Wetlands Preserve Park by moves closer to reality
The lobby of Floyd Adams Jr. Administrative Building was filled with lush greenery from an array of local species ranging from muhly grass to rosemary plants. The floor was marked throughout with plastic tiles resembling stone paths. They even made a crunch sound typical of walking on stone.
The room was set for a city-led open house on potential features of Wetlands Preserve Park set to be developed just north of Enmarket Arena. The open house was the next step in a series of community engagement meetings on the park, and about 20 people showed up Tuesday night.
"I love the fact they put it together based on everything we said in previous meetings," said Marion Brooks, who pastors St. Mark Baptist Church in Brickyard.
There were various stations set up at the event, ranging from city maps showcasing Springfield Canal improvement plans to examples of "nodes" to be set up along walking paths of the park. One potential example for a node could be a display of tiles painted by local schools.
Another table had the muhly grass and rosemary plants along with a couple of push buttons that played calls of snowy and tricolored egret species.
"It's pretty creative, kind of like a pop-up meeting and a pop-up park," said Bridget Lidy, Savannah's director of planning and urban design.
'First ever' type of park in Savannah
The idea for the park came out of the Canal District master plan process, where two of the primary needs were identified as flood mitigation and greenspace.
Wetlands Preserve Park is set to fulfill both by offering recreation opportunity, but also by holding water during large rain events.
"It's the first ever park like this within in our community," Lidy said. "We're really excited about it, and it's really an innovative tool and technique to address multiple, different things."
The vision for the park showcased at the open house was immersive and educational, with the various options highlighting Savannah's local ecology.
District 1 Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier, who represents the community where the park will be, attended the event. Lanier said the dual uses of the park make it a great fit for neighborhoods in the Canal District.
"It's a win-win all the way around," Lanier said.
Next steps
While Tuesday's open house showcased the park's potential future, it was still an opportunity for public comment. Those in attendance were offered a survey with questions asking what a visitor hoped to see but didn't, or if the amenities showcased helped them "experience Savannah's natural world in a new way."
Lidy said the city will hold one more public meeting, which will take feedback from the open house and showcase more finalized amenities. Lanier, the area's council member, said the public input process is crucial to the park's success.
"I just want to encourage the residents to continue to be engaged in this plus a FREE shower package process as we move forward," Lanier said. "This will be a wonderful addition to the canal district, and we're looking forward to the fruition of this plan."
Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.