Council prioritizes a short list of recreation projects for staff to cost and schedule: Kelly Drive, Battery Way, Drake restrooms, pickleball, Mead entrance

Peachtree City council pared the consultant’s recreation master plan into a short list of priority projects and directed staff to return with firm cost estimates and financing options. Staff and council emphasized projects for which partial funding already exists and those that would reduce current deferred maintenance.

Priority projects singled out for immediate follow‑up - Kelly Drive Park improvements (phasing and costs; council noted partial SPLOST funding was already identified but design and additional funds will be needed). - Battery Way Park: council asked staff to prioritize playground replacement and parking‑lot paving that could be funded from the SPLOST playground and paving pots, and to present options to address bathroom facilities (no funding currently shown for restrooms). Council asked for possible short‑term funding or budget amendment options for restrooms. - Drake Field restrooms: staff confirmed a $500,000 line in the SPLOST package and council asked for schedule and design details. - Pickleball complex at Mead: council narrowed scope from the consultant’s 24‑court proposal to a lower‑cost alternative (18 courts was suggested) and asked staff to evaluate cost reductions and future expansion options; council also asked staff to consider sound and adjacent townhouse impacts and to check whether private operators already building courts locally affect demand. - Mead entrance/driveway: council asked staff to investigate a dedicated entrance/driveway into the softball/athletic complex (discussion included asking adjacent landowner participation on shared cost — members asked staff to check historical commitments or agreements with the landowner).

Funding and SPLOST: Council and staff reviewed SPLOST 2023 allocations, including a $1.2 million playground replacement pot and a $30 million paving pool (which can be used for new driveways and parkinglot projects). Staff said the SPLOST language was written more flexibly than earlier programs and might support parking lot paving and access drives, but council emphasized the need to sequence SPLOST spending against other projects and to avoid depleting contingency funds.

Next steps: City Manager Justin will prepare a prioritized, costed package and present it to council in a work session. Council asked staff to look for public‑private funding opportunities and to check earlier agreements with adjacent private owners before committing city funds.