Parks & Green Infrastructure Tour
Saturday, March 20, 2010
DETAILS
Dress for walking and maybe getting dirty. This half-day or full-day tour features
both completed projects and others still under construction. Learn first-hand how
metro Atlanta is using parks and greenspace to serve important environmental,
water infrastructure and transportation functions while saving money.
SCHEDULE
9:00 Meet at City Hall East—675 Ponce de Leon Ave. Atlanta 30308. Free parking.
9:10 Historic Fourth Ward Park. This new BeltLine park will incorporate a
stormwater retention pond to address historic flooding in the City Hall East
Building. By building Green Infrastructure instead of the traditional
stormwater tunnel, the City was able to save $10 million, create a wonderful
amenity for the community and help address Atlanta’s shortage of parkland.
9:30 The Atlanta BeltLine. 2010 is a big year for the BeltLine, including the
opening of natural walking trails in the Northeast and Southwest sections.
Walk the newly installed natural trail from Historic Fourth Ward Park to
Piedmont Park while learning how the BeltLine corridor will be designed to
accommodate transit, a multi-use path and greenspace.
10:15 Naturalization of Clear Creek at Piedmont Park. The Piedmont Park
Conservancy has begun to develop the new North Woods Expansion (53 acres
of new parkland). As part of this project, the Conservancy is daylighting
Clear Creek in some areas and freeing it from its cement culvert in others.
The project also seeks to create a seamless transition to the abutting
combined sewer overflow (CSO) facility.
11:00 Bellwood Quarry Reservoir. The most ambitious greenspace project in the
BeltLine initiative is the creation of a 350-acre park in Northwest Atlanta that
will incorporate a new reservoir for the City. A former quarry pit will be
transformed into a lake capable of holding 30 days of water supply for the
city, and serving as a jewel in what will be Atlanta’s biggest park.
12:00 Morning portion of the tour ends. Lunch at Candler Park (For full day
participants).
1:00 Naturalization of Peavine Watershed in Candler Park. Completed in 2008, this
project combined daylighting a creek and freeing it from a cement culvert.
Existing fairways on the golf course also serve as functional flood plains. The
site is now home to two ponds, courtesy of the beavers that have moved in.
An interesting contrast to the ongoing work in Piedmont Park.
2:15 Newnan Wetlands Center and Sewage Treatment Plant. Clayton County is
among the world’s leaders in using cutting-edge green infrastructure to treat
wastewater and produce drinking water. The process saves the county
money, provides habitat for wildlife, creates educational opportunities, and
allowed the County to survive the 2008 drought without watering restrictions.
3:30 Dean Rusk Water Retention. The first instance of the City of Atlanta using
parkland to use parkland to address stormwater runoff. A partnership
between the Atlanta Housing Authority and the Department of Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
4:30 Return to City Hall East. Tour ends.