Atlanta Parks - Page 6

ATLaffinity · #**101** Posted **Apr 1, 2009, 6:57 PM**

On May 2, 2009, the Park Drive lot in Piedmont Park will be closed to the public and shortly thereafter returned to park land as part of our 53-acre Park Expansion Plan.

Future plans have been approved for bocce courts, a playground and a carousel to be installed in this area. The Park Drive entrance and bridge will continue to be accessible by pedestrians, including non-motorized bicycles. The new parking facility will open on the same day, May 2, and although it is operated by the Atlanta Botanical Garden, it will be available for Park visitors with access from Worchester Drive. Multi-use parking passes are now available by visiting: https://onlinesales.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/public

remind me, why were people against this???

joecool · #**102** Posted **Apr 1, 2009, 9:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLaffinity

On May 2, 2009, the Park Drive lot in Piedmont Park will be closed to the public and shortly thereafter returned to park land as part of our 53-acre Park Expansion Plan.

Future plans have been approved for bocce courts, a playground and a carousel to be installed in this area. The Park Drive entrance and bridge will continue to be accessible by pedestrians, including non-motorized bicycles. The new parking facility will open on the same day, May 2, and although it is operated by the Atlanta Botanical Garden, it will be available for Park visitors with access from Worchester Drive. Multi-use parking passes are now available by visiting: https://onlinesales.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/public

remind me, why were people against this???

Because people are afraid of change. I hope once the two new entrance to the park will help ansley mall get a face lift or something. That area could be AWESOME! it just needs to be updated, take the power poles down. some nice land scape and some hot new stores and it will be great. I think this area needs some high rise development. more urban....

cybele · #**103** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 1:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecool

I hope once the two new entrance to the park will help ansley mall get a face lift or something. That area could be AWESOME! it just needs to be updated, take the power poles down. some nice land scape and some hot new stores and it will be great. I think this area needs some high rise development. more urban....

What would happen to Scandals?

galaca · #**104** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 4:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLaffinity

remind me, why were people against this???

because it's still a parking garage in a park? gut reaction says "no."

atlantaguy · #**105** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 4:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybele

What would happen to Scandals?

LOL! How do you know of Scandals, cybele?

I used to be quite the regular there years back. Perhaps we know each other?

BTW, it's been called Felix's on the Square for a couple of years now.

atlantaguy · #**106** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 4:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaca

because it's still a parking garage in a park? gut reaction says "no."

Well, it was thinking a little outiside the box, and now it's a done deal.

To gain a couple of dozen acres of additional parkland by building an underground, barely visible "green" garage seems like a no-brainer to me.

You can't turn back the clock.

ATLaffinity · #**107** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 5:46 PM**

i will say that you wouldn't even know they were building it. tough to see from either the park or the gardens.

i'm glad to hear they are tearing up the surface lot so quickly.

cybele · #**108** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 6:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

LOL! How do you know of Scandals, cybele?

I used to be quite the regular there years back. Perhaps we know each other?

BTW, it's been called Felix's on the Square for a couple of years now.

Oh, I've never actually been there myself, of course. I've just heard friends mention it.

popewiz · #**109** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 8:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaca

because it's still a parking garage in a park? gut reaction says "no."

Nope, not the real reason. The concern is on the part of the neighborhoods surrounding the park who already see a glut of people who park their cars inconsiderately on nice weekend days. With the parking in the park now being pay only, the thought is that it will dump more traffic/poorly parked cars into these neigborhoods.

Living in one of these neighborhoods, it's hard not to sympathize with this argument, however I believe the way to address this issue is to improve the mass transit accessibility of the park rather than trying to shut down the reclamation of a large surface parking lot.

ATLaffinity · #**110** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by popewiz

Nope, not the real reason. The concern is on the part of the neighborhoods surrounding the park who already see a glut of people who park their cars inconsiderately on nice weekend days. With the parking in the park now being pay only, the thought is that it will dump more traffic/poorly parked cars into these neigborhoods.

Living in one of these neighborhoods, it's hard not to sympathize with this argument, however I believe the way to address this issue is to improve the mass transit accessibility of the park rather than trying to shut down the reclamation of a large surface parking lot.

the fact is, it was a prosperous time and they didn't have a lot to protest so they protested an extremely well thought out plan to improve accessibility to our signature park.

no way this increases street parking. it will decrease it.

i agree with your mass transit comment. to me, making the area dense around piedmont park is the whole point. but i don't think you get people out of their cars until you make it so congested that it makes sense. all these people protesting the parking garage have two cars in the middle of the city.

cybele · #**111** Posted **Apr 3, 2009, 9:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLaffinity

i agree with your mass transit comment. to me, making the area dense around piedmont park is the whole point. but i don't think you get people out of their cars until you make it so congested that it makes sense.

To get people out of their cars you'll also have to get MARTA to allow dogs on the trains. How else are we supposed to get our mutts to the park?

alleystreetindustry · #**112** Posted **Apr 16, 2009, 2:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecool

I think this area needs some high rise development. more urban....

as much as i want to agree that ansley mall could use some density, a majority of those that would move into such a new development there would most likely use their automobile. piedmont and [especially] monroe are already strained enough.

im still a little mixed as to what new development should go where. lindbergh seems like a great area to develop (thankyou, marta), but the traffic certainly hasnt eased after all the construction.

popewiz · #**113** Posted **Apr 16, 2009, 2:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLaffinity

the fact is, it was a prosperous time and they didn't have a lot to protest so they protested an extremely well thought out plan to improve accessibility to our signature park.

no way this increases street parking. it will decrease it.

i agree with your mass transit comment. to me, making the area dense around piedmont park is the whole point. but i don't think you get people out of their cars until you make it so congested that it makes sense. all these people protesting the parking garage have two cars in the middle of the city.

Right, I think we basically agree here.

cybele · #**114** Posted **Apr 16, 2009, 11:42 AM**

I've noticed that the Chastain Park Conservancy is running some ads on local TV. http://www.chastainparkconservancy.o...2/Default.aspx

Maybe they are gearing up for implementation of the new master plan. It's the largest park in the city and is so heavily used, so it could use a makeover.

NativeAtlantan · #**115** Posted **Apr 19, 2009, 1:43 AM**

Andrea used to make a point of reminding everyone that Chastain is the largest park in the city, too.

Hmmm......interesting.

Oh, and it's only "big" because about 90 percent of it is a golf course....that's not really a park to me if you can't use it without fear of getting hit by a golf ball.

trainiac · #**116** Posted **May 13, 2009, 2:39 AM**

Over at the ABG tonight for the Georgia Native Plant Society meeting. The last time I'd been to there was in March and since then the place is completely re-oriented towards the new entrances on the east side. Very nice new structures for ticketing, gift shop and meeting areas I didn't even notice in March (but they must have been nearly complete then). If you're driving, the old entrance off Piedmont is still the way to go to access the new deck but it looks the east entrance (which originates on Monroe) will be coming along soon enough.

The new structures are sharp and some of the Henry Moore sculptures are spectacular -- check out the one behind the Japanese garden area! What an amazing piece of work.

Warning: it's a hike to front door if you're walking over or taking MARTA. BTW, if you haven't been near the old pool at Piedmont Park lately, you'll be in for a surprise. Memorial Day is supposed to be the grand opening of a new pool and restored bath house. Saw it last month and it looks like it's going to be fantastic.

cybele · #**117** Posted **May 16, 2009, 4:17 PM**

What do y'all think about Park Pride's ASAP (Act to Save Atlanta Parks) program?

The three key points are:

1. ENSURE THE QUALITY OF ATLANTA’S PARK SYSTEM BY DEDICATING 1 MIL OF EXISTING PROPERTY TAX TO OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE - BY 2012

2. ESTABLISH A DEDICATED FUNDING FOR LAND ACQUISITION AND PARK DEVELOPMENT SO THAT ATLANTA’S PARKLAND NO LONGER RANKS LAST AMONG THE NATION’S 25 LARGEST CITIES - BY 2013

3. TAKE CONCRETE STEPS TO MAKE ATLANTA’S PARKS SAFER – BY 2010

If the city dedicates one mil to park maintenance, does that mean taxes will have to go up somewhere else?

ATLaffinity · #**118** Posted **May 25, 2009, 1:03 AM**

i was at Piedmont Park and noticed they had a soft-launch of the aquatics center (ie pool). my son wanted to go in so we checked it out.

looks great although this is having seen it all brand-spanking new without crowds. very child friendly and the "river current" looks to be a cool feature. looks like the bathhouse isn't finished quite yet.

it really adds a whole new dimension to the park and should bring in more people which should help with safety.

atl2phx · #**119** Posted **May 25, 2009, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybele

If the city dedicates one mil to park maintenance, does that mean taxes will have to go up somewhere else?

i think it's a great long term idea. atlanta needs to focus on parks, for the reasons mentioned above.

re: taxes, well, there's no surplus currently and budgets have been cut back almost across the board, so i assume this would be offset of the increase in property taxes proposed by franklin recently.

ATLaffinity · #**120** Posted **May 27, 2009, 2:19 PM**

Newly Restored Noguchi Playscapes

The City of Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invites the public to join in the unveiling of the newly restored Noguchi Playscapes, located in Piedmont Park. The unveiling will take place Monday, June 1, 2009 at 11:00 am. Mayor Franklin will address the attendees, sharing the City’s progress in public art funding and dedication to its parks. The Playscapes was designed by world-renowned artist and sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). Completed in 1976, Playscapes is the only play environment of its kind by Noguchi in the continental United States.

btw, looks like the park was a lot more fun 100 years ago...