Decatur’s commission is tentatively scheduled to vote on the final master plan for the former United Methodist Children’s Home property during its Dec. 3 meeting. It’s also likely the 77-tract will be renamed Legacy Park at that same session.
The draft master plan is still online for public comment on the Decatur Next website at https://www.decaturnext.com/2018/09/draft-plan-presented-input-welcome.
Cooper Carry, a city consultant, assimilated three earlier concept schemes into the draft master, culled largely from community input. The entire process of planning and community participation has taken almost this entire year.
“We have kept the comment link open for a little bit longer,” said Cooper Carry Associate Principal Kyle Reis. “It’s a way for the city to remain transparent and continue to emphasize community input.”
But Reis admitted that no dramatic new ideas have evolved since the initial draft was unveiled in late June. Public input, Reis said, has remained consistent: a balance of passive and active recreation, a certain amount of affordable housing and a heavy emphasis on preserving the old UMCH structures.
The recreational centerpiece is a track—long desired by the city and the school system— surrounding a multi-purpose field for soccer, lacrosse and Ultimate Frisbee. As it stands, however, it could take 10 or more years to get built.
“The track is the biggest capital expense,” Reis said. “We’ve put it among the longer-range plans because no specific money is identified with the track. The city has consistently said it won’t build a track.
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