By John Schaffner
editor@reporternewspapers.net
Chastain Park Civic Association has received the results of the survey conducted by Atlanta City Councilwoman Clair Muller and the Parks Department relating to the community’s preferences for the allocation of approximately $2 million of bond money for recreational improvements in the park.
In conjunction with the Parks Department designers and the managers of some of the recreational venues at the park, Muller put together estimates for several potential projects for the pool, the gym and the tennis center.
Members of the community then had the opportunity to vote for one of two options relating to improvements for each of the venues. Among those opportunities were open houses about the park Master Plan that were held on August 4, 6, 11, 12 and 16, as well as the Chastain Civic Association meeting at Sutton Middle School on Aug. 27.
The vote relating to the pool venue came in with 109 people voting in favor of spending $1.5 million to relocate the pump house, install a new kids pool in the current pump house location, reduce the size of the existing pool (maintaining 8 lap lanes) and installing new decking and related site work.
Seventy-six people voted for spending only $500,000 on the pool venue to refurbish the existing pool—chip and re-plaster the pool, replace coping and gutters, pumps and controllers, plumbing, install surge tank, replace tile in pool lanes—and make deck repairs, install deck equipment and related electrical work.
Regarding improvements to the recreation center, 111 respondents voted to spend just $500,000 to renovate the existing structure, including enhancing the building entrance; replace, paint and upgrade all interior finishes; upgrade locker rooms; refinish the gym floor; improve lighting and other infrastructure throughout the facility.
Only 28 respondents chose the costlier $1 million proposal that would have added remodeling the existing handball courts to convert them to additional rooms to house classes or hold meetings.
In terms of the tennis center, 70 respondents chose the cheaper fix, which included spending $1 million to tear down the existing tennis center and replace it with a two-story granite building. The first floor would house a new tennis center with locker rooms and the top story would house a public welcome center with restrooms, water fountains (easily accessible from the PATH) and deck space overlooking the tennis courts.
However, 46 people voted to spend an additional $500,000 to add to the work above two clay tennis courts.