Effingham County reopens Baker Pond Community Park after renovation funded by SPLOST

Effingham County officials held a ribbon-cutting Saturday to mark the grand reopening of Baker Pond Community Park following a renovation that added a redesigned and repaved walking trail and other amenities.

County manager Tim Cownan said the county’s parks and recreation master plan showed Baker Pond as residents’ second-favorite park and that public feedback prioritized walking trails over additional sports fields. "The number 1 thing that people requested more of, and it was far above the number 2, was walking trails," Cownan said, and the county used that input to guide the redesign.

The project was delivered with money from the county’s penny sales tax (SPLOST), which District 3 Commissioner Jamie Deletch credited for making the work possible. "If you voted to extend the SPLOST, the penny sales tax, you are a big part of the reason this moment right here is happening," Deletch said, thanking voters and local contractors for their support.

Contractor Chris Merrill told the crowd the company used local subcontractors and journeymen for the build. County staff — including parks and recreation personnel such as Seth Ziegler and event coordinators Jen Baldwin and Warren Blassing — were publicly thanked during the ceremony for coordinating the work and the reopening event.

Officials described Baker Pond as the start of a broader county effort to raise park standards; County Manager Cownan said the board has approved follow-on contracts and listed other parks slated for upgrades, including Meldrum Park, Kynora and Clio, and signaled an upcoming announcement about a project on Abercrombie Creek. Chairman Damon Ron characterized the work as part of an effort to "invest in a quality of life" that will benefit families and residents across the county.

The event concluded with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and public recognition of elected leaders and partners in attendance, including Lincoln council members Mona Underwood and Michelle Taylor, Blake Stevenson from the office of U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, Tax Commissioner Daniel Rodewalt, Lincoln council member Trisha Boyette and District 5 Commissioner Phil Keefer.

Next steps: county officials said similar upgrades will proceed at other sites named during the ceremony; no contract dates or project timelines were specified at the event.