Multiyear plan presented at public hearing includes park upgrades

The money for the projects comes from SPLOST money set aside and approved by voters 2014 for recreation improvements.

Aragon officials are asking community members to stop by city hall in the coming weeks and look over maps and ideas for upcoming recreation improvements.

The City of Aragon held a public hearing to gather comments from the public on what should be the priorities for Aragon’s recreation plans in the coming years, with only a small amount of comment given on those plans set out for the public.

Aragon has been working with Julianne Meadows, the director of Regional Planning, to work on presenting ideas to the public and get feedback for an overall recreation plan to be put forth for council vote.

Meadows said this was just the first step along a path for Aragon to make park improvements over the coming years, seeking to use recreation funds set aside by the city for the Special Purpose, Local Options Sales Tax fund approved by voters in 2014.

Council member Tammy Mulkey, who since she was elected has been pushing for improvements and helping with the planning, said what’s coming for the City of Aragon will hopefully be in line with what people want.

“I think once we move forward and the community actually starts seeing the improvements, more local citizens will become involved with the process,” Mulkey said. “Community involvement is the biggest key for the city going ahead.”

Plans thus far include improvements at Pittman Park’s softball field to increase the size of the field to meet regulation standards for adult softball leagues in hopes of drawing in teams needing places to play around the region.

Plans also include increasing rental fees for use of the field.

Improvements at Pittman Park also include needed repairs for electrical issues, installation of safety netting, shifting of parking areas in the future to allow for a new walking track and playground area to be constructed.

During the February Aragon City Council meeting, council members gave Public Works Superintendent Daniel Johnson permission to go ahead and seek bids on opening steps for the Pittman Park improvements.

He said some of the work could be done before the annual Aragon Barbecue, including the extension of the field by moving the fencing to complete the move to regulation size. Johnson was only given permission to seek bids for the work, which is yet to be completed for the time being.

Johnson also sought work to make needed improvements to The Stage @ Aragon following concerns raised during last year’s event over problems such as issues with the roof line leaking water onto equipment and instruments, along with other minor maintenance issues.

Though the maintenance work and extension of the field can be taken care of in short order before the June event, some of the improvements the city seeks to make will need several months to get done.

For instance, an ambitious second year plan for the city’s Pittman Park improvements include a whole new stage to use for events, moving it from it’s current location to closer to the Aragon Historical Society building and using the resulting space to increase the parking and sitting areas for the stage.

Mayor Garry Baldwin and Mulkey were among those during the Feb. 21 public hearing looking at possible examples for the stage, which is hoped one day to tap into local rural roots with a barn- themed stage, much like the iconic red barn that has been the home of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for generations.

However Pittman Park isn’t the only focus of the city when it comes to recreation plans for the future.

In the multi-year process of upgrading park spaces in Aragon, officials are also seeking ideas from the public to supplement what has already been thought up by council members.

At center stage of this plan are basketball courts in the area around Jake Belk Park and Veteran’s Memorial Park, along with cleaning up of both spaces and clearing up of maintenance issues, like fixing broken playground equipment.

Improvements are also already approve for the area around the mill pond, with new picnic tables and grills to be installed.

Tuesday was the last day the city left out information for residents to check out the park improvements.