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l' .. L_ August 1, 1967 I 1·

Mr. Obie . Shel ton 1 Executive Vice President Atlanta Chamber of Commerce ' 1 400 Commerce Building Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Dear Mr . Shelton: During e recent Called Meeting of the Aldermanic Parks Committee the members informally discussed at my request the best location for the Cyclorama of the Battle of Atlanta if and when we reached the point where financing is available for restoration and a new home. The Committee directed that we bring this matter up f or e f ormal decision at the regular meeting scheduled for August 15, 1967 at 2:00 p.rn. in Committee Room No. 2 o f the City Hall. Members o f the Committee further asked that I correspond ·with you and invite you to attend this meeting in the event that you would like to express an opinion on the best location for the Cyclorama. If it should be inconvenient for you to attend on August 15 and you would care to writ e the undersigned , it would be my pleasure to __ present your views and opinions to the Aldermen. We particularly appreciate your continued interest in the Cyclorama which is obviously our most valuable physical historical possession and trusting you can attend on August 15, I am Cordially, Jack c. Delius General Manager of Parks end Recreation JCD:lg": CC: ,,.,,,;~ x,-;;.r Mr. Gordon F. Price, Southeastern Underwriter's Association Mr. Beverly . DuBose, Attorney at Law Mt Franklin M. Garrett, Coca- Cola Company Mr. Wilbur Kurtz, Jr., Coca- Cola Company All members of the Aldermanic Parks Committee Honorable Ivan Allen, ur., Mayor of Atlanta ./ Mr. R. ~arl Landers, Administrative Assistant to the MayorV"'"" IK, ,,,.... - ~·'""""' AO ______ -' 11,•yr-, • r·nC\ �July 26, 1967 A Called Meeting of the Aldermanic Parks Committee was held on Wednesday, July 26, 1967 at 2:00 p.m. in the Conference Room of the City Hall Annex. Present were Aldermen Charlie Leftwich, Buddy Fowlkes, Q. v. Williamson, and G. Everett Millican. Also present was Mr. R. Earl Lander, Administrative Assistant to the Mayor, Mr. Charles L. Davis, City Comptroller, Mr. Woody Underwood of the Comptroller's Staff, Mr. Eric Harkness of the Planning Department, and Messrs. Jack c. Delius, Stan Martin, A. P. Brindley, and Stan Ayer, of the Parks Department. Chairman Leftwich stated that the primary purpose of the called meeti ng was to discuss the recent allocation of some $35p,ooo by the Finance Committee to the Department of Parks for emergency-type activities in the Parks Department. Mr. Leftwich explained that the funds were ,·, :. allocated only for capital improvements, etc. and were not intended to be for operating costs and other everyday items. Mr. Leftwich distributed a preliminary list of priorities drawn up by the Park Staff. A cons i derable discussion to'ok place by members of the Park Committee a s to just how priorities should be established and the best ways to s p e nd the fund. I t was unani mously agreed that whenever and wherever possible the money should be utilized for projects qualifying unde r 50¾ aid assistance from the Federal government through either the Land and Water Conservation Act or the Open Space Program. Although additional park lands are desperately needed and should be purchased while still a v ai lable, it was generally felt by the Committee that the funds should be spent on Parks already purchased and owned by the City of Atlanta s o tha t the se faciliti e s might b e placed in service at the earliest possibl e d a t e . The Ci ty Comptrolle r h as pointe d out t h at the City o f Atlanta is officially committed to the purchase in the immediate future o f an Urban Renewal Park Site in the Western portion of the RawsonWash i ngton Urban Renewa l Area and a park site adjacent to the W. c. Hills School in the Bedford-Pine Urba n Re n ewal Area. Oth e r urban renewa l p ark sites were co n sidered too far o ff in the f u t ure t o commit f und s a t t he present t i me . Alderman Wi lliams on fe lt that the Peyton Ro ad Proj ect should b e deferred at t h is t ime s i nce i t is in a middle class community and not a disadvantaged area. The General Manag er pointed out tha t Peyton Road wa s the only par k site purchased under t h e 1 9 63 Bond Pr ogr am that had rec e ive d no de velopment o r alloca t ion o f funds and whi le i n p ri nci ple the majo r ity of the f u nds should go to disadvantaged areas o f the City , s ome development should start on the Peyton Road Site. Alderman Fowlkes expressed an opinion that all the funds should be .used for development, an opinion generally expressed by the General Manager. Alderman Mil l ican stated that one of the best ways to use the money would be to light ba l l fields for night- time use. The f ollowing list was finally decided upon and received the unanimous approval of the Parks Committee: (Cont I d) xrno'I t •o, , y l -- ( ,.,,,., xrROi y,,... l~C OERO PY .... r" �·' i.-(., ' ,. .. • 'i ..... .'..i ..; ,1 7-26-67 Revised List ALLOCATION OF SUPPLEMENTARY FUND PARKS DEPARTMENT TOTAL COST 1. I PEYTON ROAD 1st STAGE POSSIBLE FEDERAL FUNDS NET COST TO CITY 60,000 30,000 30,000 25,000 12,500 12,500 25,000 12,500 12,500 150,000 75 ~000 75,000 40,000 20 , 000 20 , 000 a) I ~Necessary site preparation b) c) d) e) 2. DANIEL STANTON 2nd STAGE a) b) c) 3. Drive and parking Pave d court a r e as Children's play areas Adult recreation areas GUN CLUB 3rd STAGE a) 5. Paved court areas Paved walk and skating circle Planting (trees & shrubs) HARPER 2nd STAGE a) b) c) d) 4. including storm drainage, grading, grassing. Drive and parking Ball diamond Paved court areas Children's play areas Major s ize swimming pool, bat hhouse, and ne c essary s u rrounding s ite work CENTER HILL (Improve ment to exist i ng p ark) a) b) c) d) e) Required site preparat ion, grading and drainage Park drive and parking Paved court area Children's p l ay area Relighting of existing ball field �,; . .. POSSIBLE FEDERAL FUNDS I TOTAL COST 6. ANDERSON PARK (improvement to existing park) a) b) c) d) 7. NET COST CITY TO 50,000 25,000 25,000 30,000 15,000 15,000 28,000 14,000 14,000 65,500 32,750 32,750 140,000 70,000 70,000 86,500 43,250 43,250 700 ,000 350,000 350,000 Required site preparation grading and drainage Park drive and parking Paved court area Children's play area BENTEEN 2nd STAGE I a) b) c) d) 8. THOMASVILLE 3rd STAGE a) b) c) d) 9. Complete drive and -parking Paved court area Children's play area Planting (trees & shrubs) Additional drive & parking Children's play area · paved walks Ball field lighting Purchase of park in Rawson Washington Urban Renewal Area (adjacent to public housing) 10. Purchase of c. W. Hill School park site in Bedford-Pine Urban Renewal area. 11. Purchase of additional park land throughout the city - to be decided with the help of the City Planni ng Department. TOTALS The last item on the proposed budget, number 11, concerns the purchase of additional park land throughout the City. Alderman Leftwich and other members of the Committee expressed an opinion that in the event that e stimates of construction were too low on some of the other projects that i tem 11 in part at least could be diverted to make up deficits. Stan Martin, Parks Administrative Assistant, has already requested the City Planning Department to make a survey to determine where additional park o lands are needed. Mr. Martin has already requested Mr. Collier Gladin, t he City Planning Engineer, to up date the 1961 Park Plan. .rhe General Manager was directed to forwa r d immediately to the Finance Committee of the Boar d of Aldermen 1rhe above suggested·.1allocation of t:he $350,000. 1 ~ l><E. COPY , ~'· . . . ...... - fuR01 ... jC OPY / ( )(r no l\P='Y �The General Manager then requested the Chairman of the Parks Committee to take up the discussion of the proposed location of the new Cyclorama if and when it is constructed. Mr. Delius feels that the Cyclorama shoul_d remain ih Grant Park since it is located on the fringe of the actual Battle of Atlanta which the Cyclorama depicts, has been in the park for some eighty years, is internationally advertised as being in Grant Park, and is adjacent to ample parking, the zoo, and Fort Walker. All members of the Committee agreed that the best location for the Cyclorama was for it to remain in Grant Park. Mr. Delius explained that there was some feeling among certain individuals that if the Cyclorama is rebuilt it be located in a downtown area possibly adjacent to the auditorium where it woul9 be immediately accessible to tourist traffic, etc. The Chairman of the Parks Committee suggested that at the next Park Committee meeting on August 15, 1967, that the matter be formally voted upon but that . in the meantime Mr. Delius should contact all those individuals who have expressed an interest in where the new Cyclorama should be located and invite them to come before the August 15th meeting. The Committee agreed that any and everything should be done possible within the capacity of our present finances to begin study towards the renovation of the painting proper and the construction of the new Cyclorama building. Mr. Charles Davis, City Comptroller, suggested to the Committee and the Parks Department that work should begin immediately on applications for matching Federal funds relative to the above mentioned $350,000 and that in addition, applications should be submitted for the purchase of park lands in the norther portion of the West End Urban Renewal Area and in the Rockdale Urban Renewal Area. In the case of the latter project, originally only one park site was suggested for Rockdale1 however, the~e appears to be three park sites now with two being donated and one having to be purchased by the City. Mr. Davis said that somehow or other funds would be made available for a park in the northern portion of the West End Urban Renewal project and in the Rockdale Urban Renewal Project. Being no further business, the meeting adjourned. - - ~ ~ -- �