Forsyth County details $52.7 million Sharon Springs Park renovation; park to close during work

Forsyth County officials on a county media program described plans for a coordinated renovation of Sharon Springs Park, the Tax Commissioner’s office kiosk and Sexton Hall that they say will be completed in early 2028 and paid from multiple local funding sources.

"We're gonna be down here, for quite a while, but when we're done, we'll be out of here except for maintenance for, you know, for the next 25 years or so," said John Jefferson, director of capital projects, summarizing the county's rationale for combining work across the three sites into a single contract. Jefferson gave the base contract amount as $52,700,000 and said funding will come from SPLOST 8 and SPLOST 9 proceeds, impact fees and capital outlay.

County officials said permits are in hand and designers have responded to county reviewer comments, clearing the way for construction to begin. Jefferson said the work includes an additional entrance/exit at Clow Road, regraded parking with curb and gutter, an underground storm‑sewer system and pervious paving to improve stormwater management and reduce rain-related field closures.

Kirk Franz, director of parks and recreation, said the park — about 30 years old — will close for construction while Sexton Hall will remain open with modified access through the construction area. "There'll be some inconvenience," Franz said, adding the general contractor is required to maintain access to the Tax Commissioner's services and to provide safe access to Sexton Hall.

Officials described several field and amenity upgrades. Plans include turf infields intended to shorten weather delays, new fencing and backstops for baseball, improved tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, sand volleyball courts, a new playground and nearly two miles of trails that will connect to Sexton Hall. Jefferson said concession and scorekeeper buildings will receive exterior updates rather than full replacement, and a new community building will be available for rentals and serve as a polling location.

The county expects to add roughly 75 parking spaces, rework internal traffic flow and install a roundabout to ease maneuvering inside the park. Franz said the additional exit onto Clow Road should reduce egress delays during events and heavy weekend use.

Jefferson emphasized the project’s stormwater improvements: regraded lots with curb and gutter, new underground storm-sewer storage and some pervious paving to improve water quality versus the current sheet‑flow conditions. He also said the contractor offered a turf-infield alternate to reduce post‑rain downtime for fields.

Officials said construction is expected to conclude early in 2028. While the park will be closed during major work, some programming will shift temporarily to nearby parks — including Bennett Park once it reopens — and to Midway and Fowler parks. County staff have asked local booster clubs to limit new team registrations to help manage field demand during construction.

Forsyth County is soliciting public input on Parks & Recreation’s 10‑year master plan and encouraged residents to review project updates and meeting notices on the county’s website and county Parks & Rec social channels. Officials said they will provide regular updates as work proceeds.