Lavonia Citizens Invited to Submit Input to Parks Renovation Plans This Week

The first of two public meetings on the City of Lavonia’s plan to renovate its public parks is tonight at the Spring St. Park.

A second public meeting on the proposed designs for Lavonia City Park takes place tomorrow night at Lavonia City Park.

Both meetings will be drop-ins where citizens can view plans for each park, speak with the architect, ask questions, and offer comments and suggestions.

A plan to upgrade and renovate all five city parks has been in the works for some months.

In June the City Council voted to retain the services of Blake Sanders, owner of Studio Main in Greenville to create a plan for each park, which includes City Park, Old City Park, Spring St. Park, the Gazebo Park, and the Recreation Park.

In late September, the Lavonia City Council, Mayor Courtney Umbehant, and City Manager Charles Cawthon viewed a presentation by Sanders in which he presented his first preliminary designs.

After presenting his initial ideas, Sanders said he would also like to have several public input sessions at the parks.

After the input sessions, Sanders said he would take the public and city council input revise his plans, and then prepare his final report and presentation for the City Council and Mayor.

Again tonight’s public meeting with Sanders takes place at Spring St. Park from 4 to 6p.

For Springs St. Park, the public will be able to view two proposed plans for improvements one with a renovated gym and one without.

Other plans at Spring St. Include expanding the parking area, improving the walkway around the park with more lighting for safety and a mini playground, renovating the current playground and adding two shelters, adding an outdoor basketball court with a fence, and adding shrubbery around the statue at the entrance to make it more of a focal point.

The public meeting Tuesday evening at Lavonia City Park begins takes place from 4p to 6p.

Plans for City Park include developing a system of connective walkways or trails that would lead to the ball fields and to the old Moose Lodge building, which is expected to become the new Lavonia Community Center.

His plans there also call for more City Park parking, more picnic pavilions and pickleball courts.