Glenlake Park Master Plan

Budget:  $3,000,000
Status:  Under design
Bid Date:  August 2008
Construction: Sept. 2008-Sept. 2009

jB+A Landscape Architects
319h Grant
Master plan and first phase budget adopted in Feb. 2008

The Capital Bond Program approved by Decatur citizens in 2006 included funding for a master plan for Glenlake Park and needed improvements once the master plan is approved. The City of Decatur recently selected JB+A to lead the master planning process.

At their regular meeting on February 19, the City Commission approved a master plan and future master plan for Glenlake Park and a budget of $3,000,000 for the first phase of improvements. The approved budget provides funding for improvements to the following features in Glenlake Park:

• pool and bathhouse
• main road, parking and trail section at tennis courts
• perimeter trail
• multi-use field and pavilions
• dog park
• basketball court
• tennis court repairs
• bisecting trail
• stream bank restoration

Glenlake Park is one of Decatur’s most popular and intensively-used parks. Because of funding limits, this park has never been improved like Oakhurst, Ebster and McKoy Parks, which have benefited from numerous community development grants over the last 35 years. The recent City bond referendum provided the first funding for substantial improvements to Glenlake Park in more than 40 years.

It is anticipated that construction of the Glenlake Park improvements will take about a year and will start in September, 2008.

>Phase One Map (PDF)

Short Term Preliminary Master Plan

This graphic is intended to show development of Glenlake Park in the short term, utilizing the existing tennis courts location until a feasible site for relocation is determined.

• Updated streetscape per City of Decatur Community Transportation Plan, includes on-street parking, bike lane, single drive lanes with shared turn lane. Provides larger area for improved entrance landscaping
• New / Improved pool house. Relocated to the far end of the pool. Pool depth had been reconfigured to allow shallow entry at both ends of the pool with deeper depths in the middle. Expanded pool deck with opportunities for shade structures.
• The main entrance road ends at turn around area. Existing parking area has been removed from stream buffer. Perpendicular parking to accommodate 18 cars has been added. Existing parallel parking at tennis courts utilized.
• Secondary entrance into the park will be via Norris Street.  Driveway will terminate in a one-way loop. Parking will be angled to accommodate 21 cars.
• Tennis courts will remain until equal or better relocation site can be found.
• Existing tennis facility to be enhanced to include paved plaza area with seating, picnic tables, trees.
• An 8’ wide paved walking trail connects all elements of the park and ties into Glendale Ave. Pedestrian access separated from vehicular traffic from Glendale to Church Street is NOT possible in the short term due to the location of the existing tennis courts. Pedestrian access will be via the 8’ wide paved trail from Glendale to the Tennis facility, at which point, pedestrians will need to either utilize the narrow concrete area at the southwestern edge of the tennis courts or enter the driveway area to continue to the plaza at the pool house. Connection to Church Street then continues via a 6’ wide sidewalk. Access to the cemetery is provided as well as the potential to tie into a nature trail behind the cemetery.
• Stream restoration project will be implemented between the two western most pedestrian bridges. Restoration will allow access to the stream and elevate the stream to become a feature in the park.
• Playground has been expanded with new playground equipment to accommodate various age groups. A lawn is associated with the playground to allow access to the stream. A new shelter is also located near the playground.
• Two group pavilions are located in the park. One is located between the playground and the multi-use field for potential use by either group of users. The second is located near the Norris Street parking area. This group pavilion has restroom associated with it.
• Existing ball field has been reconfigured to be used as a multi-use field. A backstop has been located in the southeast corner of the field. A leaning fence is sited along the southernmost boundary of the field to prevent balls from entering the stream. Benches will be sited with the fence to encourage users to “lean” on the fence and study or meditate on the stream.
• Basketball court utilizes current location although the court itself is slightly smaller. Two goals are still available for full court use. Seating has been sited into the hillside adjacent to the basketball court.
• Due to site elevations, a bi-level shelter has been sited between the multi-use field and relocated dog park. The lower level of the shelter will accommodate the multi-use field while the upper level accommodates the dog park. Stairs will allow access between the two.
• Dog park has been relocated above the multi-use field. The total fenced area encompasses .5 acres and will be fenced with designated zones. Trash receptacles, bag stations etc. will be available for dogs.
• The practice field in the northern portion of the site will remain for the short term. Fields will be improved and irrigated. A small shelter will be built to accommodate users.

This graphic is intended to show development of Glenlake Park in the long term.

• When a more feasible site, located within the City of Decatur, can be obtained, the existing tennis facility will be relocated, however, two courts will be retained. The current tennis facility is sited within both City and State stream buffers, sited on an existing natural spring, and on unstable soils and consequently unsustainable. The two courts that are to remain are currently in the best condition, although located deeper into both City and State stream buffers.
• The area where the three tennis courts have been removed will be converted to a .40 acre open space, established on engineered structural soils, which will serve as an unstructured play area as well as bio-retention area. Currently excessive hard surface areas within the park site do not allow for infiltration of storm water into the sub-soils for filtration. Storm water sheets across existing hard surfaces and exits immediately into the stream compromising the quality of the water exiting the site. A bio-retention area will allow for storage of storm water until such time as the water can naturally filter through the sub-soils and more cleanly exit to the stream.
• Parking will be aligned perpendicular to the open space utilizing much of what is currently parallel parking. Parking will provide spaces for 15 cars. Total parking on site will accommodate 72 cars.

Restrictive Land Use

Click on the link below to see the Land Use image. It shows the limited developable land available within Glenlake Park.

>Restrictive Land Use (PDF)

Numerous restrictions are indicated on the graphic including stream bank buffers (Red), 100 year flood limits (Blue), and substantial slopes (Yellow). 30’ rear yard  setbacks and 10’ side yard setbacks (Orange) are shown on this graphic although property line setbacks are not required within a park as the park itself is considered a buffer. These setbacks (based on other zoning) are shown as a courtesy to the adjacent homeowners and the master plan designs have been laid out to minimize encroachment upon these areas. The more developable land is indicated by lack of color, however, within these areas many of the sites larger trees exist.

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