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Decatur commission adopts Oakhurst Park master plan after months of debate and heavy public turnout
Summary
After hours of public comment focused on the Oakhurst dog park, the Decatur City Commission approved a preferred Oakhurst Park Recreation Master Plan 3–2. Staff said the plan prioritizes stream restoration and underground detention to address chronic flooding; details will be refined in the design phase.
The Decatur City Commission voted 3–2 on Nov. 3 to approve the preferred Oakhurst Park Recreation Master Plan, adopting a conceptual layout that includes underground stormwater detention, stream restoration and a reconfigured dog-park boundary the city says will remain larger than half an acre.
Supporters of the park's existing dog area filled the commission chamber and hundreds signed an online petition opposing the shrinkage they saw in preliminary drawings. "This space is for the dogs and for the people who need a place to breathe and connect," said Candace Brower, who described daily visits to Oakhurst Park. Several speakers said the plan would remove mature canopy and create a higher-traffic athletic facility adjacent to homes.
City staff and the project consultant presented their rationale: decades of use have placed the dog park within an…
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