October 2009
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October 2009 CITY OF ATLANTA Organizations Friends of Four Corners Park Shirley Franklin, Mayor American Golf Corporation Friends of Frankie Allen Park Atlanta Downtown Improvement District Friends of Garden Hills Park City Council Blue Heron Nature Preserve Friends of Gilliam Park Lisa Borders, Council President Buckhead Baseball Inc. Friends of Herbert Greene Carla Smith, District 1 Chastain Park Conservancy Friends of Herbert Taylor Park Kwanza Hall, District 2 Chastain Pool Friends of Iverson Park Ivory Lee Young, Jr., District 3 Chattahoochee Nature Center Friends of Jacci Fuller Woodland Cleta Winslow, District 4 Cabbagetown Initiative Gardens Park Natalyn Mosby Archibong, District 5 Eastside Parks Network Friends of John Howell Park Anne Fauver, District 6 Garden Hills Pool Friends of Kirkwood Dixie Howard Shook, District 7 Garden Hills Community Center Friends of Lenox-Wildwood Park Clair Muller, District 8 Grant Park Conservancy Friends of Lionel Hampton Felicia A. Moore, District 9 Grant Park Pool Friends of Maddox Park C.T. Martin, District 9 Little Five Points Business Association Friends of McClatchey Park ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Jim Maddox, District 11 Northside Youth Organization Friends of Melvin Drive Park Joyce Sheperd, District 12 Trees Atlanta Friends of Morningside Nature Preserve Ceasar C. Mitchell, Post 1 At Large West Atlanta Watershed Alliance Friends of Orme Park Mary Norwood, Post 2 At Large Friends of Outdoor Activity Center H. Lamar Willis, Post 3 At Large Friends of Parks Groups Friends of Peachtree Hills Park Friends of Adair Park I Department of Planning and Friends of Perkerson Park Community Development Friends of Adair Park II Friends of Renaissance Park Friends of Adams Park Friends of Rosa L. Burney Park (Dunbar) James E. Shelby, Commissioner Friends of Anderson Park Friends of Sidney Marcus Park Steve Cover, Former Commissioner Friends of Ansley Park Friends of South Bend Park Bureau of Planning Friends of Ardmore Park Friends of Spink Collins Park Charletta Wilson Jacks, Director Friends of Atlanta Memorial Park Friends of Springdale Park Garnett Brown, Assistant Director Friends of Beaverbrook Park Friends of Tanyard Creek Park Mary McCracken, Greenspace Coordinator Friends of Benteen Park Friends of Tanyard Creek Urban Forest Dee Merriam, Former Greenspace Friends of Bessie Branham Park Friends of Tuxedo Park Coordinator Friends of Bitsy Grant Tennis Center Friends of Underwood Hills Park Friends of Bonnie Brae Park Friends of Vine City Park Department of Parks, Recreation, Friends of Brownwood Park Friends of Virgilee Park and Cultural Affairs Friends of Cabbagetown Park Friends of Washington Park Dianne Harnell Cohen, Commissioner Friends of Candler Park Friends of West Manor Park Department of Watershed Friends of Cascade Springs Friends of Whittier Mill Park Management Nature Preserve Friends of Wilson Mill Park Robert Hunter, Commissioner Friends of Central Park Friends of Winn Park Friends of Channing Valley Friends of Woodruff Park Friends of Chosewood Park PARTNERS Friends of Yonah Park Friends of Cleopas R. Johnson Park Friends of West End Park Community Planning Groups Friends of Coan Park Friends of Collier Heights Park Atlanta BeltLine Inc CONSULTANT TEAM Friends of Daniel Johnson Nature Preserve Atlanta Development Authority Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC Friends of Daniel Stanton Park Commissioner’s Council on Parks, with Friends of Deerwood Park Greenspace, and Recreation PROS Consulting Friends of Dellwood Park Freedom Park Conservancy GeographicIT Friends of East Lake Grant Park Conservancy Malvada Consulting Group Friends of Emma Millican Park Olmsted Linear Park Alliance ETC Institute / Leisure Vision Friends of Enota Place Playlot Park Pride Metro Girl Friends of Eubanks Park (The Prado) Path Foundation Piedmont Park Conservancy Special thanks to the members of the The BeltLine Partnership Greenspace Advisory Task Force. The Conservation Fund Trust for Public Land PROJECT GREENSPACE embrace your space Project Greenspace Technical Report prepared by: Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC with: ETC Institute geographIT Malvada Consulting Group PROS Consulting October 2009 Executive Summary......3 6. Implementation......121 1. Introduction......9 6.1 Action Plan......121 1.1 Purpose of Project Greenspace......9 6.2 Staffing Implications......122 1.2 What is Greenspace?......10 6.3 Cost Estimates and Funding Sources......126 1.3 Planning Process......12 6.4 Plan Monitoring......131 1.4 Contents of this Report......16 2. Plan Framework......17 Appendix A. Greenspace Component Standards A-1 2.1 Planning and Design Principles......18 2.2 Greenspace Goals......19 List of Figures 2.3 Greenspace System Concept......19 1.1 Greenspace Functions and Benefits......10 2.3 Implementation Framework......34 2.1 Existing Greenspaces......29 3. Growing the Greenspace System......35 2.2 Undeveloped Land......30 3.1 Introduction......35 2.3 Existing and Potential Greenspace 3.2 Greenspace System Targets......36 Connections......31 3.3 Greenspace System Components......40 2.4 Greenspace System Concept......33 3.4 Greenspace System Growth Strategies......47 3.1 Park Acreage Comparison......35 3.5 Greenspace System Priorities......63 3.2 Greenspace System Targets Summary......36 4. Managing the Greenspace System......75 3.3 Environmentally Sensitive Lands Acreage......38 4.1 Recreation......76 3.4 Environmentally Sensitive Lands......39 4.2 Maintenance......84 3.5 Community Park Proximity Analysis......65 4.3 Security......87 3.6 Neighborhood Park Accessibility Analysis 4.4 Natural and Cultural Resources......89 and Priorities......67 4.5 Greenspace Planning and Design Standards....97 3.7 City Parks and Special Facility Priorities......70 5. Building Capacity......105 3.8 Greenway Corridor Priorities......73 5.1 City Government......105 3.9 Multi-Use Trail and Complete Street Priorities...74 5.2 Communications and Outreach......109 4.1 Example of Level of Service Standards......78 5.3 Resources......111 4.2 Atlanta Parks with Major Historical Importance......96 5.1 Potential Resources for Greenspace Acquisition, Development, and Maintenance......118 6.1 Order-of-Magnitude Cost Estimates......126 6.2 Action Plan – Initiatives......133 6.3 Action Plan – Policies......150 6.4 Action Plan – Partnerships......153 A.1 Citywide Park Prototype......A-3 A.2 Community Park Prototype......A-5 A.3 Neighborhood Park Prototype......A-7 A.4 Greenway Prototype......A-19 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Atlanta’s greenspaces – its parks and natural areas, greenways and tree-lined streets, urban plazas, and out- door gathering places – are critically important to its quality of life, economy, environment, and sense of com- munity. Over the years Atlantans have consistently expressed the desire for high-quality, accessible, safe, and well-maintained greenspaces throughout the City. City leaders have responded through bold initiatives such as the BeltLine trails and the $105 million Park Opportunity Bond. However, much more needs to be done if Atlanta is to achieve the vision of a world-class greenspace system. Atlanta is at a crossroads as the 21st century unfolds. The City’s population is projected to greatly increase over the coming decades as new residents are drawn to its urban lifestyle. Existing and new residents alike will demand access to quality parks and greenspaces while pressures to develop our remaining open spaces intensify. The needs go beyond issues of recreation or quality of life to the very foundation of Atlanta’s health, prosperity, and viability as a city. Greenspaces cleanse our water, cool our air and remove pollutants, maintain natural habitat, spur economic activity, increase property values, and improve the health of citizens. The choice is clear: we can act now to secure the greenspace system that present and future generations of Atlantans need and deserve or the opportunity will be lost forever. The Greenspace System Looking forward to the year 2030, Project Greenspace establishes a framework for action to create a world-class greenspace system. The major components of this system include: Existing Greenspace: Parks and recreational facilities owned and managed by the City and other provid- ers; Consent Decree Greenways; Cemeteries and Golf Courses; Institutional Open Space Undeveloped Lands: Environmentally sensitive areas such as streams, wetlands, floodplains, steep slopes, and woodlands; Lands of Low to Moderate Environmental Value Existing and Potential Greenspace Connections: including greenway corridors along rivers and streams; the BeltLine and other multi-use trails; and complete streets with safe and attractive pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 Guiding Principles Project Greenspace ties these diverse components together into an integrated system that performs many es- sential services for the Atlanta community. Twelve guiding principles express the primary role that greenspace plays in supporting Atlanta’s livability, economy, and the quality of life of its citizens: Connectivity: Greenspaces should be connected to each other and to people. Equity: The greenspace system should be distributed throughout Atlanta and be readily available to persons of all social and economic backgrounds and abilities. Accessibility: Greenspaces should be located within a pleasant 1/2 mile walk from home or work. Economic Development: The greenspace system should promote economic development and develop- ment should incorporate greenspaces. Sustainability: The greenspace system should integrate