for it and the community center.
McDowell gave commissioners the dollars and cents of the matter. Annual maintenance ranges from $4,000 for the West Vineland Park to almost $260,000 for Pendleton King Park.
Davis cautioned commissioners the decision is about more than just money. He said commissioners need to keep in mind resource limitation and their responsibilities, but also their relationships with constituents.
“Each of these parks that we’re going to, they are tied to a community. There’s a relationship that each of these parks has with the neighborhood, and you cannot lose sight of that. We cannot lose sight of the fact that we have to make a righteous commitment in these three areas, resources, responsibilities and relationships when it comes to each and every one of these parks,” he said.
McDowell says one of the most important needs to determine the future of the city’s parks is to update the city’s Master Plan. He said the 2016 plan is outdated.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
