Clairmont Heights Civic Association

Official minutes and documents have now (May 2009) been published on the county website (http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/parks/mason_mill.htm). Here are notes from the CHCA board representatives attending the meeting...

The Master Plan contractor MACTEC presented their final recommendations for the county Thursday, Jan. 22, at the Mason Mill Recreation Center. Parks deputy director Marvin Billups said they had about $2 million to spend on implementation and would do so, segment by segment, on the basis of some kind of prioritization scheme yet to be determined. No timeframe given. Another wildcard is the current community development grant study which may propose an expanded or renovated Senior Center. There were about 40 people attending, including presenters John Anderson (Parks, Project Manager), Marvin Billups (Parks), Ron Huffman (MACTEC, the master plan contractor), and John Hart (MACTEC).

Overall, they presented nothing much new from the previous meeting, except a composite of two previous proposals for the Day Use District (Senior Center, Tennis Center area).  The audience seemed generally happy with the recommendations.  Questions were raised about the amount of money reported as available (what happened to the other $1 million?), about senior access to the building, about the access to greenspace with a new road running through it, about access to lower McConnell after dusk, about overflow parking for ALTA tennis tournaments.  Here are some highlights from the presentation.  CHCA has requested that Parks post the final drawings to their website. 

• Nature Districts (Burnt Fork and South Peachtree Creek):
  • Lots of nature trails, using either crushed stone or boardwalk
  • Connection from South Peachtree Creek Trail at stone bridge to McConnell Road via bridge over CSX railroad.
  • Dog Park would be moved from current location to end of McConnell across from Water Works.
• Water Works
  • Recommended mitigation of stormwater runoff through installation of "energy dissipators" (rocks) below CSX railroad culverts and construction of a "bio-swale" before water reaches the creeks.
  • Interpretive signage and trails
  • Found remnants of old asphalt road extending from current Water Works ruins up the north side of Burnt Fork Creek
• Day Use District:
  • Lots of stormwater mitigation proposed from the impervious surfaces which includes the Mack Love Center and the Tennis Courts and associated parking lots.
  • Significant reduction in parking and asphalt in return for expanded greenspace but the proposed new access road cuts the greenspace in two.
  • Recommended use of pervious pavers and "reinforced turf" to cut down on stormwater runoff
  • Replacement of dog park with drainage detention pond
• Melton Park :
  • Formalize loop trail
  • Clear a "Play area" in the middle
  • Bridge to Water Works.