Glenlake Park Improvements Require Additional Funding; Weather Delays Completion Until Spring
Decatur Metro | December 7, 2009
Photo from 231 Sycamore
Along with the usual exciting liquor license applications – this time for the Pharmhouse Restaurant and Oakview Grocery – this evening’s city commission meeting includes a request for a $121,280 increase in funding for Glenlake Park improvements, which will fall within the project’s budget.
According to a letter (page 35 of PDF) from Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon to City Manager Peggy Merriss, the increase is the result of “several factors”, including the “owner’s and architect’s requirements and concealed site conditions”. Saxon promises that the additional funds will result in a significant upgrade to the planned drainage system and landscape treatment of the park.”
According to a breakdown of the numbers, additional funding will be used for additional storm drainage improvements, landscape materials, a granite-faced concrete, utility changes, repaving the park’s main driveway and a screening fence at the park boundary along the creek.
Saxon closes his note with word that the recent wet weather has pushed back the completion date of Glenlake to “late March, early April 2010″.
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Seems to me that a lot of the work done was unnecessary. We live in the neighborhood and used the park frequently. I wasn’t unhappy with any of the amenities (the new pool is nice). Since the creek got funding to be restored, that seems reasonable, but tearing out perfectly good sidewalks and such is wasteful in hard time.
Other than the pool, I would peg this entire project as a complete waste of time and money. The park was popular and far more than adequate. There was no good reason to burn a bunch of money on this, not to mention denying local residents use of the park for now seems like forever.
I thought we voted for the park upgrades through the bond referendum. Doesn’t the will of the citizens constitute a reason?
Taking on big debt for not-so-necessary expenses looked a lot different in 2006 than it does now. I’m pretty sure I voted for that part of the bond, but I do find myself shaking my head when I drive by Glenlake nowadays, thinking of the cost in dollars and months of no access. I’m sure the new park will be a dandy, but the park was fine before — with a newly renovated playground. Nice improvement to the pool house, though.
If I’ve been paying attention, I’m pretty sure DEM lives outside the “City of” so what’s all this “we” stuff?
Correct you are, DM (though I am outside the limits by all of 150 yards or so). I am therefore nothing more than an interested and opinionated observer.
The will of the people is authorization for the project. Whether there was a good reason for 51% of them to vote they way they did is another matter altogether. Democracies do lots of stupid stuff.
The Swiss minarets are a perfect example of your last point.
How am I going to explain the delay to my dog. Any chance the dog park can re-open sooner?
Expedite please. My kids will be too old to enjoy this park by the time it opens again.
Also.
How is requesting THE BUDGETED FUNDS considered a funding increase?
Because it’s an increase over the originally contracted price.
The improvements are hard to swallow now, but I have a strong feeling this is an investment in the future that will pay dividends for many years to come. I guess we will only know for sure in 20 years and we can look back and the parks use, importance of stream bank restoration, ect. over those 20 years and compare them with the price paid. I forecast many sunny days in a fantastic park. I do feel bad for parents with toddlers now, I spent numerous hours there with my kids at that age, but maybe they have discovered other cool parks and/or activities!
… and compare them with the price BEING paid … The city will be 2/3 of the way into repaying the debt in 20 years. I’m sure it will be nice. It’s my neighborhood park!
Yup, like the First Christian toy park, whoops, wrong thread!
NOOOOO!!!!!! We are SOOOOOO frustrated by this. We walked there EVERY DAY after nap, well ok so it was a drought when it closed and we would not be going as much now. But the park being closed has made my life harder!! We live in a town house and I used to always say “why would we need a house with a yard we live a block from the park.” Now we have to get in the car and drive to another park which is a serious pain in the rear.
Decatur I love ya but this does seem like an odd decision to re-do a much loved park.