Recreation Committee Approves New Volanta Park Plan

Fairhope, Alabama



Landscape architect Joe Comer

MARCH MEETING

The city's Recreation Committee voted unanimously to recommend a new conceptual master plan designed by Joe Comer of Espalier Landscaping for city council approval that will add three baseball fields, add and organize parking spaces, improve traffic flow, and address chronic drainage and erosion issues at the park on N. Greeno Road.

One existing field at the Volanta Avenue entrance will be relocated to provided space for the additional parking (450 spaces) and "drop off hubs" will be incorporated for both football and baseball events, according to Comer.

A 100' tree buffer between adjacent homes will be maintained; the disc golf course will be shifted slightly -- but essentially maintained as it is today.

Rain gardens, bio swales and pervious pavement (pavers?) will be utilized in the new parking lot to minimize stormwater runoff; and the large live oak trees will be saved.

Comer: "Keeping and protecting the trees is important to the project."
Recreation Committee

The dog park will not be affected.

New restrooms and ticket/concession stands will be constructed; the maintenance building will be re-located as well.

Recreation director Tom Kuhl: "It solves a lot of issues. The park was built over decades ... we are fighting drainage issues all the time. This addresses everything we asked for."

If approved by the city council, an engineer will then be hired to draw up detailed plans: the project could be constructed in phases over several years.

Cost was not mentioned; but the Times has heard previous estimates in the range of of $3 - 5 million.


North is to right

North is to right


Comments

ralph thayer said…
the Dog Park coalition of over 75 people was not consulted in this plan
but do appreciate the conclusion that the dog park will not be effected.
We are used to being overlooked by Rec Board but this time it seems to be
a plus to us. Good luck to the planners/engineers as they implement this
long overdue redo to a park that is too small for the scope of the activities
impacting. In particular, the saving of the big trees in the parking area
is highly problematic unless the root structures are barricaded. No fault
to the park users, most if not all of us were active playground partners
in the not too distant past, we do think this plan is a positive and we
look forward to sharing the space.
Anonymous said…
I stopped using the dog park because many did not follow the rules. Kids would come in the park without an adult, the parents were too busy with the baseball games to watch their children. And some of the kids were 10 years old at best.
HANK said…
As a ball parent, I'm excited about this plan. Doing away with the front field and adding two back fields is really going to help with the parking woes. This place can be a zoo at times and I think this is going to be a great benefit.

I really would like to know if a light will ever be constructed at Volanta and 98? It's long overdue.
Publisher said…
There has been some mention of a traffic light at Volanta Avenue; but adding more signals to Hwy 98 is generally discouraged since it would further impede traffic flow and cause more congestion.
Anonymous said…
How is Fairhope going to come up with all this money??? Don't we need to spend 10-15 million to upgrade the sewer system? Isn't that what the mayor's cronies have stated??? Didn't the mayor state she has inherited a mess??? That the city is losing money??? So where is all this money coming from???
Anonymous said…
The city's recreation board came up with this. With this level of detail, it has clearly not just popped up in the past couple of months, nor does it appear to be on the Mayor's own immediate agenda. People in Fairhope are so bizarre...just stick your heads in the sand and blame everything on Karin Wilson and you will deserve whatever happens.
That said, it looks like a great plan.
Anonymous said…
It seems to me that fairhope spends too much money on soccer and baseball fields. People will tear this park up . They guys at the park are forever cleaning up after people leaving trash nasty place
Anonymous said…
be nice to dog owners because they are the ones paying the taxes for YOUR kids to have baseball and soccer fields 😡😡😡
Anonymous said…
I completely agree that it is a slap in the face that all this tax money is being spent so unsupervised children can have yet another public venue to ruin. Why doesn't the city council spend money to actually enforce the rules at existing parks? I guess they want to make their friends some money who build the new ones. I stopped going to the pier and any of the public parks because people don't pick up their animals' waste. There isn't any point in complaining about the unsupervised teenagers and children there because parents really don't care. I live on the east side of town and my tax dollars are never spent to improve my area. Taxation without representation is what my neighbors and I are experiencing.
Anonymous said…
I agree about the parents not caring. I lived across the street from a family, the kids were out of control. I called the mother as the kids would call my husband and I names, pee in bushes, look in my windows. I called her on several occasions, I should have called police. The woman always said that she is a Christian but to me if your actions should tell me not you. I think she was trying to convince herself