Madison County presents parks master‑plan priorities: drainage, parking, signage and ADA upgrades

Madison County leisure‑services staff presented a set of priority projects from the department’s master plan and asked the board to consider SPLOST funding for a set of capital and facility repairs and improvements.

Staff said Diamond Hill Softball Complex needs stormwater improvements, paved, designated parking and a new unified park sign. They described a proposed county‑wide branding effort to standardize park signage so the county’s recreation facilities are consistent and easier to locate. Bird Landing was flagged as remote, with security and property‑line issues; staff recommended surveying the property and installing clearer signage and rules before more substantial investment.

At Brewer/Phillips, staff recommended ADA access improvements to create an accessible route between upper and lower fields, regrading to create defined parking, and replacement of the park’s oldest playground. Memorial Park work would include repairs to the gazebo, a covered stage area, and a paved ADA‑accessible walking path to connect to Route 29 sidewalks. At Sammy Haggard, staff said stormwater drainage is the highest priority before any court or facility rebuilds; they described a preliminary $600,000 order‑of‑magnitude quote for new courts and a consolidated gym/rec building that would include courts and pickleball facilities.

Staff said the list presented in the meeting is a subset of a larger master plan and that each item had been prioritized by immediate need (1–3 years) and medium term (3–6 years). No funding decision was made; staff asked the board to consider smaller, high‑impact projects in the near term while pursuing larger grant or capital paths for major construction.

Ending: Staff will provide cost details and phasing recommendations for the prioritized parks projects to feed into the SPLOST and capital planning process.