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i . ' .. C TY OF A TLA TA DEPARTMENT of PARKS Office of General Manager Atlanta, Georgia 30303 October 30, 1967 JACK C, DELIUS GENERAL MANAGER Mr. Collier B. Gladin, Director Department of Planning City of Atlanta City Hall Atlanta, Georgia SUBJECT: Neighborhood Study for Northwest - Browntown Area Dear Collier: My staff and I have read with interest the preliminary study of community problems in the Northwest-Browntown Area of Atlanta. Havinq been asked to comment on the contents of this report, our observations regarding the problems, needs, and recommendations included in the report are set forth in this lette r. To beqin with, we would like to comment on the several references to Gun Club Park. Early in the report it is stated that Perry Home s has virtually no City recreati onal facilities and programs and v e ry limited access to those in other areas (Page 5). While the large Gun Club Park will serve a s a community park for the entirn study area, it was acq uire d primar ily to serve the r esidents of Pe1:ry Ho mes and i s located i mme d iately adj acent t o the Perry Homes Pr oject. Further, t he report make s several references t o Gun CJ. uh Park o e ing a n · inao.equ a t e and poorly d e v eloped park (l?a9es § , 6 ,10 & 11). T'h,~ report st:a 't;es t h at what h a s been bui;l..t: shews little a ppreci a tion for the p refer e nces o f the loca l re side nt s, t h a t plans s h ould b e d rawn up in s uch a ma nne r that the l ocal resident s can hav e a v o ice in sel e c ti n g the t y p es of f a cilities to be erect ed in the park (Pages 6 & 12) . Befo re c o nstruction began on any of the development of this par k , a master plan, which incl uded nearly every facility y ou would fi nd in a community p ark as wel l as a recreat i on building and s wimming pool , was completed. The rr.c1ster plan for Gu n Club was d i scu ssed o n two occasio ns with Perry Homes citizens and o ther area residents. (This is the procedure! followed prio r to development of any new park. ) The Perry Homes citizens asked for and endorse d tennis courts. The park will (Cont'd) ..,, no) ' I •I• V ,-;;r.:R01 1 1rl)f'•Y , I x 1 no 1 • 11,• y �... ,·, Mr. Gladin October 30, 1967 -2- include many facilities such as basketball-multi-use courts , (included in the present phase of construction now under way) which have not yet been built. For financial reasons, we must develop all new parks in stages over a period of years. In most cases, the first phase of development includes few facilities above ground that can be seen. Most of the money goes into preparation of the site, utilities, sewers, and underground storm drainage during the first phase of construction. The first phase of constrµction of Gun Club began on April 11, 1966, and was concluded in February 1967. This phase cost $83,4!56.00 and included the following items: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Clearing and grubbing Rough grading - West- area Utilities - water - sewers - lighting Drive and parking Sidewalks Two tennis courts Playgrounds Fencing and retaining walls Restrooms Storage buildings Concrete benches Landscaping - trees and shrubs Finished grading and grassing. On Auqust 4, 1967, construction began on phase two of development, estimated to cost $52,206.00, which includes the following items: A. In the South portion of the park 1. The remaining portion of the parking lot 2. The addition of landscaping 3. The multi-use court area 4. The play hill and related play area 5. The erection of playground equipment and structures B. In the North portion of the park 1. The day ~amp ing areaB and related parking 2. The grading and establishment of an athletic field with two baseball diamonds and a football field 3. Entrance drive and parking Phase two development, mile scheduled for completion in December, 1967, is running behind schedule due to technical problems but should be completed in early 1968 . This department recently received a windfall of $350,000 . 00 from the S1:ate to purchase park land and for capital improvements in exist:Lng parks. On July 26, 1967, the Aldermanic Parks Committee appro,red the allocation of $75,000.00 (the largest single allocation ' to any one park) for further development of Gun Club Park. Our original plans were to attempt to secure matching funds from the Federc1l Government and, if successful, build a major s ize swimming poo l c1nd bathhouse estimated to cost $ 150 , 000 . 00 . In the meantime, howE~v·or, a study group has been organized to prepare a park and recr ec1tion survey and plan for the entire city with projected needs ,' 11 x,~nol '"f' - - f (Co nt'd) ( xi- Ao \'"' (.ll•Y ; ( xi-Qo 1 ' ( ' l)" V �Mr. Gladin - 3'. - October 30, 1967 according to population trends, etc. through 1985. This comprehensive study is a joint effort of the Community Council, E.O.A., the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Planning Department. Staff personnel £rem each of these agencies are devoting considerable time to this project, which should be completed in late December, 1967. We have asked this group to study the Northwest area first and attempt to determine from the area residents their preference regarding the swimming pool or a community building. It should be emphasized that we only have $75,000.00 allocated and our regular community buildings, which do not include a gym and would not be adequate for the population, have been costing approximately $85,000.00. Feder~l assi st ance .i s not ava i lable for thG construction of a recreation building as such. In order to qualify for Federal assistance, a building would have to be a complete neighborhood facil:Lty offering various services other than recreation. Further, it should be pointed out that the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation is the only Federal agency that approves grants for swimming pools; and, B.O.R. funds allocated to the State of Georgia being rather limite d, we have no assurance of Federal a~iisistance in the construction of a pool. We welcome and solicit comments from citizens• group:3 in the Northwest - Browntown area concerning their preferences. In reqard to Center Hill Park, only $20,000.00 has been allocated; and, ,:1gain, we shall attempt to secure matching Federal funds. Center Hill Park, being an older park, has no design plan. We intend to develop a master plan for this park, including the improvements you have mentioned in the report. There are references throughout the study of the lack of recreational services in the public housing projects, to the insufficient distr:lbution of recreation leadership, and to insufficient recreation leadei~ship due to poor development of recreat i on facilities in general (Pages 5,6,10,11 & 12). This Department has realized for many y ears the need for recreation leadership in public housing projects and we have never been able to secure funds to pay salaries of recreation leaders in these projects. However, during the summers of 1966 and 1967 we were able to provide recrea t ion l ea d ershi p through our contract with E.O.A . in Perry Homes, Bowen Homes, and Gun Club P ark. We have provided recre ation leadershi p at Scott School for appr o ximately th irty years. On a number of occasions, we have ch ecko d out other schools in the area only to find that none are des i gned for other agency use . Several years ago we attempted to p r ovide r ecreation leadership at Whitaker School only to be asked t o leav e when the p r incipal at Whitaker School objected to our staff bei n g t h ere a nd even secur ed petitions f r om area residents demand i ng we wi1:hd r a w our progr am . In rega r d to poor facilities fo r r ecr eat ion pro grams , a tremendous i n c r ea s e i n appr opriations to park s and r e crea tio n \Tould .be n eces s a ry be f o r e we c o u l d begin buildi n g a n d sta ffing needed r e cre a tion c e nte r s . The c o s t o f s ta ff ing o n e r e creatio n center properly would be a minimum o f $17,29 0 . 00 annua lly. ·' Thi B :;tudy refer s numero us times t o l a ck of communication b e tween c itiziins in the Northwest- Browntown area and the Parks Department . While communications h a v e been l es s than p e rfect, we have on .many c,c cas ..ons discusse d Gun Club Park, play l ot s , r e cre ation leader ship , e t c,, Hi th civic l e ade r s , including one or more listed in the (Cont'd) �r . ·: ': . Mr. Gladin ,·. • ' .' -4- October 30, 1967 Special Planning Committee, and with Mr. Arthur Smith, Housing Manager of Perry Homes. I believe I am correct in stating that no community in Atlanta has had more consultation regarding parks and recreation. Any suggestions for improving communications would be greatly appreciated. We sincerely appreciate the efforts that have gone into the NorthwestBrowntown area study and suggest that copies be sent to each member of the Parks Committee as well as the Park and Recreation Study Group. Thanking you for the opportunity to comment on this report, I am ordially, neral Manager of Parks and Recreation JCD:lq x,-,1ol r- 1J t •Y f f l\ ' ... ~ no ' ( ll ' y ,. �