After nearly a year of public input, Brookhaven announced plans for a new park-based community center.
Brookhaven received more than 400 responses to figure out what residents want from the new building in Murphey Candler Park. Instead of a full-fledged community center, the city will construct a smaller lake house to host activities, provide restrooms and preserve the park’s existing tree canopy, according to a news release.
The building will be funded by $1.2 million of park bonds that were greenlit by Brookhaven residents in 2018 as part of a $40-million park improvement plan. Murphey Candler Park, which is roughly 135 acres, is the city’s largest park and is located in northern Brookhaven, just south of I-285.
The city sought public comment over the past 10 months at several events and meetings.
“The public input process is instrumental in prioritizing the amenities which are responsive to the needs of the community,” Lee Croy, Brookhaven’s park bond manager, said in the release. “We can’t build everything that everyone wants, but we can make significant improvements, including construction of a new building that will meet the growing needs at Murphey Candler Park.”
Most of the feedback was provided by residents who live within a mile of the park, and several neighborhood groups also participated, the release said. According to the public input, residents’ top priorities were restrooms, multi-purpose meeting space and an outdoor overlook.
Brookhaven put together a report to sum up the feedback, which can be accessed on the city’s website. The plan will be presented to the city council at some point during the winter, and construction documents will be drafted after the conceptual design is approved.