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Mayor Robisho spotlights Roswell parks, trails and Crab Apple Center in podcast
Summary
On the Inside Roswell podcast, Mayor Mary Robisho and Steven Malone, director of Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs, outlined the department’s programs, said the city manages about 1,100 acres of parkland, described summer camp participation and highlighted Riverside Park improvements and reuse of the Crab Apple Center.
Mayor Mary Robisho hosted Steven Malone, director of Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs, on the city’s Inside Roswell podcast to mark National Parks and Recreation Month and to highlight the breadth of services the department provides.
Steven Malone said the department runs six major divisions—recreation and programming, athletics, parks, historic assets, cultural arts and special operations—and that its work ranges from youth camps and athletic leagues to historic preservation and facility rentals. "We are close to 1,100 acres of parkland that our department manages and takes care of," Malone said, noting ongoing property acquisitions approved by mayor and council.
Malone described summer operations as a major part of the department’s seasonal workload. "We average about 35–36 camps per week that we're offering," he said, adding that weekly participation is "somewhere in the range of about 700 to 1,000 kids" and that the department typically serves about 7,500–8,000 children over a 10-week summer period.
The conversation emphasized resident-driven planning and amenity development. Malone said the disc (frisbee) golf course grew from community advocacy and that the department relies on a five-year master-planning cycle and public input to prioritize new facilities and programming.
On capital projects, Malone pointed to Riverside Park improvements—natural play features, returning spray-ground amenities and upgraded accessibility—while cautioning about programming in areas that fall within the floodplain along the Chattahoochee River. He also discussed reuse of the Crab Apple Center, a 127,000-square-foot former school being converted for performing arts, camps and athletics, and said conversion must be intentional and phased to align with budget considerations.
Malone highlighted Roswell’s trail connectivity, including the riverwalk along the Chattahoochee (a multi-mile corridor connecting the Gwinnett County line to Cobb County), the Big Creek Greenway and local mountain-bike routes, and he pointed to the city’s four historic museums as an unusual asset for a municipality of Roswell’s size. "Historic preservation isn't about protecting the past. It's about helping future generations understand where we came from," Malone said.
The episode also underscored the department’s operational role beyond recreation: Malone described parks staff clearing fallen trees after an ice storm to assist public-safety responses and explained that many events appear "effortless" only because a dozen or more staff work behind the scenes to prepare fields, facilities and programs.
Robisho closed by urging residents to use the city's parks, attend programs and explore historic sites; she directed listeners to the city's recreation website (roswell365.com) and social media for schedules and upcoming events.
The podcast provides a high-level overview of services, participation levels and near-term projects; details such as exact budgets and phased timelines for capital work were not specified during the interview.
