Lakeshore Park, City of Dalton Georgia

Community Input Session July 20, 2012

Prepared by Rachel Johnson, Archway Partnership Graduate Assistant

The following is a list of key themes that were discussed at the December 2011 Charrette for Lakeshore Park. This is a working document, meant to be revised through additional community input.

Site Program Elements

·  Maintain ‘neighborhood feel’ of park, and create spaces that are multi-purpose.

·  Expand community garden area.

·  Create a platform on north side of the wetland area.

·  Keep one baseball field.

·  Add tennis courts to park (4-6).

·  Relocate play area to northern half of park. Expand the size of the play area.

·  Keep the dog park.

·  Add more picnic areas.

·  Make park into an educational feature for school children, as well as adults. Students could work on interpretive signage for the park’s various habitats and wildlife.

Connectivity

·  Connect park to elementary school with trail (City would purchase a lot or establish a pedestrian access easement).

·  Create a path that connects the entire park. (Could be mulch, with some areas ADA accessible.)

·  Repurpose service road on west end of park to a trail that connects north and south ends of park.

Environmental Remediation

·  Stabilize wetland area, prevent further erosion of track near wetland, and replant with native species.

·  In order to improve environmental sustainability of all water features, rip rap should be removed in as many areas as possible, and replanted with native vegetation.

·  Naturalize areas along smaller pond and northern end of ponds with native plantings. Keep some areas along larger pond for fishing.

·  Meander stream to prevent further erosion and create more natural design. Plant and stabilize banks to prevent further erosion

Further Exploration

·  The dredging of the lake and wetland area has been discussed in order to remove the fill. Additional plantings around shoreline, and stabilization of the streambanks will help prevent further sedimentation of the lake.

·  Students from Dalton State College could help to create interpretive signage and field guides to use in the park. Interpretive nature walks could then become part of Brookwood Elementary School’s science and environmental education coursework as well.